Can Comprehension of Accented Speech Decrease with Age?

May 9, 2012 By

Can Age Affect a Decrease in Accented Speech?An Unexplored Avenue

Much research has been completed in the field of aging and the ability of the body to adapt both physically and mentally as its various systems decline, but only recently have researchers begun to address the question of whether or not older adults have a more difficult time understanding accented speech compared to younger adults.

In 2004, the team of Shah, Schmidt, Goral, and Obler set out to determine whether age truly affects the brain’s ability to process accented speech. Previous research had revealed only a minor difference in the way older and younger minds processed accented speech and this evidence was deemed too inconsistent to draw any broad conclusions.

The Brain’s Innate Preference for Unaccented Speech

Shah and her colleagues established 2 groups of older and younger adults and asked them to recite specially formulated groups of sentences, delivered to them by separate speakers, one with a native English accent and the other with a mild Croatian accent. The older adult group had an average age of 75.7, whereas the average age of the young adult group was 21. Overall, there was a noticeable difference in both groups’ accuracy in repeating sentences by a native speaker versus an accented speaker, 92.69 versus 65.3 percent respectively.

Most surprising was how older adults demonstrated a dramatically lower than expected aptitude for the sentences spoken by the native English accented speaker compared to younger adults. The unbalanced nature of these results caused the researchers to speculate that because both groups used for the experiment were relatively small in comparison to similar studies, one individual performance could have unfairly impacted the average score for the older adult group, bringing it up to a deceptively higher number. Another explanation was that the sentences themselves were too difficult for everyone involved and therefore there was little chance of a score more representative of the elder group’s handling of accented speech.

Don’t Underestimate the Capabilities of a Seasoned Mind

Age may be used by older adults as a justification for why they can’t do or use something, in a sense becoming a defense mechanism. However with regards to accent assimilation there is no evidence to suggest that advancing age drastically affects one’s ability to comprehend accented speech. Mental slowdown that does occur is merely a result of typical aging and not a diminished capacity for language.  Should we assume that regardless of our age, most of us have a much more difficult time comprehending someone who speaks with a different accent than our own?  To determine your ability to hear the sounds of Standard American English, use the complimentary accent tutorials offered by Accent Pros.

Filed Under: Accents and Regional Dialects, Foreign Accents, Language Tagged With: , ,

Listening is an Important Step to Correct English Pronunciation

April 28, 2012 By

Listening to Learn How to Speak EnglishWhen it comes to learning completely new pronunciation during speech, it is important to be an auditory learner. This simply means you will learn something new through listening, and you will depend on hearing and repeating as your primary way of learning. When improving your American English pronunciation, you must first be able to hear what is being said before you attempt to speak with the proper pronunciation. Using your auditory skills and repetition skills will be a successful step to speaking with more of a standard American accent.

It’s All in the Listening

In order to speak with proper English pronunciation, it may be helpful to listen to various forms of English audio, such as audio books, movies, television, and radio. Utilizing the closed captions on television programs and movies can help you understand the words spoken.  If in the U.S., you will also notice the more you speak with those around you, the more you will pick up on the accent and dialects used. Try to pay attention to the speech of the people you work with, the people you interact with, and even the people having conversations with others.  

After paying attention to how words and phrases are pronounced, you can practice saying them out loud. It will benefit you to practice saying these words and phrases over and over again until you start pronouncing them correctly. While listening to these common words and phrases, also pay attention to any pauses used throughout the sentence, the intonation of the speaker’s voice, and the stress or emphasis that is put on particular parts of the words or sentences.

Listening to the sounds of an individual who speaks with proper English pronunciation will definitely assist you in being able to discriminate among different sounds as well as give you the opportunity to attempt repeating these sounds. Learning to speak or improve your standard American English pronunciation on your own can be a difficult task. Sure, you have the opportunity to hear how words and phrases are pronounced, and you can also try to imitate these sounds, but you may not be able to determine if the sounds you are mimicking are completely accurate. This is where receiving help from an accent reduction specialist would be to your benefit.

Listen How to Pronounce Colors in English

Accent reduction specialists focus on the individual sounds that you need to work on and they will provide you with helpful feedback from your initial accent evaluation. They will also provide you with the necessary tools, instructions, and practice exercises to assist you in your goal of speaking with standard American English pronunciation. Instead of being unsure about the way you are pronouncing English words and phrases, seek training from a certified accent reduction specialist who can provide you with 100% honest feedback and lasting results.

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The Geico Gecko takes on the Chicago Accent

April 24, 2012 By

Geico has launched a commercial series entitled “The Gecko’s Journey,” in which their mascot travels around the U.S.

After nearly getting trampled during his New York City Brooklyn bridge commercial shoot last month, the gecko decided to recuperate from this traumatic experience by spending a couple of weeks in Chicago, taking in a game from the Wrigley Field bleachers and taste testing Gino’s East pizza.

The Gecko was heckled relentlessly throughout the game by some bleacher bums who claimed they couldn’t understand his accent, however he seems to have some support.  One longtime season ticket holder remarked, ”I always thought he just read cue cards and looked unassuming in those commercials, but he’s actually fairly intelligent and I think he could teach economics at my son’s high school. I’m just worried the biology department would kidnap and dissect him in the name of science.” 

Last week, the dejected gecko showed up at Accent Pros’ offices in the Hancock Building begging us to help him speak with a standard American accent and talk like a true Chicagoan. With only one day of accent training, the gecko developed a Chicago accent with a twist. Check it out for yourself.

Animals in Marketing

The Geico gecko and Aflac duck are the two foremost examples of an animal mascot being used to sell products. A study on brand recognition discovered that children as young as three are able to quickly identify and retain information in ads if an animal is somehow involved with the advertising.  Therefore the earlier in a consumer’s life a company can make an impression the more likely they will buy a product. The gecko was born out of sheer necessity in 1999 when a screen actors guild strike prohibited the use if live actors.

When he first appeared, the gecko was voiced by Kelsey Grammer with a roughened British accent and a frantic personality to match, as the gecko called a press conference to insist customers stop calling him after confusing the words “gecko” and “Geico”.

In subsequent commercials, steps were taken to find a voice actor who could make the gecko sound approachable with a sense of authority. Dan Kelly portrayed the gecko with a British Australian accent, whereas the current actor Jake Wood has a Cockney accent. Geico representatives believe this accent works because it goes against the high-pitched voice people expect when they see a talking animal on TV. Despite sidestepping one stereotype, the gecko is often mistakenly thought to have a pure Australian English accent.

If you would like to learn more about how to talk like a Chicagoan or if you live in Chicago and want to learn how to reduce your accent, we here at Accent Pros offer classes in the Hancock building, Naperville and support clients worldwide through our on-line one-on-one interactive personal accent reduction training sessions via skype or other online video conferencing tools.

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Do Students have More Difficulty Learning from a Teacher with a Foreign Accent?

April 23, 2012 By

Learning Second Language from Native SpeakersLearning to speak a different language or accent is bound to be a difficult task from the start. It is such a challenge because individuals are naturally accustomed to the sounds and language they learned as children.

If you are a foreign speaker who decides to learn English from someone who speaks the same native tongue as you, particular sounds and rhythms of the native tongue will most likely be carried into the new language. Although you may be receiving the information required to be able to communicate with native English speakers, you will still lack the true sound of a native English speaker. The variations in accents derive from particular sounds existing in one language but not in another.

This may be an issue of personal preference in teaching and learning styles, and one should obviously choose to learn a new language in the way that suits him or her best. However, when it involves learning the proper, standard, American English pronunciation, it would be most beneficial to seek help from a qualified speech-language pathologist who specializes in accent reduction classes and is already a professional, native English speaker.

Learning Second Languages from Native Speakers

A study was conducted on how well students learn second languages from teachers who speak with accents similar to their own, and the results suggested students have an easier time understanding new material from a teacher with the same accent. This was primarily due to the students not having to spend time trying to understand the English in a different accent. For example, Hispanic individuals studying English would find it easier to learn from a teacher with a Spanish accent.

This may be the case when it involves learned a second language, but learning the correct pronunciation of a language would be most beneficial to learn from a native English speaker. Even though the study suggested otherwise, many people who have had to learn English as a new language have voiced their opinions. The majority of them believed learning a new language from a native speaker would be most beneficial. This way, not only would you receive the proper education in learning the new language, but you would also be hearing everything taught to you in the correct pronunciation.

If you are a professional seeking assistance on how to properly speak Standard American English to become a stronger asset to your classroom or organization.  Accent Pros offers a wide variety of language speaking tutorials in over fifty languages to help you.  Take advantage of our free accent screening to see how we can best help you achieve your classroom goals.

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The Great Vowel Shift

April 5, 2012 By

What was the Great Vowel Shift?Accent Pros - The Great Vowel Shift

The great vowel shift refers to a period roughly from the twelfth century to the eighteenth century in England when all of the long vowels in English were raised–with the most substantial development coming in the 15th and 16th centuries–creating a drastic shift away from the pronunciation methods found in middle English.

Origins of the Vowel Shift

Many linguists believe France’s ruling of England during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) inspired the English to differentiate their pronunciation from the French in an act of defiance, thus creating a modern standard. A counter theory by Matthew Giancarlo in Seth Lerner’s book Inventing English: a portable history of the language, hypothesizes this standardization came through social conditioning. Consequently, the vowel shift itself is seen as one of many possible dialects that could’ve been adopted during this period and ultimately may have been adopted to meet the needs of an increasingly print oriented society.

Articulation Points of English Words

The vowel shift did not affect short vowels; however each of the long vowels–classified as either low, mid, high or back depending on where they are pronounced in the mouth–moved up a pronunciation class. For instance low vowels became mid vowels and high vowels became diphthongs, a syllable containing two distinct vowel sounds. Back vowels were also moved forward, infringing on the pronunciation space of other vowel groupings until both front and back vowels were pronounced similarly. Latin etymologies served as a basis for the respelling of a plethora of English words. In some instances the pronunciation of a given word was modified to phonetically reflect the new spelling, while other written words retained one or more silent constants. These changes necessitated the construction of a modern alphabet which diverged from Latin.

How the Vowel Shift Impacted Spelling

Although the shift encompassed all of Britain and eventually the world, the transition to modern English occurred at varying speeds . The dialects which once defined a given area faded away as the London standard dialect gained traction with the advent of print. Modern English also spread throughout the world on account of Britain’s colonization and trade efforts and previously foreign words from Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands were integrated into English. This flexibility was not present in Old English, characterized by a lack of word endings and a dependency upon rough translations for foreign words. Printers in different areas had contradictory pronunciation guidelines, leading to many English words being spelled non-phonetically.

Are you a business professional trying to improve your communication?  Do vowels cause you frustration and confusion?  When you are ready to get rid of your accent, Accent Pros can help find the best accent reduction training program suitable for you and your lifestyle.  Please take our Free Accent Screening to determine the severity of your foreign accent and examples of what you could do in order to speak with an American accent.

Filed Under: Language, Speak English Language Tagged With: ,

How to Pronounce Common English Phrases

March 28, 2012 By

How to Pronounce Common English PhrasesIf you are an individual who is looking to improve your English or are currently learning the English language, it will benefit you to make sure you are studying English pronunciation. Pronunciation is the primary aspect noticed by those you communicate with; therefore it is important to be able to articulate the correct sounds of the language you are speaking. In order to improve your English pronunciation, you need to be willing to frequently practice the English sounds andlearn  their International Phonetic Symbols (IPA).

Learn the Symbols

Before you actually begin speaking the sounds, it is important to first be able to recognize all the different sounds and be able to discriminate among them. Once you learn which phonetic symbols are associated with particular sounds, you can start practicing the sounds on their own (in isolation), followed by practicing the sounds in words, then in sentences, and ultimately in more challenging speaking formats.

Understanding the International Phonetic Alphabet

Understanding the IPA symbols and their associated sounds will also come in handy when you are unsure of a pronunciation of a particular word. Dictionary.com contains the phonetic breakdown of every word, making it a bit easier for you to learn and even contains audio samples for words, giving you a pronunciation you can hear. This is a great way to practice as it makes for fewer mistakes in your pronunciation when you can actually hear and imitate the correct sounds. The dictionary may contain the phonetic transcription and pronunciation of a word you search, but it does not provide you with a list of the most commonly used English words and phrases.

Examples of Common English Phrases

As you communicate more frequently with native English speakers, you may be able to pick up on certain phrases more commonly used than others. For example, you may recognize some of the common English phrases in the video below.

Common English Phrases in the Workplace

You may also notice particular phrases more commonly used among your colleagues.. The video below provides you with examples of some expressions you can expect to hear around the workplace.

 Practice Makes Perfect

 If you are looking to learn and practice thousands of commonly used English words and phrases, you can visit englishspeak.com.  This website gives you the opportunity to hear thousands of the most common words and phrases used in the English language, and it is also a great way for you to practice speaking with more of a Standard American Accent. When you are ready to seriously learn how to speak better English and get rid of your accent, Accent Pros can help find the best accent reduction training program suitable to you and your lifestyle. Until then, practice, practice and more practice.

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Accents and Dialects in Miami, Florida

March 15, 2012 By

Miami, Florida Accents and Dialects

To these Miami natives, they themselves do not have an accent, but to many outsiders, they do have particular pronunciation patterns. These outsiders who hear the Miami accent sometimes say it sounds similar to a Spanish or Cuban accent, however, it is really neither of the two. According to Norene Bini, a dialogue and dialect coach in Miami, the Miami accent does exist and “it’s a cadence, a rhythm that’s superimposed on the English language that is borrowed from Spanish-speaking, even if they’re not speakers of Spanish.”

Whether these natives grew up in Spanish-speaking homes or have been surrounded by Spanish speakers their whole lives, they have developed a way of speaking that incorporates Spanish pronunciation rules with American English. For example, some Miami speakers will utilize a rolled “r” sound in place of a standard American “r” in words such as throw or truck. The differences in pronunciation all stem from differences in movement of the primary articulators (lips, tongue and teeth).

Miami Accent Similar to Spanish Cuban Accent, but Not Really

As the case is for hundreds of regions and social classes across the country, Miami speakers also use particular dialects. An individual may find slang spoken on the streets of Miami and a completely different style of speech spoken on the beach or at clubs and bars. Dialect is all involved with the speaking style and vocabulary used during everyday speech. A myriad of accent dialects are found throughout the Miami, Florida area and surrounding cities.  Some accents are barely noticeable, whereas others are almost unintelligible.

Like other regions throughout the country, Miami is one containing a particular accent and dialects from those who have resided there for quite some time. It doesn’t matter where you live or where you’re from, everyone has an accent or a particular style of speaking. The Miami accent and dialect is just one example of the many that exist. If you have a strong regional accent or dialect and you would like to learn to reduce your accent, try out our free accent reduction tutorials today in over fifty languages, or contact us to speak with an accent reduction specialist to help you meet your own speech goals.

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Learn to Speak American English

March 13, 2012 By

Learn to Speak American EnglishThe American English language is a necessary tool of communication if you are either an individual living in the United States or someone who often interacts with American English speakers on a daily basis, whether it is for work or pleasure.

English – The Global Business Language

The English language has become the universal mode of communication used throughout the world, and this is why at least knowing the basics of it will help you function more easily in today’s society.

Learning American English can benefit an individual in a number of ways, some including:

• Improvement of communication skills
• Receiving information and knowledge non-English speakers are unable to obtain
• Gain of confidence
• More career opportunities
• More entertainment opportunities (films, books, movies, etc…)
• Traveling experiences become easier

Although learning the English language will be a challenge, it is possible for anyone to do. There are particular steps one should take in learning to speak American English, just as there are steps in learning to do anything new. First off, it is important to strengthen your English vocabulary so you can understand instruction as well as words people will be using during your daily interactions. Once you feel confident in using basic English vocabulary, you should begin to focus on the basic grammar aspect of American English.

Learning American English – Where to Start

In order to catch on to the grammar concept in the most efficient way possible, one should first consider practicing the repeating of correct sentences. This way, you won’t be overwhelmed with too many rules and logic. This is, after all, the way children first learn to speak – they listen to their parents and mimic what they say, then they learn to read and write. The truth is, even most English speakers don’t know all the technical rules of grammar. They key to learning the English language is memorization. When you have memorized what you want to express, you will say it without hesitation. When you first begin the learning process, start with words and phrases and you will eventually be able to move to sentences.

Once you feel comfortable with using speech that is commonly used in American English you will want to become familiar with the basics of grammar. These basics include not only knowing what subjects, verbs, predicated, and articles are, but knowing when and where to use each of them when speaking. If you feel like you have the basics of American English down, but you still have a foreign accent while speaking, you have the option of seeing an accent reduction specialist. He or she will provide you with all the necessary tools you would need to improve your pronunciation and become one step closer to speaking true American English with a true standard American accent.

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How Americans Got Their Accents

March 8, 2012 By

How Americans Got Their AccentThe American accent began to develop quickly after America won the Revolutionary war against the British. Until that time, both parties spoke with a rhotic British accent similar to the modern day American Accent.

Difference Between Rhotic and Non-Rhotic

Rhotic accents pronounce the hard /r/ sound at the end of words such as “car”, and all other places in which the letter [r] appears in each word. Non-rhotic accents do not emphasize this sound unless it appears at the beginning of a word or when followed by a vowel.

The upper class, in Southern England, initiated a movement which permanently changed the standard British accent by speaking in a non-rhotic manner.  This gained universal acceptance among Brittan’s high society and infiltrated regional dialects. The majority of American Accents retain their rhotic quality.

What Dialects Started the American Accent

After the United States won independence from Britain, American Accents emerged in the 1700′s combining British English, non-English language phrases and slang terms to create four distinct dialect regions. These include – The Puritans, Royalists, Quakers, and The Scots-Irish.

The Puritans maintained a level of respect for British English; therefore, the New England American dialect and its New York variation are characterized by the pronunciation of caught and bought with an O instead of an A, and an avoidance of the letter R when it is found at the end of words, similar to non-rhotic British speech.

America’s first generation of children spoke with an accent and dialect heavily influenced by their parent’s speech patterns. In modern society, a child’s accent develops first from influence from their parents, but more so by their local classmates, friends, and regional American dialects which have evolved since the 1700’s. There are numerous examples of children born in the United States who develop an American accent despite influence from parents who speak English with a foreign accent.

Research indicates there are between three and twenty-four officially recognized American dialects, although many of the small towns and communities within each dialect region have attributes unique to itself.

If you want to learn the standard American accent and you speak with a foreign accent you may want to consider private accent reduction training.  It will provide you with individualized attention as well as the tools, guidance, and feedback you would need to speak with the most neutral American accent.

Filed Under: American Accents & Dialects, Foreign Accents, Language Tagged With: , ,

Fun with English: The Pronunciation Manual and Book Videos

February 20, 2012 By

Featured earlier today on the Ellen DeGeneres show were two insightful ways to pronounce words in the American English language.  The Pronunciation Book is a series of English pronunciation videos of single words correctly spoken.  The other, The Pronunciation Manual, is a spoof on the Pronunciation Book videos.  Here is a video of Ellen’s feature on the topic:

 

What is the Pronunciation Book?

 The Pronunciation Book is a YouTube channel in which English words and names are pronounced for the purpose of helping non-English speakers. The videos have been added steadily for over a year since it began on April 14th, 2010.  Here is an example video. More can be found on YouTube.

 

What is the Pronunciation Manual?

Pronunciation Manual, on the other hand, is a You Tube channel with ridiculously incorrect pronunciations that look just like the videos from Pronunciation Book’s original video series.  In the video, each featured word is mispronounced intentionally for comedic and trolling purposes.  If you are learning how to speak English properly, these videos are not going to help you in anyway.

 

Learning American English – Don’t be Spoofed!

To the average, everyday American these videos can be hilarious.  We love to hear our words spoken by a foreign accent.  But let’s be serious for just a moment.  Learning American English is difficult and we here at Accent Pros want to help you understand the differences between the Pronunciation Book and Manual.  The book videos are for real.  The manual videos… they are just for fun.  Might be in your best interest to steer clear of the videos until you have a strong command of the English language.

 

How Do You Pronounce That Word?

One tool you can use to determine how to correctly pronounce a word comes from Forvo.com.  Forvo is the largest pronunciation guide in the world. Ever wondered how a word is pronounced? Ask for that word or name, and another user will pronounce it for you. You can also help others by recording your pronunciations in your own language.  In the meantime, you can also check out our very large and extensive accent tutorials here at AccentPros.com. 

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What is the Origin of Language?

February 10, 2012 By

What are The Origins of Language?

There is no universal consensus on a specific origin date language was brought into the world. Although there is evidence that suggests humans existed hundreds of thousands of years ago, there are still debates regarding the specific origin of language. There have also been a number of different theories developed regarding language origins, but the origin of the first language has been broken down into two main beliefs. These beliefs are those of divine creation and natural evolution.

The belief of divine creation suggests language was the gift of the gods to the humans, and humans were created from the start with the ability to use language. This belief has been influenced by references made to particular verses in the bible involving God speaking to others.

The belief  language was developed through natural evolution suggests throughout humans’ development overtime, they have “acquired a more sophisticated brain which made language invention and learning possible.” In other words, the vocalizations and gestures first used by our ancestors to communicate were inherited by the future generations and eventually developed into a creative and complex system of language.

How Language Might Have Been Invented?

Several hypotheses have been developed to portray how language may have been invented by humans. A few of these hypotheses include:

• The ‘bow-wow’ theory – Suggests that noises made by the first humans began to acquire specific meanings
• The ‘ding-dong’ theory – Suggests that language began when humans began labeling objects and actions according to the sounds they made (what we know today as onomatopoeia)
• The ‘ta-ta’ theory – Suggests language developed when human speech organs (the main articulators of the mouth) began to imitate hand gestures
• The ‘yo-heave-ho’ theory – Suggests language was developed by humans who chanted while working together to complete a task

Some of these hypotheses are hard to believe due to the fact that language is so much more complex than simple noises and chants. The origin of language is still considered and will always remain mysterious, but we do know that it has developed into thousands of different forms over time, and will continue to advance in the future generations.  Of those forms, we now have many country languages of origin.  From those languages have derived accents and dialects which have grown through the ages.  As we move into a global society, our language is evolving yet again to an American English standard for Internet communications.  Please take a moment to peruse our free accent reduction tutorials in order to help you accomplish your global language goals.

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