Self-Evaluation of Your Accent Reduction Program: Proper Pacing
In learning how to have a more neutral accent, speaking with the right pace is of great importance. A big part of having someone understand what you are saying relies on the speed at which you speak and contributes to your overall goal of being able to speak like a native speaker. Your accent reduction program should be able to give proper emphasis on this, especially if your native tongue involves a pace that is significantly slower or faster than the pace used in speaking proper English.
Accent Reduction Program: Different Speaking Paces
The people you meet during the course of an average day will always have varied speaking paces. If you observe closely, a big factor that affects how clearly you understand these people is the speed at which they talk. There are people you meet who speak in such a slow pace that you can hear every single syllable roll off their tongue. Although this allows you to understand each word, trying to make a comprehensive whole out of what they’re saying can be difficult.
Some people talk fast, allowing them to convey their thoughts more quickly than most. However, this has the potential downside of making them very difficult for some people to understand, especially those who are not native speakers. There is a tendency for some words to blend into others, thereby causing important words and ideas to be misinterpreted by the listener. One of the first things you should do in your accent reduction program is give your accent coach a general idea of your speaking speed, as well as any situations where you talk faster or more slowly than normal. In these situations there may be persistent emotions you were previously unaware of which negatively affect your speaking rate. In an accent reduction program, accent coaches also recommend recording yourself reading from a newspaper and in various speaking situations to better understand your personal speech patterns.
Accent Reduction Program: Conveying emotion with your speech
Whenever possible, try to vary your speaking speeds during your accent reduction program sessions.. There are times when you need to place emphasis on certain words in a sentence in order to properly convey the emotional tone of your words. When you are faced with a stressful situation slowing down your speaking rates allows people to concentrate more fully on what you are saying.
Speaking rates can also convey a sense of sadness or show that what you are saying is a serious matter. Conversely, speeding up your speech can be a sign of excitement and emphasis . However, you should also limit the amount of time for you to speak in a fast pace, as this will be very tiring not only for you but for your listeners as well. This would, in turn, affect your listener’s attention span, level of focus, and comprehension.
Accent Reduction Program: The Ideal Rate of Speech
Experts say that you should ideally speak at a rate of 180-200 words per minute. This pace allows you to convey your thoughts in the clearest possible way. However, your ability to communicate effectively does not become automatic once you begin stay within these parameters. Focusing on other parts of your accent reduction program such as correct pronunciation and proper intonation in connection with your speaking rate will yield the best results.
Want to learn more about accent reduction programs?
Get started with Accent Pros free accent reduction screening! The screening will rate your accent severity using a 7 point scale: 1 being the most heavy and 7 being very mild. If you’re inclined to take it a step further, check out our various accent reduction programs we have to offer. Accent Pros has an office starter program and an online accent reduction program. Both accent reduction programs have had all clients get a 50% of more accent reduction after 12 sessions-check it out!
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