| What is an accent? An accent is the carryover of | | | | hear the way the sounds are produced you |
| sounds from the speaker's original language to the | | | | cannot learn how to produce the sound. Maybe |
| second language. When we are infants we literally | | | | that is why ETS added speaking and listening |
| have the ability to speak any language in the | | | | sections to the TOEFL. The two skills are so |
| world. We are all born with the necessary speech | | | | closely linked. |
| mechanisms and the capability to learn any | | | | Once you can hear the sounds you must add |
| language. We end up speaking the language that | | | | them to your own phonetic library. This means |
| we do solely by reinforcement. The sounds a | | | | that you have in your mind the knowledge and |
| baby hears and the speech patterns he is | | | | understanding of how to produce every sound or |
| exposed to are the ones that she develops. Soon | | | | phoneme in you original language. Now you must |
| the baby gains the fine motor skill and control she | | | | add on some sounds that are in the American |
| needs to create sounds herself. The infant will | | | | sound system that is not in your original language |
| begin by babbling and playing with sounds. Soon | | | | sounds system. Record your self reading a brief |
| she is able to produce simple vowel/consonant | | | | paragraph. Only 2-3 sentences in English. Then |
| combinations which maybe why mama and dada | | | | listen to the recording. Write down exactly what |
| are often their first words, they can make the | | | | you hear on the recording. Not what you meant |
| combination and the big reaction it elicits | | | | to say but what you really did say. How is it |
| reinforces their efforts. By 18 months she will be | | | | different from what was written? Did you say th, |
| able to produce about 20 words that have | | | | when it was written or did you say d? I would |
| meaning and understand around 50 words. Now | | | | suggest sticking with the consonants at first |
| babies of course have the ultimate immersion | | | | because the differences are easier to pinpoint. |
| experience. In order to obtain any control over | | | | If you would like to get help in improving your |
| their environment they must learn the language | | | | pronunciation it would be best to go to a speech |
| and they are surrounded by the language almost | | | | therapist rather than an ESL teacher. Speech |
| 24 hours a day. | | | | therapists are trained in physiology of the speech |
| Of course the second language learner does not | | | | mechanisms and musculature. They understand |
| have these advantages. Even if you are now living | | | | what is involved in producing each sound and are |
| in an English speaking country, and attending | | | | trained to identify and work with articulation |
| classes to learn English you will still have | | | | problems. Though an accent is not the same as |
| opportunity to speak and hear your first language | | | | an articulation problem they have similar |
| with friends and family, this is especially true in | | | | characteristics. When a client has difficulty |
| America a county of immigrants where finding a | | | | articulating specific sounds the speech therapist |
| community of people with the same language | | | | can hear and see what they are doing differently |
| background is possible. | | | | and describe and show how to do it correctly. |
| Another challenge is the expectation factor. For | | | | When a client has an accent the speech therapist |
| many years you have heard a speech pattern | | | | can see what the person is doing differently and |
| and there is an expectation of what you will hear | | | | show and describe how to make the sound so it |
| when others speak. You are predicting what | | | | more closely approximates the standard. |
| sounds will come next based on your | | | | The most important advice I can give you is to |
| subconscious knowledge of language. I call this | | | | keep practicing. At first it may feel like you are |
| listening with an accent. It is necessary to break | | | | exaggerating when you "speak with an American |
| through this barrier, to really hear how others are | | | | accent" but I am sure that the native American |
| speaking, to actively listen. | | | | speakers around you will not even notice. They |
| To listen is to learn, and I don't mean that in an | | | | will merely be impressed with your great diction! |
| existential way. I really mean that if you can't | | | | |