SPEAKING AMERICAN-STYLE ENGLISH: TAMING "THE BEAST"

Imagine moving to a foreign country. You’ve studied the language, perhaps even in a formal setting. But as you start using the language in conversation with native speakers, you often feel misunderstood, sometimes even dismissed. 

Sharyn Reiff is a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist and Accent Modification Specialist. Her clients don’t have to imagine this scenario; they’ve experienced it. 

She describes her clients as smart, motivated, and hard-working:

“They’re brave individuals who came to the U.S. determined to begin a new life and succeed in a new country. They’ll do whatever it takes to create more opportunities for themselves and their families. 

When they move here, they must learn how to land a job, find a safe place to live and become fluent in a new language. They often come to the U.S. having learned English in their home countries and were taught by other non-native English speakers. 

Often times, they are devastated when they find it hard to communicate in American-style English. While they can understand, read and write English well, they often struggle to speak it clearly.”

As a result, establishing themselves professionally can be challenging. They might not come across as intelligent as they really are. They might miss the mark in job interviews. They might remain quiet in meetings because they don’t know how to clearly express their ideas. All of these factors can limit their success.

Learning to master American-style English requires a lot of time, practice, and patience. Fortunately, there are published materials available and trained professionals — like Sharyn — who can address the needs of non-native speakers. 

Accent modification is the official title determined by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) for the type of work Sharyn does with her clients. 

In the interview that follows, Sharyn explains how working with an accent modification coach can help non-native English speakers realize their tremendous potential and succeed in a new country.

Life Working: Let’s start at the beginning. What is accent modification coaching — and how is it different from English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) classes?

Sharyn Reiff: ESL classes, which are usually taught in an academic setting (community college or university) or at a local community center, typically emphasize reading, writing and understanding English. This lays a solid foundation for non-native speakers to learn the written language. But it’s usually not enough to position them for successfully using spoken English in their lives and careers. 

Every language has its own characteristic sounds (vowels and consonants) and speaking patterns), used to emphasize a word, finish a word and transition to the next sentence or topic. In addition, every language has its own natural intonation, which is the musical quality of conversation. This is why people who learn English as their second language usually speak it with the strong accent of their native tongue, especially in the beginning.

We never attempt to eliminate an accent — it’s part of an individual’s unique personal, cultural and linguistic identity. Instead, we help them learn to communicate clearly and confidently with an accent.

That’s where accent modification coaching enters the picture. Accent modification coaching helps individuals learn the proper pronunciation and intonation of American-style English. 

In American-style English, for example, we finish the majority of our words with consonants. We add a “t” or “ed” or “s” or “es” to the end of most words to make them past tense, plural or possessive. This is very different than in many of the Asian languages, which are comprised of mostly vowels — many more than our standard “a-e-i-o-u” sounds. Part of learning to speak English involves moving the mouth in different ways to produce a consonant versus a vowel sound. 

Accent modification coaching helps individuals learn how to stress certain words or syllables; raise or lower their pitch when speaking; and adjust the volume of their voice depending on the context. The focus is on speaking American-style English in a way that helps them clearly express their thoughts, which immediately boosts their confidence. After completing his coaching engagement with me, one client said, “People don’t look at me with a question-mark face anymore.”

Life Working: Why is English such a difficult language for non-native speakers to learn? 

Sharyn Reiff: Learning any foreign language extends beyond vocabulary and grammar. The English language, which I often call “the Beast,” can be particularly tricky. We have rules for vocabulary and grammar, yet so many words don’t follow the rules! Similarly, we have rules for spelling, but so many words are not pronounced the way they are spelled. Here are just a few examples:

• Why does the ending “tion” as in “attention” sound like “shun”? 

• Why does “statue” sound like there’s a “ch” in the middle?

• Why are there three words that sound the same, but have completely different spellings and meanings: “there, their, they’re”?

• Why is “of” spelled “o-f”, but pronounced like “uv”?

Other languages are more rule-governed, consistent, and don’t have as many exceptions, so they’re easier to learn and remember.   

The English language includes many sounds that don’t exist in other languages, such as the “th” sound. And to make this even more complicated, the “th” sound in the word “thought” is different than the “th” sound in “the.”  An accent modification coach can help clients fine-tune these sounds.

Life Working: Why do non-native English speakers tend to revert to their native language when they are nervous or emotionally charged? How can they handle these situations with greater control?

Sharyn Reiff: It’s exhausting to communicate in a second language all day long. Everyone needs to feel more comfortable and in control by doing something familiar to them. This is natural, not only for speaking, but for all activities in life. If I spoke in a different language all day long, I would want to take a break and use my native language too. 

Most people don’t realize that when they’re anxious, they tend to take very short, shallow breaths. This has a direct impact on their ability to speak clearly and confidently.

When we’re in control of our breathing, we feel more grounded and, therefore, more in control of our situation. Breath is the source of speech, every activity we do, and life itself. So my first session with clients consists of several breathing exercises. I follow this with a session on learning to project your voice from the diaphragm, which is the floor of the lungs. 

I use the image of an archer shooting a bow and arrow. Your body is the strong and stable bow, and your voice is the arrow that the archer shoots across the room. You want to make sure that everyone in the room receives and understands the messages that you send, even with an accent.

This can be a particularly helpful exercise for soft-spoken individuals, who speak quietly because of their personality or the cultural norms in their country of origin. I actually put targets on the walls and challenge them to shoot the targets with their voices. They love it! After holding everything so tightly, including their ideas, they find it very freeing to project their voices across the room.

This exercise can also help native English speakers who want to learn to speak with greater authority and confidence. 

Life Working: What general tips would you offer to non-native English speakers to help them become more comfortable, confident conversationalists?

Sharyn Reiff: There are many ways people can learn to improve their pronunciation, intonation and verbal presentation skills. Here are a few that I recommend:

• Find a qualified trainer with experience in Accent Modification, preferably a speech-language pathologist or English language instructor. The trainer should have access to published resources to train clients on how to pronounce all the sounds of American English and use the patterns of intonation (stress and pitch changes) to emphasize the primary syllables in words and important words in sentences. 

• Listen to native U.S. English speakers, paying close attention to not only what they say, but also how they say it. Listen to public radio (such as NPR) because announcers must speak very precisely and quickly due to the limited time allotment. Listening to music and singing will help people learn the rhythm, the rise and fall, and the overall flow of the new language.  

• Practice! Learning to speak a new language is a skill. Immersing yourself in the language of another country is the best way to learn it. Try not to be self-conscious when expressing your ideas. Practice projecting your voice from the diaphragm. Relax and focus on the breath work. As the saying goes, aim for progress, not perfection. 
  

If you’re a job seeker, recognize the incredible contribution you can make to a new employer by bringing a different perspective to the company based on your background and upbringing. You might even be able to offer innovative systems and processes, marketing ideas and/or bring in new sources of business. 

Don’t let language limit your potential. Instead, allow it to open doors for you. In an increasingly global economy, the ability to speak more than one language is an extremely valuable asset. Amazing opportunities await!

Sharyn Reiff is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Accent Reduction Specialist with over 30 years of experience in helping clients improve their speech. She offers a 16-week Accent Refinement Private Coaching Program for non-native English-speaking professionals to support them in reaching their full potential in their careers and relationships. To learn more about Sharyn and her coaching services, visit her website, Clearly Said & Easily Understood.