Joanne’s Blog of Sudden Inspiration

Cat Got Your Tongue? – A Discussion of Key Consonants in Accent Reduction and Speech Improvement

Here is a question for all you non-native (native) speakers out there:

Which is arguably one of the most important muscular parts in the human body for achieving good American English pronunciation?

The answer is: [drum rolls please] the tongue. The tongue is a key muscular component of proper American speech because it is used to formulate a number of consonant sounds in the English language. Many non-native speakers have trouble with enunciating certain consonant sounds because they are not in the habit of using their tongues when speaking in their native languages. As we go over a couple of consonant sounds below, vocalize the consonants and check to see which of them you especially have trouble with:

N & L – To pronounce these two consonants, put your tongue tip against your gum ridge. To find your gum ridge, first touch your tongue tip against the back of your upper front teeth. Next, move the tongue tip up until you feel the fleshy part right above your teeth. That’s your gum ridge. Vocalize each sound.

D & T: Find these two consonant sounds by bouncing your tongue tip off the gum ridge. Vocalize each consonant.

TH: Form this sound by sticking your tongue out between your upper and lower front teeth. Make sure that your teeth are touching the tongue as you make the ‘TH’ sound. Feel the vibration (your tongue should feel ticklish at this point) as you vocalize the sound.

R: Enunciating this consonant sound involves taking your tongue back towards your throat and arching it at the same time. In my opinion, this is one of the toughest consonants to pronounce in the English language. Many non-native speakers – especially those of Asian-Pacific descent – have the tendency to drop the ‘R’ sound in their speech. On the other hand, Indian speakers tend to put too much ‘R’ in their speech.

For non-native speakers enunciating consonants clearly is crucial to being understood by native speakers. Even for native speakers, having a “lazy” tongue can be detrimental to the professional image that they wish to project in the corporate world as well. To pronounce these consonant sounds (and all others) properly, you will need to re-train your tongue to go to the right positions in the mouth quickly and accurately. This re-training process will take some time and patience on your part, as well as the guidance of an experienced coach.

In my accent reduction coaching, I prescribe specific exercises to help my clients formulate new American speech habits. If you need help with reducing your foreign accent, please do not hesitate to contact me (http://www.JoanneChen.com/). I will soon be offering videoconferencing lessons as an option to accommodate motivated clients located outside of San Diego. If you live in San Diego or in North County, my in-person training would be your best option. Until next time.

Yours in speaking, Joanne Chen, Accent Reduction Coach

Accent Reduction & Speech Improvement For You - Plus A Do-It-Yourself Assessment Exercise

Are your accent or speech habits getting between you and the top of the corporate ladder, holding you back from achieving professional success?

During the fall of 2007, I was a judge at a Toastmasters speech contest. There was one particular contestant, who impressed me. She lit up the stage with an energetic presence coupled with grand gestures, lively body language, and vocal variety. She even brought props. Unfortunately, I could only understand about 10% of what she said. That’s right. She was a non-native speaker. I was straining to understand what she was saying the whole time. My heart really went out to her because she reminded me of my younger self.

When I first came to this country, I was struggling to learn the English language. Just imagine speaking with a thick Taiwanese accent, feeling embarrassed and frustrated, while other people stared and laughed at you behind your back. That’s why I applaud that woman for stepping on that stage - and risking it all. Unfortunately, in the end, she lost the contest to another contestant, who had, among other things, impeccable diction.

Psychologist Albert Mehrabian said that 55% of effective communication is attributed to body language, 38% is attributed to the tone of one’s voice, and a mere 7% is attributed to verbal communication. Perhaps that’s true. But in my view, that 7% can make a difference between winning or losing a speech contest; getting a promotion, a new job, or new clients; or, more importantly, being respected and heard as a member of this society.

Whether you have a lisp, a foreign accent, or perhaps you tend to drop consonants at the end of words, our speech habits, the clearness of our enunciation, can either add to or detract from the desirable image we wish to project as the powerful speakers that we are.

Do you agree with me that continuing to improve and sharpen our speech is important? If so, I have a simple self-assessment exercise for you.

First of all, record yourself reading a newspaper article out loud. Then, listen to your recording, and put a check mark next to any of the following statements that you think applies to you:

_____ I tend to drop consonants at the end of words.

_____ I have the tendency to talk too fast. I need to vary my speaking pace and insert more pauses.

_____ I tend to speak with a monotone.

_____ I say words incorrectly, because I don’t know their pronunciations.

Being aware of your own speech habits is the first step to becoming a better speaker. If you work on your speech diligently, then you will be able to make 100% impact on your audience, instead of just 93%.

To receive my free audio course, “The Five Biggest Speech Mistakes Made by Non-Native Speakers,” please go to http://www.JoanneChen.com, and enter your name and e-mail under “Free Newsletter.”  These tips are useful for native speakers as well.