Now entering my 5th year of full-time American Accent Training in the Silicon Valley (and has it ever been an interesting experience!), the biggest challenge is how to grow the business! I'm glad to have met all of you who are reading this blog because connecting with professionals in related areas is the key to success. It's a lonely business and there's so much to do if we don't have each other. Those of you who have reached out to meet or discuss topics always make my day, so please continue to do so!
This year I'm into partnering with other consultants. There are so many related fields with overlap and so little knowledge about what we really do in this field! I recently posted an ad for Speech Coaches to see who I would attract and to find a good person to mentor, and I met some really interesting people. One of them speaks fluent Mandarin but was born and raised here, and that could be an interesting niche. This person specialized in leadership training but didn't focus on the accent as part of "speech" coaching, and I am always so curious how that happens. I've had "speech" coaches tell me they focus on areas "outside of accent" and don't work with clients who mispronounce words or exhibit other accent-related issues.
The most interesting to me is this concept of "vocal variety." Can you imagine being given the advice to "add" it and not having English as you first language? How would you have any conceivable idea of what that is?
I was once hired by an all Spanish-speaking real estate firm that had taken speech training from a recognized expert in real estate sales (I won't mention the name here), and after taking several of these courses that instructed the crew to use "vocal variety," they were all completely disillusioned and self-questioning about their English fluency. We ended up doing "script" rehearsals with full accent modification techniques to "relearn" and in some ways "unlearn" what had been focused on in these sessions. To native speakers, "vocal variety" can be demmonstrated and understood, but to non-native speakers ... especially those who already bring their own first language's patterns to the table, "vocal variety" is a completely nebulous and unachievable goal! The seminars and workshops that were meant to be motivational served only to disillusion them ... maybe real estate professionals should be my next focus!
I think I'll do a broader reach and begin working in the area of intercultural communication ... more posts to follow on this topic in the oh-so-near future!
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I found your blog entry interesting, very close to practice and authentic. One thing I missed, however, was a definition of "vocal variety." Thank goodness for Google: "Vocal variety is achieved through combining pitch, tone, volume and rate."
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I teach business effectiveness in intercultural settings here in Amsterdam, and I'm amazed when I encounter my fellow Americans who arrive from the US with such strong regional vocal variety that it renders their speech unintelligible. Especially confusing for non-native speakers of English is the speakers' habit of ending statements with a rising inflection, as if they're asking a question. This habit seems to be highly prevalent in recent arrivals, especially lately, and it confuses the listener enormously.
That's interesting. I have had clients who tell me they are perceived as too youthful or childish, and this rising intonation is part of the issue. It can keep them from being taken seriously. I didn't realize it was a attribute more common in US speech and perhaps in more noticeable in recent years. Age may also be a contributing factor. I notice in more in younger clients (20 somethings), but my more recent client with this issue is probably late 30's and unaware she's doing it. It's also interesting that accent modification is needed on US speakers in Amsterdam ... I hadn't thought about it, but it makes sense. Do you teach them to talk with their lips?
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