Love Your Accent, Embrace Your Accent, Keep Your Accent & Modify It When Necessary to Reach Your Goals
May 17, 2017
At Carolina Speech Services, we love your accent. Whether it is from your native languages such as Hindi or Mandarin, or it is a regional accent from growing up in New York City or in the Deep South, it is a part of your unique identity.
Accents Affect Perception
While we would prefer a world where accents are embraced and do not affect a thing, we have to accept the reality that old stereotypes can lead to negative social and professional consequences.
Have you ever met a New Yorker with a thick Long Island accent? Did you think they seemed brash?
Maybe you watch reality television. Do you think the California “valley girl” accent makes the person sound unintelligent and even shallow?
At Carolina Speech Services, our accent modification program is designed to give you the proper tools to effectively modify your accent as needed. We can’t actually eliminate any accent completely, and we wouldn’t want to. What we can do is offer you some pronunciation tools and practices to allow you to decide in what situations to soften your accent.
In What Scenario Might You Alter Your Accent?
Maybe you are meeting a new neighbor for the first time and are not sure what to expect. You might alter your speaking patterns to be closer to a neutral American accent to avoid any bias first impressions.
Tomorrow you have a huge presentation in front of your agency’s biggest client. Speaking in a clear, reduced accent could help you better communicate your big initiative for better understanding and more supportive buy-in. By softening your accent, you mitigate any potential distraction or preconceived notions so that your brilliant ideas and personality shine through first and foremost.
If you’re interested in a customized accent modification program, call 704-845-1605 or contact us today.