Last night–January 14th, 2010–The Sound Center was featured in a story on accent modification. Check it out and let us know what you think. I’ll post again with some comments of my own.
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/money/local_money/job-seekers-lose-accents-to-get-jobs
You do not have to inspire large groups of people, speak poetically, or weave elaborate stories in order to be an effective communicator. The results of our daily interactions are a better measure of our ability to communicate. One aspect of communication that most of us use is called code switching. This is the ability to alternate between languages, dialects, and communication styles to fit the audience or situation.
Conversations can be altered entirely or within sentences. Alterations can be made to vocabulary and grammar, as well as to nonverbal aspects of comunication like voice, articulation, and body language. The most obvious situations where this strategy is used are among multi-lingual and multicultural societies, such as the United States. Check out this YouTube video about how advertisers are using code switching to sell their products.
Sometimes code switching can lead to funny situations: If you have spent time with family or friends who communicate differently than your professional associates, you are likely to bring words and sounds particular to that experience back to work with you. One time I was checking out after an appointment. There were papers to sign and dates to confirm and when we were finished, I said in a chirpy, peppy voice with a bright smile, “All done?” This came directly from my experience as a new mom…the sleep deprivation also contributed.
During training, clients will make faster progress if they primarily use their target communication style. This may mean limiting their native language use and code switching behavior. However, this is not always possible or desirable. It is important for each person to make conscious choices about how they want to communicate in different situations; important but challenging.
How do you use code switching? Have you seen others effectively (or ineffectively) use code switching?
Today is World Voice Day! Celebrate your voice, which is a powerful tool for delivering messages, an infinitely expressive instrument to convey your emotions, and a canvas for vocal artists to create beauty and evoke reactions. Whose voices do you admire? Who has had an effect on you by using their voice to say words you needed to hear? Today is the day to honor those people in your hearts and minds, and if you wish, here. I invite you to post a comment, tell a story, or share your list of people whose voices you really like.
Learn more about World Voice Day, including its history and purpose, and link to exercises and information about the voice. Click here, and turn on your speakers to hear the word “voice” spoken in many of the world’s languages.
In a time of economic instability, an investment in your voice is one that’s guaranteed to yield high return for years to come.
We don’t normally think of our voice as needing maintenance or special attention, though a healthy and effective voice is a vital asset. Your voice is one of your most valuable tools in your personal and professional life, especially with an increasing emphasis on voicemail, teleconferencing and face-to-face communication. Your voice contributes as strongly toward making a good impression as your appearance or handshake.
That’s why the theme for this year’s World Voice Day is “Invest in your Voice”. Investing in your voice means treating it right by avoiding smoking, limiting heavy screaming or shouting, and by staying hydrated and recognizing when your voice needs a break.
You should also warm up your voice, like you would other muscles, before periods of extended use. Warm-ups are not just for vocal professionals, but also benefit teachers, public speakers, or preachers, to name a few.
If you think you have a voice disorder or you want to improve your voice projection or quality, don’t wait to seek help. Speak to a speech pathologist who has expertise in the vocal mechanism. See a laryngologist if a disorder is suspected. Different diagnoses require very different care, so it is important to be seen by a highly qualified professional.
The Sound Center will feature information about the importance of your voice and tips on how to keep it in peak condition as part of its count down to WVD 2009.
World Voice Day began in Brazil in 1999 as a day of awareness, recognition, and celebration of the human voice, and is now commemorated worldwide each year on April 16. WVD strives to inform people of the importance of the human voice and the need for preventative care.
I would love to use this blog as a place to answer any questions related to communication. If I can’t answer them, I will do my best to find the answer and invite feedback from you. So go ahead, ask away! Here are some ideas to get you started:
These are just a few ideas. Use them or brainstorm your own and ask. I love this stuff!
One of the services we provide at The Sound Center is accent modification for foreign and regional accents. Clients work on pronunciation, intonation, speaking rate, style of presentation, and tone of voice, among other areas. The accent we teach is American English, as spoken by most broadcasters in the US.
Some see this work as fundamentally racist. They claim that the group in power dictates the correct way of speaking, and the less powerful are forced to change. Who has the right to say which way of speaking is correct?
I can see their point, especially when people are dismissed or demeaned for the way they speak. However, in my opinion, communication is the goal. If people have ideas to share but their audience cannot understand them, it is to their benefit to make some changes in the way they speak.
I have simplified this debate considerably, but I am curious to find out what you think. Is accent modification a racist goal?
This is my first blog post. My name is Michelle Eppley and I am the president of The Sound Center, Inc. We help people unlock the power of the voice, redesign foreign and regional accents, and become more fluent, articulate, intelligible, confident and effective communicators! I am looking forward to blogging. Thanks for reading!