Is English your second language? If so, your accent can be a barrier to promotion and according to the Financial Times (3.11.16), heavily accented voices can struggle to be heard in the workplace.

According to the Journal of Applied Psychology, “non-native speakers of English are common in the workforce throughout the world, but those studying organizational behavior and human resources management have only recently begun to understand the effects of non-native accent on the speaker’s opportunities and performance.

“Two trends make this an increasingly important issue.

“First, the United Nations (2010) reported that 214 million people – one out of every 33 people in the world today – work in a country other than their birth country, with immigrants working at all occupational levels and in virtually every country in the world.

“Second, English increasingly has become the “language of business” throughout the world, with an estimated one billion nonnative speakers of English (Cook, 1999) in the workplace.”*

Even native English speakers are obliged to be clearly understood. In the legal profession, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) now requires that barristers must speak fluent English from ‘day one’ of being issued with a practising certificate. (Counsel, November 2016.)

Speaking English as an English person, is not just a matter of accent. It is a matter of using your voice with certain patterns, rhythms and ‘tune’. It’s a matter of knowing when and how to pause and it’s a matter of affecting your listeners in a positive way. Like all good communication, speech should comprise a meaningful transmission on one side and a meaningful reception on the other.

Many of our clients are professionals who come to us for help with accent reduction. They wish to develop a more effective way of speaking – and they become better, more confident, communicators.

Your voice is an amazing instrument, complex and versatile with massive potential for a variety of range and pitch. If you’re facing challenges at work because of your accent, or you have staff who would benefit from accent reduction – get in touch.

 

 

_{*© 2013 American Psychological Association}