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Who
really does, in a country that keeps attracting people from all
parts of the world. But don't be fooled, people do listen to the
way you speak, and, according to a radio commercial, they also judge
you by the way you sound.
Foreign-born speakers are often misunderstood, their message gets
lost, or at best, it is not taken seriously. Here are some things
you can watch out for to help listeners understand you better.
Speak Slowly
This is the easiest and fastest (sic) way to make sure people
can follow what you are saying. It gives them time to focus on your
accent and to become comfortable with the way you speak.
Avoid Idioms and Slang
If you think 'dog-eat-dog' or a 'cat-call' refers to animals,
stick to plain English i.e. stay away from expressions you don't
really know. Sloppy diction, i.e. saying "goin" rather
than "going" or 'ged oudda he' unfortunately sounds uneducated;
also, watch out where you live --speech patterns that are linked
to geographical areas-"cah" for "car" sounds
great in Boston and in the Kennedy household, but maybe not in California.
Speak Clearly
Enunciate e-v-e-r-y consonant, in the middle and at the end of
a word; you will be amazed at the difference this will make for
your listeners. So, 'pielie' 'becomes 'pipeline'.
British or American?
Decide if you want to use a British accent or use an American
version of the word. It is confusing to follow someone saying half
a sentence in one accent, and the rest in another.
Check your Germanese or Frenchese
Even though you might have learned different sounds, for German
or French speakers especially, watch out because:
- Village isn't 'willage'
- Yosemite isn't 'Josemight'
- Lake Tahoe is not Lake Tahoo
- Germany is not pronounced Chermany
- Los Angeles has a short 'a' as in 'cat' not as in 'angels'
- It isn't 'how you do that?' but 'how did you do that?'
- And avoid 'he didn't came (he didn't come)
- It is devElop, not DEvelop, and anAlysis, not analYSES
- "shi deed ire mi" is in fact 'she did hire me"
And, 'cool' is cool only for high school and college students.
Except in the Silicon Valley, of course.
Angelika Blendstrup, PhD, is a business communications consultant
(www.professional-business-communications.com)
who helps foreign-born executives with problems understanding the
complexities of American business culture and the English language
to communicate effectively. Learn more about
Angelika...
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