Q & A:
Help with International Accents, Page 1
(This article is intended for students of English as a second language, intermediate to advanced levels, although it could also be useful to native speakers who have to communicate a lot with people around the world. Many of the words in the article are linked to an online dictionary with English-to-English and English-to-Chinese definitions, example sentences and synonyms. Photos are usually linked to their source.)
I recently received an e-mail from one of my ESL students in China about accents. (I've edited it for length).
Question
Dear Joe3,
When I attend your class in Hiknow, I can understand most of your speaking! But in my work, most of my customers are not native speakers, they're from Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.
So English is also a second language for them! They speak quickly and the pronunciation is not standard. it is difficult for me to understand! Especially when we talk by telephone!
In my spare time, I sometimes listen to the VOA Special English!
How else can I improve my listening for international accents when most of my customers are not native speakers?
Best wishes!
Cathy
When I attend your class in Hiknow, I can understand most of your speaking! But in my work, most of my customers are not native speakers, they're from Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.
So English is also a second language for them! They speak quickly and the pronunciation is not standard. it is difficult for me to understand! Especially when we talk by telephone!
In my spare time, I sometimes listen to the VOA Special English!
How else can I improve my listening for international accents when most of my customers are not native speakers?
Best wishes!
Cathy
Answer
Hi Cathy,
The Short Answer
- Ask them politely to speak more slowly.
- Get to know other accents by using online accent resources and listening to general media like international radio stations, TV and movies.
- Get to know other accents by using your clients: study how they speak, maybe even ask them if you can have a recording of their lovely voice!
- MAYBE practice copying their accent.
- If there's a word you can't understand even when they repeat it, ask them to spell it. If necessary, ask them to spell it use a spelling alphabet.
- Don't lie! If you don't understand, say so. Otherwise things will go wrong and then the client will be really angry.
I'll give a longer answer, with useful links, starting below and then continuing over the following pages.
- Introduction and Short Answer. (You are here.)
- Ask them to speak more slowly.
- Get to know Other Accents; Use online accent resources: Single-word sites, and Intro to Story Reading Sites
- Using online accent resources: IDEA
- Using online accent resources: The Speech Accent Archive
- Using online accent resources: Map Your Voice
- COMING SOON: Use general media.
- COMING SOON: Use your clients as a learning resource.
- COMING SOON: MAYBE practice copying their accent.
- COMING SOON: Ask them to spell it out.
- COMING SOON: Don't lie! Don't pretend!
- COMING SOON: Final advice. List of useful links. Comments.
The Long Answer
Apart from general English listening skills (with which hopefully the Listening links listed on my site can help), accents affect our English listening now more than ever.
English is now a global language and listening to English spoken in many different accents is a difficulty we need to deal with, especially on the phone, conference calls, VoIP calls like Skype etc.
Over the following pages, I'll give you a range of tips and resources to help with understanding international accents you might hear in global business.
The first tip... ask them to speak more slowly. :)
Apart from general English listening skills (with which hopefully the Listening links listed on my site can help), accents affect our English listening now more than ever.
English is now a global language and listening to English spoken in many different accents is a difficulty we need to deal with, especially on the phone, conference calls, VoIP calls like Skype etc.
Over the following pages, I'll give you a range of tips and resources to help with understanding international accents you might hear in global business.
The first tip... ask them to speak more slowly. :)