Efficacy of Accent Modification

Why do we do accent modification? Does it work? Is it ethical? This is a sensitive topic right now and these are all important questions being asked on the efficacy of these services.

Research shows that individuals who learn a language after the age of 12 will have an accent (Granena & Long, 2013). Therefore, the patterns of their first language will influence their production of a second language. There are some ‘exceptional learners,’ but the goal to sound like a native speaker is likely unachievable for most. So, what is the efficacy of accent modification? Why even do it?

Clients who focus on accent modification and professional speaking can become more effective speakers. Those who seek services do so because their accent deviates from the native or standard accent of a community, and they perceive it to have negative consequences. Have you ever attempted to speak another language and not have the interaction go very well? It can be quite frustrating.

Many clients choose to work on accent modification and professional speaking to improve their spoken language skills, raise self-awareness, or help work performance. After training, clients report benefits such as:
👉 Being more proficient communicators
🌟 Increased confidence
🎉 Gaining new professional skills

So, now you know some of the positives. What could be wrong with accent modification?

People opposed to these services are offended by the idea of General American English (formerly known as Standard American English, or SAE) being taught. Typically, it’s perceived as the dialect of white, educated, upper-class citizens. Opposers argue that accent modification forces people to sound ‘white,’ and that those who don’t achieve this, are somehow flawed.

That is certainly upsetting! However, I think the goal is getting misconstrued. The goal is not to change an identity or make someone speak a certain way. Accent modification is not done for the sole purpose of teaching the General American English dialect. It can be done in any language, accent, or dialect!

What is the goal of services?

The overall goal is accent congruence and helping clients achieve alignment with their accent and sense of self. One technique to do this is ear training for the speaker. Once a speaker learns the nuances of speaking a language, they can apply that to other languages and hear the subtle differences in speaking patterns.

What is taught in accent modification?

Accents are made up of segmentals and suprasegmentals. Segmentals refers to consonants and vowels of a spoken language. Suprasegmentals refer to the elements of speech patterns that are above individual sounds. It gives languages their flow or rhythm.

The rhythm of languages can be categorized into two categories: stress-timed languages and syllable-timed languages. Syllable-timed languages have syllables that are said at regular intervals, despite the context. Stress-timed languages have syllables that change based on stress and context. Therefore, teaching these concepts to a client can improve their phonological awareness and train their ear.

To summarize, accent modification can be done in any language, not just English. Speakers of any language who want to work on their accent, or pronunciation, should have the ability to seek out these services with a professional.

What accents would you want to learn?
For more information on services, check out my blog post on What is Done in Accent Modification.

References

Lim, Kari. (2022). Speaking with an American Accent: A Guide to General American English.