There is a difference between reducing and eliminating accents.  A heavy accent is a huge problem for our students when people either shut them out or can't understand them.
Kathy Quinn
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Muro, Andres" <amuro5 at epcc.edu>

> Why would you want to reduce accent? Accent is good. It reflects

> differences in culture, background etc. Why would anyone want all

> English speakers to sound like people of Mexican ancestry?  I understand

> that pretty soon, the majority of Americans will be of Hispanic origin.

> However, we should still preserve the Midwest accent, the New York/New

> Jersey accent, the Bostonian accent, the Southern accent and all other

> accents. As long as people can understand each other, it is good. If

> some cannot understand accents beyond a very restricted region, we

> should work on training them to understand a multitude of accents as

> well as other languages. 

> 

>  

> 

> Andres

> 

>  

> 

> ________________________________

> 

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov

> [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Cross, Patricia

> J.

> Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 9:24 AM

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List

> Subject: RE: [EnglishLanguage 1664] Re: Accent Reduction - Ideas for

> SpecialTopics Discussions

> 

>  

> 

> At Even Start, we use a DVD named "Breaking the Accent Barrier"  by Dr.

> David Alan Stern.  It is very good when trying to adopt intonation and

> rhythm patterns of American speech.

> 

>  

> 

> Pat Cross

> 

> Oklahoma City Even Start

> 

>  

> 

> ________________________________

> 

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of JBaker3439 at aol.com

> Sent: Mon 8/13/2007 10:25 AM

> To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1664] Re: Accent Reduction - Ideas for

> SpecialTopics Discussions

> 

>  

> 

> I'm doing work in a large hospital where there are employees who speak

> English, but are very hard to understand, due to their heavy accents. 

> 

>  

> 

> I have decided to work with one employee who interacts with visitors and

> patients entering the hospital. He's a very bright man from Argentina

> who would like to move up the career ladder, but feels that this thick

> accent is holding him back. It is very difficult to understand him, even

> though he understands English perfectly.  

> 

>  

> 

> I told this employee that I wouldn't want him to fully lose his accent,

> but am willing to help him with certain sounds that will help him be

> more clearly understood.

> 

>  

> 

> During my years in adult and workplace education, I have helped many

> with accent reduction on an informal basis.  However, I've never had any

> formal training in accent reduction and would appreciate hearing what

> others have done in terms of working with students and training

> trainers.

> 

>  

> 

> Julie

> 

>   

> 

> Julie N. Baker

> Workforce Skills Development

> 13805 Shaker Blvd., Suite #4A

> Cleveland, Ohio 44120

> 216-561-1629

> jbaker3439 at aol.com

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> ________________________________

> 

> Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com

> <http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour/?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000982>

> .

> 

> 



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Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1681] Re: Accent Reduction - Ideas for SpecialTopics
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