I agree with the importance of being able to articulate so that your audience understands you. I think we've all encountered people with thick accents that require you to reset your brain for mental translation. And if it's too difficult, people stop listening as you point out. However, your post made me think of a eulogy at a funeral last week where one of the ladies had a thick southern accent. While that might have been negative in an audience of business professionals, in this situation, she sounded completely genuine. Of course, I'm southern and so could easily understand her. But while I agree with your major premise, I just wanted to add that there's a fine line between authenticity and homogenized speech.
Thanks for your thoughtful posts each week. I enjoy them.
Thanks Patricia for your comment. I wholeheartedly agree. I don't want homogenized speech either. That sounds appalling!
Perhaps I needed to have been a little clearer. Everyone has an accent regardless of whether they think they do or not. Initially how we speak is established by the dominant voices around us in childhood: those of close family and friends. We mimic what we hear. That's what gives our speech the characteristics we call accent which we then, as listeners, use to peg a person to a region, a country, a social strata etc. Accent is similar to the tag of origin you find inside clothing: 'Made in China', 'Made in USA', or 'Made in New Zealand' which is my own tag.
I enjoy them. They add color, charm, and interest until, they don't.
When listeners are overwhelmed by a speaker's accent and unable to grasp their meaning, it's time to work at modifying it, if that person wants to be easily understood by those other than people who share a similar background.
I agree with the importance of being able to articulate so that your audience understands you. I think we've all encountered people with thick accents that require you to reset your brain for mental translation. And if it's too difficult, people stop listening as you point out. However, your post made me think of a eulogy at a funeral last week where one of the ladies had a thick southern accent. While that might have been negative in an audience of business professionals, in this situation, she sounded completely genuine. Of course, I'm southern and so could easily understand her. But while I agree with your major premise, I just wanted to add that there's a fine line between authenticity and homogenized speech.
Thanks for your thoughtful posts each week. I enjoy them.
Patricia
Thanks Patricia for your comment. I wholeheartedly agree. I don't want homogenized speech either. That sounds appalling!
Perhaps I needed to have been a little clearer. Everyone has an accent regardless of whether they think they do or not. Initially how we speak is established by the dominant voices around us in childhood: those of close family and friends. We mimic what we hear. That's what gives our speech the characteristics we call accent which we then, as listeners, use to peg a person to a region, a country, a social strata etc. Accent is similar to the tag of origin you find inside clothing: 'Made in China', 'Made in USA', or 'Made in New Zealand' which is my own tag.
I enjoy them. They add color, charm, and interest until, they don't.
When listeners are overwhelmed by a speaker's accent and unable to grasp their meaning, it's time to work at modifying it, if that person wants to be easily understood by those other than people who share a similar background.