Accent modification: they missed the point!

In the news today, there have been many stories about Oak Ridge National Labs canceling a class on modifying a Southern accent. The class was requested by an employee, but the response from other employees was that they were proud of their accents. ORNL canceled the class.

The point they, and the hundreds of others who have commented on this in various blogs, missed was vital. All business requires communication, and easily understood speech is essential. Now that clients can be across the country or the world, when speaking to them, both parties need to be easily understood, and that requires a neutral-sounding speech pattern.  The message is what matters, so a common speech pattern is needed.

At least two studies show this to be true. One study done in Illinois showed that speakers with strong Illinois accents who were supposedly supervisors were rated as "impatient" by women managers, while those who were supposedly employees were considered "immature".

Another study by Patricia Cukor-Avila and Dianne Markely found that hiring managers  rated prospective employees more highly when they had a less identifiable accent. The accented participants were from all over the country.

Accent modification does not have to be a long-drawn out program. It can be done intensively, in a short amount of time, in a group or individual program.

Business Speech Improvement in NC offers accent modification for foreign and regional accents, as well as other types of speech coaching. A small group open enrollment seminar on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals is enrolling learners now!

For those who are in other parts of the USA and Australia, and want local, in-person coaching, visit the Corporate Speech Pathology Network to find a trainer closer to you!

Occupational therapists: searching for another career choice?

Are you an occupational therapist who is ready to consider another option - if only you knew about appropriate choices? Maybe you had a very difficult year last year, or are about to retire and want a part-time job later. You don't want to go back to school for extended training; you want to use your current skills in a different way.

A while back, I was unexpectedly asked by a desperate unemployed speech-language pathologist what options she had, especially since she didn't want to go back to school.

I didn't know this person, and yet her question gnawed at me. Finally, I began researching the choices.

The book, Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists, is my answer. It covers the choices made by 18 speech-language pathologists who each sought to combine speech therapy with some other field. The other fields ranged from sales to graphic arts to a lot more. Many of these choices would  also apply to special educators, who also use products and equipment, work with others and can provide training geared to specific learning styles.

Even though who don't want any of the choices presented often comment that the information sparked further ideas for them. (One speech-language pathologist decided to become an equine massage therapist, which was definitely not covered in the book!)

As an occupational therapist commented,

Although this book is geared toward speech pathologists, this is a source of inspiration for occupational therapists too! Sometimes those of us in helping professions need a change due to burnout or unrealistic work demands, and this book shows us that there are other ways to use our skills and training to make a living and to continue to make a difference in people’s lives. Even if they aren’t feeling burnout and just have an entrepreneurial spirit, this will give any allied health professional ideas to explore or a place to start.   

Alicia Kollmar MS, OTR/L

To learn more about Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists, go to www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/slp . Copies are limited; get yours today!

  Why your rate of speech can matter at work

Speech rate can make a difference at work. First, of course, speaking too quickly can reduce listener comprehension. The actual rate of speech at which  someone has difficulty understanding depends on the usual rate of speech of the two people, the amount each knows about the topic being discussed, each person's hearing acuity and other factors.

Research has shown that people trust each other more when they match rates of speech. This is a process called speech convergence. This has implications for law enforcement, sales, counseling and management. One study showed that once trust started, speech rates began approximating each other.

However,  it is possible to mirror speech rates intentionally.

When trying to calm an angry person, speaking in a slightly slower rate of speech can be helpful. Another time when speaking slower (but not louder) is helpful is when speaking to someone whose English may not be fluent.  A third time to speak slowly is on the telephone, when leaving your phone number or an outgoing message.

Some people experience an unusual amount of difficulty with speaking slower. There could be several reasons for this, including cultural and physiological.

Business Speech Improvement, a corporate speech pathology practice,  provides intensive 1-2 day individual and small group coaching  on how to speak slower. For those who prefer to work on this themselves with some guidance, an e-book on How to Speak Slower in Six Simple Steps is also available.