Regional Accents: A Rationale for Intervening and Competencies Required

 

 Buy Article Permissions and Reprints

ABSTRACT

Over the past 20 years, an increasing number of speech-language pathologists have stepped into the traditional arena of English as a Second Language to address the communication needs of accented individuals. Even with the growing support of ASHA, this continues to foster opposition from fellow professionals who feel that accent intervention falls outside the scope of our practice. This controversy steps up significantly when the accents in question are not foreign, but regional. This article presents a rationale for regional accent improvement training for the adult client, positions the unique demands of regional accents within the global terminology of accent, outlines the prerequisites for trainers, reviews the basics of a valid accent assessment, and addresses some preliminary instructional issues. This author suggests that trainers look outside the field of speech pathology for relevant research. Additionally, practical applications for working professionals require a clearer understanding of the American workplace and the field of human resources (management development).

REFERENCES

• 1 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Joint Subcommittee of the Executive Board on English Language Proficiency . Students and professionals who speak English with accents and nonstandard dialects: issues and recommendations.  ASHA. 1998;  40 28-31
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 2 Goldstein B. Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Resource Guide for Speech-Language Pathologists. San Diego, CA; Singular Thomson Learning 2000: 12-16
  Google Scholar
• 3 Celce-Murcia M, Brinton D, Goodwin M. Teaching Pronunciation: A Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge, UK; Cambridge University Press 1996: 363
  Google Scholar
• 4 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association . Position paper: social dialects and implications of the position on social dialects.  ASHA. 1983;  25 23-27
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 5 Fitch J. Standard American English (SAE): Why SLPs need to know it. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; November 19; 2004 Philadelphia, PA;
  Google Scholar
• 6 Alford R, Strother J. Attitudes of native and non-native speakers toward selected regional accents of U.S. English.  TESOL Quaterly. 1990;  24 479-495
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 7 Guice S. ESL students' attitudes toward U.S. dialect speakers.  TESOL Newsletter. 1994;  2 3
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 8 Warren J. English vs. English.  Chicago Tribune. January 17, 1993;  5 2
  PubMedGoogle Scholar
• 9 Berger M. Speak Standard, Too: Adding Standard English as a Second Dialect to Your Talking Style. Chicago, IL; Orchard Books 2004: xi-xiii
  Google Scholar
• 10 Wolfram W, Schilling-Estes N. American English: Dialects and Variation. Oxford, UK; Blackwell Publishers 1998
  Google Scholar
• 11 Wolfram W, Friday W. Toward an authentic understanding of dialect phonology: the next step. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; 1993 Anaheim, CA; See also additional publications by this author
  Google Scholar
• 12 American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) .http://www.astd.org
• 13 Jossey-Bass Publishers .http://www.josseybass.com
• 14 Corspan .http://www.corspan.org
• 15 Sikorski L. Proficiency in Oral English Communication (POEC). Santa Ana, CA; LDS & Associates 2002 Appendix A
  Google Scholar
• 16 Shriberg L, Kent R. Clinical Phonetics. 3rd ed. Boston, MA; Allyn & Bacon 2004: 122
  Google Scholar

Lorna D SikorskiM.A. 

PMB #354, LDS & Associates, LCC

13681 Newport Avenue, Suite 8

Tustin, CA 92780

Email: lornasikorski@ldsassoc.com