Accent trainers such as myself go by many different names, and we call our profession by a variety of names. I use “accent modification” to describe what I do, while others call it “accent reduction.” “Modification” is the politically correct term, but it is also the technically correct term (at least in my opinion), because everyone speaks with an accent. If I change my Western Mass accent to an Eastern Mass/Boston accent (I shudder at the thought), I wouldn’t be increasing or reducing my accent, just changing it.
There is some consensus among accent trainers that “accent modification” is the best term to use, but some concern that employers or clients are more familiar with the term “accent reduction” and won’t immediately understand the service we provide if we call it modification. Is the distinction a minor one? Should we call ourselves what the general public understands? Do we have a duty to educate the public about accents and language and what we do?
accentmodblog said
I go both ways, depending on who I am working with. Some people in the company I work for want to reduce their accent and others want to modify it.
Kate Nelson | Homepage | 04.21.08 – 12:20 pm | #