accent reduction

[Chad Douglas Nilep]

Certainly "accent reduction" as described by the NYT is, as Kate Remlinger says, "a correction wolf in descriptivst sheep's clothing". 

I can't help but wonder, though, whether the disapproving attitude I sense comes more from the reporter than the interviewees. The piece refers to "accent reduction to improve [speech]," as well as "speaking English correctly", "some problems", "speaking incorrectly" etc. These judgments are not attributed directly to the coaches or actors interviewed, however. (But one student does say "some Chinese have trouble with words with 'r' and 'l,'" and calls it a "problem".)

It seems to me that, while the reporter treats some (imagined) American accent as "correct", the coaches recognize that what they are teaching is just one variety of English among many, albeit one that is highly valued in US society.

This makes me a bit optimistic about the attitudes of "accent reduction" coaches, even if I remain pessimistic about those of NYT reporters.

Chad D. Nilep
Linguistics
University of Colorado at Boulder
Anthropology
University of Colorado at Denver


---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:38:12 -0400
>From: "Kathryn Remlinger" <remlingk at gvsu.edu>  
>Subject: Re: [Linganth] accent reduction  
>To: <linganth at cc.rochester.edu>, <haroldfs at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
>
>Both Harold's and Susan's comments about "enriched" accents makes me think about how speakers will similarly use regional dialects in a more characteristic, performance-type way to draw attention to their authenticity, their identities as "real" locals. Also, the original article raises questions about accent reduction (i.e. "correction") versus what the article called "teaching an American accent." I wonder which American Accent is taught? And, isn't this perspective just a correction wolf in descriptivst sheep's clothing?
>
>Kate
>
>
>Kathryn Remlinger, Ph.D.
>Associate Professor of English: Linguistics
>Grand Valley State University
>Allendale, Michigan
>tel: 616-331-3122
>fax: 616-331-3430