Changing voices, softening accents

Voice and accent are very sensitive psychological issues -- far more than questions of how we move our tongue or lips.

After all, as a joke, all of us can instantly imitate four or five different accents. New Englanders can do a fairly good job - with no training - imitating Southerners, Southerners Northerners, Americans can imitate Germans (or Austrians like Arnold Schwarzenegger), Japanese can imitate Americans, Japanese can imitate Chinese or Koreans, British can imitate French -- "at a drop of a hat." We literally put our tongues in the right places just "by ear."

So why do we make it so hard on a daily basis to use another accent? Psychology.

And we all have seen the phenomenon of a young guy in a singles bar INSTANTLY developing a deeper voice like a "he-man" (and puffing out his chest) when a pretty girl walks by, or a divorced housewife putting on a suave, sexy, feminine nightclub voice the instant  a handsome man passes by and says Hi to her.

Yet we THINK accent and voice change must be difficult. But we can do it instantly.... and instinctively. A true voice coach understands that psychology is the main issue, not the one hundred techniques for tongue position.

While techniques of mouth and lip movement have to be taught, the central thing a voice coach does is makes YOU feel COMFORTABLE with your new voice and accent -- so you KEEP USING IT.

And to get "comfortable" it is first necessary to go through some "discomfort," re-adjustment, and facing the mistakes, flaws and bad habits in our voice or accent.

The more we change, the more painful "moments of truth" we have, the more we are confronted with ourselves. A voice coach stays with you so you survive this confrontation and you DON'T TURN BACK to the bad old habits or the "strong" old accent.

MODIFYING, NOT TRANSFORMING

No one should try to force themselves to speak with an unnatural, artificial voice or accent. Tom Brokaw, the news broadcaster on the NBC Nightly News, forces his voice far too low for hs natural "pitch," thinking it sounds "authoritative." It only sounds scratched and unpleasant.

Nor should anyone try to eliminate their native accent -- whether Boston, Rhode Island, Texan, German, Chinese, Hindi or Zulu! That would be wrong on two counts:

1) we all should be proud of the great things in our heritage; and

2) a light accent, a soft accent, make a person more interesting.

I remember watching a Boston TV show, a "round table," where various journalists expressed their opinion on the week's news. I heard the name "Watanabe." And immediately I became more interested : Wow, a Japanese journalist on this Boston show. What will HE think about Bill Clinton's troubles?

I found myself really disappointed when his voice came out -- "just" a Japanese-Californian accent.... Not a "real" Japanese....

A slight accent makes people think of your country and if they like you, they will also think of the many positive images of your country or area.

Additionally, it is nearly impossible to eliminate an accent after puberty, and frankly more challenging to make any major change to the voice or accent.

The human brain is programmed to finish the basics of language-learning by puberty, then start working and producing (as children do now in Third World villages). Enormous changes to the human body, brain and psychology all start happening at this time, around 10-13. "Walls" go up, and teenagers are famous for "not listening." They also do not listen to foreign accents! it is a time of growing "rejection" in many different areas.

So accent or voice change in adults is a real challenge. Just living in the US or watching American TV will never, ever change your accent or your voice.

It takes a great deal of both "psycholinguistics" and much technical, physical practice in changing how we work with our lungs, throat, tongue, sinuses and lips.

Only with both the mental and physical approaches can we make and then KEEP the good new speech habits that will change the voice (and thus change our life) for many decades of benefits for our relationships and careers.

-- John de Nugent

KEY MODIFICATIONS FOR VARIOUS ACCENTS

Southern New England

Pronounce R's at the end of words or syllables. Don't add unnecessary R's. Close mouth three-quarters while saying "ah" (to avoid a loud "AAAH" sound. Avoid strong "awwwww" sounds (cawwww-ffee), making them a short "aw" or "ah."

Japan

Like all East Asians, learn to pronounce American R's and also L's. Stress important syllables in words and important words in sentences; don't do an even stress on everything. Pronounce the final -n in Boston!And of course pronounce f, v, th and many strange American vowels!

India

Pronounce American R's, not Indian "trilled" rrrr's.  Stress important syllables in words and important words in sentences. Pronounce "th", not "t" or "d."

China

Make real American R's and L's. Stress important syllables in words and important words in sentences, using tones to show importance in a word, not a change in its meaning. Pronounce the final -l in baseba-ll!

Russia

Pronounce American R's, not Russian "trilled" rrrr's.   Pronounce "th", not "s" or "z." Pronounce "o" as "ah" in not, hot, stop, cop.... and learn to say the "ee-y" vowel in "sheet" and "beach" ! ;-)

Spain

Pronounce American R's, not Spanish "trilled" rrrr's.   Pronounce "th", not "t" or "d." Pronounce "o" as "ah" in not, hot, stop, cop.... Keep, don't drop final consonants, and stress only important words, not sounding like a machine-gun ;-) ...and learn to say "sheet" and "beach" ! ;-)

France

Pronounce American R's, not French "throaty" r's.   Pronounce "th", not "s" or "z." Pronounce "o" as "ah" in not, hot, stop, cop.... Stress only important words. Don't  sound at ALL times like a flowing, romantic love poet ;-)

Germany

Pronounce American R's, not German "throaty" r's.   Pronounce "th", not "s" or "z." Pronounce "o" as "ah" in words such as not, hot, stop, cop, hospital, doctor.... Link words smoothly together, don't hack them into separate sounds. Raise voice for questions and emotions. ;-) Don't sound like a general giving orders! ;-)

French nannies