This document discusses principles and strategies for successful dialect modification and accent reduction among ethnocultural groups. It provides information on communication components and defines key terms like dialects, accent reduction, and code switching. The document also outlines phonological and grammatical features of African American English and discusses fundamental facts about articulation and improving articulation through accurate sound production, sufficient breath support, and completeness. Sites for articulation practice are also presented.

1. Principles and Strategies Behind
Successful Dialect Modification and Accent
Reduction Among Ethnocultural Groups
Dr. Harold Mitchell
Dr. Tina T. Smith
Tennessee State University

2. What is Communication?
 Communication is:
– The transmission and reception of information
among persons
– An active process
– Verbal (speech)
– Nonverbal (gestures, facial expressions, etc.)

3. What is Communication?
 Communication has
paralinguistic cues and
is an interaction
between two or more
people.

4. What is Communication?
 Communication can
occur through many
mediums such as:
– Telephone
– The Radio
– The Television
– The Newspaper
– The Computer

5. Components of Verbal
Communication
Sender
(Person talking)
Message
(Conversation)
Receiver
(Listener/Decoder)
Setting
(Interaction Location)

6. Components of Verbal
Communication
Sender
(Person talking)
Message
(Conversation)
Receiver
(Listener/Decoder)
Setting
(Interaction Location)

7. Components of Nonverbal
Communication
Prosody
(Pitch, Duration,
Loudness, Rhythm)
Kinesics
(Visual Signals, Eyes,
Gestures, Hands)
Proxemics
(Social Space)
Paralanguage
(Emotions, pitch, rate of speech,
volume)

8. Other Components of Nonverbal
Communication
Nonlinguistic Cues
(Gestures, Body Language,
Facial Expressions, Head and
Body Movement)
Metalinguistic Cues
(Ability to talk about, analyze,
and judge language)

9. What Makes a
Communicator Effective?
 Speaking and expressing your thoughts and feelings
in a clear and non-defensive manner.
 Being an active listener by using both verbal (un huh)
and nonverbal skills (leaning forward)
 Being aware of your body language and what it
communicates to others.
 Learning to code-switch in different professional
versus social settings.
– Example from using African American English to Standard
American English when appropriate.

10. What is a Dialect?
 A dialect is a variation of a language.
 There are many different dialects
 Dialects usually differ grammatically and/or
phonologically from what is considered the
standard language.
– Both vowel and consonant production may differ
– Suprasegmental features may differ

11. What is Accent Reduction?
 Accent reduction occurs when the speaker
changes his or her speech production (either
consonants or vowels), suprasegmental
features, or grammatical features to become
more similar to the standard language.

12. Developing Effective Oral
Communication
 The purpose of this presentation is to review
strategies that one can use to code switch and/or to
improve the oral component of communication by
focusing on a speaker’s:
– Articulation
 The manner in which the speaker produces sounds.
– Grammar
 The manner in which the speaker uses sentence structure,
wording endings, and vocabulary.
– Voice
 The pitch, loudness, and quality of a speaker’s voice.

13. The Influence of Culture on
Communication
 Voice, articulation, and grammar have cultural
influences.
 For example:
– African American English speakers use different
phonological and grammatical features than do Standard
American English speakers.
NOTE: Speaking a dialect does not mean that a person is not
an effective communicator. However, learning to code
switch is an important skill depending on the environment in
which the person is communicating.

14. Phonological Features of AAE
 /l/ omitted (a’ways)
 /r/ omitted (doah)
 f/th (teef for teeth)
 d/th (dis for this)
 v/th (breave for breathe)
 Cluster reduction (des
for desk)
 Metathesis (aks for axe)
 I/E (pin for pen)
 Deletion of final
consonants (ba’ for bad)
 n/ng (walkin’ for walking)
 b/v (bes’ for vest)

15. Grammatical Features of AAE
Omission of:
 Noun possessive
 Noun plural
 Third person singular
 Is and are
 Have
 Past tense endings
 Subject-verb
agreement
 Multiple negatives
(don’t have no more)
 Distributive “be”
 “At” at the end of
where questions
 Additional auxiliaries
 Do/does

16. Social Dialects
 In this global society, people are seeking to
learn a standard dialect with the following
features:
– Clear articulation of vowels, consonants, and
diphthongs
– Accurate pronunciation of words
– Placement of stress on the correct syllable
– Use of vocabulary words to express acceptable
meanings.

17. Fundamental Facts About Articulation
 Each sound of Standard American English is
produced differently.
 Each person will make a slightly different
articulatory adjustment to produce the same
sound.
 Articulation of any sound is affected by the
sounds that precede and follow it.

18. Identify an American Accent
 www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_
have

19. Fundamental Facts About Articulation
 Since articulation is a physical and muscular
activity, the ability to move fluidly and adroitly
from one position to another is extremely
important for clarity and accuracy.
 Person will vary their articulatory positions
under different emotional states and social
situations.

20. Improving Articulation:
Three Conditions To Meet
 Is my articulation (diction) up to the standard of my
own expectations?
 Regarding articulation, are there any sounds or
sound combinations that need improvement?
 Three conditions must be fulfilled to articulate clearly:
– The sound must be accurately formed.
– The sound must be sufficiently supported by the breath.
– The sound must be completely finished.

21. Accurate Sound Production
 Learn the characteristics of the sound
– What articulators are used to produce the sound?
 Lips, teeth, tongue, gum ridge,
 hard palate, soft palate, glottis
– What is the manner of airflow?
 Is the airflow stopped then released (e.g. /p/, /t/, /g/)
 Is the airflow continuous (e.g. /s/, /f/, /th/)
– Is the sound voiced or unvoiced?
 With vocal fold vibration (e.g. /b/)
 Without vocal fold vibration (e.g. /k)

22. Articulation Practice
 Watch yourself in the mirror
 Practice for short periods several times per day.
 Relax
 Breathe deeply and abdominally
 Concentrate on vocal efficiency
 Read aloud slowly
 Repeat difficult words and phrases several times
 Check with a competent listener
 Let practice become a habit

23. Sufficient Breath Support
 To produce normal speech, air must be
exhaled.
 To convert airflow into sounds, the breath
stream must be strong enough to withstand
friction, redirection, and stoppage.
 Strength and accuracy in the use of the
respiratory system are part of the skills that
lead to clear articulation.

24. Completeness
 One of the most noticeable articulation
problems is incompleteness (failing to
produce all of the sounds in a word.
– For example, sounds such as t, d, k, and g when
produced in words require an audible explosion of
air. Say the following words:
 Bat
 Bed
 Cook
 Log

25. Articulation Improvement:
Illustrative Sites
 http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics
– Allows you to see the articulators for all
consonant sounds to practice place, manner, and
voice. Also, allows you to practice each sound
production in isolation and in words.

26. Articulation Improvement:
Illustrative Sites
 www.manythings.org/lar/
– The listen and repeat machine- provides the
person with different exercises each day to
improve intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation.

27. Articulation Improvement:
Illustrative Sites
 www.MNSU.edu/comdis/phonetics/phonetics.
com
 My Vowel Practice – Helps you learn how to:
– Pronounce words and sentences loaded with
American English Vowels
 Front vowels
 Mid-vowels
 Back vowels
 Diphthongs

28. How to Become
an Effective Communicator
 Know your Audience.
 Know your Material.
 Structure your Presentation.
 Practice your Delivery.
 Prepare for the Delivery.
 Calm Yourself from Nervousness.

29. How to Become
an Effective Communicator
 Wear a Winning Smile.
 Be open and Confident.
 Be Yourself.

30. How to Become
An Effective Communicator
 Be Positive.
 Be Courteous and Attentive