Elocution lessons

mookiandco

I just wondered if anyone had ever taken elocution lessons and whether they were any help.

My OH was raised in Nigeria and has a nigerian accent. I dont notice it all that much but on occasion even after 10 years together I have to think to work out what he's said. He recently started a new job and after about 6 months the partner of the firm said something like ' when I first met you (ie interviewed him) I thought your accent was going to be a problem, but you are great at your job and its not (a problem)'. This comment seemed to really affect my OH. We work at the same place (in the same department) and our job is people orientated (e.g lots of calls on the phone, lots of face to face meetings etc etc). None of the clients have mentioned anything about his accent but I think he is even more aware of it now he is dealing with the public so much. It also doesnt help that I was raised to speak the queens english and although I dont notice the way I speak he will often make positive comments about it.

He has told me he wants to take elocution lessons. I will always encourage him in anything he wants to do, so its not a problem and I know better than to try to talk him out of it! Instead i'd like to make sure that elocution lessons are appropriate for his situation and realistically what he can expect. He realises his accent will no be eradicated but I think he'd like help with things like correct pronunciation and intonation.

Also, anyone with 'an accent' or in a similar situation, I'd like to know how best to support him/encourage him.

Thanks

Old_Joe

Yes, over sixty years ago but I did it for public speaking but I'm sure they do courses to suit what folk want.

mrcow

MSE way - buy a copy of My Fair Lady and get tips from there. Including pebbles in the mouth, the rain in Spain and a trip to Ascot.

If he's lucky, he'll end up in a white dress and will get to dance with the Duke.


Seriously - my Dad is not from the UK and even after 40 years, he still has an accent. It's part of who he is. His history. What makes him individual.

mookiandco

mrcow wrote: »

MSE way - buy a copy of My Fair Lady and get tips from there. Including pebbles in the mouth, the rain in Spain and a trip to Ascot.

If he's lucky, he'll end up in a white dress and will get to dance with the Duke.


Seriously - my Dad is not from the UK and even after 40 years, he still has an accent. It's part of who he is. His history. What makes him individual.

He would look very fetching in a white dress:p

I did mention 'the rain in spain...' to him!

I have said that its part of him but I think he is also very aware that our little girl has started repeating everything we say and he wants her to speak like me. I've asked him to teach her (and me) some nigerian (yoruba) words and I even bought a language course for myself so I could teach her some basic words but he just seems embarassed by the way he speaks:(

LilacPixie

It ashame that he feels embarassed by his history and well really his identity. I'm scottish, I have an accent and quite probably half of the peope reading this would struggle to understand me if I was speaking at full speed.

There is probably something on youtube about elocution but really his employer has said his accent is not a problem. the employer obviously had pre conceived ideas ofyour OH accent and your OH has proved him wrong. Your OH should be congratulated on that fact.

diable

Don't worry about it as it has already been stated its not a problem. Maybe you should show you other half a series of Rising Damp to put him off.

ailuro2

I know what you mean, it's not that he wants to get rid of his accent, just that he could do with toning down the dynamics of his phrasing when he thinks it would help people understand him better, iyswim.

My friends used to get sent to elocution lessons, because her parents were off farming stock (small farms, not "land") and wanted her to talk 'properly'. She still has an accent.

Try recording him chatting with you about your day, then play it back and you will both hear where you could clear thing's up.;)

I think once you concentrate on the things he does that you find hard to understand he can/will modify it himself.

I think most people who live somewhere other than where they were raised go through this - my husband is only from the West coast of Scotland, but he has had to lose some of his accent to be understood through here in the East coast. I am not kidding - if he spoke the local lingo people here would struggle to understand him sometimes.:D

Memory_Girl

Personally I love accents in a speaker - but as a Professional Speaker myself I realise that my "soft" eastern Scottish accent is a bonus - whereas my original Aberdonian brogue is less appealing to bookers -especially in an International market.

Why not look up the local "Toastmasters" group or "PSA = Professional Speakers Association" - he can attend,listen , pick up some tips and may even be inspired to take his story - from Nigeria, to here, a professional job in customer service, a wife a daughter and all the joys n funny stuff along the way.

Sounds like a perfectly inspirational After Dinner Talk to me.

All the best

Memorygirl

Odette

Why not go with him? Might give him some confidence?
My accent (NARF LUNDAN) is terrible and I can really sound uncultured and uneducated sometimes when I really let loose and I dont like the impression it gives.

ali-t

ailuro2 wrote: »

I think most people who live somewhere other than where they were raised go through this - my husband is only from the West coast of Scotland, but he has had to lose some of his accent to be understood through here in the East coast. I am not kidding - if he spoke the local lingo people here would struggle to understand him sometimes.:D

LOL ailuro, I currently have a very strong Dundee accent to the point that I sound very oary but when I was working outwith the area and with adults who had very soft accents my accent changed (for the better). So much so that when I was speaking to someone on the phone I hadn't spoken to for ages she said I wasn't sounding like a gadgy anymore :rotfl:

I am now back working in Dundee and back to my oary self, which is weird as I grew up in an area that doesn't feature Dundonian accents. I have considered elocution lessons before but am unsure if it would be wasted money as I pick up accents so quickly. Perhaps I should spend more time associating with posh people and I would start speaking better without spending any money. Elocution the MSE way

Walk_Me_Home_Cheddar

mookiandco wrote: »

He would look very fetching in a white dress:p

I did mention 'the rain in spain...' to him!

I have said that its part of him but I think he is also very aware that our little girl has started repeating everything we say and he wants her to speak like me. I've asked him to teach her (and me) some nigerian (yoruba) words and I even bought a language course for myself so I could teach her some basic words but he just seems embarassed by the way he speaks:(

That's such a shame! Children acquire a second language so much easier when they're young and being bilingual is an amazing skill to have. Encourage him to speak Nigerian in the home - it'll be a great way for you both to learn!