Toward better understanding of accented speech

Some time ago I wrote about my problem with accents in a stage play, but a more frequent issue is not understanding people with whom I’m speaking routinely.

 

We city dwellers interact with many people for whom English is a second language. According to the latest census data, more than one-fifth of Chicago residents immigrated here. There are people on my building’s staff whom I strain to understand. To my embarrassment and maybe theirs, I often ask them to repeat themselves.

No matter where we live, we often hear a thick foreign accent when we phone a customer service number. Not long ago I spoke to a customer service person with a pronounced Indian accent. As I kept asking him to repeat himself, he started to sound as frustrated as I was. I hung up without resolving the concern I’d called about, feeling like a bigot for not concealing my frustration.

My hearing aids have been adjusted, but trouble with accents stems from factors besides hearing loss. It requires more effort to process unfamiliar accents, whether or not we’re hard of hearing. Sixty-one percent of us turn on subtitles when watching television programs with accents different from our own, a Preply survey found.

Researchers have studied why, even if a person is speaking fluent English, a different accent diminishes comprehension. Our brains have to work harder when hearing speech that is different from our own, whether a foreign accent or a regional dialect. Slower processing affects comprehension and memory of the message.

Is there anything we can do about it as listeners? 

Exposure to speech that is different from what we’re used to is key, according to most online advice. The more we listen to different accents, the better we’re able to understand not only a particular accent but also all accents. You-Tube is helpful; it’s filled with videos of people speaking variously accented English. (I don’t doubt that exposure helps, but despite watching lots of British dramas on PBS, I still want subtitles on.)

Here are some other tips found online:

•  It’s better to ask people to repeat themselves than to pretend to understand. People know that their accents can present problems and shouldn’t take offense to a polite request for repetition. 

• There are ways of asking for clarification besides “Excuse me?”  For instance, you can repeat back what you think you heard: “If I understand you correctly . . .”

• Focus on the message, not the accent. 

• Slow down your own speech and the other person might follow suit. 

• Try to get away from noise and other interference.

• Cultivate patience and empathy. Although Midwesterners like to think that we don’t have an accent, everyone does. People who come from other places may have trouble understanding us.