LET'S NEUTRALISE
Overview
Understanding some of the key differences and similarities between the Indian Accent and the accent of native speaker of English can help not only to overcome influences of regional language but also to build confidence in speaking English in a way that the Global listener understands. In today’s growing world of e-learning, audio books and narration, having a neutral Indian accent is most sought after by VO Artists as it enhances their recordings to sound more professional and appealing to the listeners. The greatest challenge faced by VO Artists in India is understanding the concept of word stress and intonation as this aspect of language is not very prominent in Indian Languages. The lack of addressing these differences leads to VO Artists with regional influences in their speech which reflects in their recordings. When this happens, the global listener finds it difficult to understand and relate to what is being said, thereby loses interest and possibly stops listening altogether. This Voice and Accent Neutralisation Program is aimed to address the various aspects of Spoken English and the difference with the Indian Accent, as a result of which it is possible to reduce the regional influence on spoken English.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the program the participants will clearly be:
1. Able to understand the differences in the Indian accent and accent of the native speaker.
2. Aware of the speech pathway and how to articulate consonant and vowel sounds.
3. Able to identify word stress leading to better pronunciation
4. Able to intonate so as to communicate the intended meaning
5. Able to modulate voice and tone to express emotions.
6. Aware of how to give self-feedback and look for ways to improve voice and accent
Program Contents
Program Contents This Voice and Accent program is specifically designed for Voice Over Artists.
1. Consonant Sounds: This module builds awareness of the different consonant sounds of Neutral English and how to articulate each sound with demonstration and interactive presentation.
2. Vowel Sounds: This module builds awareness of the 20 vowel sounds in Neutral English – 7 short, 5 long and 8 vowel clusters with practical examples and demonstration.
3. Word Stress: This module demonstrates the concept of syllable stress and identifying the stressed syllable in commonly used words.
4. The Melody of Language: This module brings out the importance of intonation and sentence stress in English through exercises and interactive presentations.
5. Action Plan: Participants chalk out an action plan for themselves which they can follow to improve their pronunciation.
Key Takeaways
At the end of the program participants will be able to take away with them the following:
1. Action Plan document which they need to fill in on a weekly basis
2. Diagram representing speech pathway
3. Hand out on commonly mispronounced words.
4. Hand out on voice exercises to improve vocal quality.