| Corporate success today requires a diverse body of | | | | not live these experiences, but instead analyzes them |
| talent to implement new ideas, views, and | | | | 3) ends up over-intellectualizing the language and |
| perspectives. The client base has become multicultural | | | | therefore limiting its natural flow. In addition to the |
| and the need for effective communication demands | | | | cognitive factors, there are emotional factors involved. |
| diversity. In the past White males made up more than | | | | These can be fear, humiliation, and inhibitions. These |
| 60% of the American workforce. A steady growth | | | | combined cause further, ineffective communication. |
| pattern created a shortage of qualified personnel | | | | Example (3) socio-cultural factors When a second |
| resulting in today's multinational workforce and an | | | | language is learned, one has to also learn a second |
| alteration of the image of the typical American worker. | | | | culture. The learner has to be able to interact with, |
| The U.S. Department of Labor's Report "Futurework:" | | | | exchange views, accept new ideas, risk mistakes and |
| Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century | | | | become assimilated in a new and strange environment. |
| states, "By 2050, the U.S. population is expected to | | | | If the learner views the new culture with a negative |
| increase by 50 percent and minority groups will make | | | | stereotype, learning is inhibited. Additionally, there are |
| up nearly half of the population. Immigration will account | | | | pressures from the natives of the culture to expect |
| for almost two-thirds of the nation's population growth. | | | | language mastery to be a sign of intelligence, good |
| The population of older Americans is expected to | | | | faith and a willingness to communicate. How many |
| more than double. One quarter of all Americans will be | | | | times have people foreign to a country been treated |
| of Hispanic origin. Almost one in ten Americans will be | | | | by the natives of that country as though they were |
| of Asian or Pacific Islander descent. And more women | | | | stupid or hard of hearing because they could not |
| and people with disabilities will be on the job. Obviously | | | | communicate clearly? There is also pressure from the |
| clear communication is a necessity. However, in | | | | learner's ethnic group who feels that it is disloyal to |
| today's workplace communication is lacking due to | | | | their native culture to learn the target language and |
| much of the international workforce's accents. | | | | culture of another country. |
| R. Roosevelt Thomas, author of "Beyond Race and | | | | When adapting to a new culture self-identity, among |
| Gender" states that managing diversity is "a | | | | many things is disrupted. Underlying cultural differences |
| comprehensive managerial process for developing an | | | | often cause a state of cultural shock, which can |
| environment that works for all employees". However, | | | | create physical or mental illness. The second language |
| that compatible environment still does not exist in work | | | | learner living in another culture loses all commonly |
| areas. Some American co-workers have a very bad | | | | perceived and understood symbols and signs of social |
| attitude and a severe lack of patience when it comes | | | | communion. |
| to conversing on any level with those who speak with | | | | Many native speakers of English do not realize all of |
| a heavy accent. Their attitude is "Why can't they just | | | | the complexities involved in the non-native speaker's |
| go somewhere and learn English". The truth of the | | | | acquisition of English. |
| matter is they have gone somewhere and learned | | | | There is a tendency to be insensitive towards those |
| English and it is not unusual to see statistics showing | | | | with an accent and some are blissfully living in the |
| that oftentimes the non-native speaker scores higher | | | | ignorance of thinking that they (Americans) do not |
| on the standard grammar exam than the native | | | | have an accent. Nothing could be further from the |
| speaker of English. Therefore, "learning" English is not | | | | truth. People who have not studied English in America |
| always the problem, but speaking is. | | | | have learned British English (a very different sounding |
| The second language learner (including Americans | | | | English than that spoken in the U.S.) After arriving |
| acquiring a foreign language) speaks the acquired | | | | stateside, the non-native speaker of English is |
| language in the same manner as the native language is | | | | confronted with an unfamiliar American accent and the |
| spoken, therefore creating an "accent". The rhythm, | | | | frustration of having to learn a new way of speaking |
| stress, intonation, and voice projection of the native | | | | and listening. |
| language carries over to the second or acquired | | | | Native American speakers articulate using the schwa |
| language and when spoken, it causes a number of | | | | (reduced vowel sound), contractions (blending two |
| distortions in word formations, pronunciation, etc. | | | | words to make one [can't, don't, etc]), and reduced |
| Insensitive American co-workers have stated, "Why | | | | phrases ([gonna, wanna, etc.]Vowel Dimensions, |
| can't they simply hear and repeat like our children do?" | | | | Howard B. Woods). Now, imagine the confusion when |
| If simply hearing and speaking were the only | | | | the non-native speaker hears, "Jeetjet?" when they |
| requirement for language acquisition, there would be no | | | | were expecting to hear "Did you eat yet?" Therefore, |
| communications problems anywhere in the world. | | | | the rhetorical question, "Why don't they go somewhere |
| There is nothing simple about language acquisition. In | | | | and learn English" from the non-native speaker's |
| fact, it is a very complicated business. In addition to | | | | perspective can also apply to the native speaker of |
| linguistic features, there are other factors contributed | | | | English. |
| to speaking with a foreign accent. (On the Nature of | | | | The responsibility of communication is placed squarely |
| Foreign Accents, Daniel P. Dato, Ph.D, CCC) | | | | on the shoulders of the non-native speaker of English. |
| Example (1) physical factors- to speak a single sound | | | | If there is to be an environment that works for all |
| involves using an estimate of 100 different muscles in | | | | employees" then half of the responsibility to |
| the throat, larynx, mouth, lips, tongue, and breathing | | | | communicate rests on the shoulders of the American. |
| mechanism. We do much of this involuntarily. Imagine | | | | In fairness and common sense, some well-placed |
| trying consciously to control something that complex. | | | | sensitivity and listening workshops should be a |
| Example (2) cognitive factors (mental activity involved | | | | mandatory part of all American employee training. |
| in problem solving.) One has to consider perception, | | | | In reality, diversity is the future and growth and |
| memory, formulating ideas and processing language. | | | | success depends upon the ability to communicate with |
| Children acquire language easier by using all sense | | | | clients worldwide. Qualified personnel is no longer |
| modalities and acquiring new knowledge. The adult | | | | White male, American only; therefore training |
| acquires language generally in an artificial classroom | | | | non-native speakers to sound more like the American |
| setting where neuronal activities are limited and his | | | | is just not going to be enough. The future American is |
| sensory associations are restricted. He/she has no | | | | going to have to tolerate, assimilate, and re-learn to |
| meaningful experience with the new language 2) does | | | | communicate. |