Truemors
Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor
Anyone in business who has tried to carry a conversation with someone who speaks in a heavy foreign accent certainly knows the frustration trying to understand them. Learning diction to succeed in the business world is a given.
Giving up one's culture, though I should not be a prerequisite in business.
Some think the accent issue smacks of intolerance and even racism, when the fact in business, your employer wants you to be understood by their client no matter which country you hail from.
I speak a few languages myself, and when working in Moscow, I could see the frustration on the Alfa Bank teller as I tried to explain to her in Russian my predicament. She explained I gave her a headache!!! In France, my French was akin to a Bostonian talking to a Cajun.
Certainly confusing when certain phrases are taken out of context by others trying to understand you.
Recently I called Richmond, BC City hall, and the voice on the other end was an English speaking (Poorly) Asian woman with an chinese accent so thick, you could cut it with a knife. After 5 minutes I had to hang up as I was getting a splitting headache trying to understand what the hell she was talking about.
So I guess my hurt feelings when a Moscow Teller told me I was giving her a Migraine from speaking in my poor Russian, did indeed give that Moscow Bank teller a headache, as she closed her teller window, and I presume had to go off somewhere to lie down.
People should not be insulted if they are requested to learn the country language and accent in which they live in.
Hollywood do it to actors all the time, if they want the part, then they have to use language coaches. Vitally important in both business and the movie industry. Businessmen and women from Japan use language coaches, Aussie Actors Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman and Russel Crowe for example use them, Brit actors used in western movies may need to sound like a Texas Cowboy in one movie, and a Russian the next, or an Irishmen for a part will have to learn to sound like a native New Yorker. The same applied to North American actors when they persue acting roles in other countries.
India call centres use Indians who have mastered the english language in which North Americans would be hard pressed to distinguish any Indian accent at all. It is not racism, it 's business and a successful one at that !
Losing the accent is just business, no discrimination, just common sense when the bottom line is business viability when trying to secure a client.
My kid on the other hand loves Hip Hop culture and at times, with friends, uses Hip Hop language, in which I cringe, believe me. Now I know of no mainstream business which would hire him if he were to answer interview questions such as "Wass Up"! or " Dude, don't be talking Smack about my Homies"!
On the other hand, "People of Cultures" who happen to be" non white" will readily scream the "Racism Card", using their failures to grasp a language as a Crutch in order to secure employment. This is way too prevalent in a country like "Politically Correct Canada", when the "Race Card" are the only cards in the Business Deck and is played repeatedly. When the Race Card is played, some Companies run for cover, as the offended parties Lawyers will take them immediately to Discrimination Boards and Human Rights Commissions who are all too eager to take on cultural discrimination cases, especially in British Columbia. When the fact is, it is not a cultural issue, it is a accent and or language issue.
It is just easier for litigants and their lawyers to get money out of the accused if you can play the cultural race card.
Unfortunately the same Crutch doesn't fly if you happen to be lily white, English speaking and your additional languages such as French, German, Russian are not quite up to snuff "Accent wise" when applying for an Federal Government External Affairs position !
One person, who I hope never loses his accent for a part, is The Simpson's, Groundskeeper Willy, because let's face it, when Willy goes off on a tangent, that is a accent we can all understand!
OTTAWA -- Some managers from visible minority believe they have to shed their culture and even their accent to succeed in the Canadian workplace, according to results of a study to be released today.
The study by Catalyst, an international organization that works to advance opportunities for women in business, is based largely on 19 focus groups, involving managers, professionals and executives at companies across Canada.
Some East Asian and South Asian participants -- particularly those born outside of Canada -- said they believe they need to "Canadianize" in order to get ahead.
As defined by focus group participants, that refers to a lessening of attachment to their own ethnic or racial group, as well as picking up mannerisms, idiomatic expressions and other features of the Canadian "mainstream."
It also includes speaking English or French without an identifiable accent to fit the prevailing image of leaders in their organization, they said.
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