Clive Simpkins

So you speak with an Afrikaans accent?

Perhaps the most frequently asked question I get when coaching in presentation or media skills is, ‘What about my Afrikaans accent?’ What indeed! A young, talented and vivacious psychologist told me she’d been desperately self-conscious presenting a paper to an international audience, overseas. Her words were, ‘What can I do about it?’

I didn’t answer her question. Instead (the timing was perfect), I said, ‘Have you seen the TV footage recently of Trevor Manuel at the WEF (World Economic Forum) meeting in Davos, in Switzerland?'  'Yes' was her reply.

I continued, 'Did you listen to some of the other speakers? People from Spain, Russia, Ireland and so on?' Again, 'Yes'. Then I said, 'Did you notice the sometimes very heavy accents and how they muddled tenses and used a plural where a singular should have been, and so on?' A pause, the start of a smile and she said again, 'Yes'. So, I continued, ‘If those accents – some very heavy and indeed very difficult to understand, were acceptable in an international forum, why should your Afrikaans accent be any different?’ The light bulb went on. To the great amusement of the University business school audience, I raised both of my hands towards her and said dramatically, ‘Be healed, Sister!’ They applauded wildly. I think she was indeed ‘healed’ of a misperception in that instant.

Living in South Africa means that we live in a seriously multi-lingual society. We’ve developed a great ‘ear’ as a nation for understanding a variety of accents and speech inflections. Unlike North Americans, who, unless the English is American or Hispanic inflected, look at you blankly, like you’re speaking classical Cantonese.

Many, many years ago, accents were used as social discriminators. They were used to pigeonhole people into socio-economic boxes, to be looked down upon. The BBC would never have employed as a newsreader anyone with a ‘regional’ British accent. It had to be plummy Oxonian English. ‘The bow tie’ voice, as they described it. Then, mercifully, along came amazingly talented actors and movie stars in the form of Michael Caine, Vanessa Redgrave, Ewan McGregor and their ilk and they spoke with regional twangs. Gone was the stereotype and to the amazement of the BBC bosses, people didn’t switch off their radio or TV sets. In fact, the opposite occurred. More people tuned in. They were better able to identify with the ‘everyday’ voices they heard. So, quit any unnecessary sense of inferiority just because you speak one language with the accent of another - whether in business or your private life. Most South Africans do, anyhow.

Linguistics studies demonstrate quite clearly that when you speak with an accent, people pay better attention to what you say. It makes them (quite unconsciously of course) focus just that little bit harder, on what you’re saying as opposed to how you’re saying it.

The message is this: Regardless of your accent, provided that your speech is not excessively fast or your articulation (the clarity) blurred or fuzzy, the accent really doesn’t matter! If you spend part of your time talking inside your own head about how you sound or what people will think of your accent, you’re doing a grave communication disservice to yourself. Even the most expert of communicators can’t carry on an ‘auditory internal dialogue’ (AID) process, whilst making much sense on the exterior. So, be yourself, be comfortable, be prepared, be professional. But above all, be natural, real, down-to-earth, credible, believable and sincere. That way you can’t possibly go wrong. Now what was that you said about your accent, again?

Archbishop Pius Ncube's impious behaviour

There’s an adage that says ‘the gateway to heaven is guarded by a beautiful woman’.

Zimbabwe’s (now former) Archbishop Pius Ncube [pictured] has just discovered that; experientially and in a painful and sad manner. He’s allegedly been caught, on hidden-camera, in flagrante delicto, in a hotel room, with a married woman – evidently his PA of two years. Her vengeful spouse has brought a court-action against the cleric, for his (yes, I have to say it) impious behaviour. The Zim state media are making a meal of it. The tragedy of allegedly not being in charge of his mind, has implications not only for the fallen priest, but for the whole of Zimbabwe.

The demented octogarian Robert Mugabe had, in Pius Ncube, a fearless critic and adversary. One protected by the visibility of his exalted position and also by the daunting influence and reach of Rome.

Hate him though he did, or still does, the Roman Catholic (yes!) megalomaniac-Mugabe, would have thought twice before ordering up some poorly thought-through muzzling or elimination. It wouldn’t have been easy to orchestrate a car or other accident to rid himself of ‘this troublesome priest.’ Instead, Ncube has been the author and architect of his own reputational ‘demise’. Making of himself a laughing stock into the bargain. Not only do you not expect (if it all proves to be true) the Archbishop to be on quite such an intimate footing with a female assistant, but choosing a married person for the diversion, is surely asking for trouble. Worse, as a Roman Catholic priest, Ncube’s supposed to be a celibate. I don’t say this judgmentally, but rather with a deep sense of sadness for the havoc that such a poor example must wreak in the minds of young priests battling with their own turbulent senses.

Did Mugabe’s ghastly security apparatchik ‘orchestrate’ the event by placing someone attractive to the then-Archbishop in a close setting with him? We’ll never know I guess, but whether they had a hand in it or not, a voice for freedom, justice and transparency has now been relegated to the ranks of those sans credibility. The loss is way more grievous than one of mere chastity, dignity and reputation. It’s a loss on the side of human rights and the downtrodden in Zimbabwe

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Posted by Clive Simpkins