Off the beaten track: Accents and auditory ease in communication

When I watch some good programmes in English on TV, I am sometimes unable to follow what the speaker says. Probably you have had the same experience. I think that the difficulty is due to two reasons: (i) speaking without pauses at the right time and (ii) using inappropriately perceived accents (fake accents).  

I think that we can communicate very effectively by speaking slowly (in terms of speed) and using our natural accent or the correct accent used by the listener. (Of course when we use our own accent, there may be occassional problems when we communicate with people from other regions in our own country or with  foreigners; but these can easily be managed if we speak slowly).

I read a very interesting article on accents in this morning's newspaper.

As global backpacking is becoming increasingly common, accents will play an increasingly useful role in our communication and make our auditory experiences easier if used and perceived in situationally relevant ways.