Accent Reduction Hints

Listen to these 10 Accent Reduction Hints to help you speak English more clearly

Accent reduction - Hint 1

When listening to other English speakers, for example at work, when you watch TV or listen to the radio in English, try to repeat the speech you hear. Pay attention to the way English speakers pronounce words, listen to the tone and the rhythm, or music of the English language.

Accent reduction - Hint 2

Slow down your speech. If you speak too quickly, it can make it more difficult for native English speakers to understand you. It is not necessary to speak as quickly in English as in your first language. Slowing down your speech will help people to understand the message you are trying to send.

Accent reduction - Hint 3

Carry a notebook with you and write down the areas that are difficult for you. You can then practice these daily. You can also write down the names of people you work with or common work terms that are a problem for you to pronounce. Ask a native speaker to pronounce them correctly for you. You can then record these words, listen and practice saying them.

Accent reduction - Hint 4

Practice speaking with other people or if you can't find other English speakers to talk to, practice speaking by yourself. The more opportunities you have to practice your pronunciation, the sooner you will improve.

Accent reduction - Hint 5

Record yourself when you practice speaking. This will help you to become more aware of the common mistakes you are making, so you can work on the specific areas that are causing you the most difficulty.

Accent reduction - Hint 6

Use your dictionary regularly. Many dictionaries show how to pronounce English words by including the phonetic alphabet. Once you understand how this works, you can then use this resource to learn how to pronounce the words you are finding difficult to say.

Accent reduction - Hint 7

Find an audio book or cd in English. Record and re-play listening carefully to their pronunciation. This can increase your awareness of what your speaking target should sound like. Repeat some sentences and record yourself. Record yourself and replay to compare the sound of your English with that of the speaker you are listening to.

Accent reduction - Hint 8

Practice reading aloud in English every day by reading a newspaper, magazine or book. This helps to strengthen the mouth muscles that you must use to articulate English sounds correctly.

Accent reduction - Hint 9

Take care when you pronounce the endings of words. Often these can be left out by some speakers of other languages.

Accent reduction - Hint 10

Be patient and keep practising every day. With hard work and dedication, you will soon begin to see an improvement in your pronunciation.

ACCENT REDUCTION HINTS FOR CHINESE SPEAKERS

ACCENT REDUCTION HINTS FOR JAPANESE SPEAKERS

ACCENT REDUCTION HINTS FOR INDIAN SPEAKERS

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WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY

"I am really glad that I had the opportunity to work with a professional and outstanding teacher. She helped me a lot and my English pronunciation has improved significantly." (Roberta, MBA, Italy)

"It was a wonderful and valuable experience for me. The course helped me to gain confidence in improving my English accent. I believe it provides me a tool to continually improve my English accent for the rest of my life. I really enjoyed the whole course and appreciated the teacher's kindness, patience and encouragement during the course. It's flexibility was suitable for my busy schedule and by attending to the constructive weekly assignments, it showed me a new angle to understand English. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to improve their English accent." (Mrs Lin, Accountant, China)

"I now feel more confident and no longer have to repeat myself when I speak with patients or other staff." (Dr K, India)

"The course was great, it gave me confidence and all the practical tools I needed to improve my English and reduce my accent". (Mr Acosta, Columbia)

"The accent reduction course has improved the pronunciation of my daily vocabulary. It has made me aware of the importance of language in communicating with other people especially in my sales job. It has now given me the confidence to speak clearly". (Ms Lai, China)

"When I had a job interview, I was given feedback that I needed to reduce my accent. That’s how and why I decided to enrol in the accent reduction program, which suited my objectives. I was taught how to make correct pronunciation for each sound and how to produce and project my voice effectively to listeners. I achieved more than 80% improvement comparing my accent at the beginning and end of the program. I found a job towards the end of the program, which played an important role in achieving the outcome." (Mr Takeshima, Engineer, Japan)

"The program was excellent. It was designed for my specific needs and fully met my expectations. For years I wondered why my English sounded foreign, but it took only one session with my teacher to find out why. At the end of my course the difference in my sounds and intonation patterns and rhythm was most gratifying - a real confidence booster". (Venie, Russia)