Many people, whose first language is not English, ask “Can I Lose My Accent?” This is a good question but there is not a one size fits all answer. Accent reduction success depends on the strength of your accent, your knowledge of the vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of English, and your practice habits. There is also another consideration, which is that some people don’t want to lose their accent, they just wish to improve their intelligibility by reducing the strength of their accent. If your accent is so strong that others cannot understand you, you are not an effective communicator. This leads to frustration and in some cases people withdraw from verbal interactions.
To improve your pronunciation, and to start working on losing your accent, you must focus on the following areas:
- Ear training, which is learning to be a better listener by understanding the difference between the way you are saying the sounds of English and the way they are pronounced in Standard American English
- Focus on the correct placement of your articulators (lips, teeth, tongue) to achieve correct sound production
- Learn the appropriate stress and intonation for words, phrases and sentences
- Speak slower so that you can plan ahead and successfully produce your newly learned sounds and correct the rhythm and intonation of your speech
- Record yourself reading books, newspapers or magazines and then listen to the recording to see if you are successful in reproducing your newly learned skills
- Practice with a native speaker and ask them to gently correct your mispronunciations and errors in intonation
- Listen to radio programs, pod casts, or television programs and imitate the patterns of the speakers. However, you must make sure that the person you are imitating is a good role model
- Finally, if you have tried all of the above and you still are not successful at losing your accent, seek the help of a trained professional who specializes in accent reduction. They can help to train your ear, model correct sound production, demonstrate appropriate rhythm and intonation patters, and provide immediate and consistent feedback so that you can be assured that the new patterns and habits you are developing are correct and that they are the most efficient way to sound less accented.
Patience is an important factor when working on reducing your accent. If you are practicing on a daily basis, you should see change in your pronunciation, sound by sound, with each passing week. As a speech therapist, it is always exciting to see clients reducing their accents and becoming more confident speakers.
