The overwhelming majority of adult foreign language learners
speak with an accent. Accents can be problematic if they interfere with
meaning. They can also be bothersome to those who want to be
native-like. Here are 3 easy strategies to get you working on accent
reduction.
1. Mimicry. Charles Caleb Colton penned the famous quote, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." For this strategy, it's time to start flattering some native speakers!
Think of a famous actor or actress (or even someone you know well) with an accent you would like to adopt. Take time to really listen to this person's pronunciation. If it is someone famous, watch the person on television or YouTube. When you go to speak, take on the role of that person and try to adopt the rhythm and pitch of the individual.
It will probably seem strange at first, but many language learners can get into an acting role with a little practice. Having the voice of someone in mind while you speak can help get your mouth moving in a more native-like fashion.
2. Narrow Focus. If you have a heavy accent that makes it difficult for native speakers to understand you, you may need to work on multiple sounds. In linguistics, these sounds are called phonemes.
Trying to focus on multiple sounds at once won't help you. You can easily get frustrated and overwhelmed trying to work on every sound that comes out of your mouth. Instead, pick one sound at a time that you need to practice pronouncing correctly. Maybe it is /r/ or /l/ or /v/. Maybe you need to work on your vowels.
Whatever sound you pick, over the next several weeks concentrate on producing that sound correctly. When you discover that you no longer have to think about saying that sound correctly, congratulate yourself! Now it's time go on to the next pesky phoneme.
3. Find Pronunciation Tools. If you are really struggling when you try to say certain sounds, pronunciation tools can be helpful. You can find these all over the internet for free (paid versions exist as well). My favorites are those that illustrate mouth and tongue positions for different sounds in the language. This fantastic example demonstrates English pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet created by the University of Iowa.
Of course, there are other strategies as well. Whichever strategies you use, remember to be patient with yourself during this process as accent reduction takes time.
1. Mimicry. Charles Caleb Colton penned the famous quote, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." For this strategy, it's time to start flattering some native speakers!
Think of a famous actor or actress (or even someone you know well) with an accent you would like to adopt. Take time to really listen to this person's pronunciation. If it is someone famous, watch the person on television or YouTube. When you go to speak, take on the role of that person and try to adopt the rhythm and pitch of the individual.
It will probably seem strange at first, but many language learners can get into an acting role with a little practice. Having the voice of someone in mind while you speak can help get your mouth moving in a more native-like fashion.
2. Narrow Focus. If you have a heavy accent that makes it difficult for native speakers to understand you, you may need to work on multiple sounds. In linguistics, these sounds are called phonemes.
Trying to focus on multiple sounds at once won't help you. You can easily get frustrated and overwhelmed trying to work on every sound that comes out of your mouth. Instead, pick one sound at a time that you need to practice pronouncing correctly. Maybe it is /r/ or /l/ or /v/. Maybe you need to work on your vowels.
Whatever sound you pick, over the next several weeks concentrate on producing that sound correctly. When you discover that you no longer have to think about saying that sound correctly, congratulate yourself! Now it's time go on to the next pesky phoneme.
3. Find Pronunciation Tools. If you are really struggling when you try to say certain sounds, pronunciation tools can be helpful. You can find these all over the internet for free (paid versions exist as well). My favorites are those that illustrate mouth and tongue positions for different sounds in the language. This fantastic example demonstrates English pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet created by the University of Iowa.
Of course, there are other strategies as well. Whichever strategies you use, remember to be patient with yourself during this process as accent reduction takes time.
Interested in learning more? Erin N. O'Reilly is a language coach
specializing in second and foreign language learning strategies,
helping learners at all levels reach their potential. You can learn
everything about how to learn another language here: http://www.strategicl2.com.
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