| If you're a second language speaker of English, | | | | accent, the more easily people will be able to |
| you've probably asked yourself, "How do I lose | | | | understand you. |
| my accent?" But, did you ever wonder where | | | | If you continue to struggle with your |
| accents come from? Why can't we just learn to | | | | pronunciation, you may want to work with an |
| speak English like a native speaker? | | | | accent reduction specialist to target the specific |
| It's because every language has its own set of | | | | sounds that you need to work on. The English |
| pronunciation rules, and accents occur when we | | | | language has 51 different sounds, but the average |
| apply the rules of our native language to the | | | | non-native speaker only needs to work on 10-15 |
| language we are learning. So, for example, if you | | | | of those to be much more understandable. Do |
| are an Asian speaker learning English, your native | | | | you know which sounds you need to work on? |
| tongue may not distinguish between the sounds r, | | | | A well-trained accent reduction specialist will not |
| w, and l. Then, when you speak English, you use | | | | simply teach you a generic list of pronunciation |
| those sounds interchangeably, even though they | | | | lessons. He or she should have you complete an |
| are three distinct sounds in English. | | | | assessment, which tells them exactly which |
| Hispanic speakers often have difficulty hearing the | | | | sounds cause the most difficulty for you. Then |
| difference between the short I and long e vowel | | | | they should develop customized lesson plans for |
| sounds, so if you are Hispanic, you might | | | | you based on the results of that assessment. |
| pronounce words like "sheep" and "ship" exactly | | | | That way, you are only spending time working on |
| the same. Italian and Portuguese speakers put a | | | | the sounds which will make the most difference in |
| schwa sound after a consonant in the middle of | | | | the clarity of your speech. |
| the word. When they apply this rule to English | | | | So, where do accents come from? From not |
| words, they add an unnecessary sound that | | | | knowing the pronunciation rules of the language |
| results in words like "plat uh form" for "platform" | | | | you are learning. |
| and "board uh room" for "boardroom". | | | | And how do you lose an accent? Not by spending |
| Think carefully about the rules you may be | | | | lots of time practicing all the sounds in English |
| subconsciously applying from your native language | | | | pronunciation, hoping that you learn what you |
| to English. Listen to yourself when you speak and | | | | need. |
| try to imitate the pronunciation of the American | | | | You do it by learning which rules you are missing, |
| English speakers around you. Ask others how to | | | | and practicing the sounds that are a problem for |
| pronounce words that you are unsure how to | | | | you. The more you practice, the more you |
| pronounce. Watch the TV news reporters and try | | | | improve. And before long, you'll be saying, " I did |
| to pronounce words the way they do. The closer | | | | it! I was able to lose my accent! |
| your speech sounds to that standard American | | | | |