Are you worried about your accent? While there is nothing wrong with having an accent, many people, for varying reasons, want to work on reducing theirs. Some people want to make themselves easier to understand without repeating themselves consistently. Others would feel more comfortable delivering their message clearly, with the audience not just nodding in agreement without grasping.
If you’re a non-native English speaker living and working in Sydney or elsewhere in Australia, there are many ways to reduce your accent and boost your career. Below are six accent reduction tips for non-native English speakers.
Listen Carefully
When learning English, it’s important to listen keenly to how words are pronounced. So whenever you listen to radio, audiobook, or watch TV, pay attention to the pronunciation of words and recognise the critical sound patterns. You can also use English subtitles as you build your vocabulary. Once you understand dialogues better, drop the subtitles and focus on learning to listen carefully.
Select Your Target Accent
Whether you want to speak in Australian English or American English, choosing your target accent can help you focus on what you’re working on. This also helps reduce your workload since you only need to work towards a specific target accent.
Read Out Loud
When studying English books, read them out loud to yourself. Reading aloud is a great way to practice moving your mouth like a native speaker. You can use materials like audiobooks, ebooks, or podcasts to listen to what you’re reading. Record yourself speaking and analyse to see where to improve and record again.
Focus on Intonation
Intonation is when native English speakers make their voice rise and fall or stress some part of a sentence to put emphasis. Generally, this involves recognising key patterns and variations in the tone of the voice. This is essential because intonation shows a person’s attitude in question tags or towards something.
Use the Right Words
Based on your target accent and how you want to sound, you need to pay attention to your choice of words. For example, in Australian English, you would say eggplant or zucchini, but in British English, you would say aubergine. Using the right words will make you sound more natural to a native speaker.
Seek Professional Help
Depending on your progress and the result you want to achieve, you may want to enrol in an accent reduction program for professional help. A professional tutor will not only provide honest feedback but can also help you avoid developing bad habits and provide regular checkpoints to track your progress.
Enrol in our Accent Reduction Program Today
Pronunciation School is a trailblazer in helping people master their English pronunciation skills. We offer the best accent modification classes that can help you get rid of your heavy accent and improve your speaking style. Join our accent reduction program today and start improving your pronunciation skills.