How to Change Your Accent
The way we talk is a part of our identity. We inherit our accents from the environment we were raised in and our family's heritage.
However, sometimes we wish to change how we communicate because we don't quite fit in or feel like we're not being understood. Perhaps the driving force is to sound more professional.
Whatever your motivation for wanting to change, help is available! Read on to learn how the process works to change your accent. If you have further questions, we can provide you with a free phone consultation.
Can You Change Your Accent if English is Not Your Native Language?
How Well Do You Need to Speak English?
How Long Does it Take to Change Your Accent?
Benefits of Participating in an Accent Reduction Program
What is an Accent?
Everyone speaks with an accent! Light or heavy, everyone has one! It is what makes us all different and exciting.
Sometimes, we do not consider our speech accented because our way of speaking feels normal and defines who we are. A native accent is a way of pronouncing words typical of a particular group of people, especially those from a specific region. Accents can promote a sense of community in native speakers.
A person's accent is often closely tied to their identity, though it can change over time. Our native accents develop at a young age.
We learn language from our parents, teachers, and others. Depending on where we live or our travel destinations, our accent is more likely to change as we age.
What is a Dialect?
When discussing accents, it is vital to understand the difference between a dialect and an accent. An accent is a variation in how words are said because the speaker learned English as a second language.
A dialect can be described as a variation in pronunciation, word selection, voice quality, and grammatical structures in a group of people who speak the same native language and reside in a common geographic location. Individuals from some areas of the country have a strong regional dialect, while others use a more generic or conventional one.
People speak in various ways around the globe, and there is no "right" way to speak English. Native English speakers with a dialect from the Southeastern or Northeastern United States, the Caribbean, or Europe sometimes modify a dialect to fit in with others in their area for personal or professional reasons.
How Accents Change Over Time
Today, what is considered an "American accent" is neutral and devoid of influences from a particular region, ethnic group, or socioeconomic status. The term American accent refers to the range of "standard" English spoken by newscasters, podcast hosts, and actors on TV.
Some characteristics of "American English accents" are the "r"s are pronounced, vowels tend to be nasalized, and sometimes "t"'s are pronounced like "d"'s.
These characteristics are now considered "American" because they are adopted from region to region, city to city, and person to person.
Several factors have influenced the development of an accent. Some examples include:
General American population's attitudes toward accents
Media portrayals
An influx of immigrants who learned English as a second language
War veterans returning to America after speaking with other native speakers in other countries
Personal interactions between various regional languages
Traditional U.S. regional accents are on the verge of extinction due to the influence of social, mass, and mainstream media. Children are learning less about their native spoken languages and cultures from their parents, grandparents, and teachers. Many are glued to YouTube, Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon, whose main characters speak in a standard "American English accent" or even an "Australian accent" or a "British Accent."
Children sometimes adopt their favorite character's accent and abandon their own accents. By the end of this century, it is estimated that varying American English dialects will be extinct and replaced with a single "American accent."
Accents play a significant role in renegotiating our identities as we continually reinvent ourselves. Depending on the context or type of conversation with our partners, we instinctively adjust our own accents and ways of communicating with others.
Can You Change Your Accent if English is Not Your Native Language?
A non-native speaker can change an accent, but time and effort must be spent learning the necessary skills. Even though it's true that you might be more or less inclined to change your accent based on age and stage of life, there isn't any significant evidence that an individual can't change their accent at any given time of their life.
Research shows that using a different accent naturally depends on how old you are when you learn the original accent. Most non-native speakers will speak with a foreign accent if they learn the new language approximately after twelve.
While it might be easier to learn new sound patterns when you are younger, even adults can make great strides with accent modification training by practicing pronunciation exercises every day for about an hour each time. What is important is that learners are willing to practice consistently for at least several months.
Some people may also need longer than others to use the new pronunciation correctly. This may depend on their age, personality, learning style, motivation, listening skills, and prior knowledge of English phonology.
Individuals with foreign accents who want to sound more like native speakers when speaking English should practice pronunciation exercises with the help of an accent modification professional.
A comprehensive accent modification program takes a lot of time and effort, and it's essential to be ready for the journey!
How Well Do You Need to Speak English?
Accent modification is best suited for those who speak English as a second language (ESL students) at an intermediate to advanced level of proficiency and speak English confidently. You do not have to be a native English speaker to change your accent.
Accent modification differs from ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, which focus on grammar and vocabulary. Accent modification classes teach you how to speak English clearly and correctly.
How Long Does it Take to Change Your Accent?
A thorough individual assessment is vital for determining how long it will take to modify your accent successfully. Modifying an accent can take many weeks or months, depending on the individual's goals.
You can learn how to do this with the help of a professional accent coach. Accent training typically includes weekly one-on-one meetings with your accent coach. Practicing approximately 60 minutes per day is essential for progress.
Benefits of Participating in an Accent Reduction Program
Studies show that people often decide how they feel about someone in the first few minutes of meeting them. First impressions are essential!
Accent modification training (also known as "accent reduction," "accent softening," or "accent neutralization") is a program designed for native and non-native speakers of English.
Accent training aims not to erase or eliminate different accents in non-native English speakers or those with regional dialects. Instead, it improves communication by promoting speech clarity to enhance self-confidence. This is done by teaching the sounds, stress, and intonation patterns of Standard American English.
Benefits of participating in an accent improvement program
Learn how to speak clearly and convey your message effectively
Improve pronunciation to help with clarity and flow of speech
Learn to speak with greater confidence
Improve intelligibility
Develop skills to become a more effective speaker
People change their accents to improve communication skills for many different reasons. Some individuals want to enhance their employment or education prospects. Others report wishing to communicate more effectively with friends or family in person and over the phone.
Some examples of professionals seeking accent or dialect modification services may include physicians, attorneys, nurses, engineers, hospitality workers, professors, telemarketers, actors, singers, government officials, fitness instructors, consultants, broadcasters, and more.
Success in business, academics, and many other aspects of life require clear pronunciation and effective communication. While variations in communication styles (pronunciation, word choice, vocal quality, and grammar) from different geographic locations are celebrated and embraced, they can sometimes lead to communication breakdowns.
Achieving a new accent can be very rewarding, and it can be surprisingly easy for most people to learn with practice.
How to Find a Qualified Accent Modification Program
When selecting an accent training course, looking for one that will help you learn how English is spoken in Standard American English (SAE) and how to use different sounds correctly is essential.
There should also be a concentration on teaching appropriate phrasing and natural pacing while speaking and helping you to gain awareness of your volume and projection. You will want a program that provides ongoing assessment and feedback from a qualified accent coach. You should receive support from teachers, family members, or friends who will practice with you.
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is the ideal coach to guide you through your accent modification program.
At Connected Speech Pathology, we can assist you in successfully changing your accent. Our Speech-language pathologists are communication experts with the background and expertise, making us uniquely qualified to provide effective accent modification services.
Connected Speech Pathology provides individualized accent modification programs online. Our program is based on American English pronunciation.
We offer a comprehensive accent modification approach, including assessment, guidance, practice, and feedback from an experienced coach ready to maximize goals for successful communication.
How to Get Started with Changing Your Native Accent
If you feel that you are ready to begin working with a communication coach, then you can look forward to learning the following skills during your accent modification training course:
Standard American English pronunciation at word, sentence, and conversational levels
Voice improvement
Fine-tuning of grammar
Vocal characteristics (intonation, rate, volume)
Presentation and public speaking skills
Interviewing skills
Pacing, stress, and pitch
Expanding vocabulary
Idioms, contractions, and slang
How Connected Speech Pathology Can Help with Accent Training
Connected Speech Pathology's Accent Modification Program uses video and audio recordings so you can see and hear yourself and improve self-listening skills. Our packages can be prepared, delivered, and implemented online – from the screening to the assessment, live classes, and certificate of completion.
Each program starts with a recorded evaluation that helps the instructor set personalized goals tailored to each person's specific communication needs.
Participants perform all their practice online, using web-based tools designed specifically for their customized goals.
The benefits of our accent reduction classes are substantial. After completing the program, clients report increased confidence, better workflow and team participation, improved relationships, less frustration, and clearer, more effective communication.
About the Author
Allison Geller is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and the owner of Connected Speech Pathology. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida in Speech-Language Pathology. Allison has practiced speech therapy in a number of settings including telepractice, acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, and private practice. She has worked extensively with individuals across the lifespan including toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children, and adults. She specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of communication disorders including receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation disorders, voice disorders, fluency disorders, brain injury, and swallowing disorders.
Allison served as the clinical coordinator of research in aphasia in the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. She is on the Board of Directors for the Corporate Speech Pathology Network (CORSPAN), a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician, and a proud Family Empowerment Scholarship/Step-Up For Students provider. Allison is passionate about delivering high quality-effective treatment remotely because it’s convenient and easy to access. What sets us apart from other online speech therapy options is—Allison takes great care to hire the very best SLPs from all over the country.
