Do you already speak fluent English but want to develop a more American accent? Are you wondering if you can lose your accent?
Professional accent reduction coaches and programs can teach you how to speak with an American accent. And if you’re looking for proven ways to learn the American accent, you’ll want to know about accent correction, also called accent reduction or accent modification.
In this article, the experts at our accent school will tell you what accent modification is, how it helps you learn the American accent, and how to do it. While you can cobble a DIY routine together, working one-on-one with a coach is the most reliable and effective way to do it.
We’ll cover both approaches in this article and share some of our best tips for learning the American accent.
Accent Correction Defined
In general, people who want to modify their accents are:
- Actors and performers
- Professionals who need to improve communication in the work environment
- People who are not native English speakers
- People who want to reduce a native or regional accent
Most people take accent coaching to achieve their modification goals.
All About Accent Training
When learning the American accent, it’s essential to understand the role of accent training or coaching.
Accent training is a strategic, skill-building routine composed of exercises and drills. It’s like a gym workout – but for your accent. These workouts help you lose your accent and build a more robust American accent.
Like gym workouts, accent training may seem challenging and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. An accent coach or trainer will take a lot of stress out of the equation.
Make sure to choose your exercises and drills based on their effectiveness and relevance to your unique accent and communication goals. A training session might consist of a warm-up, breath and mouth exercises, and vocalization drills.
How to Learn the American Accent: The DIY Version
If you’re considering self-training your accent, you should know it’s very challenging. That said, it is possible. There are many free online resources for developing your routine. For example, check out these American accent exercises for a few of our expert tips.
Remember that you can’t always hear the extent of your native accent, so you’ll need to record and listen to your voice for all exercises.
Before you start browsing online for DIY inspiration, it’s important to consider this approach’s pros and cons. The pros are that it’s free, you get to design the routine, and you pick the exercises. You can also do a session whenever you’d like. Sounds great, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not as good as it sounds. Many potential negative impacts arise from these pros.
First, since you can’t hear the extent of your accent, you might inadvertently teach yourself incorrect or ineffective pronunciations. This phenomenon is known as “learned errors,” and it is incredibly common. You might build a routine that actually makes your accent worse. Or, you could waste a lot of time trying to do it yourself only to find that your accent doesn’t improve.
You may also run into trouble if you only practice your accent routine when you feel like it. Accent modification requires consistent and diligent effort. Unless you’re highly motivated, committed, and efficient, you might fail your own program due to a lack of structure and motivation.
We’ve all done this. Quit a life-changing new habit or routine before it could work its magic? We don’t want that to happen to you. Now that you know how to learn the American accent with a DIY approach, let’s discuss working with a coach in a formal training program.
How to Learn the American Accent: Accent Coaching
Accent reduction coaching is working with a professional to train your accent. The coach brings experience and expertise while you show up and allow them to guide you through individualized routines. If we return to the gym analogy, your coach is like a personal trainer. They have a specialized ear for noticing those issues that you just can’t catch on your own. That consistent feedback can help you gain an understanding of all the subtle details that make all the difference.
Coaching can take the form of group or individual sessions. As expected, the individual one-on-one sessions provide the most benefit in the shortest amount of time. This is why our accent coaching program only offers online one-on-one coaching.
Can I Afford One-on-One Coaching?
The short answer is yes.
People are often surprised to learn how affordable and accessible coaching is. For example, we offer accent classes anywhere there’s an Internet connection via SKYPE. These one-on-one classes are only 25 minutes long, and you can cancel anytime or skip a lesson if necessary. We recommend you take at least one lesson per week to keep you progressing. Our students tell us that this is the most effective, fun, and affordable way to learn the American accent.
Our 1000+ 5-Star Reviews Speak for Themselves
Our accent coaches bring their best so that you can succeed. Here’s what a couple of our students say about the process:
- I’ve been working with S. Harris for a few months now. She’s been very helpful in my learning experience. She’s patient, fun and knowledgeable. I’m always looking forward to my next class. The format that Accent Advisor has makes everything simple to learn. I highly recommend my coach and Accent Advisor to help you to achieve your goals with pronunciation. — Accent Advisor Student
- Delgado is an excellent coach and very passionate about teaching! I’ve been taking classes with him for a couple of months. During the first several lessons, he quickly assessed my needs and helped me improve significantly my accent and pronunciation. He paces each class just right, so you feel challenged but not overwhelmed. He is patient, eager to answer any questions, and willing to explain the material multiple times and in different ways until you can understand it and do it right. My coach is great at building confidence and keeping the lessons fun and engaging through a variety of listening, speaking, and reading exercises. He promotes a supportive learning environment where you feel very comfortable making mistakes and practicing your speaking skills. I highly recommend J. Delgado to those who would like to improve their accent and take their speaking skills to the next level. — Accent Advisor Student
Read more Accent Advisor reviews from Facebook and Trustpilot.
Learning the American accent doesn’t have to be hard. This article gave you the basics of accent correction and how it will help you lose your accent. Learn more about our American accent training and enroll today.
