How do I improve my accent?

Question

I am an intelligent girl, but feel people judge me on my Essex accent, how do I learn to speak properly without sounding fake?

Answer 1

You can buy some speech tapes [elocution] or a book which tells you how to pronounce English properly without have that 'Mayfair' drawl [posh stuff] Start off with exercises; use the tip of your tongue, the roof of your mouth, your teeth and lips and open your mouth more when you speak. You should try singing sentences - you don't hear that many accents from pop singers because they aren't as lazy with their mouths when they sing.

I am sure there will be tapes - search on the internet under 'Elocution' and Good Luck

By the way you will be regarded more highly if you speak well [not posh] and don't speak too fast, it's almost impossible to understand young people in call centres these days, I have to make them slow down and pronounce their words properly to get to know what they are talking about!

Answer 2

Why do you want to change your accent??? I'm Costa Rica (Hispanic) and I been i US for 4 year and i still got an accent. My friends that have been here for more than 7 year still got an accent.... That's because if you hang out with Essex people you are going to be talking in your native language, and that makes the Essex accent that you don't want..... BE PROUD OF YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE AND DON'T TRY TO BE SOMEONE YOUR NOT .... I'm proud of mine and i like when i mispronounce a word because that makes me remember where I'm from... and also because you gotta learn from you error..

Answer 3

I've always felt the same way as you do. Posh people made me feel stupid. I used to put on a posh voice when answering the 'phone at work, but, as you say, it felt fake.

Then recently I had a long chat with a stranger; he also had a strong accent (different to mine) and I talked to him about it. He got me to think about:
Who makes you feel stupid because of the way you speak?
Does it matter what they think?
Do the people whose opinions matter to you love you with this accent?

If the answer to the third question is 'Yes', then forget about it. It's your kind heart that matters, not your dropped aitches. It's part of you. Hold your head up and just be you.

Answer 4

don't make any efforts to change your accent. no one has the right to criticise your accent. it will probably soften over time if you are exposed to other influences. however, if it isn't actually your accent that you are being criticised for but your ability to use the language correctly then maybe they have a point. " th " for instance is a distinct digraph and not just a different way of spelling the consonant " f ". if you do that, think about it and maybe try to stop it. people appreciate other people making the effort to speak properly.

Answer 5

put on a foreign accent, then you will sound very intelligent because people will be so amazed how well you can speak English. Just talk normally (and make sure you say things normally instead of saying things normal...you get it?) put on a french or italian accent and bob's your uncle! Make sure you put very english frases into your conversations such as Bob's your uncle or giving the dog a bone or whatever you want because then people will think you must be intelligent if you've learnt a language soooo well...

Answer 6

Aw I bet you sound great just the way you are hun!
But for extra help, walk round saying 'The rain in spain stays mainly on the plane' or 'How now brown cow' and youre accent will improve after a hundred repitions or so lol

Answer 7

Move back to Essex. Then you won't be judged as unintelligent or botching a fake accent. Do you really want to spend $$$ for a dialect coach?

Answer 8

Just be who you are. There`s nothing wrong with an Essex accent, in fact there`s nothing wrong with any accent. I like to hear them. I`m a carrot cruncher, you wanna hear mine!

Answer 9

Hi,im from the North East & Proud of my accent.If you have speech lessons you will be a fake.No Matter How You Speak, Look & Are IntelligentSome People will always find fault.
Be True to yourself.

Answer 10

i help out once in awhile for me to teach someone to speak without an accent i simply say the word and have them write it down how it sound to them. Ex ( phone) i would write it as such for someone struggling (fon) this way it sounds the same but said without accent. hope this helps.