There is a lot to be said for learning another language, but probably more to be said about learning to speak that language well. Part of that comes in the words, but the rest is in the dialect, or the way you say it. Being able to cut back on your accent when you are learning English can help in many ways. Not only will it make a better impact on your personal life, but it could very well impact your professional life, too.
Social and Professional Growth and Evolution
Often, the small nuances and speech patterns of non-native English speakers can be distracting. This can make it challenging to overcome new social and professional situations and further breakdown cultural communication barriers. When accents are reduced, pronunciation can improve, making interaction a much smoother process for everyone involved. Whether it’s for social skills or the benefit of your professional life, it can be useful to make your speech as smooth and uninhibited as possible.
Many people have reported significant improvement in their speech, including a reduction in distracting habits or sounds that impede natural speaking. They also learn better enunciation, intonation, and projection skills, which can again increase their ability to sound more like a native speaker. Everyone knows each language has its own intonation and inflections, and those nuances can be hard to pick up between cultures if you’re not that experienced. However, understanding them can truly unlock your potential with English language learning.
Improved Confidence and Speaking Abilities
Accent reduction can help improve conversational skills, but more importantly, it can improve presentation and even professional skills, helping people to speak more effectively, confidently, and understandably in any setting or in front of any audience. From making new friends to giving a report to the board at work, being able to speak more clearly and say what you mean can make all the difference in the outcome. Anyone who has struggled with a language barrier will tell you that often it is the smallest nuances that create the biggest issues.
Confidence is key when it comes to English language learning, or any language learning, for that fact. Without it, most people will struggle their entire lives even if they know the language in their minds. It can be intimidating and challenging to speak a new language, and especially to native speakers. The better you do it, the more confident you will be. This is where accent reduction classes can come in handy.
Choose From Classes or Coaches
The other thing is that people have a choice in how to pursue this training. You can find online accent reduction classes or hire a personal accent reduction coach if you want someone to give you that one-on-one coaching experience. Learning online can be easy and still give you some privacy, although it may be more difficult to not have someone there to practice with. Consider recruiting a friend or family member for real-life practice.
Whether you take accent reduction lessons with others or hire a private tutor or coach, you will be sure to find many advantages as you continue to reduce how your native accent affects your new language skills. Namely, it will boost your confidence and thereby bolster your future professional and social opportunities.
How to Do It
Although actual classes or lessons are recommended for the best results, there are also some tips and tricks that you can pick up along the way to help yourself. One of the best things that people can do is to listen to conversations. In every setting possible, listen to native speakers. Hear how they stress certain words, where their intonation falls, and how they express various emotions through the rise and fall of their voice. Often, mimicking is the most effective way to pick up these nuances. If you watch them enough, you’ll catch on.
Record yourself, if you want, for a little extra help. This can show you words that you’re having trouble with or help you focus on different areas of speech, such as emphasis or inflection so that you can improve your speaking skills. There are so many great tools and tips out there, but it’s a good idea to get into it one way or another to make the most of speaking your new language.
