English Article

Can I 'neutralize' my accent?
Yes, you can. All you need to do is train yourself to speak English as comfortably and perfectly as you speak your mother tongue.
How do you train yourself? By inculcating certain practices in your daily lifestyle. These will get you closer to sounding like a native English speaker and equip you with a global accent -- and you will speak not American or British English, but correct English.
This is the first step to learn any other accent, be it American or British or Australian.
Lisa Mojsin, head trainer, director and founder of the Accurate English Training Company in Los Angeles, offers these tips to help 'neutralize' your accent or rather do away with the local twang, as you speak.
1. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to imitate them.
When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.
2. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech down.
If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a hard time understanding you.
Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow speech -- it is more important that everything you say be understood.
3. Listen to the 'music' of English.

Do not use the 'music' of your native language when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing'.
4. Use the dictionary.
Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.
5. Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you.
Record these words, listen to them and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same time.
6. Buy books on tape.
Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.
7. Pronounce the ending of each word.
Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English.
8. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day.

Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.
9. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes.
Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.
10. Be patient.
You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.
Quick tips
Various versions of the English language exist. Begin by identifying the category you fall into and start by improving the clarity of your speech.
~ Focus on removing the mother tongue influence and the 'Indianisms' that creep into your English conversations.
~ Watch the English news on television channels like Star World, CNN, BBC and English movies on Star Movies and HBO.
~ Listen to and sing English songs. We'd recommend Westlife, Robbie Williams, Abba, Skeeter Davis and Connie Francis among others.



The Other Tips

1. Get a good dictionary. If you need to, a dictionary to translate between your first language and English is best. 2
2. Practice everyday by checking your pronunciation, and learning a few new words. 3
3. Listen to people who speak English. If they talk too fast, kindly ask them to speak slower. 4
4. Learn the grammar with careful study. A teacher may be best for this. 5
5. Talk in English with other speakers, especially those who speak it as a first language. 6
6. Think in English when you have learned it well. Translation in your brain can become confusing after certain points. 7
7. Read Simple English in your spare time, such resources can be found at the Simple English Wikipedia and books written for young children.




How to Speak English Well
If you want to speak English well, then you are probably well aware of the difficulties of doing so. For foreigners, learning to speak English well can be especially difficult since many native English speakers don't use correct English. However, for those who do speak English well, foreigner or not, the rewards can be large. Read below to learn how to improve your spoken English.
1. Assess your level of spoken English. Those at a beginning English level will have different content in their study plan than someone at an advanced English level. The first step to learning to speak English well is making an honest assessment of where you are.
2. Look for free online English tutorials. There is a tremendous amount of free English lessons aimed at improving your spoken English.
3. Practice your spoken English with a native English speaker. However, make sure that this native English speaker can speak English well too! This isn't always the case. If you hear double negatives or a lot of slang, consider getting another native English practice partner.
4. Ask your English practice partner to correct you on any grammar mistakes or pronunciation mistakes. If you are well prepared to receive constructive criticism, you will make large gains in your ability to speak English well.
5. Practice your spoken English at home. Talk through normal tasks that you usually complete in silence. You might even want to try to teach a sibling, parent, or child about what you learned that day. The more that you review and practice, the more easily you will be able to speak English well.
6. Listen to magazine and newspaper recordings in English. If the recording is from a well-established newspaper or magazine, you will likely hear very good English. Try to understand what is being said, and then repeat what you hear. Practicing this will help you speak English well too.