home » Hairstyles » How to get rid of a dialect accent. Should I get rid of my accent? Variations and features of the English accent

How to get rid of a dialect accent. Should I get rid of my accent? Variations and features of the English accent

An accent is not a pathology

The term “accent” (from the Latin “accentus” stress) refers to the raising and lowering of the voice - tone, sound intensity or volume, placement of stress.

A dialectal accent is “a set of features that are not characteristic of a given literary language, in the speech of a dialect speaker.

Accent associated with muscle functioning and kinesthetic memory (the most stable type of memory that the human body possesses).

At first sight accent It seems to be an ingrained, immovable problem, because a person has learned this or that way of speaking from birth. But meanwhile, accent- not a pathology, and certainly not a sentence, but just conditioned reflex, “habit”, and habits can be changed. With effort and enough time, you can get rid of your accent, speech and tongue-tiedness.

First of all, make sure that your problem is really accent, and not incorrect sound pronunciation. How to check? Get advice from a speech therapist. The specialist will immediately determine the cause of your problem and suggest the most effective method eliminate it, advise what should be done.

If you pronounce sounds incorrectly, then accent work early. First, it is necessary to eliminate all violations of sound pronunciation on speech therapy classes. You will have to work on proper speech breathing, articulation gymnastics, (if necessary, a speech therapist will prescribe a massage) staging and automating sounds in speech.

Then you can begin to fight accent.

How to get rid of an accent?

minimize communication in the native language in order to develop a new conditioned reflex.
maximize speaking practice. Talk, listen, correct, imitate, listen to yourself. If you lack it, you lose the opportunity to quickly gain a new skill.
listen to audio recordings of the correct announcer's speech
speak slowly, this will allow you to control the correct sound pronunciation.
try to sing more, move to music, dance - this gives more benefits than you might think. Speech has a musical backbone, so specialists use rhythm therapy and music therapy to correct speech.
Record your speech on a voice recorder and listen to it for self-control.

You will improve your speech and create your unique speech image in rhetoric and stage speech courses.

Is it possible to correct an accent and poor diction?

- it is possible and necessary! There are plenty of examples among actors, famous speakers, and politicians who have conquered their dialect accent!

Remember that your speech is your business card!

Phone in St. Petersburg:

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“I would like to express my gratitude to Elena Anatolyevna. I had problems pronouncing the sounds [r] and [r"], with her help we put them in place. It was not easy to introduce them into everyday speech, but it was worth it! In a month (7 visits) I achieved incredible results and I am proud with this! Thank you very much! " Mikhail, 17 years old

Speech therapist services for children and adults. 2008-2012 St. Petersburg

A "subspecies" of accent is dialect accent- a set of features that distinguish the speech of a dialect speaker from a given literary language.

In the origin of the accent there is no secret. An accent is an indicator of a certain mechanism of muscle function and kinesthetic memory (and this type of memory is the most stable).

Accent seems to be an ingrained, “overwhelming” problem, because this or that way of speaking is formed and internalized by us from birth. Meanwhile, accent- not a pathology (and in no case a sentence!), but simply a conditioned reflex that is eliminated in the same way as bad habit. This means that eliminating accent, dialect, and tongue-tiedness requires willpower, effort and time.

First of all, make sure that you are really dealing with accent:, it can easily be confused with incorrect sound pronunciation. How? I strongly recommend consulting a speech therapist. Only a specialist’s diagnosis can be a guarantee precise definition problems and the effectiveness of the proposed “treatment” methods.

Important! If your pronunciation of sounds is impaired, work on accent will be a Sisyphean task. It is necessary to “clear the field” for this work by eliminating all shortcomings in sound pronunciation in speech therapy classes. While working with a speech therapist, you will develop correct speech breathing, perform articulatory gymnastics, set and automate sounds in speech. Perhaps a speech therapist will prescribe a massage for you.

Is the field cleared? Let's get straight to the fight against the accent!

On the way to speaking without an accent

We minimize communication in our native language. Otherwise, you will not be able to force your articulatory apparatus to “forget” its usual conditioned reflex and “exchange” them for a new one.
We devote maximum time speaking practice. We speak, listen, correct, imitate the speakers of the “cherished” language. And, most importantly, listen to ourselves! Without this practice, it is impossible to acquire a new skill quickly.
We put recordings into the audio player (download MP3) with the correct narration.
Let's talk slowly! We pronounce the words slowly and clearly, controlling the correct sound pronunciation.
We sing, move to the music, dance. These creative activities are much more beneficial to our business than you might imagine! The fact is that the mechanisms responsible for speech coincide with the “systems” that ensure our musical perception. This is why rhythm and music therapy are widely used by speech therapists and psychologists.
We record our speech on a voice recorder and listen to it. Self-verification, which means being strict with yourself, is the most effective incentive!

Well, if you want to improve your speech in the future, work on your “speech image,” I advise you to take a public speaking course.

So, is it really possible to say goodbye to your accent and conquer bad diction? B of course! Getting rid of an accent is one of the services of a speech therapist.

And if you take an interest, you will certainly be convinced that many people who later became famous for their first-class speech and brilliant oratory, had to first “put their dialect accent to rest”!

Don't forget: Your speech is your business card!

English teachers all over the world never tire of saying that there is no need to be ashamed of your accent. But this doesn’t mean you can’t improve yourself or try new things. If you've always wanted to talk like Lady Mary from Downton Abbey or like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, go for it!

Choose what accent you want to speak with

Do you prefer the classic sound? English accent or what they say in Hollywood?

This will determine what programs you need to watch and what people you need to interact with. You can even choose the accent of a specific region if you wish.

Video about 21 accents in English- Wide famous video English theater actress Amy Walker, in which she imitates accents very believably different regions UK, USA and other countries.
24 accents in English- This guy took the world by storm a few years ago by making a video in which he makes up stories and dialogues on the fly for every accent he speaks.
Difference between British and American accents- This is a joint video work of YouTube English teachers from America and Great Britain, in which they explain the main differences between accents.
Differences in the pronunciation of vowel sounds- If you're ready to dig deeper, understand the position of your lips and tongue when pronouncing vowel sounds.

Find your teacher

If you have decided on your preferences, it's time to find your master Yoda.

For American English these are:

Rachel's English- Rachel specializes in American pronunciation. The American English in Real Life playlist is a collection of conversations between Rachel and her friends in real life situations.
Private English Portal- Steve Ford lives in Canada. The main feature of his channel is pronunciation tips for representatives of different nationalities.
Business English Pod- a collection of lessons and podcasts for advanced users. The channel specializes in business English.

Work on bugs

Many of us were taught to speak incorrectly at school. Don't be afraid, noble teachers from YouTube will help you make your speech competent and natural.

American English:

Popular mistakes in pronunciation of words- In his videos, Alex tries to create the atmosphere of a live lesson. In this particular case, he examines the words that students most often mispronounce.

Learn local expressions

Greetings, my dear readers.

I think today we will have the most painful topic that we still have to discuss - accent. How to get rid of a Russian accent is a question that worries, if not everyone, then every second person. Our people have a painfully strong desire to sound like a true Englishman. Therefore, I will tell you why we are faced with this concept, and in what ways we can get rid of it.

Why does it occur?

The sounds are different in English and Russian. And even if it seems to you that English –d can be pronounced as Russian, then you are deeply mistaken. In other words, like most people. The most problematic ones are –th, -r, -w. For example, the pronunciation of the word think is to think. And the sound of the usual sounds –d, -t, -c is also wrong. They should be pronounced with aspiration: cat - cat. Therefore, the most important thing you need to do is become familiar with how to pronounce them correctly.

How to say goodbye to him forever?

Let me be completely honest with you: get rid of the accent in English speech almost impossible. Even the best spies in the world are not able to master perfect pronunciation.

However, getting closer to your desired goal is quite possible. And I'll give you some tips on how to do it.

Correct pronunciation.

As I already said, the main reason we have an accent is pronunciation of words in the Russian manner. Constantly watch the way you speak, practice the right things - and you will take a huge step forward.

Watch out for monotony.

Another obstacle to great sound is monotony your speech. If in Russian we sound very beautiful, with all the ups and downs, but often foreign language we sound like a priest at a sermon: boring and generally not clear where one sentence ended and another began.

Learn correct intonation. Raise your voice at the end, lower it exclamatory sentences and divide sentences into intonation parts. Remember that no one likes boring sermons.

Practice tongue twisters.

It is thanks to tongue twisters that you can learn to pronounce words correctly much faster. In addition, you will definitely improve your speaking speed (lots of practice on tongue twisters).

Choose one tongue twister to a problematic sound, for example -th. Read it slowly right away, trying to pronounce the words correctly. Then gradually increase your speed, still watching how you pronounce the words. You can take the following tongue twister: "thirty thousand thirsty thieves thundered through the thicket."

Watch the original video with subtitles.

Don’t just watch, but if possible, pause the video and repeat words after native speakers. This way you can imitate the pronunciation of native speakers and improve your own. for films and TV series in English.

Travel to an English speaking country.

This does not guarantee a 100% result, because many live there for 10 years, but do not get rid of Russian notes. But being in a country where required language everyone says can have a significant impact on the quality of your speech. By the way, Summer is coming soon and you can think about !

Also, I have a video that can help you understand many things about this matter.

Well, my dears, I hope that this lesson will help you get rid of your accent a little. Just remember that everything comes with time. If you regularly use my advice, you will notice changes within a month.

And if you want more useful tips on how to improve the quality of your language, as well as a lot of practical materials - subscribe to my blog newsletter. There I regularly share the most useful things.

And with this I say goodbye to you.

Everyone would like to speak a foreign language as those for whom it is native speak. Some even boast that they are mistaken for English or American abroad. At least they cannot determine that they are from Russia.

Many courses claim: “We will teach you to speak without an accent!” or “Let’s get rid of the accent!”

Is it really possible to get rid of an accent if you haven't spoken the language since childhood? And is it really that important?

What is an accent?

First, let's answer the question “What is an accent?”

Each language has a different set of sounds from the sounds of another language. When pronouncing the sounds of a foreign language, we can replace them with the sounds of our own. This is called an accent.

In any foreign language there are usually several “difficult” sounds, that is, those that are absent in our own language. For example, the "th" sound in English. Of course, you need to learn how to pronounce them correctly.

But for the most part, sounds in languages do not present undue complexity, even if they are different.

Is the accent a problem?

Of course, a strong accent can be a disadvantage in communication and in work. It is important that people understand you. Some may have encountered Indians who speak English like a machine gun but are not always easy to understand.

But in the vast majority of situations it is much more important to speak well, to understand the interlocutor freely, to have a wide lexicon. In fact, not having an accent only matters if you work in radio or television.

I remember, for example, one of my Georgian friends, the director of a company. One day we were going to discuss a business issue with him, and he brought his companion. So, although my friend spoke with a noticeable accent, he spoke Russian much better than his partner, for whom Russian was native! He spoke tongue-tied and often confused.

And recently I was told a funny episode from the life of a Russian-speaking doctor in the USA. One of the patients thanked him for his qualified help and eagerly good feelings accidentally stepped on his sore spot: “But, doctor, you have such a terrible Russian accent...”. And he was forced to retort: “But I think without an accent and I treat you, you see, also without an accent...”. By the way, a few years later this doctor received the title of professor!

Will the accent disappear on its own over time?

Unfortunately, even if you study a language for a very long time, use it, and even live abroad, the accent will not disappear on its own.

We have all encountered such examples. Two, say, Ukrainians have been living in Russia for many years. One speaks Russian clearly, and the other with a noticeable accent. It depends on many reasons.

Let's also say that a Dutch friend of mine who speaks excellent English insists on pronouncing “enough” as “inah” (as it would be pronounced in his native language).

How to get rid of an accent

I’ll say right away that if we approach the question realistically, then most of us find it difficult to achieve absolutely pure pronunciation. You need to strive for this, but achieving this goal is quite difficult.

In general, when we speak another language, we should try to become English, Italian, Japanese. We should try to imitate the natives' way of speaking, their gestures, even their way of thinking.

For example, I myself have often noticed that when I speak a foreign language, I become a slightly different person.

First of all, clear pronunciation is a matter of will, motivation and a lot of time.

I want to give an example. When I was little, my father knew how to juggle, and I decided that I should definitely learn how to do it too. I spent several months training a couple of hours a day, but I got there. Even now I can juggle 3-4 items.

What exactly needs to be done?

Many classes, especially in language institutes, conduct phonetics classes. They learn individual sounds, train the position of the tongue in the mouth, look in the mirror when they speak.

For example, this is how they train Russian radio announcers on English language. But turn on and listen: frankly terrible pronunciation! You will immediately distinguish it from the BBC. It turns out that special “staging” of pronunciation usually leads to nothing.

My German friend, a translator from Russian, speaks almost perfectly. He can be mistaken for our compatriot. When I once asked him how he achieved this, he replied that he had listened to the same simple dialogues thousands of times! So, my main advice is to listen! And listen a lot.

Listen to the same material many, many times. Listen to what interests you, where there is a rhythm, what touches you, what you are “on the same wavelength” with. Basically, it is impossible to say something you haven't heard.
Listen to slow speech first, then move on to natural speech at a normal speed.
Don't try to speak from the start until your brain gets used to the new language. Give him time! Otherwise, incorrect pronunciation may become entrenched.
Repeat while listening to foreign speech. First to myself, then out loud. First, take educational “slow” samples, then natural speech samples. Repeat many times, imitating what you hear.
Try to imitate intonation, words and phrases as a whole, rather than individual sounds.
You have to want to be English, American, when you speak a foreign language. Imagine that this language is your native language.