If you have stumbled upon this post, you may have been searching for information on accent reduction, or perhaps some accent reduction exercises or techniques. Technically, I do teach “accent reduction” but I really dislike that term! I prefer the term accent coaching to accent reduction. Here’s why:
It’s better to think in terms of adding, rather than taking away.
Thinking in terms of diminishing or reducing your accent puts the thought in your head that something is wrong with the way you speak. Nothing is wrong with your current accent! Learning English, in whatever way you originally did, was an important first step towards your English fluency. Now that you are ready to progress to the next step, you can think in terms of adding to your English skills, rather than diminishing the sounds of your native language.
Thinking about it as a reduction sets limits.
Your ability to sound like a native English speaker is really only capped by how much time you are willing to devote to the task. I believe it’s possible with enough practice to sound like a native speaker. If you only set your sights on “reducing” your native accent, you may be stopping short of what you can really accomplish with your English goals.
Coaching is a collaborative process.
Coaches work with their clients in a way that is more collaborative than a typical student-teacher relationship. A coach will assess their client’s current skill level, and work with that, adjusting as the skills improve. If you are working with me as a coach, we’re a team, and it’s all about helping you shine so you can speak English more confidently!
Ready to start improving your accent through accent coaching? Contact me to find out about how we can work together to improve your English accent!
