Ferdaous asks: "I'm learning English, how can I develop a good American accent quickly?"
In this episode:
- Why a good accent is important
- The difference between phonemes and prosody
- Why developing a good accent is the result of extensive communication in your target language
Tips for improving your accent:
- Tackle pronunciation immediately with a native speaker to perfect your pronunciation, before you develop any bad habits.
- Observe native speakers in action and their voices when they interact, especially at key social moments, such as introductions or meeting friends. If you only work with a teacher, how is their voice when they greet you? This is often the most authentic moment of the conversation. TV and movies are also a good place to focus in on this.
- Imitate how native speakers say common words and phrases that you’re familiar with.
