How to Get Rid of Accent – Learning to speak English Like an American
Many people who have arrived in the USA need to know how to get rid of accent, and to speak English like an American. Not being able to speak English that is clearly understood by other Americans makes it much harder to become part of the community, more difficult to find work, and reduces your opportunities for promotion. Speaking English with an American accent will help your ability to find work, even if you are not living in the USA, since so many jobs involve communication with American companies.
Most people wanting learn how to get rid of accent, will first try a English as a second language course, but as you can tell by the name, it is not designed to get rid of your accent, but to teach you simple English, simple grammar, and to be able to communicate in English. If you learned English in a another country, your grammar may be excellent, and your understanding of English may be outstanding, but not knowing how to emphasize words, and how Americans combine words, can still make communication challenging.
To learn to speak American English takes time and practice. You need to learn the common ways that Americans combine their words, what words and phrases they most commonly use, and the way an American emphasizes words. You could attempt to listen closely as Americans speak, and attempt to find these patterns on your own, but that will be difficult since you’re also busy trying to understand what they are saying.
If you want to know how to get rid of accent, the secret is in hearing the common phrases, the common emphasis, and patterns repeatedly. Then being able to practice saying them yourself. Obviously this is not something you can do in your normal day to day conversation. The best method is to use a course that provides you with audio recordings of the common methods of American English, so you can listen to a phrase and then repeat it. It can also help speed your learning if you record your own voice, and then can listen to your speech pattern, compared to the recording in your course.
Usually it is not the sound of your voice that prevents the smooth and easy communication with Americans, it is the way you combine words, not using the words they expect in the sentence, and the way you emphasize words. You can attempt to learn those over time, by listening closely, but the process will be much faster if you can practice with an audio course.
Your co-workers, and friends in America will appreciate your efforts on improving your American English. As you learn how to get rid of accent, you will also be noticed by your employer, when it comes down to a choice of who is promoted, often it is the person they can communicate most easily with. Investing in a course to learn to speak English with an American accent can pay for itself very quickly.
