Have a good vowel movement lately?

I read many books about accent modification (and I really should write one of my own). What I see in most books are lengthy (and in my opinion mostly unnecessary) explanations of all the different types of vowels. Some books even begin with an overview of every vowel sound in American English. There are between 15 and 23 depending on how you say certain words, whether you add an “r” to some of them, and which reference you use to verify this.

Truth is, you’re going to learn to produce vowels the way your instructor teaches you to say them. And your instructor is going to teach you the way he or she considers the accurate way to say them. So in one area of the United States you may learn that the words caught and cot have the same vowel sound, but not in another area.

Some teachers will rhyme dog and frog. Some would never.

Who’s correct?

As long as they are teaching you to sound natural and authentic in conversational speech with a style that attracts much less attention than your current accent, they are all correct.

There’s too much variation – acceptable variation – across the US to accept one way as the only way. The best teachers will show you exactly how the acceptable ways are different from your habitual way, and how to change them with practice and repetition. The best teachers will also inform you about these acceptable variations.

Don’t learn vowels from a book, and remember as you work on your new speech sounds that you already know and use them accurately. If you are burdening yourself with learning all of them, it will prolong your studies and practice efforts.

Hollywood actors do it all the time.

Nicole Kidman.

Collin Farrell.

Ewan McGregor.

Daniel Craig.

Pierce Brosnan.

Heath Ledger.

Russel Crowe.

Christian Bale.

Gary Oldman.

Anna Paquin.

Jim Sturgess

Robert Pattinson.

Emilie de Ravin.

Matt Damon.

Hugh Laurie.

Don Cheadle.

Clive Owen.

Everyone on the list has demonstrated impressive, convincing and seemingly authentic skill at speaking with an intonation, rhythm and style that is not truly their own. They can turn it on or off as needed. And they used this skill for career advancement.

Are all of them just smarter and more talented than you?

No. But they each devoted time to learning some very specific speaking techniques. Techniques anyone can learn and apply.

I am repeatedly told by my clients, usually after the third or fourth session, that if only they had known exactly what needed to be done differently to clear up their difficult-to-understand pronunciation of American English, they would have done it much sooner.

Call me at 888-249-1936 or email me at joe@myspeechcoach.com so we can discuss what you need to do.

Joe

Say it clearly, and don’t let a distracting accent say it for you.

Whether consulting with a co-worker, customer or client, if your accent is distracting it can have a serious and unwanted impact. It makes difficult interactions tougher, detailed explanations difficult, and your ability to influence diminished.

Your work might be unappreciated and misunderstood all because of the difficulty others are having making sense of what you say. And no one is going to tell you about it. (Most people consider it rude to openly bring attention to your accented speech.)

If you’ve become curious about working on the clarity of your speech and doing something about a distracting accent that is foreign to American ears, here are some guiding principles to keep in mind when you consider a course or instructor. (more…)

Audio turn-taking.

Personalized coaching.

A safe and easy way to invest in presenting yourself clearly.

It’s the accent class without the classroom.

Audio Correspondence Coaching (ACC) is a new, unique and budget-friendly way to experience the benefits of personalized instruction in accent modification. (more…)

Complete a Compton P-ESL Online Screening to get valuable feedback and an introductory analysis of the clarity and accuracy of your American English. (more…)

We are all accented speakers. Why? (more…)