How long does it take to reduce an accent?
Let’s be honest: You want to improve your pronunciation, you want to sound clear, you want to feel confident BUT You. Don’t. Have. time.
There’s so much to do: work, clean, cook, take care of the kids, the list goes on. Focusing on our language skills sometimes takes a back-seat. Having excellent public speaking skills, however, is just what we need to feel confident and capable in our daily lives. How long does it take to reduce your accent? It depends on you. It depends on your schedule and the time you dedicate.
What do you think about these two quotes?
The truth is this: we all have the same amount of time. Every person has 24 hours - rich or poor, young or old, man or woman. We decide how to use this time. You are in control of your time and your life. Our lives begin to change when we allow that to resonate, aligning our schedules with our dreams and goals. Remember: “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
We need to identify our motivator if we are going to make the time.
Why are you learning English?
Why is pronunciation important for you?
How will your life be different once English pronunciation is no longer an obstacle?
If you are just skimming reading this post, please STOP. Go back to those three questions and answer them honestly. You need to identify your WHY. Remember: “If it’s important enough, you’ll make the time.” ⏲️
How can you make the time to improve your English? You need a good schedule. Accent training success is similar to exercise. Think consistency over intensity. It’s better to do 10 minutes per day than 2 hours in one day.
📅Creating a schedule for studying is easy as follows:
Choose a time where you feel the least distracted
Choose a comfortable location
Mix it up with drills, listening, shadowing, and reading
Try to study at the same time each day.
Here’s an example:
Try this:
✍️Your homework is to write your personalized study schedule. Here are some topics that you can include: (click on the ones that interest you the most)
How to pronounce words : comfortable, chocolate, schedule, water
Specific sounds: TH, W/V, N/M, rhthym
Listening practice: Practice Makes Progress, Sound Investment
👇Please share in the comments your favorite quote from this post. A or B?👇
A-“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
B-“If it’s important enough, you’ll make the time.” ⏲️
You got this! You can reduce your accent if you are willing to put in the work and practice each day. If you want help to do it, sign up for an accent evaluation to get your personalized pronunciation priorties plan.