Want to get rid of your thick Accent? Try these 5 things

Accents do vary from country to country and even from county or state within each country.  To help loose an accent it is important to remember that this will take time and effort.  Pronunciation is very important and covers intonation, word structure and word rhythm together with word “stress”.  Learning how to put the pronunciation and stress on the correct syllable of each word helps enormously.

Practice makes perfect

To achieve loosing one’s accent, it is important to practice Spoken English several times a week for as many minutes per day as you have time for.  This may sound difficult but it is a matter of being disciplined.  Aim to speak for a minimum of 15 minutes per day or more if you have time.  Choose a particular topic or subject you want to practice each day and remember to practice speaking slowly and clearly to help with pronunciation.  Record yourself and then play back the recording.  Repeat.

Watch the television or listen to the radio

Watching the television or listening to the radio will definitely help you recognize the sounds and intonation of words.  You could listen to the radio in the car going to work or listen to programs on YouTube (wearing ear phones if in public places).  Choose a film of interest in English or which has subtitles in the beginning as this also helps improve accents.  Listening to audio books can also help.

Have lessons with a tutor

This will cost money, but you could have lessons either online or at a college.  A tutor will help you practice your speaking and this in turn helps your fluency in speaking English.  This in turn will give you confidence together with improving one’s accent.  A tutor will correct you when you mispronounce a word or words.

If you want to improve your British English accent speak with a British speaking tutor or you want to improve your American English accent then speak with an American English tutor.  Listening and practicing with a native English speaker or tutor has many great advantages and is perhaps one of the quickest ways to improve one’s accent.

Dictionaries

If you buy a good dictionary this will give you the meanings of the words you want to practice together with how to correctly pronounce the words you are trying to say.  A good dictionary will break the word(s) down into syllables, which has great benefit when trying to practice on your own.  You can also download an English dictionary onto your mobile phone, iPad, tablet or computer.

Accent apps

There are various apps now that you can download onto a mobile phone to help practice speaking English and this in turn will help improve one’s accent.  Try looking on the internet to find the app that suits you best.  Some of these apps are free and others you will need to pay for on a one-off payment.

Try getting involved with other people/friends who also want to learn English.  Join English-speaking clubs if there are any near where you live.  It is very important to remember that it is only by keeping speaking and practicing daily or five times a week that you will improve your accent.  You need to be disciplined to do this but in the end this practise will really help and your heavy accent will definitely improve.