How It Works
My Method to Putting on An Accent
Every language, and every accent for that matter, has its own general mouth settings that its sounds are born out of.
Some languages are spoken with a wider, concave tongue shape and others are spoken with a narrower, convex tongue shape. Some are spoken with a larger space in the back of the mouth, and some are spoken in a small space in the front of the mouth.
Speaking English with the mouth settings of your native language is like trying to play a guitar using piano techniques. Even though you're making music, the sound won't be right because the movements and techniques required for each instrument are different.
Similarly, if you try to speak English using the mouth movements of your native language, your English will still sound like your mother tongue.
While using slightly different mouth movements can give your accent an exotic 'flavor,' using the exact same settings as your native language will prevent you from consistently pronouncing words correctly and being easily understood by native speakers.
The good news is that you can learn new mouth settings even as an adult!
Do kids have it easier? Yes, because they don't have to consciously learn how to move their mouths by taking my classes, and they naturally become native speakers.
However, you can sound a lot closer to a native English speaker by taking classes that teach you the specific style of muscle movements Americans use in their everyday speech.
Then you'll learn how we apply these settings to our sounds, making them sound much more natural.
Finally, you'll take what you learn in my classes and make a conscious effort to use those new speech settings in your daily conversations.
Let's be honest -- that is HARD WORK, and your results don't only depend on me.
It's a team effort; you'll have to practice every day in between, record yourself, correct yourself, and intentionally concentrate on your speech in your everyday conversations.
But if you commit to the process, you will love the way you sound in English!