How to Get Over Your American Accent in ANY Language

Are you worried about your accent when you’re speaking another language?

Do you feel like it stops you from using the language in front of other people? Or even stops you from starting to learn another language?

I’ve met a lot of moms, teens, dads, grandparents, and older kids who feel this same way. It’s the biggest thing holding them back when it comes to learning another language.

The good news is that there’s just one step you need to take to get over your accent, and you’ll be a whole new person by the end of this post.

Hey, I’m Adelaide from TalkBox.Mom where we help families to start talking in another language the same day you start the program, and the one step you need to take to get over your accent is to just…

Get over yourself.

And I mean that in the most best friend way possible. Think about it—how many people speak English with an accent?

Tons.

French accent, German accent, whatever-is-happening-the-South-accent.

If I hear someone speak English with a French accent, I think “Oooo la la, you’re from France.”

If my dad hears someone with a German accent, he’ll ask if they’re from Texas.

It’s like his favorite thing to do because Germans have the best reaction to that question. They’re either like, “Does he think my English is that good?” or “This man is funny.”  

If someone came to you at a church, movie theater, or library and said, “Where bathroom?” would you say, “Um… you have an accent and you forgot a verb?”

No, you would point them to where the bathroom is because you’re not rude. Only rude people are rude about accents. And if someone is going to be rude to you about how you sound, that’s a “them” issue. Not a you issue.

As a learner, your goal is to have fun as you try. That’s your job. You’re learning.

Your goal is not to be perfect. The people who worry the most about having a perfect accent or getting it wrong always have the strongest accents.

Why is that?

Recently, someone commented on one of my videos that older kids in another country are more likely not to develop an authentic accent, that the time had passed.

While I agree with the observation, I don’t agree with the reasoning. The time has not passed. The issue, rather, lies with becoming more self-conscious by a certain age.

Kids under four have the advantage of hearing all the sounds in every language. As those sounds aren’t used, they stop hearing those sounds as they hit age four.

When you hear a sound in another language that isn’t in your language, you use the closest sound in your language. That’s why you keep your American accent.

However, anyone at any age can re-hear those same sounds—if they are relaxed. But if you’re hitting 9, 10, 11 and getting more self-conscious, you’ll retain more of your original or American accent as you speak another language. 

If you have fun as you practice another language, you’ll hear better. And if you hear better, your pronunciation will improve. 

That means that the best way to get over your accent is really to get over yourself. Lean into having fun. Focus on the process of practicing—not the outcome.

The more you improve how you practice—listening to the native speaker audio, using your phrases in relevant situations, practicing with different emotions—the more of a difference you’ll hear.

If you don’t hear a difference as a learner, keep going.

What you have to say matters, and kind-hearted people will connect with you. I’m cheering you on.