Worried about your accent? This one simple trick will change everything!
Are you worried about your accent when speaking a foreign language? Does it make you feel like giving up or not even trying? Like, how can you help your kids learn a foreign language when you sound like, well, you?
Here’s some good news. It just takes one step to get over your accent. Step 1: Get over yourself! I mean that in the most BFFL way possible. Think about it. How many people speak English with an accent? Millions! And you don’t care! When I hear someone with an accent, I usually wonder, “Oooo! Where are you from?” I’m not rude to them because I’m not rude! If someone is rude to you, you have no reason to care about their opinion. You don’t have time for that. You’re doing important things, like showing your kids what it looks like to go after your goals and achieve them.
You’re awesome because you’re learning a foreign language AND speaking it with your kids! The locals in Japan (or wherever you go) will be so impressed that your whole family can speak Japanese fluently, that they won’t care about your accent.
Life is too short to be self-conscious of something so minor, get talking and get out there in the world!
These two awesome moms below who use the TalkBox.Mom program each made a video to answer your question – “how do I get rid of my accent?”
You can choose to watch one or both of the videos! Or you can read the transcript below.
How can I get rid of my accent?
Answered by Eileen
- People have an accent and say the same word completely different, even within the same language. Think of the word “pecan” or “route” as two English examples.
- It is expected that someone learning a new language will sound different than a native speaker.
- Don’t worry, no one is going to chastise you for saying words differently than a native speaker, they will be IMPRESSED that you are even trying.
- Don’t lose confidence, just keep listening to how the words are spoken it the pronunciation and accent will come to you.
To start your worry-free language journey with TalkBox.Mom, click here!
How can I get rid of my accent?
Answered by Morgan
- You’ve probably had a conversation with someone whose first language was not English, and that person most likely spoke with an accent
- Listening to the native speaker audio on the app consistently will help you hear how the language is supposed to sound
- Just as with anything, the more you practice, the better you’ll get
- Don’t be afraid to try just because you know you’ll mispronounce words. We don’t correct babies and young children when they say a word wrong, we praise them to trying.
To start your worry-free language journey with TalkBox.Mom, click here!
TRANSCRIPT OF THE VIDEO
How do I get rid of my accent?
Answered by Eileen
Perhaps you are already a TalkBox.Mom
user or you haven’t jumped in yet, but there are some
of us out there who are worried about our accent, and how
we can get rid of our accent while learning a new language.
Well, I don’t really think that that’s actually necessary.
I live in Texas, and when I go visit family up in New Jersey,
they probably think I sound pretty silly, and I think the
same about them. But it doesn’t matter because we love each
other, and we accept each other for the way we talk.
Where you are raised is an accent that you’re probably
going to carry the rest of your life.
I have an Aunt Helga who used to live in Germany, and she’s
lived in the United States for at least 50 years, and she
still carries a very strong German accent even while she
speaks English, and it is one of the most endearing qualities
for her.
I love hearing her talk in English with her German accent.
She doesn’t need to get rid of it.
It makes it who she is.
It’s going to be the exact same way when you’re learning
a foreign language.
You’re not going to say every word exactly right just like
the native speaker on the app, or just like someone who’s
living in a foreign country, and you don’t really want it
to be that way.
You want to be who you are.
You’re awesome because you’re going to be learning a foreign
language. Nobody’s going to make fun of you for the way that
you’re talking.
They’re going to be highly impressed that you know the language
of another country.
So don’t even worry about getting rid of your accent! Be confident
in your ability to learn a new foreign language with
TalkBox.Mom!
Click the link below if you want to jump on board.
To start your worry-free language journey with TalkBox.Mom, click here!
Transcript of Video 2
How do I get rid of my accent?
Answered by Morgan
Accents! Everybody’s worried.
Am I going to have an accent?
I sound ridiculous if have an accent. Are people going to
judge me if I have an accent? Stop! Because, honestly, if you
think about it, if you’ve ever had a conversation with somebody
who is not a native speaker of English, they probably have
an accent. And do you sit there and judge them for that accent?
Probably not! You know that language is not
their native language, and that they’re doing the best they
can. And if you’ve ever had a chance to get to know
somebody over a period of time as they learn English, you
probably noticed that their accent improved because they
practiced. So practice makes perfect.
Just keep practicing!
Yes, you might sound silly at first, and mispronounce more
words than you pronounce correctly, but that’s okay!
The more you practice, the more you listen to the native speaker
audio, the better you’ll get. Don’t caught up in, “Am I going
to sound silly because I have an accent,” because anybody learning
a new language is probably going to have an accent. Nobody
does it perfectly on the first go-round!
To start your worry-free language journey with TalkBox.Mom, click here!
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