| It can be very exciting studying for a year or two in a | | | | continuously. |
| foreign country, and every year thousands of ESL | | | | 3 - Memorize useful North American or British slang, |
| students travel to English-speaking countries to have | | | | depending on where you are, and current idioms and |
| an adventure, take a break from rigorous studying at | | | | expressions, etc. to integrate them whenever possible. |
| home, and learn some English. | | | | 4 - Buy a pronunciation book. Check for CDs in the |
| At the same time, immigration is up in some countries, | | | | back and whether they are British or American English. |
| especially Canada, where the government has now | | | | 5 - Use a mirror to observe your lips, tongue and teeth |
| incorporated more support, more programs and more | | | | positions. |
| funding to ensure that immigrants who arrive here can | | | | 6 - Control your volume, and stress key content words |
| get employed a lot faster than what is currently the | | | | to keep listeners focused. |
| case. However, most students and immigrants will tell | | | | 7 - Control your rhythm and pace. It is not a race! |
| you, that their perceived lack of English capability and | | | | 8 - Practice with tongue-twisters, alliteration and poetry. |
| their self-imposed shyness with using it can create a | | | | 9 - Keep a list of trouble spots (words, sounds) to |
| real barrier to not only employment, but all around | | | | practice morning and night in a logbook or diary. |
| enjoyment of their new or host country. | | | | 10 - When in doubt of the correct pronunciation, use a |
| I have had the pleasure of teaching ESL (English as a | | | | good North American dictionary or British English |
| Second Language) students and immigrants accent | | | | dictionary, depending on where you are living or |
| reduction since 1998, and have come to rely on a few | | | | studying, to check the phonetic instructions of sounds |
| tips to help the learner reduce their accent quickly. | | | | and syllable stress. |
| Without further ado, I give you my top 10 tips to accent | | | | Enjoy learning English, enjoy your new surroundings, |
| reduction. | | | | and by all means practice accent reduction tips every |
| 1 - Imitate the desired accent and expressions of the | | | | day until your confidence in communication improves. |
| people around you e.g. co-workers, T.V. and film | | | | Then, you will be able to speak with clarity and will find |
| characters, teachers, etc. | | | | that your accent is no longer holding you back from |
| 2 - Record yourself and check your progress | | | | achieving your goals. |