Accent Olympics is a fun way to get the ball rolling on developing your accent skills. Now, we can’t pretend that training for the Accent Olympics will leave you as physically fit as the real competition, but it will certainly leave you tongue dextrous and your mind in a state of readiness. It will alsoContinue reading “Unlock the Fun of Accent Training with the Accent Olympics”
Author Archives: The Accent Centre
Why You Shouldn’t Come to Us…
That’s not to say we that don’t want your business. But there are positive, fulfilling reasons for seeking to modify one’s accent. And there are reasons that stem from a place of judgement – either one’s own, or that of another person’s. We would never refuse to help anyone based on their reasons for seekingContinue reading “Why You Shouldn’t Come to Us…”
Australian to RP
Following on from our series of key sound changes for those wishing to modify from their native accents to Modern RP, and acknowledging the first day’s play of The Ashes today, here are three key sounds that an Australian speaker of English might explore:
Foundations and Principles First
Committing to the comprehension of the foundations and principles of any new discipline allows us to develop a deeper understanding of its inner workings. Although this step can be dull, it can also enhance the longevity and ease of the learning process going forwards. However, the process of learning the principles need not be dull.Continue reading “Foundations and Principles First”
Tamil Phonology
Below are three key features of accents for Tamil speakers of English. For those Tamil speakers searching for tools to explore Received Pronunciation (RP), read on below: Of course, these are only 3 possible sounds that Tamil speakers of English might use, and not all Tamil speakers will realise sounds as outlined above. However, manyContinue reading “Tamil Phonology”
From Arabic to RP
In this blog post, we will look at 3 key sounds that Arabic speakers of English might consider modifying, if wishing to shift their accent towards RP. If you are an Arabic speaker of English, and you are looking to work on your Modern RP, these are just a few pointers that might be ofContinue reading “From Arabic to RP”
Prosody: “Teach them well and let them lead the way…”
Paraphrasing from the classic song by Michael Masser and Linda Creed, we can both teach our children and learn from them. The manner in which they receive information can be in large part down to the manner in which the information is delivered by the teacher. With regards to communication, we often cite children’s firstContinue reading “Prosody: “Teach them well and let them lead the way…””
The Vowel Space
The vowel space is the space within the vocal tract that is used to generate vowel sounds (or phthongs). It’s useful to replace the word ‘vowel’ with ‘phthong’, as it is very easy to equate vowels with a restricted number of letters within a language’s alphabet, rather than set of sounds. Our curiosity must necessarilyContinue reading “The Vowel Space”
SELF-CRITIQUE
What does this technique mean to you? How can we employ this as an effective strategy for progress while also remaining sensitive to our needs and engaged in positive change? Receiving criticism can feel like we’re walking into a brick wall – heavy handed and painful. But self-critique is entirely within our own control. WeContinue reading “SELF-CRITIQUE”
Common Misunderstandings about Communication
There are a numbers of blanket statements that have been historically made about presenting yourself within a professional environment. You’ve probably heard them since your school days. While they are helpful in part, they require varying degrees of application. PRONUNCIATION: hit your “t’s” and “d’s” Contrary to popular belief, using a strong /t/ or /d/Continue reading “Common Misunderstandings about Communication”
The Accent Centre 