Category: Learning English

The language learning market is huge, however 91% of those learners are concentrated on just one language: English.  Unfortunately, simply learning English is not enough on it’s own to be heard, understood and to be able to thrive in an English speaking environment.  This is because when we come from our native language, the pronunciation and intonation patterns of that language impact signficantly on our accent.  In many cases, and paritcularly for relatively new learners of English, that accent can be so strong that it impacts negatively on our spoken English.

So how do you learn English accents and soften your own accent?

Well, the first question must be which English accent to focus on when learning English?  SpeechSchool.TV is the largest provider of video based English accent training online.  The School has offered many different courses over the years, from Standard English (British), American English to Australasian Engilsh.  They have found that 90% of students, including those in the US where an American accent is the norm, choose to learn the Standard English accent.

Why learners choose the Standard English accent?

When it comes to learning English accents and speaking and presenting like a native speaker, the main aim first is to soften your own accent.  Accent softening, requires a structured course whereby you study;

1. The correct tonal pronunciation of all phonetic sounds.

2. The inflection pattern of speech.

3 The rhythm, flow and intonation pattern through sentences.

With Standard English, this is based on Oxford English, and covers 50 phonetic sounds and standardised rules of English pronunciation.  American English in comparison only has about 44 phonetic sounds, uses slang and has variance across different regions.

Students around the world therefore choose Standard English in order to learn all sounds clearly and correctly, which forms the best platform for them to go about softening their own accents.

Accent softening and the learn English accent program from Speech School

SpeechSchool.TV has worked with thousands of students worldwide with its award-winning video based training and as a result has the leading ‘learn English accent’ program for internet learning.

Students generally experience a reduction in accent strength of 20% over a 3 month period and a much larger reduction over months and years, whereby their spoken English becomes like an educated native speaker, considerably improving speech and presentation outcomes for them.

So you already read, write and speak English to a reasonable level?  However, can you be clearly understood and do you make the right impression on your listeners? 

Aurelien Gasc was a French engineer who had been working and living in an English speaking country for a number of years.  Yet, he always felt that when he was communicating with colleagues and friends he was “that French guy in your face.”

Mr. Gasc joined SpeechSchool.TV, a leading provider of British accent training and online tuition in English speaking.  The school helped him to soften his accent and now he is able to speak more easily and clearly with those around him.

Learn how to speak English like a native speaker

The challenge for learners is always to learn to speak the language in a similar way to native speakers so they can be clearly understood and fluency is evident.  SpeechSchool.TV teaches English pronunciation and helps achieve clear pronunciation across sentences, focusing on the Standard English accent.  While the School recognises that some local accent adds colour, it’s English accent course helps to ensure that such accent does not impede understanding or overpower the clarity of the message.

Should I go for British accent training or American accent training?

The best advice for students is to learn pure Standard English which is essentially without an accent.  This is spoken English as found in an Oxford dictionary and contains 50 unique phonetic sounds.  For students living and working in America it is very easy to modify the tone and flow of this speech toward an American accent (which has around 44 phonemes).

More information on English speaking and British accent training is available from SpeechSchool.TV, a well recognised provider in online education.

These days you can learn English online.  In fact it is one of the most efficient ways to learn the language when combined with real world practice, as some of the best English courses now exist in “the cloud.”

With the growth in internet television, it is also possible to learn to speak English online and achieve a neutral Standard English accent in the process.  SpeechSchool.TV has an acclaimed English Accent course which has taught students from over 60 countries to speak English naturally and well.

SpeechSchool says that the best way to learn English speech is by going back to the 50 individual phonetic sounds in Standard English and learning them one by one and then in context.  In particular, for migrants to English speaking countries, one of the key factors in how well they integrate and work in their new society, is their ability to pick up good spoken English that can be easily understood by others.

Learning good spoken English means that migrants do not feel so isolated and do not need to keep within existing ethnic groups.  Being able to speak to people in the general population has huge benefits, because migrants can join clubs, Churches, societies and other groups along with having a much wider selection of job prospects.

An investment of time now in online English speech learning can make a huge difference to a migrant’s chance of success in their new country.

In addition, even when English is not the main language of a country, it is most often the main second or business language of these countries meaning that good spoken English is the fall back position when people do not speak the same language.

Learn more about our online English courses.

The human speech apparatus is one of the marvels of life.  The fact that we can use complex language separates us from almost every other living species.  Yes, there have been studies on dolphins and chimpanzees talking but we’ve yet to see them producing their own Broadway or West End musicals!

As human beings, we are able to speak over 4,000 different languages.  The beauty with each of those languages is that the art of speaking is creative.  Every word or phrase and the manner in which it is used is unique to each person, and this program is about empowering you to use spoken language at its very best.

Because of the way the human speech apparatus is constructed, even small children can learn to produce a couple of hundred different speech sounds clearly.  Of course each language only uses some of the potential sounds and English (Received Pronunciation) uses just 50 of them.

The difficulty in learning a second language, for example ‘English as a second language’ (ESL) is that in coming to that language from your mother tongue, your speech patterns and habits have been entirely shaped by your first language.  In particular the phonetic sounds you have learnt are based on your first language, so many of the 50 phonetic sounds in English will be very different to you, especially when the language you are coming from is very different to English.

Research shows that the critical period for learning spoken language is from birth to about 10 years old.  After that the ability to pick up spoken language declines very rapidly, particularly after the age of 17.  The reason for this seems to be that children and teenagers are not so ‘set’ in their first language.  They are readily able to pick up and adapt to new languages through what is known as phonetic acquisition – a process of picking up new sounds and using them in language.

SpeechSchool.TV is a leading English Accent training institution that offers English learning on the phonetic acquisition model.  The School says that speech and accent is an area of training that is often neglected.  The SpeechSchool.TV English Accent course provides ongoing exercises and training that can retrain student’s speech muscles on the 50 English sounds while learning the rhythm and flow of International Received Pronunciation (a form of spoken English that is neutral and clear).

So when you want to Learn English and pick up the language readily no matter your age, it is as important to learn the accent and phonetic patterns as it is the vocabulary and grammar.  In fact, the research findings from rapid language acquisition with children, show that this is not so much based on their youth or brain function but on their approach.  Children tend to learn English by mimicking their classmates and those around them.  Adults tend to study vocabulary and grammar in books.  SpeechSchool.TV is one language school working to change this by teaching English through sound acquisition and ensuring clear English speech with a neutral accent in the process for its learners.

How to learn online

When it comes to teaching English globally, and in particular spoken English, there are two main standards: Received Pronunciation and General American.  Received Pronunciation consists of British English pronunciation as used by James Bond and many BBC newsreaders and documentary narrators.  General American is a fairly neutral form of Mid West American English and is used by many ABC and CNN newsreaders.

However what are the differences and which form is best used for students of spoken English?

Firstly, Received Pronunciation (RP) does have more sounds with some 50 identified phonemes.  Correspondingly, General American pronunciation has less with 44 to 48 (depending on the analysis done).  Secondly, different vowel phonemes are used in different words – for example in the word chance (or dance) – a long vowel is used in RP whereas a short one is used in American.

SpeechSchool.TV, a leader in online speech training initially offered both English pronunciation courses, the American Accent (based on General American) and the English Accent (based on Received Pronunciation).

According to the School, the majority of students signing up worldwide – even in some of their most popular markets like the USA and Canada, preferred to subscribe to the English Accent course in order to gain what they perceived as the most pure basis possible for their spoken English.

Moreover, practice demonstrated that when learning the principles of Standard English pronunciation it is relatively easy to adapt that to any English speaking environment, whereas the American accent tends to be more regionally based.

In 2010 the School made the decision to close the American Accent course in order to concentrate on a sole Master Speaker Standard English program for all learners wanting clear speech and a neutral accent regardless of their language background.

“The result of this learning process from offering both English and American courses,” reports the Course Director, “is that we now have a Standard English Accent course based on International Received Pronunciation.  This teaches the 50 phonemes along the lines of Received Pronunciation but shows students how they can adapt their sound to maintain their cultural identity whilst speaking the clearest form of English possible.  In our view this also represents the best possible process for those seeking accent softening and accent reduction when English is not their first language.”

Research has also suggested that a more pure English accent is preferred in the United States and Canada than any of the home grown American accents as it is perceived to be more sophisticated.  According to SpeechSchool, international students are best to learn Standard English pronunciation and adapt it accordingly in the US.

Further research in the call center industry shows that Standard English has the lowest rate of errors and highest level of customer preference worldwide.  This would further cement the view that the best option for English pronunciation training is to begin with the pure Standard English accent.

Trial our FREE English Pronunciation program and convert your English

Becoming a superior education provider requires finding ways to improve learning outcomes and add value to student learning.

While course and curriculum directives are important, it is the ability to round education with other skills that can really make a difference in the learning environment and provide students with more to offer when they graduate.

For around the cost of a couple of text books, students can be offered a choice of programs that will transform their speech and enable them to work better with staff and other students.

● International Students:

When coming from a different language background, overseas students experience difficulty in effectively communicating with tutors, teachers and fellow students. This is most evident in situations where they have to speak in groups or present to classes or tutorials.

An online SpeechSchool.TV accent course will achieve two things: First it will work to neutralise the student’s foreign accent, helping them to feel more accepted.  Second it will improve spoken English and impart clear speech, which will improve learning.

The recommended program for second language speakers of English and those wishing to gain a clear and neutral accent is the Master Speaker Program.

● Native Speaker Students:

First language speakers of English, their parents and future employers are looking for well rounded education from schools and universities.  The ability to speak and present is an extremely important area in subsequent personal or professional life.

The SpeechSchool.TV Master Speaker Program can help to achieve clearer pronunciation and speech for native speakers, while the Master Communicator Program covers advanced areas such as making the most of your voice and public speaking.