{"id":20758,"date":"2018-06-29T09:50:10","date_gmt":"2018-06-29T14:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=20758"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:41:57","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:41:57","slug":"how-to-improve-your-accent-in-another-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/languages\/how-to-improve-your-accent-in-another-language\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve Your Accent in Another Language"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Let&#8217;s be honest, perfecting a foreign accent is really difficult. It&#8217;s not like grammar\u00a0or vocabulary, where\u00a0you just have to memorize the rules and words. To perfect foreign word pronunciation, you need to be a little more creative in your approach.<br \/>\nLucky for you, we can help. But first, remember to be patient with yourself! Perfecting a foreign accent takes lots of time and practice. To help you, here are a few ideas to try out.<br \/>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_iconlist  avia-builder-el-first '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  style='color:#005de8; ' class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title  av_inherit_color '  itemprop=\"headline\"   style='color:#240f6e; '>Listen to Native Speakers<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\nIt might seem like listening to native speakers is an obvious tip, but it&#8217;s probably the most important first step to take when you&#8217;re learning a language. Even just listening to the language in the background will help you get used to\u00a0its rhythms and sounds. You can use the internet to access lots of different resources that will help you increase your exposure to the language you&#8217;re learning. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.babbel.com\/en\/magazine\/keep-summer-going-with-this-spanish-language-playlist\">Listening to music<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.babbel.com\/en\/magazine\/french-podcasts-for-every-language-level\" target=\"\u201c_blank\u201d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">downloading podcasts<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.babbel.com\/en\/magazine\" target=\"\u201c_blank\u201d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">watching movies<\/a>\u00a0are just a few options.<br \/>\nIf you really want to improve your pronunciation, though, you&#8217;ll need to be an active listener&#8211;not a passive one. You might want to stop what you&#8217;re doing every once in a while to try to imitate what was said in the podcast, movie, or song you were listening to. Watch foreign movies with subtitles and look up song lyrics so you&#8217;re sure you understand the words correctly. You\u2019ll need the lyrics to sing along anyway, because\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.babbel.com\/en\/magazine\/how-singing-can-help-you-learn-a-language\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">singing along<\/a>\u00a0happens to be good practice!<br \/>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_iconlist '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  style='color:#005de8; ' class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title  av_inherit_color '  itemprop=\"headline\"   style='color:#240f6e; '>Crack Open Your Dictionary<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\nPhysical dictionaries might be less common these days, but the point still stands: when you&#8217;re learning a foreign language, dictionaries are useful for a lot more than just definitions.\u00a0Dictionaries will also give you\u00a0the etymology, proper usage and, most relevant to you right now, pronunciation. The symbols you see under the words are useful to learn because they indicate the correct sounds and stresses of each word.<br \/>\nIn some dictionaries there are also sound files associated with each\u00a0entry so you can listen to a native speaker (or a robot, in some cases) pronounce the words correctly.\u00a0In the beginning stages of learning a language it&#8217;s important to stop bad habits before they start. Looking up words you&#8217;re struggling with will help you develop good habits early on. One dictionary that\u00a0covers several languages is\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wordreference.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Word Reference,<\/a>\u00a0which includes native recordings and demonstrates how to pronounce words.<br \/>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_iconlist '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  style='color:#005de8; ' class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title  av_inherit_color '  itemprop=\"headline\"   style='color:#240f6e; '>Get Familiar with Your Mouth<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\nThis might seem unnecessary, considering you&#8217;ve been using your mouth for your whole life. But unless you&#8217;re a trained singer or a linguist, you might be surprised at how much some mouth workouts can\u00a0improve your foreign accent.<br \/>\nHere\u2019s an example: try making the sounds \u201ceee,\u201d \u201cehh\u201d and \u201cahh\u201d while paying attention to where your tongue is located. You\u2019ll probably notice that it moves down. Now try \u201ceee\u201d to \u201cooo,\u201d and you\u2019ll see the tongue\u00a0moves from the front of the mouth to the back. Now let\u2019s\u00a0take a look\u00a0at\u00a0<em>all<\/em>\u00a0of the vowels on the International Phonetic Alphabet\u2019s vowel chart.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2018\/06\/Screen-Shot-2018-06-29-at-8.34.52-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-20759\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2018\/06\/Screen-Shot-2018-06-29-at-8.34.52-AM-300x242.png\" alt=\"improve your accent\" width=\"300\" height=\"242\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Every language has different vowels, which is one of the most difficult things to get used to when learning a foreign language. Just listening to someone pronounce the foreign vowel correctly usually isn&#8217;t enough to know how to form it yourself.<br \/>\nThis chart may look confusing, but it isn&#8217;t so bad once you know how to use it. It\u2019s shaped like the inside of your mouth, so your tongue is supposed to go in the corresponding spot. For \u201ci,\u201d which sounds like \u201ceee,\u201d your tongue is at the top-front of your mouth. To properly use the chart, you\u2019ll want to look up vowels in\u00a0the language you&#8217;re learning\u00a0and then find a sound guide like the one offered by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/IPA_vowel_chart_with_audio\" target=\"\u201c_blank\u201d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wikipedia<\/a>. By\u00a0copying the individual sounds of the language, you\u2019ll slowly\u00a0piece them together and build\u00a0your way up to full words and sentences that sound natural, and maybe even like a native!<br \/>\nYou can practice the consonants in this same way you practice vowels. There\u2019s an\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ipachart.com\/\" target=\"\u201c_blank\u201d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">even larger but equally helpful chart<\/a>\u00a0for that. It&#8217;s also worth it to learn the International Phonetic Alphabet&#8211; it&#8217;ll allow you to look at a word and understand how it should be pronounced.<br \/>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_iconlist '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  style='color:#005de8; ' class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title  av_inherit_color '  itemprop=\"headline\"   style='color:#240f6e; '>Hey, Watch Yourself! And Listen to Yourself<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\nNow that you&#8217;ve spent some time listening to native speakers of the language and you&#8217;ve started mastering all the vowels and consonants, it&#8217;s time to take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Watch yourself forming the vowels of the foreign language in the mirror, so you can really see your tongue and mouth position. Are you rounding your lips enough for the French \u201cooh\u201d? Is your tongue in the right section of your mouth? These questions sound strange, but they\u2019re useful.<br \/>\nEven better than watching yourself speak is\u00a0<em>listening<\/em> to yourself speak. Recording yourself can be disheartening at first, since you might realize you&#8217;re not nailing that German accent like you thought you were, but it&#8217;s helpful to know that before you speak to native Germans!<br \/>\nAt some point, you&#8217;ll probably want some feedback on your pronunciation from others. A language teacher or friend who&#8217;s a native speaker is ideal, but if you don&#8217;t have either of those you can get a little more creative.\u00a0Some people use Instagram,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/JudgeMyAccent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reddit<\/a>, or other online platforms\u00a0to ask others to critique their pronunciation, and there are\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tkqlhce.com\/click-8836852-12862570\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">very active online communities<\/a>\u00a0that are willing to help language-learners. It can be nerve-wracking to practice your language with strangers, but you can also look for services in your local community that pair speakers. A lot of people who are looking to learn English are happy to meet up with people trying to learn their language. That way, both parties can improve their language skills!<br \/>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_iconlist '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  style='color:#005de8; ' class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title  av_inherit_color '  itemprop=\"headline\"   style='color:#240f6e; '>Try Some Tongue Twisters<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\nRight when you start learning a language, every sentence\u00a0feels like a tongue twister. Once you&#8217;ve got the basics down, though, doing actual tongue twisters in your target language can be a great way to take a break from learning the imperative, or whichever grammar section you&#8217;re studying. Try this one:<br \/>\n<i>Pepe Pe\u00f1a pela papa, pica pi\u00f1a, pita un pito, pica pi\u00f1a, pela papa, Pepe Pe\u00f1a.<\/i><br \/>\nWant some more?\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.babbel.com\/en\/magazine\/tongue-twister-challenge\" target=\"\u201c_blank\u201d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here are a few<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0different languages. And when you run through those, or just need to find some in your target language, there are hundreds online\u00a0you can use to practice.<br \/>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_promobox '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  style='color:#005de8; ' class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title  av_inherit_color '  itemprop=\"headline\"   style='color:#240f6e; '>Try Using Babbel<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\nWe can\u2019t do an article on pronunciation without mentioning that Babbel has\u00a0some great\u00a0tools to help you improve your foreign language pronunciation. Our app\u00a0gives you practice words that correspond to specific foreign consonants or vowels, and even has speech recognition technology to check your pronunciation. It also has tongue twisters for you to practice some of the\u00a0trickier pronunciations. Babbel has\u00a0lots of resources to help you along on your journey to becoming conversational in a new language, so we encourage you to give it a try.<br \/>\n\t<div   class='av_promobox  avia-button-yes   avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_iconlist  avia-builder-el-last '>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><p>\nCheck out Babbel&#8217;s foreign language resources!<\/p>\n<\/div><div  class='avia-button-wrap avia-button-right ' ><a href='http:\/\/www.tkqlhce.com\/click-8836852-12862570' class='avia-button  avia-color-theme-color   avia-icon_select-no avia-size-large avia-position-right ' target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Improve Your Accent<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let&#8217;s be honest, perfecting a foreign accent is really difficult. It&#8217;s not like grammar\u00a0or vocabulary, where\u00a0you just have to memorize the rules and words. To perfect foreign word pronunciation, you need to be a little more creative in your approach. Lucky for you, we can help. But first, remember to be patient with yourself! Perfecting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[413],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20758"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20758"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35516,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20758\/revisions\/35516"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}