Lindsay McMahon
"The English Adventurer"

Today a listener asked us how to improve his accent and to speak more naturally.

In this episode we’ll talk about why finding your voice is more important than having a perfect accent or perfect pronunciation and we’ll show you how to do that.

When we talk about “finding our voice” we are talking about much more than using the right vowel sounds.

Let’s look at this on a more holistic level.

 

“My name is Ezebias. I have been living in Ireland for one year. Is it possible to work on your accent, not pronunciation but the way that you speak that makes you unique. I really like the American accent but I have no idea how to work on it. Can you help me?” – Ezebias, AEE Listener

 

 

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Your “voice” is the impression you let off and how you make people feel when you speak.

It’s much bigger and more important than your pronunciation.

It’s similar to the idea of your personal brand. It’s the way you express yourself.

 

What makes up your “voice”:

  • Mimicking other voices can help you build your own voice at first
  • The way you choose expressions and the ones you choose create your voice
  • The opinions that you have and how you express them create your voice
  • Your posture is part of your voice
  • The clothes that you wear and how you move is part of your voice
  • Your audience is part of your voice. Why are you learning English? Who are you speaking to? Your voice might change based on your audience.

 

How can you build your “voice”?

  • Think about why you are learning English and who you need to communicate with.
  • Have a “bias towards action.” This means that it’s better to go out and try out your voice than to sit at home and think about it. When we first started this podcast we didn’t know what our brand “voice” would be. We only found it through taking action and publishing episodes every day.
  • Build a “culture of thinking.” You should always be surrounded by ideas. Listen to NPR. Read The Washington Post. You need to do this so that you have opinions and something to say.
  • Dress in a way that conveys your voice.
  • Think about how your posture creates your voice.

 

What’s the takeaway?

Don’t just think about your pronunciation or trying to “sound like a native.”

Instead, develop your own unique voice which can include pronunciation but also includes a bunch of other things that we talked about today.

Look at speaking on a more holistic level. This will help you be more confident and expressive when you speak English.

 

Let us know what you think about today’s episode!

Leave your comments below.

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