How Can I Speak Spanish Without an English Accent?
- 1). Look into language lessons. If you can't leave the country, the next best thing is to get language lessons with a native speaker. Personal lessons will help you pinpoint exactly where you're having trouble with pronunciation and you can work on each point in depth. Some local community colleges also offer adult continuing-ed classes, and many have two-week, three-week, or four-week programs in Spain and Mexico.
- 2). Look for a Spanish-English language exchange. Many Spanish speakers are eager to learn English, and you can negotiate an exchange a couple of times a week for free. Here, you'll find a native Spanish speaker who can correct your pronunciation, as long as you'll help with their English.
- 3). Do an online exchange. If you can't find a real person in your area, there are a number of language exchange Web sites where you can organize a chat online (video is best).
- 1). Look for cheap flights to Spanish-speaking countries. Travel---especially regular travel---can help you lose your English accent. This doesn't have to mean spending thousands of dollars, either. There are cheap flights now to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic for under $200.
- 2). Cross the border. If you live near the border or are taking a trip to the American southwest, consider taking a day trip to Mexico. Remember your passport.
- 3). Be proactive. One thing you must keep in mind is that you have to be proactive about speaking Spanish and engaging in conversation. Many people, especially over the border, will approach you in English. For travel to be effective in reducing your accent, you must consider it your job during your trip to talk to people in Spanish, ask them how to say words, and repeat the words you hear.
- 4). Check your school for longer immersion programs. Study-abroad programs have multiplied exponentially since the 1970s, and almost any student at a university, undergraduate or graduate, can find a program to study abroad, whether it be for a month over the summer, a semester or a whole year.
- 5). Check at work. If you're not a college student with a year to spare living abroad, there are still ways that you can live in a Spanish-speaking country for even a month or two at a time. Many professions such as dentistry, optometry, business and medicine organize volunteer trips to Mexico, Central America and South America.
- 1). Buy a Spanish-language CD. Most local music stores have a large selection of Spanish-language music, and you can take your pick based on the kind of music you like. For practicing an accent, music is especially effective because it is totally concentrated on sound and intonation.
- 2). Read the lyrics of a song while listening to it. This will help you get acquainted with the words of a piece.
- 3). Repeat once or twice until you can sing back some sections by memory.
- 4). Listen to the song without the lyrics and sing along. Once you've listened to a song several times, you will concentrate less on the words, and will begin to mimic the singer's words and accent.
- 1). Buy a familiar movie dubbed into Spanish. Familiar movies that are dubbed keep you from struggling with understanding the story and allow you to concentrate on identifying words and listening to the accent.
- 2). Watch Spanish movies in Spanish. Once you're comfortable listening to a familiar movie, watch an unfamiliar one. Pay attention to gestures which will be unique to a foreign language and speaker. Gestures can be just as much a part of an accent as the actual intonation.
- 3). Watch TV. Most cable companies also receive Univision, one of the biggest global Spanish-language channels, making it easy to watch a bit of Spanish language on television every day.