Can you lose accent

Pronunciation plays a major role in language learning, especially for those attempting to reach a native speaker level. So how exactly does an accent form? Much like ourselves, our accents are products of our environments : Socioeconomic class, ethnic grouping and education all affect language.

Speech patterns shared across a region or group of people are generalized to create overarching dialect categories. However , intersecting backgrounds differ from person to person. Researchers generally agree that your own accent is fully formed and fixed by the time you reach adulthood. Language exchange happens in conjunction with human migration and shifting population demographics. For that reason, general speech and pronunciation patterns constantly shift and change.

When the Tribe of Gilead defeated the Ephraimites in The Bible, they used accent as a means of identifying surviving Ephraimites trying to flee. Anyone who claimed not to be a survivor was asked to say the Hebrew word "Shibboleth", which means stream. People from Gilead pronounced it with a "sh" sound, whereas Ephraimites could not say "sh", so anyone who said "Sibboleth" was killed on the spot: 42, people failed the test, according to the Old Testament. Our accent still has profound implications for our social status, says Caroline Belot, pedagogical consultant and director of communications at Sound Sense, a language school in Paris.

Belot cites the common mistake made by French people pronouncing the word "focus" as "fuc-us", which can instantly damage hurt a speaker's credibility and confidence.

Every language oscillates at a different range of frequencies, with British English at 2, - 12, Hz and French between 15 - Hz and 1, - 2, Hz Credit: Getty Images. French ear, nose and throat doctor Alfred Tomatis discovered that each language has its own bandwidth; language schools like Sound Sense in Paris now use this method to help re-train busy French professionals to English frequencies using a device known as an electronic ear.

This is a set of headphones that transmits sound through air and bone conduction by making small vibrations that pass through the skull into the inner ear, similar to a hearing aid. Language experts say that our speech is made up of a huge number of frequencies — base tones and overtones. According to the Tomatis method, every human language has a different range of overtones, with British English fluctuating considerably between 2, to 12, Hz and French much less so between to Hz and 1, to 2, Hz.

Russian fluctuates between an incredible to 12, Hz. The Tomatis method aims to train the ear to the frequency of other languages.

First, a trained practitioner performs a half-hour listening test to figure out how well a student can already hear different frequencies. This is followed up by a two-hour tape recording of music, typically classical music like Mozart, which has been modified to filter out the frequencies that you can already hear well and plays those your ear cannot hear so well.

These are switched on and off throughout the recording to wake up the tiny muscles in the middle ear and strengthen them — a form of exercise for the ears that can be done sitting at home. Belot says, "We mix up music and specific programs in the language you want to learn. When working on a training method you want to educate the ears and mouth to be able to speak on the right wavelength. Fabienne Billat works as a consultant in digital communications and strategy, which involves frequent travel from France to the United States for conferences.

I t is often fas c inating and fun to listen to your favorite actor or actress speaking with a different accent. It can be surprising — and even shocking — to find out that a person you could have sworn is American may actually be from the United Kingdom or that the actress who sound ed like she was from Boston grew up in Australia. How are they able to mimic others so easily? For some , i m itating an accent is as effortless as taking a breath, but for others, it is a different case.

Most people require many hours of training to modify their accents for certain roles. The approaches used to acquire or change an accent reach beyond the television and film industry into other professions, such as finance, law , and international business, though many people choose to reduce or modify their accent , simply because they want to. We spoke with Dr. Jessica Galgano, executive director and founder of Open Lines Speech and Communication, to learn more about the therapies and techniques that allow professionals and everyday people to reduce or modify their accents.

Within a language, there are many variations of dialects and accents that can be regional or foreign. If you want to learn about accent modification and how speech therapy can help, schedule your free introductory call today!

Language structure and sounds can vary tremendously between languages and regions. There are fundamental differences that can include the manner in which vowels and consonants are used, combinations of consonants that are common or completely absent, the rhythm and speed of speech, intonation, and which sounds are most likely to occur at the beginning or end of a word. Since each language has its own individual set of characteristics, when a person learns a new language, they often bring the features of their native language with them.

This is what we consider an accent. A successful accent modification program must begin with a strong understanding of these differences. Some people who have learned a second or third! Or fourth! One of the most common challenges comes with speaking sounds or consonant combinations that do not exist in their native language.

Patterns of sound can also vary widely between languages. In some cases, accents disrupt the flow of conversation and can cause the person listening to focus more on the accent than what is actually being said.