How to Use a Convincing Accent
Accents are like flags, in that they tell a large part of a speaker's story before he or she starts to tell it in so many words. Many people can imitate the characteristic speech of others, but there is always something that gives them away as non-native speakers. Whether you are looking to lose your foreign accent or simply to change your native one, understanding what makes the accent distinctive requires great attention to detail. It involves not just a good ear, but keen eyes, and the ability to "feel" things out!
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Things You'll Need
- People to use as study subjects
- A notebook to record your observations
- A video camera or a webcam with sound recording capability
Instructions
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1
Speakers of different accents hold themselves differently, and give off different types of body language. Research both audio and visual examples of people speaking in the accent you want, by going online, renting videos, or simply looking around you for subjects.
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2
Once you've found your subjects, watch their facial expressions and general posture. Do they tend to speak with a smile, a deadpan, tense shoulders, or a slumped back? Do they purse their lips a lot or do they tend to show their teeth often? How do they angle their chin and where do they focus their eyes while speaking?
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3
Take a close look at their mouths. How do they form the words they use? Where are their teeth, tongue, and lips during their speech? Do they purse their lips or narrow them? What part of their mouth seems the most prominent when they speak?
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4
Note how imitating your subjects feels for you both physically and emotionally. How do your face, shoulders, neck, and lips feel? What feelings come up for you when you take on your subject's persona?
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5
Listen to the "music" of the subjects' speech, how their sentences rise and fall. Imitate them without words, using just the melody. Compare it with the melody of how you sound when you say the same thing. Note where the melodies are the same and where they are different.
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6
Sound is about patterns. So mark the two melodies down on a piece of paper, as a series of waves or peaks. Do this to see the pattern and where it diverges from the way you speak. Ask yourself also, where does the person sound louder? softer? and what words are spoken with more emphasis?
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7
Repeat steps 1-6 for several speakers of the same accent, so that you can be sure your observations are accurate. Alongside regional and cultural accent characteristics, each person has certain markers of speech that are completely their own. Pay attention to the commonalities among the speakers you choose to observe.
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Video tape yourself at each step, and also playing with various combinations of the different steps. Then, watch yourself as a disinterested observer to see if you looked and sounded the way you "felt."
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't have access to a video camera, a mirror can help. Be aware, however, that practicing in the mirror doesn't allow you to take yourself out of your own body and look on as a critical observer.
If you're a foreigner looking to fine tune your English pronunciation, you'll need to pick one specific accent of English, such as a New York accent, a formal British accent, or an Australian accent, and work with subjects who all speak the same way.
