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Can I learn an English Accent if I Don’t Live in the Country?

August 2, 2018 , by Dr Julian Northbrook

One of my Extraordinary English Speakers asked a great question:

“Is it necessary to have been living in a certain place for a long time in order to get good at the accent?”

Simply put, no.

It’s neither sufficient, necessary, nor in some cases preferable.

Okay, so what do I mean?




You can learn any accent you want even if you’ve never been there. Accent expert Amy Walker–whose EEC Interview about her methods goes live on Extraordinary English Speakers tomorrow–says that she learned the British Accent long before ever going to the UK. And indeed, she says that it’s often EASIER to learn an accent if you’re NOT there.

The reason why is, if people you know are used to you speaking a certain way, it can be psychologically very difficult to switch to a different accent.

But if you nail the accent first…

… then there’s no switch to be made.

The other thing is, just living in an English speaking country isn’t enough to pick up the accent. Regardless of WHERE you are, it’s gonna take work. Using Amy’s methods it’s pretty simple and you’ll get there wicked fast. But it’s still gonna take work.

Wanna know how to nail any accent (or accents) you like?

Well, you’re in luck.

Because last week I interviewed actress, singer and accent genius Amy Walker. She’s known for her ability to slip in and out of almost any accent you can imagine. And she was good enough to totally lay bare her entire system for getting really good at any accent. Like, indistinguishable from someone who grew up speaking that accent. Even if you’ve struggled with sounding “correct” before. Or speak a language that doesn’t have the same sounds as English. Or don’t live in an English speaking country.

Now, if you’re an EES member you’ll be able to access this interview.

But I’m also writing a new book.

It’s called “Nail Your English Accent”. It’s a compilation of all the things I’ve learned from interviewing accent experts over the years.

It’s out on September 1st, and you can (and should) pre-order your copy here.

Best,
Julian

P.S. Nail Your English Accent will almost definitely go up in price after it’s out, so pre-order it now to get the discount — Click Here.

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