The English accent is very difficult to describe. I could talk about regional English accents all day. The English accent differs depending on where you live. One accent can sound the same in one city but move 10 miles in any direction, and parts of that accent will change. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. Today, we’re going to be taking a closer look at the best ways to learn a standard English accent, with standard received pronunciation.
Move To England
The first and most obvious answer has to be to move to England. It’s a no-brainer. If you are looking to further your studies, England is home to some of the best universities in the world, namely Oxford and Cambridge. And what better place to practice your English accent, than the beautiful English isles. If you’re looking to work, then job opportunities are aplenty. This is a perfect way to practice your English as well as your accent, in a real-world setting. Also, England is incredibly diverse too, with diversity in culture, customs, and cuisine. This has to be the first answer if you’re a student or looking to move abroad for work. But it is costly, so let’s look at some other options.
Listen To English Radio
Everyone knows the BBC, that’s just a fact. No matter where you live, you have probably heard of the BBC. You have probably listened to it, even if you weren’t aware that you were. That is the true scope of this company. The BBC broadcasts all over the world, with their World Service. The BBC World Service broadcasts almost everywhere and has shows available almost all times of the day and night. The shows cover a wide range of topics, ranging from news to more cultural shows. However, a lot of these shows are using British English accents. Which is a great way to pick up your very own English accent.
Listen To English Songs
England boasts some of the biggest recording artists in the world, like Harry Styles, Adele, and Ed Sheeran, to name a few. Although, some English singers do tend to drop or lose their accent slightly when singing. This is normal for some artists as the pronunciation of the word in an American accent might suit the song better than using an English accent. Picking up an English-sounding accent from these songs might be difficult, though not impossible. You can hear accents in singers’ voices with particular words. You can also try to listen to a band like Bloc Party, whose singer maintains his English accent when singing.
Watch English Movies
Bond, James Bond. Probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about typically Engish movies. Though, not a terrible place to start. Almost all of the James Bond movies are considered incredibly English in their nature. Featuring British actors and directors and British traits and gentlemanly behavior. Watching some of the Bond movies is not a bad entryway into learning or practicing the English Accent. What I would recommend is listening to a sentence or monologue from Daniel Craig, pausing the movie, repeating it using the accent, and attempting to copy how he pronounces the words and the vowel sounds.
Watch English TV Shows
England is famed for its TV shows. In large part thanks to shows like The Office and Fawlty Towers. Which, if you haven’t seen already, should definitely be on your watch list. One of the main reasons for watching English TV shows would be to gain a better understanding of British slang and idioms. Slang in England is understood nationwide but may be incredibly difficult for someone learning Engish as a second language. Slang and idioms are used constantly and without apologies. The approach is largely: If you don’t know what I’m saying, then I won’t waste my time explaining. Unfortunately, this can be quite difficult for a new or lower-level learner. I’d highly recommend taking some time to watch some classic British TV and get started now.
