Watch Speaking Your Best's free video lessons to help you get started on your journey toward reducing your accent and improving your spoken English skills!
Accent Reduction Tip 1: Always Speak Slowly
Many individuals who speak English as a second language tend to speak quickly.  In this video, Cheryl will teach you why it is important to speak more slowly and the positive effects it will have on your spoken English.  Practice speaking at an appropriate speaking rate, so that you can begin incorporating this important skill into your everyday speech.  You'll be glad you did!
Accent Reduction Tip 2:  Speaking Smoothly Without Filler Words
Filler words are words we insert when speaking to give us more time to organize our thoughts or think of particular words we want to say.  They can interfere with the smoothness and flow of speech, if used too much.  In this video Cheryl will teach you how to recognize when you use them, which ones you use, and how to reduce or eliminate them
Accent Reduction Tip 3:  Understanding Voicing
The vocal cords are responsible for creating sound.  Some sounds use our voice, while others don't.  Understanding voicing is a very important skill to understand when learning American English pronunciation, as some sounds we say use our voice, while others don't.  In this video, Cheryl will teach you how to turn your voice on an off, and how to recognize when sounds are "voiced" and "unvoiced."  Before you learn how to pronounce any sounds in American English, you must understand this important concept.
Learn How to Pronounce the American English "r" Sound
The American English "r" sound is probably one of the most difficult sounds for many individuals who speak English as a second language to learn.  Watch this video and learn step-by-step instructions on how to form the "r" sound, and practice saying it with Cheryl.  Learning how to say this sound correctly will make a big difference in your speech!
Learn How to Pronounce the American English "t" and "d" Sounds
The "t" and "d" sounds occur frequently in American English.  Learning how to pronounce them correctly will help you improve your American English pronunciation and reduce your accent.  In this video, Cheryl will teach you how to pronounce the "t" and "d" sounds and help you practice them.  If you haven't viewed the video on "Understanding Voicing", you will want to do so before watching this video.