Transform Your English Accent

There is nothing wrong with any particular accent, each individual will speak in a unique way depending on their native tongue. And neither is there a need to specifically learn the British accent, but there certainly is a need to communicate clearly. It just so happens that the formal British English accent is known for its clear and articulate speech, and is understood universally by all with ease.

We realise that there are non-native English speakers who are fluent in the language and can communicate clearly with ease. But we also realise there are non-native English speakers who are fluent but have a strong accent when they speak, this accent can sometimes be heavy and difficult to understand.

Our services focus on helping clients speak with a clearer English accent, irrespective of their background (this can even include British speakers, e.g. those clients with a very strong Scottish accent). The clearest and simplest accent for us to focus on and teach is 'Received Pronunciation'.

We respect and realise there are differences in accent due to each client speaking in their unique mother tongue; we are not here to force the accent to change to a British one but rather to remove any 'heaviness' or 'thickness' in the accent that is limiting its intelligibility. This is the first thing we focus on, having achieved this objective some clients may choose to continue taking lessons with us with a desire to master the British accent completely (it entirely depends on their individual goals).

You will be learning an English accent known as: ‘Formal Southern British English’ or ‘Contemporary Received Pronunciation’. This accent is the standard formal British accent and is known for its articulate, clear, intelligible and refined speech.

Please note the difference between: ‘Contemporary Received Pronunciation’ (the accent that we teach) and ‘Traditional Received Pronunciation’.

‘Traditional Received Pronunciation’ is the accent that most people bring to mind when they imagine the British Royal Family or ‘posh’ English folk. This accent is spoken by the Royal Family, aristocrats and high class members of British society. It is similar to ‘Contemporary Received Pronunciation’, but tends to be slower with the vowels elongated. It is used by Brits belonging to the powerful and socially connected ruling class. It is only really used by the older generations, many of their descendants have now transitioned from using ‘Traditional’ to ‘Contemporary’.

The video below is a good example of the differences between the two:

The two presenters on the left (Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid) are speaking English with a ‘Contemporary Received Pronunciation’ accent and the man being interviewed (Jacob Rees-Mogg) is speaking with a ‘Traditional Received Pronunciation’ accent.

Both are very clear and intelligible accents, but the key difference is the pace of accents and the elongations of vowels. Jacob is from an aristocratic background and his slower cut-glass accent reflects this. The presenters ‘Contemporary’ accents are clear, formal and swift - far more suited to fast-paced modern day communication.

The following videos containing a variety of native speakers will serve as a good example of Contemporary Received Pronunciation:

Carey Mulligan: Youtube

Max Irons: Youtube

Keira Knightly: Youtube

Robert Pattinson: Youtube

Jude Law: Youtube

It is quite simply the most widely understood accent in the English speaking world. Instantly recognisable anywhere and renowned for its clear pronunciation. Whether you are in California, Toronto or Sydney you will found yourself confidently communicating with others without any intelligibility issues. It is a polite accent that is a pleasure to listen to and speakers of it are often referred to as being “well-spoken”. It is an accent that demands respect and prestige, one that is understood comfortably by speakers of English everywhere.

It is possible. However, only those with a very keen interest to learn, practice and work hard with both the self-study course and interacting during lessons (if they choose to take them) will reach native level. It will take dedication, motivation and a strong work ethic.

Most people initially focus on eliminating their strong foreign English accent and pronunciation that comes from their respective native language. This approach allows them to steadily move closer to communicating in a clearer manner and work towards eventually mastering the British accent.

(i) Scroll down to the ‘Learn With Us’ tab below and proceed to Step 1, fill in the form and click 'Submit'.

Proceed to Step 2 and purchase an assessment with us. One of our tutors will assess and advise you with regards to your current accent, what units you'd most benefit from studying and a learning plan to improve your accent.

Once you have received feedback from your assessment, proceed to Step 3, select the units of your choice and proceed to the checkout.

Units are available for immediate download in PDF format along with accompanying audio WAV and video MP4 files.[Please note the file sizes for each unit are quite large (approximately 0.5 GB per unit) and may take a little time to download. If you intend on purchasing the USB Drive along with the units, we can load them onto the drive before dispatching it to you.]

The units are not simply designed to teach you how to voice the sound correctly in isolation, e.g. ‘l‘ (Unit 4) or ‘ur‘ (Unit 15). Of course this is part of the foundation and introduction for each unit, but the units offer a lot more than just a simple introduction to each sound. In addition to this there is a focus on ensuring you can pronounce the sound correctly when it is coupled with vowels and diphthongs, either in a short phrase (e.g. The little girl looked lovely in her lilac dress) or in a full sentence (e.g. Real leather shoes truly have a comfort that cannot be matched, the cosy feeling of wearing them on a cold winter morning can make even the most miserable of people smile). So teaching you to pronounce the sounds in isolation, in a word, in a sentence and in everyday dialogue is our focus. The units have been designed systematically; the client is initially introduced to the sound and begins to progressively work towards a level where the sound can be pronounced instinctively, naturally and swiftly in everyday dialogue. The units are there to really give you a very strong grounding in the British accent and aid you in your journey to mastering the accent.

Having spent an adequate amount of time studying the units in your own time, if there is anything you are unsure of, require further instruction on, or simply require some professional practice and teaching - proceed to Step 4, select the number of tuition hours your require and proceed to the checkout. For those that desire further instruction, our tutors are available and happy to customise lessons in accordance with your requirements. One-to-one lessons with us will supplement your self-study learning. Our tutors will closely work with you on your articulation, intonation and pronunciation; with the overall aim of steering you towards conversing confidently in a clear and refined British accent. We tailor each and every lesson to your individual needs, taking into account your ability and goals, as well as addressing any subjects, topics and units of your choice. All lessons will be conducted on our online learning platform and can conveniently be taken as audio or video on your computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet.

(ii) The learning process is quite straightforward: Clients select units from Step 3 and study them in their own free time.

The units are precise and each covers 2 or 3 sounds (with approximately 20 to 30 pages of content). The units are intentionally designed to be neither too long, nor too short. Each unit has been very carefully designed and for each sound there is an ‘Introduction’ (with an accompanying video clip from a native tutor), ‘Common Words’, ‘Practice Sentences’ and ‘Story’. Additionally, at the end of each unit we have ‘Dialogue’ and ‘Minimal Pairs and Sentences’ sections to compare similar sounds in the unit (all sections come with audio from a native speaker).

Having been introduced to the sound, clients will initially work on learning, mimicking, practicing and repeating the content. The initial focus is to eliminate any strong accent for the respective sound they may have and slowly introduce British English sounds with the correct pronunciation.

Clients will find themselves using their facial muscles and lips in a different manner to what they are used to. Initially, this will be forced, but after learning the rules and patterns, watching the video, and frequently practicing repeating the ‘Common Words’, ‘Sentences’, ‘Story’, ‘Dialogue & Minimal Pairs’ - along with using additional resources (watching British news channels, documentaries, programmes, general conversation with a native speaker, etc.) - the client will notice two things:

1. When listening to native speakers on TV, on the telephone or face-to-face, they are now able to pick up on the specific sound they are studying a lot faster and notice its frequent occurrence in everyday conversation.

2. They are now beginning to pronounce this sound more naturally and their facial muscles/lips/tongue do not have to be consciously engaged to produce the sound. The lips and facial muscles have adapted and are able to produce the sound instinctively and naturally.

With regards to the time scale for the above transition from initially mimicking the sound to eventually speaking instinctively and naturally, it will depend on a client’s individual learning capabilities, mother tongue, current English accent, ability to pick up on new sounds, and determination and resolve to improve. It can vary from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the person and their learning style - more information is given below in Part (iii).

With regards to self-study and how much tuition is required:

• Some of our clients who are more naturally gifted linguists will be able to pick up and master the sounds solely from the self-study units in Step 3 - and of course with the use of additional resources (TV, general conversation, etc.).

• Some clients will master most of the content by themselves from the self-study units in Step 3, but will require some tuition (Step 4) to refine and polish their pronunciation.

• Some clients may require more tuition, and can combine their self-study learning (Step 3) with regular weekly/fortnightly lessons with our tutors (Step 4).

It all depends on individual backgrounds, learning styles and preferences. Whichever group of clients you fall into – or, if you wish to create your own unique learning approach - we can cater to your needs and customise a unique path of learning for you.

(iii) How long it will take to change your accent will vary from person-to-person. Your natural accent often stems from your native language. The facial muscles would have adapted to moving in a certain manner from the speech and sounds you made from a very young age as a child. These muscles will require reprogramming, and the rate at which your accent changes will depend on a determined approach, your ability to practice and how fast your muscles can adapt.

Some people naturally learn at a quicker rate than others. However - as with all skills – with hard work, anything is possible.

The first step will be to work through the self-study units; a detailed ‘Welcome Guide’ will be provided along with the purchase of the unit(s). This will guide you on how to make the best use of our program, as well as the logical and methodical steps for working through the units.

As you work through the unit(s) you will notice improvements and reduction in the noticeable features of your speech that make the accent foreign, heavy and possibly difficult to understand. With some hard work and practice using both the self-study units and additional resources (we will provide you with a list of beneficial resources to use in addition to the unit(s)), you will notice significant improvements and changes in your accent.

Once this has been completed, the next step will depend on your new accent at that time. Some clients are able to use the self-study course (as mentioned above in Part (ii)) and 'Words for Fluency' to improve their accent dramatically. Most will require some tuition to polish their accent, refine their articulation and work on the fine details of their speech to take them to native level.

The initial focus is ensuring we eliminate the key aspects of your speech which are limiting your intelligibility. Next, we focus on the finer details of speaking, steering you towards mastering the accent and sounding like a native. This can be done with our tutors in lessons, as well as outside of lessons with use of the self-study units and additional resources.

It may be possible to improve your English or imitate an accent by interacting with native speakers or by watching movies. However with this approach you will make small improvements, but overall progress will be limited.

This is because you need a systematic program that introduces British English sounds to you in a clear and concise manner. Our full 20-unit course (which covers all 44 sounds in British English) reflects this, and we have created a methodical system whereby you learn and incorporate the correct native pronunciation into your speech naturally. Further, if you require, our accent tutors can identify your strengths and weaknesses, as well as key aspects of your speech that are unique to you. We look to dissect your speech and identify what it is we can do to take your accent to an advanced level. Accents can be imitated to an extent, but to actually incorporate them into your daily conversations and speech naturally like a native requires a systematic program and accent tutoring.

We are exceptional at what we do and take pride in the fact we have worked with a wide variety of nationalities. Our results have been excellent and our approach to accent tutoring is very unique. We do not have a 'cookie cutter' or 'one-size-fits-all' approach in our teaching methods. We understand that everyone is different with distinct backgrounds, levels of English, accents and rates of learning.

We have designed a self-study course that covers the formal British English accent in detail. In addition, we offer clients the option of professional accent tutoring to supplement their self-study learning. Lessons can be tailored according to the requirements of the client. Our lessons are unique for each and every client, this way we can ensure his/her needs are met at a pace where they are comfortable and able to reach their full potential. Our team of tutors consists of highly educated, professional and qualified native British English speakers. They have been carefully selected and have a passion to share their language skills with you.

Having interacted with people from over 50 countries, we are experienced and more than ready to help you on your journey to speaking English with a clearer and more refined British accent. We are more than happy to work with you on your short, medium and long term goals. Whether you simply wish to reduce the strong aspects of your current English accent, enhance and refine certain features of your speech, converse in a clearer and more articulate manner or are keen to completely master the formal British accent – whatever your reason, get in touch with us today and begin your journey!

We expect your English level to be at least Intermediate/Upper Intermediate.

During your assessment with us, we will analyse your speech and advise you as necessary with regards to your eligibility to take lessons with us, what units we recommend you study and how we shall go about improving your accent.

The self-study course content will be in PDF format, along with accompanying audio in WAV format and video in MP4 format.

For accent tutoring lessons, we use our online learning platform; lessons can conveniently be taken on your computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Our online learning platform supports both audio and video calling, we have found from past experiences that the majority of clients prefer learning via audio call. Further, the ability to refine your listening and speaking skills simply based on voice is something that will work heavily in your favour in the long-run towards mastering the formal British English accent. However, we do offer video lessons for those clients who have a preference for this method of learning.

Practice as often as you can. The more you practice, the faster you will grasp and eventually master the British accent.

Practice methods will include: practicing and repeating to yourself what you have learned from our self-study accent units – such as rules, patterns, words, sentences, stories, dialogues and minimal pairs – having conversations with yourself, practicing speaking with a friend/native speaker, listening to the course audio regularly and repeating the material out loud, watching British news channels and programmes, as well as other specific materials that your tutor will recommend.

A combination of all of the above will allow you to implement the British accent into your speech faster, and soon you will begin to speak it instinctively and naturally.

Our British accent self-study units are suitable for both children and adults possessing an intermediate level of English.

With regards to online tutoring, we predominantly teach clients who are 16 years+. However, recently we have begun to accommodate children from the ages of 10 to 15 years old with the condition that a parent/guardian is present in the room throughout the duration of the lesson.

Scroll down to the 'Learn With Us' section below and follow the instructions.