Everyday hacks to practice American English
18 days ago
- #Accent Improvement
- #Communication Skills
- #American English
- Moved to the US and faced challenges with an Indian accent, leading to communication disconnects.
- Tried various methods to improve accent: YouTube videos, Preply, Boldvoice app, and finally a coach who treated American English like music.
- Learned the importance of pauses in speech to break sentences into logical chunks for better clarity.
- Understood the stress pattern in sentences, focusing on content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) over function words.
- Mastered syllable stress, noting differences between Indian and American English patterns (e.g., 'developer').
- Practiced stress shift to change meaning within sentences, enhancing listening and speaking skills.
- Used the Netflix Mirror Method to match rhythm and pauses in dialogues from shows.
- Developed a pre-meeting warm-up exercise ('66 farmers laughing on the phone') to improve mouth movements for American English.
- After three months, noticed a significant reduction in 'Can you repeat that?' moments, aiming for clear communication rather than perfect accent.