Learning a new language is a fun challenge. It compels your brain to make new connections to accommodate different rules and pronunciations, which improves its overall function. One of the biggest challenges of learning a new language is making sure you don’t have an accent. Fortunately, there are some ways to get around it. Here are some of them:
1. Shadowing and Mimicking
Two of the best ways to learn to speak like a native are shadowing and mimicking a native speaker. You can pick up their pronunciations, contractions, rhythms, etc., and eventually, you will start to sound like a native. The more a person interacts and speaks with natives, the better their command over the language. Observe how people move their mouth and lips carefully; the oral posture plays a vital role in developing the sound of your words.
2. Watching TV Shows
Watching TV shows and movies is an effective means to master a new language, and it can help when you can’t speak with a native regularly. This solution isn’t always suitable because some languages are too obscure to have dedicated movies or TV shows.
However, you can easily find material of prominent languages like German, French, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Indian languages, Korean, etc. Watch as many shows as you can and observe the actor’s oral posture while they speak. That will help you master the language and sound like a native speaker.
3. Listening to Music
Like TV shows, music can also help you sound like a native speaker. This media presents an additional layer of a challenge because you need to force yourself to pay attention. Sometimes words seem slightly different when you’re singing them as opposed to speaking them. Listening to music is less time-consuming than watching shows or movies.
Block out the background noise and focus on the words. You can even sing along, which is a form of mimicking as well. When people sing someone else’s song, they imitate their accents to sound accurate. That’s why listening to music is an effective way to naturally learn to speak a foreign language.
With some effort and dedication, it is possible to sound like a native. Some words will be more challenging than others because they require different physical movements than what you’re accustomed to, but you’ll master it eventually with sufficient practice. It’s essential to keep at it and not give up learning.