Frequently Asked Questions
Here you can find some general information on improving your accent, as well as specific information on the online course and private lessons.
General
Learning
Speaking is a physical process – we move muscles to create speech sounds. In order to speak in a different accent, you need to re-train those muscles. You have been speaking the way you do since childhood, so it will take some time to change your muscle habits.
The amount of time it takes to improve your accent depends on:
1. Your native language (and how close the sound system/rhythm is to English)
2. How long you have been speaking English
- Changing the way you speak involves breaking habits. If you have been speaking English with a strong foreign accent for a while, it may take longer to break those pronunciation habits.
3. Your current level of English pronunciation
4. How often you practise
5. How quickly your speech muscles adapt
6. Your identity and whether you like England!
- Everyone (consciously or unconsciously) adjusts their voice according to who they speak to. If you identify with the person you’re speaking to, you’re likely to make your speech sound more like them. If you already have a strong sense of identity which you don’t want to change – or if you dislike the other person – then you’re likely to make your speech sound different to them.
- This means that if you dislike English culture or can’t identify with English people, you’ll find it harder to change your accent.
- If you don’t like the sound of English, you’ll find it more challenging to create English sounds because you don’t really want to sound English!
7. Your personality. If you’re positive, confident, open and willing to take risks, you’ll improve more quickly. Why? Because:
- You’re more likely to socialise with native speakers and therefore practise new sounds.
- You’ll find enjoyment in creating new, unfamiliar English sounds.
- Your sense of identity is more fluid so you don’t mind sounding English.
Like all new skills, some people are naturally good at it, while others have to work harder. Most people will notice improvements after a few months.
Yes!
Some people believe that only young children can acquire new sounds. This isn’t true because I have worked with hundreds of adult learners who have successfully learned new sounds and changed their accent.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, or how long you have been speaking English. It’s simply a question of re-training your speech muscles and lots of practice.
As much as possible. The more you practise, the more you will improve. It is important to do short, regular practice sessions every day – rather than practise for an hour once a week.
If you practise over a long time period, your new accent will be habitual and you’ll be able to do it instinctively.
It is certainly possible, but most people won’t get to this stage.
Unless you are an actor playing an English character, sounding exactly like a native is not very important. Your background is part of your USP (Unique Selling Point) and having an accent is a positive attribute. Remember that your accent reflects your identity – so having a hint of French/German/Spanish/Japanese in your voice tells people who you are.
Your priority as an English learner is to be able to communicate as easily as possible with other speakers of English. Your second priority may be to sound as native as possible (rather than 100% English).
Of course I can help those who want to sound exactly like a native speaker. But remember that this may take a huge amount of time and guided practice in order to integrate it into your everyday speech – and there is no guarantee that you will succeed.
For actors, it is slightly easier because there is usually a script to learn and so the words/sentences can be practised over and over again.
An English Accent?
You will be learning the Standard Southern British English Accent (SSBE), which is based on the accent in South-East England. You may have also heard of this accent as Non-Regional Pronunciation (NRP) or Modern RP.
It is perceived as a neutral*, intelligible, and contemporary English accent. As well as being associated with education, prestige and wealth, it is also widely understood across the world. For these reasons, it is the best accent to learn.
You may have also heard of the terms Received Pronunciation (RP), BBC English, or Oxford English. These names tend to refer to a more old-fashioned English accent, but some people might use them to refer to a contemporary accent.
(* no accent can really be neutral, but many native British English speakers would perceive this as neutral, standard or “not having an accent”)
Search for these speakers on YouTube to hear this accent (ordered roughly from younger to older speakers):
Female: Emma Watson, Keira Knightley, Kate Winslet, Helena Bonham Carter, Helen Fielding, Emma Thompson
Male: Daniel Radcliffe, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Bonneville, Jeremy Irons, Bill Nighy
Terminology
By improve I mean changing sounds so that you are better understood in English. For example, if you can’t make a difference between the words sheep and ship, then learning to distinguish these vowels is a priority. Once you are able to make this distinction, then it is clear you have improved. It’s not just sounds, but also rhythm and intonation that may need adjusting.
By accent I mean improving your English accent, as I imagine you don’t have much difficulty communicating in your native language.
Yes, they all refer to the same process.
But I don’t like accent reduction or softening because they suggest you will lose your accent. In fact, you are simply changing the sounds in your accent or acquiring a new accent.
I also dislike the term elocution because it suggests an old-fashioned and uninteresting way of teaching. It also implies that the way you currently speak is wrong and unattractive.
My philosophy is that you simply have a Spanish/Chinese/French/[insert your language] accent and we are moving you towards an English one. There is nothing wrong or unattractive about a Spanish/Chinese/French/etc accent, but you may want to adopt English sounds to become more intelligible when speaking English.
The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a difference in meaning.
Accent usually refers to a distinctive way of pronouncing a language, especially one associated with a particular country, area, or social class. That’s why I talk about the Standard Southern British English Accent on my website. The term accent can describe the way in which vowels and consonants are pronounced as well as rhythm, intonation and voice quality.
Pronunciation usually refers to the way in which a word is said. So this term is used more with specific sounds (like vowels or consonants).
It’s important for English learners to be aware that dictionaries give the pronunciation of words in certain accents. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary gives pronunciations in Standard Southern British English, whereas the Merriam-Webster dictionary gives pronunciations in General American. The pronunciation you use will determine how you will sound (e.g. more British or more American). For some words (like issue), you may see two pronunciations in the dictionary, one of which (/ˈɪsjuː/) may make you sound more posh or old-fashioned in England. There is no such thing as pronunciation that is neutral or “without an accent”.
The Online Course
About the Course
Of course!
Sign up (no credit card details required) and you’ll get access to the course introduction and first lesson for free.
You’ll also be able to see all the lessons that are included.
Unlike other courses or textbooks, my course is organised according to your native language. This means you will concentrate on the most important aspects for you first (and don’t have to learn the parts that you can do already).
Uniquely, my course includes:
- Speech muscle training
- Muscle settings (exploring the overall sound of your voice and how you hold your speech muscles)
- Modern English rhythm and intonation
- Ear training games
- Animations (to show you how sounds are made inside the mouth)
- Click-for-IPA (by clicking the IPA button, you’re instantly able to see phonetic transcriptions)
- Control audio speed (you can slow down audio to help you hear sounds more easily)
Additionally, my course explains how to make all the vowels and consonants in English. Advanced topics are also included, such as assimilation and elision. Further differences to other courses are that it:
- Uses a sense-based approach.
- For each new vowel or consonant, we explore how it feels in the mouth, what it looks like in the mirror, and how it sounds. This allows you to learn quickly and accurately.
- Teaches contemporary British English pronunciation.
- There’s no point sounding like the King (i.e. a very old-fashioned and posh form of English, which would sound humorous to a native speaker).
In my online classroom, I offer live support and 1–1 coaching to help you progress more quickly. Join the group classes to get answers to your questions, receive valuable feedback, or simply observe and learn.
Classes usually take place once a week at either 11am or 5pm UK times and are for course subscribers only.
More information can be found here.
The Community platform is an online space for course subscribers in which you can:
- Find a buddy to practise and study with.
- Get help and motivation from other students.
- Read about others’ experiences.
- Express your enthusiasm for English pronunciation, different accents, or phonetics/phonology.
- Share interesting links.
- Practise typing in IPA.
- Make friends!
1. Understand how the mouth muscles work
First you explore how the mouth works. Remember that speech is physical activity. It’s important to understand how the mouth muscles work so that you are able to change the way you speak.
2. Train the muscles
The course provides different physical exercises to make the mouth muscles stronger and more flexible. This will give you the control to create new sounds more easily.
3. Learn some IPA (phonetic) symbols
English spelling is confusing. It is not easy to guess the pronunciation of a word from the spelling (e.g. the “b” in “debt” is not pronounced!)
By learning the difference between letters and sounds – and by using symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) – the process of pronouncing words becomes much simpler.
Don’t worry if you want to avoid IPA symbols – they are not essential to improving your accent.
4. Focus on important topics
There are 20+ pronunciation topics that have been chosen and ordered according to your native language. Priority is given to sounds that will improve intelligibility (=people understanding you) and reduce the impression of a “foreign accent”.
Helpful comparisons are made between the sounds in English and the sounds in your native language.
5. Guidance on how to practise
The course gives clear instructions on how to practise and how to incorporate new sounds into your everyday speech.
6. Speak clearly & confidently!
After studying this course, you will have a deeper understanding of English pronunciation and you will be able to communicate more effectively in English.
This depends on a number of factors, such as your current level, how quickly you learn and how often you practise.
The course is organised according to what will make the biggest differences first, which means that you don’t have to complete the whole course to make improvements.
Some students just need a few months, whereas others have been on the course for multiple years because they continue to get value out of it (e.g. from the live online classroom sessions and the new material I publish).
If you’re unsure, you could subscribe for one month to begin with and then see how quickly you progress and how much time you might want to subscribe for.
You can see the number of lessons and what is covered by signing up for the course here (no credit card required) and then going to the homepage. The lessons are different depending on your native language.
The course is suitable for adult learners with an intermediate or advanced level of English.
My course uses a sense-based approach: for each new vowel or consonant, we explore how it feels in the mouth, what it looks like in the mirror, and how it sounds. This trains you to understand whether you are making a sound accurately or not.
In addition, there are high-quality video lessons and mouth animations to help you.
Plus you can join me in my online classroom and ask for feedback.
My course uses a sense-based approach: for each new vowel or consonant, we explore how it feels in the mouth, what it looks like in the mirror, and how it sounds. This trains you to understand whether you are making a sound accurately or not.
At the beginning of the course, you record a text which contains all the sounds in English. This acts as a benchmark recording. You can re-record the text after spending some time on the course to measure your improvement.
Additionally, there are games to test your learning and to check whether you can hear the difference between sounds.
Plus you can join me in my online classroom and ask for feedback. Or purchase detailed feedback here.
Your native language has a sound system that is different from the sound system of English. It is also different from the sound systems of other languages.
This means that a Mandarin speaker will have different challenges compared to a Portuguese speaker when learning English pronunciation.
Of course variation exists within each language: for example, there are many different varieties of Arabic. However, all speakers of a language will usually have similar challenges when approaching a language like English. Where necessary, reference is made to specific varieties (for example a sound that is more important for Brazilian Portuguese speakers to learn rather than European Portuguese speakers). In the course for Chinese learners, references are made to Mandarin and Cantonese.
When you log into the course, you will see a list of lessons. Your lessons have been designed and ordered to prioritise improving your intelligibility (i.e. people understanding you) and reducing the impression of a “foreign accent”. The lessons also include comparisons with words and sounds in your native language to help you understand why you pronounce English in a certain way.
If you grew up bilingual, you can change the native language in My Account at any time. Your lessons will automatically change.
If your language isn’t listed when signing up, choose the my language isn’t listed option and you’ll get a course covering the major topics of English pronunciation that most English learners have problems with.
The course is taught in English only.
Yes, you can purchase this service here.
Alternatively, you can ask me for some free advice in the online classroom.
No, the priority of this course is for you to improve your accent in English as quickly and effectively as possible.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) symbols are used as a tool in the course – but lots of other tools are used as well. So even if you don’t use the IPA, you will still progress well.
However, if you are interested in phonetics/phonology, there are sections in the course entitled advanced info that you might find interesting. Plus there are topics such as assimilation, elision and epenthesis under the advanced topics section of the course index.
If you are looking for a phonetics course, then look at my recommended books page.
By default, the Upton transcription system is used. However, you can change to the Gimson system at any time in Account Settings -> My Profile.
Technical Questions
You access the course through your internet browser.
This means you can use it on your computer, laptop, tablet and phone.
Yes, you will need to be connected to the internet to use the course. Please ensure that your internet plan gives you enough data to watch videos.
Account
Type a new email address in Account Settings -> My Profile and click the save changes button at the bottom of the screen.
If you are logged out, you can go here.
If you are logged in, you can type a new password in Account Settings -> My Profile and click the save changes button at the bottom of the screen.
If you want to cancel your subscription, go to Account Settings -> My Subscription and click the “Cancel Subscription” button. When you cancel your subscription, your account will still remain active (so if you decide to restart your subscription in the future, you can log in using the same username and password).
If you want to delete your account, email info@improveyouraccent.co.uk. Please note that if you delete your account, all your data (including progress you have made) will be deleted. If you decide to study again in the future, you will need to sign up for a new account.
The course is designed according to your native language. If you need to change the language, go to Account Settings -> My Profile.
Pricing
There are three subscription plans:
- Monthly: £39.99
- Every 6 months: £199
- Annual: £349
The only difference between the subscription plans is when you are charged. The course content is the same (you are just choosing how often to be charged).
Depending on the subscription plan you choose, you pay every month, every 6 months or every year. The course content is the same (you are just choosing how often to make payment).
It works out cheaper per month to take the 6-monthly/annual subscription rather than the monthly subscription. For example:
- If you subscribe to the monthly plan (£39.99) for 12 months it costs £479.
- But the annual plan costs £349. This is a saving of £130 compared to the monthly plan – essentially 3 months free (3 x £39.99 = £120).
You will only be able to register for the online classroom sessions and access the course materials while you have an active subscription.
1) Cancel your current subscription in Account Settings -> My Subscription.
2) Wait until it expires (the expiry date will be shown in My Subscription).
3) Subscribe again with a different plan.
You can pay using a Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card, or using PayPal.
If your employer is paying for the course and requires an invoice/alternative payment method, please see the FAQ below.
Payment
If your employer can pay using the company credit card, then you can simply use this at the checkout on the My Subscription page.
- Receipts will go to the email address that you registered with. If you need to change the email address, go to the My Profile page (note that this email address is also the one you use to log in).
- Please make your employer aware that they are paying for a recurring subscription (i.e. payments will be taken every month/every 6 months/every year). If your employer does not want to pay for a recurring subscription, then cancel the subscription after making payment (you will still have access for the time you paid for).
If your employer cannot pay with a card, then it is possible to do a bank transfer. In this case, I will need to send an invoice beforehand (see below). Once payment is received, I shall set up your subscription manually. Of course, this subscription will not auto-renew: you will have access for the time that has been paid for.
Invoice/Receipts
If your employer requires an invoice before payment, please contact me with which subscription plan you would like to purchase and the details you need on the invoice, e.g. your name, company name, address, etc.
If your employer requires a receipt after payment, please check whether the receipt you receive automatically to your email is sufficient (please note I do not charge VAT and so there is no VAT number). If it is not sufficient, then contact me with what extra information needs to be on the receipt.
Persuasion
If your HR department requires you to write why this course is worthwhile, here is a template you can use:
This British Council award-nominated English pronunciation course is designed for learners of English who have a [your native language] background. The course starts by explaining how speech can be analysed into sounds before moving on to over 20 topics that help [your native language] speakers improve their clarity in English. It also includes exercises to train the speech muscles and games to improve listening skills. Furthermore, the subscription gives the learner access to regular live classroom sessions with a teacher who can give support and feedback. By the end of the course, the learner will be able to speak more clearly and confidently in English.
Contact
You can email me Luke@ImproveYourAccent.co.uk or use the form on my website here.
You will receive an automatic email receipt with every subscription payment. Search your email inbox for “Improve Your Accent”. If you can’t find anything, then check your spam/junk mail folder.
Receipts will go to the email address that you registered with. If you need to change your email address, go to the My Profile page.
If your PayPal payment fails: follow the instructions on this page from PayPal’s website.
If your card payment fails: double-check you have entered the card numbers correctly and that you have enough funds in your account.
If you are already subscribed: check whether your card has expired. If not, look at the two points above. The simplest solution is to change your payment method by clicking the “Update Payment Details” button in My Subscription. and this will renew your subscription immediately. If you don’t update your payment details, the billing system will make two further attempts to charge your current payment method. If both attempts fail, your subscription will be cancelled. Of course, you can easily subscribe again at a later date using the same log-in details.
If you have cancelled the billing agreement via PayPal’s website: you will need to add the PayPal account again by clicking the “Update Payment Details” button on the My Subscription page. Click “Choose another way to pay”, click PayPal and then the PayPal button. Once you have confirmed your details you will see two PayPal boxes in your list of payment methods, but only the highlighted one is approved. Click “Confirm”.
If you make payment after the due date: your next billing date will be the same date of the month as when you started your subscription (as this is part of the subscription contract). For example, if your billing date is on 1st February and you pay on 2nd February, your next billing date will be on 1st March (not 2nd March). To avoid this, you can click the “Cancel Subscription” button and renew again with a new subscription.
If you have any problems, please email Course@ImproveYourAccent.co.uk.
To cancel your subscription, go to Account Settings -> My Subscription and click the “Cancel Subscription” button.
You must cancel at least 24 hours before the next billing date to avoid being charged again. If you cancel your subscription, you will still have access to the course until your subscription expires.
You can find out when your next billing date is in My Subscription.
As the course cannot be “returned” and you are able to try the course before purchase, there are no full, partial or prorated refunds.
If you no longer want to use the course, cancel at least 24 hours before your next billing date in Account Settings -> My Subscription.
You can find your next billing date by going to Account Settings -> My Subscription.
To view your current payment method, go to Account Settings -> My Subscription and you’ll see your payment method next to “Payment details”.
If you want to change your payment method:
1) Go to Account Settings -> My Subscription.
2) Click the button saying “Update Payment Details”.
3) Choose between payment methods you have already added and click the “Confirm” button.
OR:
4) If you would like to add a payment method, click “Choose another way to pay” and select either Card or PayPal. Enter your information and click the “Confirm” button.
Please note that when you change your payment method, your bank may ask you to approve the next subscription payment. Don’t worry: you will only pay the subscription amount on the next billing date.
If you have already received your new card, then change your payment method by clicking the “Update Payment Details” button in Account Settings -> My Subscription. If you haven’t, then consider using an alternative payment method.
If there are any issues with billing, you will get an email to let you know. By the way, your credit card issuer may allow your credit card to be charged even if it has expired. You can opt out of this credit card auto-update feature by contacting your bank.
Other
I work for a company/educational institution - can I use these materials with my employees/students?
Please contact me with your requirements here.
Yes, please contact me and let me know how much access you’d like to gift someone (1 month, 6 months or 1 year).
Private Lessons
General Info
1. Assessment
I begin with a thorough evaluation of your accent, enabling me to tailor the lessons to your unique requirements.
2. Exploration of the mouth muscles
Speech is physical activity. It’s important to understand how the mouth muscles work so that you can change the way you speak.
3. Mouth muscle training
We do physical training exercises to make the mouth muscles stronger and more flexible. This will give you the control to create new sounds more easily.
4. Phonetic symbols
English spelling is confusing. It’s not easy to guess the pronunciation of a word from the spelling (for example, the “b” in “debt” is not pronounced!) By learning the difference between letters and sounds – and by using symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) – the process of pronouncing words becomes much simpler.
Don’t worry if you want to avoid phonetic symbols – they aren’t essential to improving your accent.
5. Your priorities
We focus on what will make the biggest differences to your speech. The primary goal is improving intelligibility (= people understanding you). If you wish, we can also work towards you sounding more Standard Southern British English. Depending on your needs we may study vowels, consonants, rhythm, intonation, and muscle settings. When helpful, I make comparisons between the sound systems of English and your native language.
6. Practice materials
We’ll use the materials in my British Council award-nominated course for practice. After each lesson, I’ll email you a PDF detailing what we learned and what to practise at home.
7. Guidance
I’ll advise you on how to practise and how to integrate new sounds into your everyday speech.
8. Speak clearly & confidently!
After taking lessons, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how English pronunciation works and you’ll be able to communicate more effectively in English.
In the first lesson I will do a thorough assessment of your accent and then recommend how many lessons it would be useful to take.
For this reason, I suggest booking one lesson first. This also gives you a chance to ensure you are happy with my teaching before committing to further lessons.
Most students take one lesson per week.
However, I’m flexible to your learning needs. I suggest that you start with one lesson per week – and if necessary we can change this to every two/three/four weeks depending on how much time you need to practise and revise between lessons.
Both options are effective and produce results.
My course reached the finals of a prestigious British Council award and contains everything you need to make improvements. If you take private lessons, we use the same course material for learning and practice.
With private lessons, I tailor everything to your individual needs, offering structured lessons, personalised advice, and continuous feedback. If you opt for a course subscription, you’ll still have the opportunity to receive feedback from me in my online classroom.
Everyone learns differently. Some thrive with the support of a dedicated teacher, while others make significant progress independently. If you’re uncertain about which option is best for you, I recommend signing up for a free trial of my course to see if it suits you.
I suggest beginning with the introductory lessons in my online course (lessons 0–5) before taking private lessons. This will provide you with a solid foundation in how we create sounds and how we analyse speech. By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to make the most of our private lessons as we can concentrate on your specific pronunciation needs rather than delving into the basics.
However, if online learning isn’t your preferred method or you’re eager to get started with personalised instruction straight away, we can certainly begin from scratch in our private lessons.
After each lesson, I’ll email you a PDF detailing what we learned and what to practise at home.
I recommend that you study using my online course at home. If you buy a 5-lesson or 10-lesson package, you’ll receive free access to the course (2 and 4 months’ access respectively).
If you purchase the 5-lesson package, you’ll receive 2 months’ free access to my course. With the 10-lesson package, you’ll receive 4 months’ free access. The free access starts from the first lesson of the package.
If you purchase a lesson package and you’re already subscribed to my course, I will ask you to cancel your subscription. Once your paid subscription ends, I will activate your free access.
Knowledge: I am qualified by the International Phonetic Association (as well as having a first-class degree in languages).
Experience: I have taught people from 90 different countries and have given lectures on phonetics at University College London (UCL).
Professionalism: I have been published in the Voice & Speech Trainers Association academic journal.
Attitude: I thoroughly enjoy my job!
Who I teach
Yes, I do. Please contact me with your specific requirements.
I don’t unless:
1) You’re an actor
2) People can’t understand what you’re saying.
Why I don’t usually teach native speakers:
Your background is part of your USP (Unique Selling Point) and having an accent is a positive attribute. Remember that your accent reflects your identity – so having a hint of Cockney/Scouse/Geordie shows people who you are.
Also, note that your accent changes throughout your life depending on who you socialise/work with or where you’ve travelled. This is normal.
If you are being bullied/discriminated against because of your accent, then take action to stop it (speak to HR or an anti-bullying organisation for advice).
On the other hand, it might not be your accent that is the issue but your voice. Perhaps you feel it is too quiet/tinny/breathy etc. Or you are lacking in confidence when you speak to others/when you give a presentation at work. In which case I suggest you find a voice coach who will be able to help you with this.
No, I only teach adults (18 and above).
Online Lessons
Yes, it does! I find it very effective. It’s important to check that you have a stable internet connection and that your video and audio work well.
I use Google Meet. This works within your internet browser. You don’t need an account and you don’t need to download any software.
I have a very stable and fast broadband connection, so there should not be problems.
There is no refund for connection problems that may delay or disrupt the lesson.
Payment / T&Cs
Here are the pricing options for lessons:
- 1 lesson: £119
- 5-lesson package: £499
- 10-lesson package: £949 (this works out as getting 2 lessons free compared to buying 10 lessons separately)
You can pay securely by credit/debit card on my website. Payment for lessons must be received 48 hours in advance.
Contact me to book a lesson, and then I shall send you the payment link.
Yes, please contact me and let me know how many lessons you’d like to buy.
- If you reschedule or cancel a lesson with less than 48 hours’ notice, then you will be charged for the lesson.
- Payment must be made 48 hours in advance to confirm a lesson.
- Lessons are 1 hour long (unless otherwise arranged). If you are late, the lesson will still end at the scheduled time and lesson time will not be made up.
- If you buy the 5-lesson package, 5 hours must be taken within 2 months of purchase. No refund will be given after this time.
- If you buy the 10-lesson package, 10 hours must be taken within 4 months of purchase. No refund will be given after this time.
- Skype lessons: there will be no refund for connection problems that disrupt or delay the lesson.
You can find the full terms & conditions here. The privacy policy can be found here.
If you have any other questions, just contact me!