I often get asked by people from non-English speaking backgrounds ‘Vinh, what did you do differently that helped you communicate so effectively? How did you overcome the accent barrier?”
Coming from a Vietnamese background, I made the fundamental mistake of speaking the English language using Chinese and Vietnamese mouth movements.
(Before we go any further, please keep in mind that your accent is never the problem. Accents are beautiful! They are part of your heritage and your story).
The problem arises when we use the wrong “mechanical settings” for a new instrument. When I spoke English with my dad’s accent, it was simply because I was trying to force English words through the muscle memory of the Vietnamese language.
That creates friction and reduces clarity.
If you want to keep your unique sound but drastically improve your English accent – I have a simple 2 step strategy for you to follow:
Step 1: The Daily “Mouth Gym”
The first step to changing your accent is physical. You need to learn the “English set” of mouth movements.
When you speak your native language, your tongue, jaw, and lips move in a very specific way. English requires a different choreography and the most powerful way to learn this new choreography is to overdo it.
The 5-Minute Reading Exercise
- Grab a book.
- Read out loud for 5 minutes.
- Do not read as you normally would.
I want you to exaggerate every single syllable. If the sentence is “The other day I went to the shop,” I want you to read it like this:
“The… Oth-er… Day… I… Went… To… The… Shop.”
Open your mouth wide. Stick your tongue out. Stretch your jaw. (Yes, it should feel ridiculous – lean into it).
Why do we do this? When you overdo the mouth and tongue movements, you are training your muscles to adopt the correct shape for English sounds. You are building new muscle memory.
If you practice this for just five minutes a day, you will still have your accent, but your clarity will be dramatically enhanced.
Step 2: The 20-Minute Video Audit
Once you are working on your physical mechanics, we need to gather data on your specific habits.
The Recording
I want you to record a 20-minute video of yourself speaking to the camera.
The video must be improvised. Do not use a script. Do not rehearse. Talk about your breakfast, your job, your hobbies, or what you did last weekend. We need to capture your natural “thinking voice,” not your polished “reading voice.”
The Speech Pathologist (Articulation)
Take that video file and send it to a Speech Pathologist – your request to them is simple:
“What would it cost for you to review this video? These are the words I use in everyday speech. Could you help me identify the words I am pronouncing incorrectly, and teach me the mouth movements to fix them?”
I personally did this when I was trying to improve my English accent many years ago and it was a game-changer.
The ESL Teacher (Grammar)
Next, send that same video to an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. (Pro-tip: Get it transcribed first to make their job easier).
The ESL teacher isn’t looking at your mouth; they are looking at your grammar and sentence structure.
When I did this, my report came back highlighting a major issue:
Tenses.
I was constantly using past tense as future tense, and future tense as past tense. I didn’t even hear myself doing it. But once it was pointed out on paper, I could finally see the pattern.
The Trap: Analysis Paralysis
Now, a very important warning.⚠️
When you get these reports back from the speech pathologist and ESL teacher, it is probably going to feel overwhelming.
Do not freak out!
This is where most people fail. They get “Analysis Paralysis.” They try to fix the “TH” sound, the “R” sound, their past tense, and their future tense all in the same sentence. They overthink, stumble, and give up.
The Rule of One
The secret to improving your accent is to pick one thing to work on at a time.
- Week 1: “I am only going to focus on sticking my tongue out for the word ‘Three’.”
- Week 2: “I am only going to focus on using past tense correctly.”
When you improve articulation and pronunciation, people subconsciously perceive you to be more intelligent. It’s a harsh reality, but it’s true.
By tackling these small mechanics one by one, you aren’t just improving your English accent, you’re changing how the world sees you.
Do you want to go deeper? Mastering your articulation is the first step, but mastering your message is where the real magic happens.
I offer a free live and interactive Masterclass where I teach the frameworks for improving your communication skills and becoming more influential – check it out here, or, view my full range of in-person and online communication skills courses.
