How Good is Your British Accent? How Good Does it Need To Be?

How Good is Your British Accent? How Good Does it Need To Be?

For many people, the correct use of grammar and a broad range of vocabulary is the be all and end all when learning English. Unfortunately, communicating effectively involves much more than the right words and tenses: accent and pronunciation play a key role.

We like accent - it adds character and identity to our speech, but in certain situations we need to make ourselves understandable to our listeners. Whether we like it or not, people make judgements based on the way we communicate; you may have a perfect grasp of grammar, but if you pay no attention to your accent and pronunciation you can come across as abrupt or even rude to your listener when in fact you mean nothing of the sort. In short, your professional success may depend on how effective your speaking skills are.

On Friday, one of our Voice Trainers, Dolly, demonstrated her voice training techniques for a London-based TV show. Our Chief Executive, Timothy Blake, then took part in a debate on the importance of accents live on their lunchtime news bulletin. The show is called Headline London and you can see Timothy and Dolly here: