This week, I taught one of my clients how pronouncing the letter “s” can be different, depending on the sound that comes before the “s.”

When a voiceless sound appears right before the “s,” you pronounce the “s” with a /s/ sound, as in snake.  Some examples are: likes, apps, cats.

​​When a voiced sound appears right before the letter “s,” you pronounce the “s” with a /z/ sound, as in zoo.  Some examples are: kids, dogs, tables, exams, cans, scissors.

Remember that all vowel sounds are voiced, so words with -es spellings will also be pronounced with a /z/ sound.  Some examples are: heroes, boxes, pushes.

My student learned this concept very quickly yesterday.  I hope that was just as easy for you too!

Speech perception is not only hearing the sounds another person speaks, but also interpreting and understanding those sounds. It’s being able to tell the difference between the words, “pat” and “bat.”
 
You may be thinking, “I don’t need help understanding people. I need help with my pronunciation.” What you may not realize, though, is that improving your speech perception will help you improve your accent too.
 
Why is speech perception important to learning how to improve my accent?
The first step in improving your accent is learning to hear the difference between what you’re saying and what you should be saying in order for others to understand you more clearly. You may, for example, be substituting one sound for another or not saying the target sound at all. If you cannot hear the difference between the wrong sound you are pronouncing (error) and the sound you should be saying (target sound), it will be difficult to change your accent.

Last Friday, English Accent Tutor was invited to participate at IGlobal University's summer career fair. IGlobal University (IGU) is a located in Annandale, Virginia and was founded in 2008. It has been accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) and certified by State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SHEV) to award MBA, MSIT, BBA and BSIT degrees, and ESL certificates. ACICS is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Albert Williams, Director of Career Services, informed me that, because IGU issues I-20's in order for international students to get their F-1 student visas, 98% of IGU's student population is international. Having held several mock interviews with IGU's students, he felt that many of them could benefit from my accent improvement services.

One of the most frequently asked questions I am asked when people first contact me is, “How long will it take me to improve my accent?” This is a very good question, but one that is a bit complicated to answer.
 
I tell potential clients that there are three important factors that determine the length of time it will take them to change their pronunciation, intonation and stress patterns in order to reach their goals: