Reducing a child's accent at home can be hard work and slow going, especially if you're also a non-native speaker of English. As with any new skill, accent reduction takes time and plenty of practice until it feels comfortable and natural. Encourage, support and reward your child as you work with him to reduce his accent. If he makes a mistake in daily conversation, gently correct him and ask him to repeat the word until he gets it right.
Step 1
Work to reduce your own accent, and speak English in the home as much as possible. Children tend to follow the lead of their parents, and by practicing your English accent and language skills, you can help your child reduce his accent too.
Step 2
Record your child reading from a book or the newspaper so she can hear what her accent sounds like. Ask a native speaker--perhaps a neighbor or a friend--to read the same material while you record him. Have your child listen to both recordings so she can see how her accent differs from that of a native speaker. Do this as many times as you can to allow your child plenty of practice.
Step 3
Ask your child to read from a storybook while a native speaker listens to him practice and then gives specific feedback regarding his intonation, timing and rhythm.
Step 4
Watch television shows and newscasts with your child. Ask her to repeat short phrases spoken during the programs while trying to mimic the speaker's pronunciation.
Step 5
Study the 16 Standard American English vowel sounds and 24 consonant sounds with your child and familiarize him with the phonetic symbol for each sound. Every night before your child goes to bed, ask him to read a page from the dictionary out loud, using the phonetic entries as a pronunciation guide.
Step 6
Review minimal pairs, which are two words that have a different meaning when one sound is changed--for example, "tree" and "tray" or "chip" and "cheap." Explain the definition of each word in a minimal pair before your child pronounces them so she understands the differences in both meaning and pronunciation.
Tips and Warnings
- When your child is practicing, ask him to speak words much more slowly than he normally would, which will help him focus on accurate pronunciation. Create flash cards for words your child has an especially difficult time pronouncing. Purchase an accent-reduction book and CD set and practice the exercises daily with your child. Singing along to American songs on the radio with your child can be a fun way to help reduce her accent.
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