When people ask me what I do for a living, I hesitate. I wouldn’t really describe being an accent coach or a pronunciation instructor as my full time profession. Previously I worked as a translator and currently I’m involved in other lines of work in a completely different industry. Honestly, I often hesitate because some people get uncomfortable when they find out what I do. They immediately feel embarrassed by their own accent, fearing they’re being judged, which is a bit of a headache for me. A lot of people are actually in denial about their speech patterns, and simply meeting me makes them feel very self-conscious.
It’s just that I have been refining my approach to this work for many years. I see it as a project to help people achieve a perfect native-like British accent. Just like when I was learning Japanese, I wanted to mimic the sounds just like a Japanese person so I understand the desire for individuals who want to master the RP accent. After all these years of teaching, I’m confident that I can provide the precise guidance needed to help you reach that goal. In addition to the 1-1 coaching, my method relies entirely heavily on the audio repetition training programs I’ve spent years developing. It’s about building muscle memory and creating behavioural changes to your speech patterns.
That said, I also understand that it’s a personal choice. This isn’t a service that I try to sell. I don’t try to convince anyone to change their accent. The way you speak is your choice. Nevertheless, if you do want to change the manner in which you speak, then I’m willing to help and I’ll explain why my method works (as long as you follow the plan).
Individuals usually come to me once they’ve decided this is what they want. Despite all my experience, teaching (properly) requires concentration and focus. I have to pay attention for a full 40-minutes, listen to the subtle differences that are preventing the student from speaking the way they want to. If a student isn’t onboard and ready to commit, results are going to be difficult to come by. That doesn’t mean you have to study all day, it just means the willingness to put aside 10-20 minutes a day to practise and commit to one lesson a week.
If you’re ready to see results, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to working with those who are ready to make that commitment.