Many non-native speakers permanently struggle with English pronunciation due to how the language is traditionally taught. From early school habits to the social environments of diverse cities like London, here is how non-native acoustic patterns become hardwired and why standard ESL programs overlook phonetics.
We have to start with the process of learning English. Most ESL (English as a second language) speakers don’t learn English from a native English speaker. The requirements for becoming an ESL teacher usually are not based on the ability to articulate the sounds of English in a native-like manner, but on their understanding of English grammar and the ability to teach it.
From a young age, children tend to learn English from someone from the same linguistic background. French children learn English from a French person. Spanish children learn English from a Spanish person. Japanese children learn English from a Japanese person, etc. As a result, they will internalise the sounds of English in a manner closer to that of their native language rather than a native English speaker.
This is why it’s so easy to tell where someone is from when they speak English. There is a tendency for ESL speakers to have learned or subconsciously internalised English using the pronunciation of their native language. The sounds become hardwired from a young age. In addition, English phonetics tends to be overlooked and isn’t taken seriously, which is another problem.
When it comes to actually moving to an English-speaking country, in a diverse city such as London, it’s not unusual to be surrounded by others whose first language is not English. Being surrounded by non-native English speakers, the feedback loop of non-native English is strengthened even further. This can happen at an ESL school in London where all the students come together from different countries, or even in an office environment in London.
If you want to speak with a more “British accent”, you need to surround yourself with people who speak with a “British accent”, and then there are many different accents and dialects. If you want to speak with a “standard” British accent or Received Pronunciation, surrounding yourself with others who speak in this manner will help greatly.
So these are the main reasons why people struggle with their accent. In another blog, I will explain possible solutions. If you want help with your accent, reach out to me or join my programme.