The Study System that Will Unlock Your Potential to Master Any Language:

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I have found that the way native speakers smile while speaking their language is a highly useful proxy for the mouth shape needed to acquire a native accent.

I think having a good accent does matter. It is all about the impression you give. I once had a Spanish-teacher with a terrible accent. She admited herself that she honestly didn't care much about it (and so her English and Spanish accents were quite Norwegian sounding). When she spoke to a mexican exchange student at our school, he later said that he didn't feel comfortable talking naturally to her, because of her unconvincing Spanish. He felt like she didn't understand what he was saying, because of how she spoke herslef.

Good info. Almost everyone thinks it's just a "gift" lol....they don't see the work needed "behind the scenes"

I rly think that having a native-like accent makes native speakers to be more open to include u in their social circles, and I say this from personal experience.

Yes, I work on my accent a lot. My aim is to sound natural, if not native. I haven’t been so disciplined as to record myself, but in conversation I listen to native speakers and, try to imitate the expression and intonation. I also listen for colloquialisms to do this with. And I’m always listening for and practising how words sound in sentences - what letters are dropped, added or joined as one speaks the whole sentence.

1.I speak slowly because being fluent does not mean to speak fast, more to speak clearly and understandably. The ideal rhythm means I speak to the point that I can hear every single world I pronounce, because usually we speak so fast in our own languages we do not hear every single word.

Excellent, sir. Though many people do not feel that having a native-like accent is necessary or important, I have come to understand that things change depending on accent. That's not to say that people are xenophobic or anything, just that there is a certain, perhaps higher level of understanding and intimicy with the people and the language when people don't know you are not native. Your ability to not only fully express yourself but also do it as a native would, with the gestures, intonation and expressions they use changes things. It is my case in English and Portuguese and I strive toward that in my other languages as well because it is important to me. One way to do that is to exaggerate your pronunciation and enunciation, much like sports broadcasters at events or on ESPN. You can always tone it down later, but being able to overdo it is better than not being able to do it. Great video!

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I don't record myself because I hate my voice

Pure gold.

Stop procastinating, start doing 💞

U re the best! I luv all your videos. Extremely helpful and enlightening.

When I start learning a foreign language I usually listen to it a lot and read about its phonetics and phonology. I use “Illustrations of the IPA” for the language I try to learn and after that I mimic and repeat words and sentences after native speakers as much as I can.

Will try them . Many thanks

Thank you luca for the time you take off your busy schedule to give us those valuable advicing youre always so inspirational...

Great Luca, awesome tips ;) Thank you

Very practical and specific tips.........many thanks

Man I am going to download this . You are a great teacher on KZread when it comes to language learning