how-to – Dani Morse-Kopp

(This blog post describes an exercise that I often use with my clients. If you’re interested in seeing more accent practice exercises, check out my digital product “How To Practice Accents” here)

Sometimes the hardest thing when attempting a new accent is just starting your sentence. You can’t help but have a nervous feeling that hinders you from speaking in your target accent off the cuff. But no need to worry! There’s a nice little trick to overcome that feeling and that’s to use a catchphrase.

Imagine you’re about to jump into a pool from a diving board. The first time, you’re probably nervous about the jump and walk back and forth on the board a few times considering the best way to muster up the nerves to jump. The second time, you’re perhaps still a bit hesitant but you walk down the diving board and bounce on it a couple times. Remembering that your first jump wasn’t so bad after all, you jump a little more quickly on your second jump. With each jump, you get less nervous until you don’t even remember being nervous in the first place. The diving board is always there to boost your confidence, prepare you for your jump and give you an extra bit of energy before you launch into the water.

You might be just as nervous or uncomfortable trying to speak in your target accent for the first time. Especially early in your accent learning journey. But you can manage your nerves by coming up with an “accent diving board” that boosts your confidence and gets you ready to speak in your target accent. This “accent diving board” should consist of a few words or sentences that you know you can say perfectly in your target accent. We often call this a catchphrase or springboard sentence/words.

Your catchphrase can be a completely random word that you associate with your target accent, or it can be a little phrase that you observed when listening to one of your target accent speakers. It’s great if your catchphrase contains a few of your target accent’s signature sounds but don’t feel like you have to force this. Your catchphrase can change over the years or with each project as well, so just choose one that feels good right now. Once you’ve chosen a catchphrase, say it out loud before and during any practice session and especially anytime you feel like you’re losing the accent. Use your catchphrase in the same way you use the diving board to boost your confidence on your jump into the water. Your catchphrase also prepares your facial muscles and your brain for switching accents.

Go ahead and search for a few words or sentences that you can use as your catchphrase. And then use it the next time you feel hesitant before trying to speak in your target accent, or whenever you feel like you’re losing the accent in the middle of your practice. Here are some of my favorite catchphrases I’ve been using for different accents over the years:

General American:

tomato sauce – Merry Mary’s getting married – Oh my God!