Please HELP! I want a British accent.... NOW!!!!!

Question

Hiya! My name is Fay and I am from Greece. I naver wanted to have an accent. I only wanted to speak English without any mistakes, until I saw "Pride and Prejudice" (with Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadyen) in the cinema! Since then I am a Britishmaniac! I rented on DVD the old "Pride and Prejudice" (with Colin Firth), which is 6 hours long, and learned all the quotes with British accent!
I love the British culture. I watched "Oliver's twist" with Jamie Oliver and I really liked all these traditional shops where he was buying what he needed.
What I want are some tips for my British accent if that's possible. It would be also great if you could give me some adresses for sites with information either about England or British English!
Thank you very much!
Love,
Fay.

P.S. I have also seen Hugh Grant's movies: "Nottng Hill", "Four marriages and one funeral" and "American Dreamz".
If you know any other movies of him, please let me know.

Pieanne · Accepted Answer

Anon, just type "Hugh Grant filmography" in Google, you'll get all his films!

Englishuser · Answer

Hi Anon,

There are hundreds of different British accents. Which of them do you wish to learn?

Englishuser

Anonymous · Answer

Tony Blair's accent ;-p

Greetings,
Ano II.

Kooyeen · Answer

Hi,

in my opinion, the only way to speak with an accent is to live where people speak with that accent.

I once thought I could speak with a perfect American Accent without going to the US, then I realized that that's not possible. If you want a particular accent, you should listen to that accent all day long, and avoid to listen too much to other accents. If you want to do this at your home, it's practically impossible! That means you should listen to native speakers only from a certain area and only with a certain accent. But when you watch TV, watch a movie or listen to the radio, you will hear people speaking with a wide variety of accents! So, you'll end up having a perfect pronunciation at best, but a mixed accent, your personal accent. People will always understand that you're not from "around here".

So, if you keep watching British movies and listening to British English, your English and your pronunciation will definitely get better, but the day you are in the UK people will ask you "where are you from" anyway. If you want an accent very close to London accent, you should go live in London. If you want an accent very close to Liverpool accent, you should go live in Liverpool.

But if you don't live in London, trying to speak like the people there is really no use. Just think, what if once you succeed in having your loved London accent, you marry an American and you go live in Australia?

Funny uh?

Best wishes

Englishuser · Answer

Hi Ano II,

Why do you think Tony Blair is a suitable model for imitation?

Englishuser

Englishuser · Answer

Hi Kooyeen,

If you want a particular accent, you should listen to that accent all day long, and avoid to listen too much to other accents. If you want to do this at your home, it's practically impossible!

It's difficult, yes, but it's not impossible. Many people fail to realise that in order to actually embrace a particular accent you need to know how that accent differs from other commonly heard accents. You need to learn precisely how to produce the sounds of the accent you'd like to learn. When you've learnt to distinguish between different accents, you will learn English pronunciation even when you listen to people speaking with accents other than your target-accent.

So, if you keep watching British movies and listening to British English, your English and your pronunciation will definitely get better, but the day you are in the UK people will ask you "where are you from" anyway.

That's a question even native Britons get asked.

Englishuser

Anonymous · Answer

0 Hugh Grant was in "About a boy" as well0-

Fanjarno · Answer

0I am an experienced English language teacher, who specialises in accent training. Does anyone think it would be a good business idea to set up an accent training centre here in the UK. The focus of such a school would be on accent reduction and provided coaching for a British accent (RP accent).02br
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00Cheers02br
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00Alex0-

Sally2008 · Answer

Ofcourse Alex,

I think that would a great idea.

I have been looking for an accent school for a long time without any success

Anonymous · Answer

0Im Greek also but I wasnt born there. My grandfather was but I was born it America. Dont get me wrong I love America but I have always wanted a Greek or British accent but I dont get why you want another accent. Greek accents are so cool.02br
02br
00 Thanks, 02br
02br
00 Kyria0-

Please HELP! I want a British accent.... NOW!!!!!

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