Having an English accent, what does it mean?

Why improve your teen's English?

Nowadays, being able to speak a foreign language, more specifically English, has become an increasingly important skill. In addition to offering employment opportunities, being able to speak a foreign language helps to establish a real connection with people and to learn more about different cultures.

Since English is the most widely spoken language in the world today, learning English as a second language is a must . About one in seven people is able to speak English fluently. However, it is the language of business too. Whether in cultural, sporting or commercial matters, English is used as a neutral language for each of the parties.

Having an English accent: How to improve your child's pronunciation?

Here is a question that many parents ask themselves! It must be said that as French speakers, we are far from having facilities for correctly accentuating words and pronouncing certain sounds.

The French and English languages are opposed in terms of roots and therefore pronunciation. Some sounds are extremely complicated to integrate because they simply do not exist in French. It can therefore be difficult or even impossible to pronounce them correctly insofar as our ear is not used to hearing them, but also because it is necessary to modify the way of using our mouth to create these new sounds.

Having a good accent in English is difficult for French speakers, especially if you learn the language at an older age. It is when we are a child and have had intensive training with English-speaking teachers that we fully integrate the accent.

Concretely, what does it mean to “speak with an accent”?

If we look at the strict definition, we see that a person's accent depends fundamentally on 4 factors:

• The rate : that is to say the speed at which the words are chained;
• Pronunciation : letters and groups of letters;
• Intonation : raising or lowering the pitch on a syllable;
• And prosody : which is, in a way, the musicality of a language.

As you know, English is spoken in many countries. And each country has its own accent! So finally, what does it mean to “have an English accent”? In theory, not much to tell the truth. But in fact, it means "speaking in such a way as to be understood by a native". Most of the time, until now we are between the British accent and the American accent without necessarily realizing it.

One of the most important things when deciding to improve your child's or teen's English accent is choosing the language tool that best suits their needs. You should try to find a stimulating language tool that allows your child to quickly acquire an excellent English accent. The best way for your child to obtain such results is to go on a language trip to an English-speaking country.

Language courses in Ireland: the best choice for your child

Ireland is a wonderful island located in the North Atlantic Ocean, an impressive country, full of history, art and culture, and divided into four provinces with a very strong culture and linguistic relationship. This country has something magical, a magnificent landscape that makes this country incredibly beautiful and rejuvenating.

Ireland is renowned worldwide for its sense of hospitality and breathtaking scenery. Language stays in Ireland offer your children in the English learning phase the opportunity to share their daily life in a complete language exchange. In fact, the Irish are known for their kindness and they are very affectionate with their traditions, their cultures and eager to pass all of this on to the children visiting their country.

It is in this sense that HEBE Adventures was created to facilitate the process of family accommodation in Ireland. Our company has proven through its experience that it is the best pen pal site to find you an English pen pal, whether for children or teenagers. You can therefore let your child go to Ireland with complete peace of mind, since our Irish host families have all been approved and validated when they register.

Your child's safety and enjoyment are our priority .

All homestays in Ireland are police vetted and vetted by HEBE Adventures. They understand what is expected of them as a language exchange host and closely follow our hosting guidelines. Thus, we have a 24/7 support team.

In addition, with HEBE Adventures, your child's language exchange in order to be bilingual in English can be normal or intensive, at the pace you want. On the other hand, our English-speaking host families provide the children with a package of services, accommodation and meals, excursions and social activities as well as authentic cultural immersion in their everyday life.

So, you can fully trust HEBE Adventures to find you the ideal English penpal for your child's language exchange in Ireland, in order to have a great holiday and at the same time have an English accent.

HEBE Adventures is waiting for you to organize the dream language stay for your child. Join us now!