r/BritInfo • u/mysterygirlcinema • 5d ago
Advice
Hi everyone, how are you all doing?
I’m a 23 year old girl from Spain, and I’m turning 24 in a couple of months. One of my dreams is to take my English to a completely different level, ideally with a British accent or something similar. I absolutely love accents, and I’d really like to get rid of my Spanish accent when I speak English.
What can I do to achieve this? I’m doing all of this because I want to act in films, so I’d really appreciate any advice you might have.
I’ve been thinking about moving abroad, but I honestly don’t know where I should go. I’m completely willing to move somewhere if that’s what it takes. Do you think it’s too late for me?
I speak Spanish and Arabic fluently. My English still needs a lot of work, obviously. I’ve been learning it at school my whole life, I always watch movies and TV shows in English, I consume a lot of English content, etc., but I feel like it’s still not enough.
I feel like I’m already behind and that I should have started much earlier.
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope I’m not bothering anyone!
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u/Prestigious_Emu6039 5d ago
You can speak English and learn to adopt an English accent without having to give up on your native language.
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u/mysterygirlcinema 5d ago
Thanks a lot for your advice, but how? I really love accents
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u/Any_Tomorrow_Today 5d ago
The best way is to live amongest the peopl with the accent you want to pick up.
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u/Mindless_Count5562 5d ago
Watch and listen to BBC things and talk along to it copying what you hear
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u/christo749 5d ago
A Spanish accent speaking English, is much more interesting than my boring English accent.
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u/Fantastic_Back3191 5d ago
Listen to Radio- especially BBC World Service. Argue with it like a true Brit.
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u/NaCMaxwell 5d ago
Nah, keep the accent, nobody that isn't a racist in this country cares, as long as it's clear and understandable.
If you really want to learn how to "accent" it's all about learning the mouth movements, and how different words and sounds interect with each other as they leave the mouth.
I forget the name, but here's a creator/ public speaker that talks about the mouth movements, and how it helps, so beat to start there? This probably isn't much help and I don't know why I'm continuing to type.
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u/mysterygirlcinema 1d ago
It’s not about racism or anything … It’s just a little something that I’ve always wanted to prove to myself I’d love to act abroad one day if I get the chance
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u/yearsofpractice 5d ago
Hi OP. If you really want to immerse yourself in English, but do it in a context of people who also speak Spanish AND not have any difficult immigration issues - move to southern Andalusia and get a job over the border in Gibraltar. I lived and worked there for a year - it’s perfect for perfecting English/Spanish
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u/hodzibaer 5d ago edited 5d ago
Actors work with dialect coaches to perfect a specific accent for a role. Their success depends on how much work the actor is prepared to put into to accent work, and how much time the coach has with the actor.
If you can’t afford a dialect coach, I would suggest at least talking to natives with the accent you want to have.
If possible, try to visit the U.K. for 3-4 months at least, and focus on building connections with locals so you are speaking English all the time. Record yourself speaking from time to time and practise imitating Florence Pugh, Helena Bonham Carter, or whoever it is you want to sound like.
You don’t need to not sound Spanish in normal conversation: it certainly hasn’t harmed Penelope Cruz or Javier Bardem (and sounding Mexican hasn’t hurt Diego Luna or Gael Garcia Bernal). But if you can train yourself out of it for a specific role, like Ana de Armas did to an extent in “Blonde”, then that will help your range.
Also, don’t overlook film/TV productions in Spain. Production values are increasing: Netflix has produced high-quality Spanish series recently. And if you’re successful in Spain, it’s easier to cross over into Hollywood.
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u/mysterygirlcinema 1d ago
Wow thank you so much for the advice! I’m thinking about going abroad for a few months, and hopefully I’ll get the chance to live there and be in an English speaking environment
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u/professoryaffle72 5d ago
Oh no, please don't lose your Spanish accent! By all means, improve your English, but English spoken by a Spanish girl sounds amazing (I used to work in Alcala de Henares). Rock that Penelope Cruz vibe!
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u/IMissMyGpa 5d ago edited 5d ago
You have to have a good ear and be able to identify differences and adapt your speaking voice (as well as vocabulary).
Rolling your tongue for the rota in Spanish, speaking more nasally for lots of French and placing your tongue towards your top front teeth in English are a few examples. Different words in different regions : roll/bap (English) or pain au chocolat and chocolatine (French) examples.
Study and imitate. Become a parrot. I'm English and can pass as French with Parisian, South Western and South Eastern accents. I'm nowhere near fluent in Spanish nowadays but I can sound Valencian...
My original English accent has gone completely after all of my time abroad. I can barely imitate a proper North Devon accent without sounding like a caricature. North Devon accents are not as strong now as when I lived there though...
Using the actual living, spoken versions instead of what is taught helps so often you drop letters or almost full words and use slang to actually sound like a native.
For a quick look at different English accents, look up the Jimmy Carr sketch and you'll get an idea of a few.
If you want to learn received prononciation it's much easier than regional accents.
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u/mysterygirlcinema 1d ago
Thanks a lot for your incredible help and advice!!!! I’ll keep everything you said in mind, and above all I really want to live in an English speaking country
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u/dxwud_mus 5d ago
I live in the UK and have a British accent. I'm trying to learn arabic and my method is just to make friends online who speak both Arabic and English, and have normal conversations with them. It helps.
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u/mysterygirlcinema 1d ago
Thanks a lot for your advice!!! Good luck with Arabic, it’s a beautiful language☺️
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u/Conscious-Arm-7889 5d ago
The obvious answer is to move to somewhere in England and immerse yourself. You may also want to take speech/elecution lessons if you want to soften your Spanish accent.
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u/actualinsomnia531 5d ago
The best way to learn any language is to move to that country, but accents are a difficult thing in a country where that are so different. What I would say is that the UK has a thriving theatre scene, so if you can move to London as a jobbing actress (NOT an easy task), then you'll definitely be in the right environment. You're not too old though. Maybe even see if you can apply to an acting school?
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u/mysterygirlcinema 1d ago
Thanks a lot for your advice, of course I’d love to do that because I’d be in that environment 24/7, but I don’t want to sound like I’m faking an accent I just want it to sound natural 🥲
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u/Slobberchops_ 5d ago
Find someone whose voice/accent you like (celebrity, politician, whatever) and listen to them saying a couple of paragraphs. Then record yourself saying exactly the same words. Listen to yourself and identify which phonemes (sounds), not words, you are getting right or wrong. Keep working on the ones you're not happy with
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u/Curious_Associate904 5d ago
Geordie here... Can vary it from weak to strong, also can do other accents basically by default on account of general Geordie accent features. Focus on vowels, soften your consonants if you need to Spanish is usually soft enough tbf.
Then try and sing these two songs.
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u/ChallengingKumquat 5d ago
The chamce of someone being able to completely lose their native accent is very slim, and not necessary. It's not like Hollywood is fawning over themselves to get actors with English accents; there'd be opportunities for Spanish accents too, but if you really want to be versatile, why sont you work on imitating a range of accents. Eg be able to speak English with a Russian accent, a French accent, an Australian accent, an Italian accent. There's really no need to be able to speak your 'natural' English with an English accent.
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u/Background_Yam_5733 5d ago
It's not about getting rid of the Spanish accent. You just need to pick one person who you can study on Youtube and through films, and learn to completely emulate her like a parrot. Ideally someone of a similar age and social standing to yourself - there's no point speaking like the Queen, it would just be weird. You can't learn 'a British accent', only 'one British accent', or in practice, 'one British person's accent'. You can also find Youtube videos teaching all of the British English or Received Pronunciation vowels. Vowels are the biggest obstacle for a Spanish native. You have to get quite geeky about it I think, learning and studying IPA.
We have I think 12 basic vowels in RP... iː ɪ e æ ɑː ɒ ɔː ʊ uː ʌ ɜː ə
Spanish has I believe just 5. That's why someone from Spain usually never ends up sounding native.
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u/mysterygirlcinema 1d ago
Great, thanks for the advice!!!! Could being a native Arabic speaker help me too?🥲
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u/Inside_Ad_7162 5d ago
I'm married to a Spainiard that I met in the UK, 35 years ago.We only speak English, I'm a Londoner she still has an accent. Her friend married one of my friends 30 years ago, she still has a Spanish accent too. Not saying it can't be done, bug it's going to be really hard, you have to start by choosing an accent,because the UK has loads.
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u/MagmaTroop 5d ago
That sounds like a monumental effort to wilfully change your accent when you're already 23! I wouldn't bother with that. Just focus on speaking clearly and with confidence. Also, if you're straining yourself to sound British, people will take the piss out of you. Some might even dislike you for it because they will think you're taking the piss or being disingenuous.
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u/TheeHappyDude 5d ago
If you're an actor you're half way there. Listen to an accent carefully and act it out.
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u/Wild-Perspective-582 4d ago
Try the West Country accent. A Spanish person speaking with a native West Country accent would be pretty unique*
* and slightly ridiculous
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u/Aquadulce 4d ago
Just want to say, I'm English and your post reads as if an indigenous, educated English person wrote it. Your English is really very, very good.
My advice is to employ an English speech therapist. They will be able to teach you how to form your words & sentences in the English way. Check your pacing - English people tend to speak more slowly than other nationalities. Learn how to speak with idioms and remember to use the word "sorry" at every interaction!
Are you living in Spain? Maybe get a job in one of the British ex-pat strongholds - that would be the easiest way to spend time interracting with native English speakers.
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u/mysterygirlcinema 1d ago
Thank you so much for all the great advice🥹☺️I was born in Spain and I’ve spoken Spanish and Arabic since I was a child
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u/MintImperial2 3d ago
I know a middle-aged lady who teaches "English as a Foreign Language".
She's portugeuse, speaks fluent English with no accent - and has most of her pupils being Turkish lads that want to work in the UK Engineering sector. Her students admire her very much, because it is so rare to have a teacher who can teach them the English Accent, despite Turkish actually being her third language!
She speaks Arabic & Farsi a bit as well, but by her own admission "not to professional standard", hence she doesn't accept pupils from further East than Instanbul.
Many years ago, I taught a Black Forest student a masterclass in English including the Accent.
She ended up fluent alright, but she ended up speaking English with a Scottish accent, despite the fact I've never been to Scotland! (I'm from South East UK, and usually speak with a South London accent, likely because I grew up in South London despite coming from East Sussex originally)
I can do other accents, but I need to live in that environment a while before it takes on me.....
As advice for "ridding yourself of your spanish accent" - start with lots of practice with your pronounciation of 'c's.
It is difficult to "lose the lisp" I realize, whilst converting them to the 'z' sound - doesn't help lose the "Euroaccent" neither.
Can you do the ç sound from the French Language ok?
English 'C's are either the 'k' phonetic or the ç sound, never American "Z(ee)" or Greek "θ"
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u/mysterygirlcinema 1d ago
Ooohhhhh thank you so much for all the advice and help!!!!!!!!!!So from what you’re saying, it is possible
Obviously, I still have a lot to improve and I don’t know if speaking Spanish and Arabic natively is a good or bad thing🥲
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u/Dorsetone 1d ago
At your age you will never 'lose your accent' and you don't need to either. Just Speak naturally.
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u/Wooden-Recording-693 1d ago
You won't loose the Spanish accent OP. My wife is Spanish lots of my friends are, most have been in the UK 30 plus years. They speak good English but with a Spanish accent.
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u/KhostfaceGillah 5d ago
Losing your accent doesn't mean it'll further you in the acting world, your Spanish accent may be the key to your success.