Find an accent coach in Leicester

Most people know that English derived from Germanic languages and commanded a heavy French influence. Although English is considered Germanic, fully 27% of English vocabulary comes directly from the French language.

However, few people know that Leicester is considered the birthplace of modern English. This city's claim to that title resulted from something that is still happening today.

Back in the time of the Vikings, while the Angles were still trying to claim our British isle as its own, fierce fighting was stopped when the warring factions decided to live in peace alongside one another. Angles learned Viking words for utensils and weapons and Vikings studied Angles' speech to speed up the communication process. The melding of languages ensued, giving us the tongue we speak today.

Viking and Angle's tribes are long gone save for their descendants but Leicester nevertheless continues to be the welcoming city where nearly half of the population is either foreign-born or, at least, ethnically diverse. Leicester City Council estimates that over 70 languages can be heard around town; an assertion supported by the fact that only around 70% of all inhabitants list English as their primary language.

Despite all that, nobody is suggesting that Leicester doesn't have its own delightful dialect. Wouldn't it be a shame if "Ay up, m'duck?" disappeared? That's how the locals greet each other.

Languages in Leicester

Seventy languages form quite a pastiche, especially for an area of roughly 290 square miles. Throughout Leicester, you may hear Mandarin and Vietnamese, Hungarian and Polish - and now, Ukrainian; some Russian and Italian - all of that on top of the local dialect and standard English.

Leicester is also home to substantial Pakistani and Bangladeshi populations as well as Indians; it's not uncommon to hear Punjabi or Hindi if you're in the right neighbourhood.

You might think that all of these disparate tongues only trade with their kind; Somalis shopping in Somali-run shops and so on. That may be how things work but everyone, regardless of whether they can speak English, still has to attend to official matters: registering with their council, filing tax paperwork and finding a job and a place to live.

How do they manage?

Obviously, people of different ethnicities speak English and, if they happen not to, a member of their community would surely be available to them to navigate their official tasks. The question remains, though: how well can the ESOL population make themselves understood?

What about native Leicester residents who want or need to learn how to speak in Received Pronunciation?

Reducing Accents in Leicester

Received Pronunciation is the standard British English accent; the accent that television presenters and other public speakers are required to use when broadcasting their messages. Even teachers are often required to address their students using RP.

And there you have a crucial reason why people in Leicester work on reducing their accents.

Not because they all want to be teachers, public speakers, politicians or news anchors but because many career fields, these days, demand that their employees speak with the standard British accent. This is particularly true if you want to work with a multinational corporation. Because such employees may have to engage with counterparts in other countries, whose native language is not English, it's thought best to use only standard English so everyone can make themselves understood.

Finding Accent Reduction Lessons in Leicester

As you can see, it's not only Leicester's ethnically diverse population that could benefit from accent reduction - although that is quite often the case. While we're not advocating for anyone to abandon their native tongue or dialect, smoothing communication channels is always a good idea.

That's why Superprof accent reduction tutors are so passionate about their work. They know well the importance of being able to communicate your ideas effectively and the benefits their students gain as their improved speaking leads them to greater opportunities.

If you prefer face-to-face lessons with a Superprof tutor, you'll be happy to know you have a choice of nine such professionals in the Leicester area. By contrast, if in-person learning wouldn't work for you, how about taking online lessons with your Superprof tutor? For this option, you have 134 professionals to choose from.