How do I acquire the standard American accent?

I'm a learner of English as a second language, and I'd like to speak English like a native American speaker. Is this possible?





I know there is no single American accent, but many. However I've been told the accent of the midwestern United States is considered by most as the standard. (Is this true?).





What advice (or resource to recommend) do you have for someone like me, a foreign learner, wanting to speak English like a native speaker?





Or is it simply impossible?|||Why american? there not the only ones that have the official language of english, even though there's would be more considered american English (they wanted to make their own language but it didn't work, now they just have a whole heap of misspelled words)|||This is not only human impossible, but a little idiot. Let's stay just with the first aspect.





It's impossible because the mechanism which produces our voice is molded/formed until a given age according to our language needs. Then if your needs were for speaking another language and accent than the American Standard English, you'll have formed in you a different pattern.





And this patter will shapes the way you say the language sounds.





A few people, in fact, can learn how to speak like a native, for different reasons: spy's or job's finalities. If you get into a phonoaudiology doctor (phonoaudiologist), then you might improve your organs for that... but this brings the second aspect I wrote above: idiocy. What matters is to be understood, not to be another person, or to get another nationality.





If this is the things you're looking for, then you don't need a native accent, but a Green Card sort of thing. If you need that to be accepted by a social group, then you shoud review who are your friends!





Anyways, good luck.











ieBrazil|||Yes, the midwestern accent is considered the standard accent, and it's the accent that you will usually hear on any American tv show, or Hollywood movie.


The best way to speak with the "standard" American accent is to learn from what you hear from the tv and movies.


It's either that, or live in the U.S. among the people.|||It's not impossible. I had a friend from Australia who hid her Australian accent in public and used an American one. Of course, she already knew English though.





I've heard the best way to really learn a language or accent is to spend time around people who are native speakers of it. But if that's not possible, maybe you could watch some movies that are in American English.





My brother did that when he needed to put on a Spanish accent for a play. He watched movies with Spanish accented people in them, and he practiced by copying the things they said.|||Don't,


nobody wants to have an american accent.


plus, I am sure that wherever you are from, your accent is much cooler than an american accent.


Also, there is no standard american accent, i.e Southern, midwest, New England, Chicago, the accents go on.|||Go to the Midwest. Live amongst the natives. Learn quickly that they hate foreigners there and become the victim of a hate crime. Listen to their curse words and insults as they bash you to the ground, assault you, and kick you repeatedly. That is how you will learn their accents.|||The answer of your question is in the book of Ann Cook. Author of American Accent Training...





Try to browse the net about her books! and lastly,live in the US and be surrounded by Americans.|||if your around people who talk american all the time trust me you will adopt their acent. come to newyork City ! youll adopt the accent realy quick!|||Living in Wyoming .|||It's not impossible, but it'll require a lot of work. I've been tutoring an Indonesian man in American pronunciation for over a year, and only now is he finally starting to turn the corner and change his pronunciation.





The single best way to pick up on American pronunciation is simply to spend a lot of time among people who use it, and to make conscious attempts to sound like them when you speak to them. Pronunciation is only half of the learning -- you also need to learn more about intonation, speed, rhythm and so on. All of these things happen slowly -- you remember to change one thing, but forget about everything else. That's just the way it goes for a long, long time.





It might also help to take a class in pronunciation (sometimes these are available at little or no cost from local community organizations) or to buy a book with CD exercises. I like American Accent Training by Ann Cook, but that one only works if you've got a full grasp of the written language. If you're still working on vocabulary, it's a hard book to follow.





The single biggest obstacle to learning pronunciation is reverting back to your native language's pronunciation after you leave your conversation, lesson, or pracice session. In other words, if you use a different dialect at home (and you spend most of your time at home), you'll undo a lot of the pronunciation habits you learn elsewhere. But if you make yourself use American pronunciation at home -- at least for awhile -- you'll probably be able to keep both dialects. No matter what, you don't want to get so serious about American pronunciation that you lose your own dialect.





There are a lot of definitions for "standard" American dialect. The general dialect of the midwest and west coast (and the dialect you normally hear on national news programs) is often considered standard. But there are variations within these. And it really depends on where you live -- if you live in New York City, for example, you can speak a "standard" dialect but still sound out of place. You just have to adjust to wherever you end up living.|||With time, you'll learn the American accent. Don't worry.





Every region is different, and what you may hear in one part of America, you won't hear in another. The dialect really does change, but America is a large country. Some call it soda; others call it pop. It means the same thing, it's just regional.





As for pronunciation-- it can be really easy or difficult.It depends.





The only language you can truly speak is the one that you know when you are born.





You cant teach yourself how to speak with an American accent like you could teach yourself how to speak englsh. Accents are inherited, not taught.





Record a sentence spoken with the accent you wish to emulate. Then record your own voice speaking that sentence. Listen and compare, correcting yourself along the way. Continue until you are satisfied with the results.





i guess an accent comes with time once being around persons who speak in such tone, after time you may pick it up.





If you are reading alone, read out loud. When you are speaking with others, don't worry about your accent. Let your words flow naturally. We all have our own natural vocal tone. Be proud of yours.





Well, maybe when you practice you could talk to a person who speaks with an American accent. This might help you to obtain a smoother one yourself. Good luck!