If you’ve been learning languages for a while, you already know that improving your pronunciation is essential. Acquiring a native accent after deciding to learn a language is relatively easy when you’re a child, but can we acquire that same level as an adult? Is it even important? Here’s what scientific research and our language-learning experience has to say.
Can Adult Learners Get a Native Accent?
First and foremost, it’s important to establish what we’re aiming towards; “getting a native accent” isn’t a level in language proficiency.
You can actually reach an advanced level, or even speak fluently, without necessarily “passing” as a native in your target language. Besides, speaking like a native doesn’t guarantee a better command of the language, because natives often make errors when speaking their own language.
So, to respond directly to the question: yes! Adults can get a native accent in their target language.
You’ve probably already heard or met someone who speaks a second, or even a third, language that talks as fluently and naturally as a native. It’s not very common, especially among adult learners, but it’s possible.
A great example of adult learners with native-like accents, who soccer fans will know, is Ole Gunnar Solskjær, a Norwegian soccer player that became the manager of Manchester United. If you listen to his interviews, you’ll hear that he actually has a Mancunian accent (from British Manchester). If his name and Wikipedia page didn’t betray his nationality, we wouldn’t be able to tell he’s from outside of the UK. He speaks English like a native with a perfect Manchester accent, but he’s actually Norwegian. That’s impressive, don’t you think?
Advantages of a Foreign Accent
You probably also know someone learning a language (maybe learning your language), or someone who already speaks the language fluently, that kept the accent from their original language. Sometimes, unfortunately, that situation can lead to frustration for language learners.
Sometimes our teachers have students who even hate their accents. And for a teacher, that can be concerning. Why? Because, in reality, there’s nothing bad about accents. A foreign accent can even have some advantages:
- it can be a perfect icebreaker: “Oh, your accent… where are you from?”
- it also proves you’re intelligent because you speak more than one language
- some accents are even considered sexy or pleasant, though this applies to some more than others
Native Accent: Pronunciation VS Communication
That being said, having a foreign accent can be a problem in certain situations. Particularly when non-native speakers have a lot of difficulty being understood because of that accent. In that case, the best advice that we can give is to work on accent reduction with a language coach. It’s strongly recommended in this case, so you can communicate better.
We’ve shared our experience and our friend Ole’s experience with you on this topic: it is in fact possible for adults to acquire a native accent. Now, let’s see what science has to say.
What science and our language experience has to say
What’s the difference between a man like Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who is perfectly capable of blending in with the British, and other language learners who clearly show where they’re from just by pronouncing a couple of words? Is it a natural gift? A specific talent? A high IQ?
To respond to these questions, we need to look at 8 scientific factors connected to language learning in order to discover how they influence the acquisition of a native accent in adults.
Age and Cerebral Plasticity
The first factor is age and cerebral plasticity, also known as neuroplasticity.
It’s well known that the younger you are, the easier it is to learn things in general. And the good news is that learning languages isn’t an exception to that rule. This is because the brain is still very flexible in the early stages of life.
In this period of life, a child can be exposed to language sounds that are different than their native language, and their brain can easily integrate them. That makes it easier for them to learn and correctly reproduce those sounds. So they’re actively learning the accent that they’re hearing and copying it naturally.
Lisa-Joy, our English professor who made this video, had this exact experience. She learned to speak French when she was still very young and easily passes for a French person when she speaks French. On the other hand, she has a foreign accent when she speaks other languages that she learned later in life.
Does the brain lose neuroplasticity over the years? That’s very likely one of the reasons we lose our ability to hear and repeat without an accent.
Another hypothesis related to age and language learning is the idea that the younger you are, the less you suffer from certain psychological barriers. Children have no problems with integrating new sounds to their speech, which actually gives them the best mindset for learning languages.
The Critical Theory Hypothesis
The change in our ability to learn could also be connected to the Critical Period Hypothesis, which is a theory about age and language learning. This theory affirms that there is an ideal time window in a person’s life, generally in the first couple years of life, which are crucial for learning languages. After this period, learning a language becomes much more difficult.
This hypothesis created many controversies and was brought into question by many polyglots. Some people believe that the critical period for foreign language learning isn’t applicable when it comes to reaching a certain level of language competence.
Individual Differences
Researchers have found that every language learner is unique. According to their work, there are certain things that can make the language learning progress slower or faster, and the same applies to getting a native accent. Typically, the more attentive that someone is and the easier they can imitate new sounds (which is a skill that can be developed), the better their accent is. Musicians and actors are known for being good at these things because they practice active listening as part of their work.
Another important thing that can influence getting a native accent are personality traits and someone’s emotional state. Acquiring an new accent is kind of like creating a new person. So, the more open you are to that idea, the easier it will be for you to speak like a native.
Exposure to a Foreign Language
The more that you’re exposed to the language you’re trying to master, the easier and faster it will be for you to reach your goal. Even from your own home. In other words, you don’t necessarily need to pack your suitcase and go live in another country to perfect your language abilities. Today, you can communicate and interact with people from around the world – or even with AI – thanks to a tool called the internet.
Actually, regular exposure can improve your comprehension, pronunciation, and familiarity with common expressions. It also helps to internalize linguistic structures, making your speech more authentic and closer to that of a native’s.
Speaking Other Languages
The experience of speaking several languages provides a set of previous skills that can positively influence your capacity to learn and speak a new language fluently, or like a native. Bilinguals, trilinguals, and polyglots have all had more opportunities to learn pronunciation techniques like mimicking, imitating, and shadowing.
Even more, each language has a unique phonological system, including specific IPA sounds (International Phonological Alphabet). The more languages you speak, the more familiar you’ll be with IPA sounds. That makes it easier to correctly pronounce words in your new target language.
Proximity to Another Language You Speak
Some languages are more similar than others in terms of vocabulary, syntax, pronunciation, etc. So it can be easier to acquire a native accent in a language that resembles your maternal language or another language that you already speak.
For example, it would be easier for a Spanish speaker to acquire a native Italian accent than a native English accent. Spanish and Italian are very similar as compared to Spanish and English, which have completely different roots, sounds, and even intonation.
Alcohol
It all depends on how much you’ve had, how frequently you had it, and your individual tolerance. Although moderate alcohol consumption can make some people more relaxed, more confident, and less inhibited in social contexts; excessive alcohol consumption can have detrimental effects on the acquisition of a native accent and overall language proficiency.
Sense of Belonging
Frank Smith, a Canadian psycholinguist, speculated that our sense of belonging to a group can influence our ability to pass as a native speaker. He claims that, “the accent is acquired quickly but isn’t realized because we don’t feel like we’re a member of the group that uses that language, we’re not a part of the club.”
As a result, a factor that can help people acquire a native accent is adopting a new personality in that language and being ready to integrate in a new social environment.
The Input Hypothesis
The last scientific factor is the Input Hypothesis from Dr. Stephen Krashen, a well-known linguist, educator, and expert in language acquisition. This hypothesis affirms that there is no true barrier to getting a native accent. According to Dr. Krashen, your mindset is the biggest obstacle between you and a native accent in your target language. We only achieve what we believe we can achieve.
If you start learning a language with the belief that you will never speak like a native, then you won’t. And vice versa. Your mindset can be your greatest obstacle or your greatest ally.
Summary of the Scientific Facts
Here’s a quick summary of the 8 key factors we mentioned that can influence the acquisition of a native accent:
- Age and Cerebral Plasticity – When it comes to developing a native accent, young adults can have an advantage over older adults.
- Individual Differences – Language skills and personality traits can influence how you practice learning languages, and therefore enable you to get a native accent.
- Exposure to the Target Language – The more exposure you get to your target language, the more likely your brain is to internalize the correct pronunciation patterns.
- Speaking Other Languages – Knowing other languages can be beneficial.
- The Language Proximity to What You Already Know – A language that’s similar to one you already speak can give you an advantage.
- Alcohol – This can have a temporary positive effect but the overall negative effects are more significant.
- Sense of Belonging – Being able to blend in, not only through language, but also with native speakers and their culture can help your accent.
- The Input Hypothesis – Dr. Krashen’s theory confirms that your mindset is your greatest obstacle or your greatest ally.
Video – Can Adults Acquire a Native-Like Accent? What Science and Our Experience Have to Say!
Join Lisa-Joy in this new video, where she’ll explain if it’s possible to speak with a native accent and what can influence our accent when we speak a foreign language. The video is in English but subtitles are available in English, French, and 4 other languages. To use them, just click the gear in the bottom right of the video.
For More Information
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