Why I Don't Teach Accent Removal

I'm from Croydon, and I'm proud to be from South London.

Growing up, I had a South London lilt, alongside a few Irish-sounding pronunciation features I picked up from my grandmother, who was from Donegal.

When I was at school, we were offered speech and drama lessons where part of the focus was on accent removal.

The message I took from that? There was something about the way I spoke that needed correcting.

Honestly, it made me insecure about my voice for a long time.

Today, my everyday accent is much more neutral. I've lived abroad for years and spend much of my working day speaking with people from different countries and linguistic backgrounds. I've naturally adapted the way I speak and, yes, sometimes consciously so that I'm more easily understood.

That doesn't mean the way I spoke before was wrong or unprofessional.

Our accents tell stories.

The photo is of me and my grandma. She left a farm in rural Ireland for Yorkshire, before eventually moving to Croydon to build a new life and find opportunities for her family.

Some of her Irish pronunciation found its way into my voice. Croydon added a South London lilt.

That's why I make an important distinction in my own coaching:
Accent removal vs having greater control over your speech and adapting it when you choose to.

I don't teach people to erase their accents. Pronunciation and voice coaching should give you more choices in how you communicate, not make you ashamed of where your voice came from.

Catch me back home with friends and family and you'll probably hear a little more South London creeping back in.

I certainly haven't lost Croydon. Why would I want to?