Today accent coach Steve is joined by English instructor Marceli Marcinkowski, known as "Pan Angielski" in his native Poland, on a wide-ranging conversation about language acquisition and accent modification.

In this conversation, Marceli shares with us:

• how he got obsesssed with English and has devoted his life to teaching it to others
• his methods and techniques on how to teach English to children
• why the Polish education system does not succeed at teaching real-world English
• how his children learned to speak English despite never having had a formal lesson
• what he did to attain a natural-sounding American English accent
• his advice to others on changing their own accents

At the end of the episode, Marceli turns the tables on Steve and evaluates his accent and pronunciation in Polish! Make sure you don't miss a second of this fun and informational episode with a successful language learner.

Connect with Marceli at his website: https://panangielski.com/

And make sure to subscribe to his YouTube and TikTok channels!

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Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation—one sound and pattern at a time.

The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

In this episode of The Accent Journey, we continue our series on connected speech by exploring how consonants link to other consonants in natural American English.

The episode focuses on two major patterns:

1. Stop consonants before consonants (such as big problem or hot coffee), where the final consonant sound is usually unreleased
2. Non-stop consonants before consonants (such as green park or real story), where sounds flow smoothly into one another

You’ll learn:

• How consonant-to-consonant linking works in connected speech
• How airflow changes between stop and non-stop consonants
• Practical strategies to create smoother, more natural pronunciation

The episode includes extensive guided practice with phrases, sentences, dialogues, and a longer passage to help listeners improve both fluency and listening comprehension.

Key takeaway: Natural English speech connects sounds smoothly instead of pronouncing every word separately.

Practice challenge: Practice linking phrases like big problem, good boy, help me, and green park, focusing on smoother transitions and reduced pauses between words.

Practice passage: “Last week, our team faced a big problem during an important project meeting. After a short discussion, everyone worked together to solve it quickly. Later, we drank hot coffee, talked about the next steps, and took the train back to the office before sunset.”

Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation—one sound and pattern at a time.

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The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore the important vowel contrast between /eɪ/ as in late and /ɛ/ as in let.

Although these sounds may seem similar, they are fundamentally different. The /eɪ/ sound is a diphthong, meaning the mouth moves during the vowel, while /ɛ/ is a short, stable vowel with little movement. Confusing these sounds can easily change the meaning of words and reduce clarity.

You’ll learn:

• How to physically produce /eɪ/ and /ɛ/
• Why /eɪ/ is considered a moving vowel
• The key difference between gliding and stable vowel sounds
• How to hear and produce the contrast more accurately

The episode includes extensive minimal pair practice, as well as sentences, dialogues, and a longer practice passage designed to improve both pronunciation and listening comprehension.

Key takeaway: /eɪ/ includes movement and glide, while /ɛ/ stays short and stable.

Practice challenge: Practice minimal pairs like late–let, pain–pen, and wait–wet, focusing on adding clear movement to /eɪ/ while keeping /ɛ/ short and steady. Recording yourself can help you hear the difference more clearly.

Practice passage: “Late yesterday evening, heavy rain fell across the city. Many people waited inside cafés and watched the weather change. A man at the next table said the train might be delayed again. Everyone stayed relaxed and hoped the rain would end before midnight.”

Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation—one sound and pattern at a time.

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The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore one of the most recognizable features of American English pronunciation: the flap T.

In many common words, the /t/ sound is not pronounced as a strong “t.” Instead, when /t/ appears between vowel sounds, American speakers often use a quick tongue tap that sounds similar to a soft /d/. This is why words like water, city, and better can sound different from what learners expect.

You’ll learn:

• What the flap T is and why it happens
• When American English uses a flap T
• How the flap T differs from a regular /t/ or /d/
• How to produce the sound naturally and smoothly

The episode includes extensive guided practice with words, sentences, dialogues, and a longer practice passage, helping you develop more natural rhythm and connected speech.

Key takeaway: The flap T is a quick, light tongue tap that helps American English sound smoother and more fluid.

Practice challenge: Practice common words like water, better, city, and meeting, focusing on making the /t/ a quick tap instead of a strong stop. Listen for flap Ts in movies, podcasts, and everyday conversations.

Practice passage: “After the meeting, we walked through the city and stopped to get water. The weather was better than expected, and everyone seemed relaxed. Later, we visited a little café and talked about future projects while waiting for the train to arrive.”

Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation—one sound and pattern at a time.

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The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore an important feature of natural spoken English: the unreleased, or held /t/.

Many learners pronounce the /t/ sound very clearly in all positions, but in American English, /t/ is often not fully "released," especially when it comes before another consonant. Instead of a strong “t” sound, speakers make a quick stop with the tongue and move directly to the next sound.

You’ll learn:

• What a held /t/ is and how it sounds
• When it typically occurs (before consonant sounds)
• How to physically produce the “stop without release”
• Common mistakes learners make—and how to avoid them

The episode includes extensive guided practice with phrases, sentences, dialogues, and a longer passage, helping you develop more natural rhythm and smoother transitions between sounds.

Key takeaway: When /t/ comes before another consonant, don’t release it—stop the sound and move on.

Practice challenge: Practice phrases like get back, sit down, and not bad, focusing on stopping the /t/ without releasing it. Record yourself and compare your speech to natural models.

Practice passage: “Last week, I went to a great place with a friend. We sat down, talked for a long time, and had a good time. After that, we got back on the train and went home. It wasn’t perfect, but it was not bad at all.”

Follow The Accent Journey for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation—one sound and pattern at a time.

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The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

In this episode of The Accent Journey, we focus on another essential vowel contrast in American English: /i/ as in sheep and /ɪ/ as in ship.

These two sounds are very close, but they differ in length and tension, and confusing them can easily change the meaning of a word. Mastering this contrast is key to improving both clarity and listening comprehension.

You’ll learn:

• How to produce /i/ (long, tense) and /ɪ/ (short, relaxed)
• The physical and acoustic differences between the two sounds
• How vowel length affects meaning in English
• Practical strategies to hear and produce the contrast more clearly

The episode includes extensive minimal pair practice, along with sentences, dialogues, and a longer passage to help you build accuracy and fluency.

Key takeaway: The difference between /i/ and /ɪ/ is not just the sound—it’s also the length and tension.

Practice challenge: Practice minimal pairs like sheep–ship, seat–sit, and leave–live, focusing on making /i/ longer and more tense, and /ɪ/ shorter and more relaxed. Recording yourself can help you hear the difference more clearly.

Practice passage: “She lives in a city near the beach. Every week, she meets friends and eats healthy meals. She enjoys reading, listening to music, and keeping busy. Although life is busy, she feels happy and believes she is living a meaningful and active life.”

Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by American English coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers develop clearer, more natural American English pronunciation—one sound and pattern at a time.

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The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

In this episode of The Accent Journey, we focus on one of the most important vowel contrasts in American English: /æ/ as in cat and /ʌ/ as in cut.

These two sounds are often confused by learners, but they play a crucial role in clear communication. Mixing them can change the meaning of words and make speech harder to understand.

You’ll learn:

• How to physically produce /æ/ (open, forward) and /ʌ/ (relaxed, central)
• The key differences between these two vowels
• How to recognize and correct common mistakes
• Practical strategies to improve clarity through vowel awareness

The episode includes extensive minimal pair practice, along with words, sentences, dialogues, and a longer passage to help you build both accuracy and fluency.

Key takeaway: The contrast between /æ/ and /ʌ/ is based on openness and tension—one is active and open, the other is relaxed and neutral.

Practice challenge: Practice a few minimal pairs each day (like cap–cup or bad–bud), focusing on clearly opening your mouth for /æ/ and relaxing for /ʌ/. Recording yourself can help you notice the difference.

Practice passage: “The man had a bad plan, but he felt lucky at the same time. He packed his bag, cut some rope, and ran across the path. At first, it seemed like a fun adventure, but later he understood the risk and changed his plan.”

Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by American English coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers develop clearer, more natural American English pronunciation—one sound and pattern at a time.

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The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

In this episode of The Accent Journey, we continue our series on linking by focusing on a common but often overlooked pattern: when the same consonant appears at the end of one word and the beginning of the next.

In natural spoken English, these sounds are not pronounced twice. Instead, they are held and released once, creating smoother, more efficient speech. Mastering this pattern can significantly improve your fluency and help your speech sound more natural.

You’ll learn:

• Why repeating the same consonant creates unnatural pauses
• How to connect identical consonant sounds across words
• The simple technique of “hold and release”
• Common examples with sounds like /g/, /d/, /n/, /s/, and /m/

The episode includes extensive guided practice with phrases, sentences, and short dialogues, helping you apply this skill in real conversational contexts.

Key takeaway: When the same consonant appears twice, pronounce it once—hold the sound and connect it smoothly.

Practice challenge: Listen for repeated consonant sounds in everyday English and practice linking them without pausing. Use the dialogues from the episode to build fluency and confidence.

Practice passage: “It was a good day to meet the new team member and discuss a big goal. She wore a red dress and shared some money-saving ideas. After that, we walked to the bus stop and talked about the next steps in the project.”

Follow The Accent Journey for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers develop clearer, more natural American English pronunciation—one sound and pattern at a time.

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The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

In this episode of The Accent Journey, we begin a new mini-series on linking, focusing on the most common and important type: consonant to vowel linking.

In natural spoken English, words are not pronounced separately. Instead, sounds connect across word boundaries. When a word ends in a consonant and the next word begins with a vowel, the consonant typically links forward, creating smoother, more fluent speech.

You’ll learn:

• Why native speakers connect words instead of pronouncing them one by one
• How consonant → vowel linking works in real speech
• Why pausing between words can make your English sound unnatural
• How to train your mouth to move more continuously when speaking

The episode includes guided practice with words, phrases, sentences, and a longer passage, helping you develop smoother, more natural speech patterns.

Key takeaway: Natural English is connected—don’t stop at the end of a word, link it to the next one.

Practice challenge: Choose a few short sentences each day and practice connecting the final consonant of one word to the vowel at the beginning of the next. Focus on smooth, continuous movement rather than speed.

And try this week's practice passage for an extra challenge:

“I want to pick it up and take it over to the office later. If I find out more about it, I’ll call him and give him an update. We can make a plan and decide what to do after we review everything carefully.”

Follow The Accent Journey for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation—one sound and pattern at a time.

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The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

In this episode, we have an interview with another accent modification student, Dominik!

Dominik, a native speaker of Slovakian, is also an amateur storm chaser who seeks out and documents dangerous weather in the "Tornado Alley" region of the United States. Dominik tells host Steven Nelson about what it's like to follow this kind of lifestyle, and he shares his experiences of putting himself in the middle of dangerous storms over the past eight years.

Dominik then talks about his why he feels accent training is important to him, what he’s done to make his accent closer to a native speaker of American English, and he also gives advice to other non-native speakers of English who want to change their own accents.

At the end of the interview, Steven gives him some specific feedback on how he could make his accent sound more natural and native-like.

Subscribe to Dominik's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@DominiksExtremeWeatherAdventur

Follow Dominik on Facebook as well: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574833645011

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The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com.

Make sure to subscribe to The Accent Journal Podcast wherever you find podcasts, and leave us a review there to spread the word about this show. We'd love to hear your feedback too. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact

Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.