Going into law, final accent reduction

[Englishftw]

Hi everyone, I moved to Canada about 5 years ago(I'm 18.) and did high school here and now I am in first year university. My Russian accent is not really a huge issue for me as I speak with the right intonation, using the right words, etc, but some words like "party" and "minor" give away my origin and sometimes people have a hard time understanding my pronunciation of a few particular words. This also results in a few other problems which I find really intimidating.

This would not be that bad if I wasn't planning to go into law and for that I need excellent language proficiency. What are my options to correct this last stage of an accent? Probably all self help is out and my university doesn't offer any form of courses/clubs in this sphere so should I get a private linguistics instructor?

Money is not really a huge concern for me and this is very important, so I would seriously consider any options. How long do you think it would take me to correct my pronunciation? Is it possible? I am sure that it is, but you never know... I am prepared to spend as much time as I need to be able to speak fast and clear because frankly I think this is my main handicap in the debate club/model UN club etc.

Thanks for your help.

[Jamie (K)]

If you get a private tutor, you need someone who really understands phonology, or else you're wasting your time. If you just get a regular English teacher, forget it.

You should get some audio software that will let you record your voice and listen for the problems. Some ESL programs allow this, but they're mostly made for Spanish speakers. You can work out a way to listen to yourself compared to a native speaker. A good program for this would be Praat (http://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/).

Here is an overview of various pronunciation software. Some of it is still available, and some isn't.
http://oregonstate.edu/~healeyd/tesol2002/pron.html

[Jamie (K)]

I forgot to mention that it is possible for people to correct their pronunciation, but it depends on their willingness to admit their own flaws, their willingness to take on a new "linguistic identity", and the flexibility of their mind and ego. Some people can correct things very quickly, some people take longer, and some people (especially people who think they're very important) never can.

[Stew.t.]

hi

This maybe an option to consider; a voice coach that actors often use.
If they have a specialization in accents.

But as Jamie mentioned it is willingness and talent, compare Hugh Laurie in "House" to Mel Gibson in Braveheart.

I have the same issue with my soft English accent in German.

As my old drama teacher used to say "perseverance is sometimes painstaking".

Also really shop around for the right tutor for your needs.

Good luck!
_________________
Please meet Stewart Tunncilff