| o Improve Your Accent | | | | English," for example. But they seem just as bad, as if |
| Are you tired of people asking you to repeat because | | | | everything is limited, including people's perceptions of |
| they don't understand you? Your friends say, "Just do | | | | the limited English speaker. |
| this!" and they expect you to make the sound! Would | | | | I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, |
| you like to learn once and for all what to do with your | | | | my mother's "limited" English limited my perception of |
| lips, tongue and mouth to make the sounds of English? | | | | her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her |
| Do you feel that everything sounds the same? You | | | | English reflected the quality of what she had to say. |
| know you are pronouncing the words wrong; you | | | | That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her |
| know that you are pausing too much; you know that | | | | thoughts were imperfect. And 1 had plenty of evidence |
| when you talk, it doesn't sound like English, but you | | | | to support me: the fact that people in department |
| don't know what to do. | | | | stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her |
| Wouldn't you like to learn once and for all what are the | | | | seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not |
| most common errors that people make when they | | | | to understand her, or even acted as if they did not |
| learn English so you could concentrate on those errors. | | | | hear her. |
| First of all, you have to realize that an accent is made | | | | If even a daughter can think that her mother is limited |
| up of three parts: intonation, liaisons, and pronunciation. | | | | because of her limited English, you can be sure that |
| You have to learn the "rules" of these three | | | | other people think this way also. So you should start |
| components of your new language. The work "rule" is | | | | improving your accent. |
| in quotes because in speech all "rules" may be broken | | | | You can go to a specialist who can work with you. |
| by native speakers in special circumstances. Still, if a | | | | This is the best way but it can be expensive. You can |
| "rule" helps you 9 times out of ten, you shouldn't | | | | use recordings and courses to imporve your accent. |
| complain if it fails you once. | | | | This can be as good as working with the expert IF |
| Intonation is the most important and the most difficult to | | | | YOU DO IT! It is just like the difference between |
| change. It is the "music", the rhythm or a language. | | | | having exercise equipment in your house and using a |
| Liaisons, or linkages, are the ways that words and | | | | personal trainer. The trick is to do it. For some accent |
| parts of words are linked together in a language. This | | | | reduction programs go to: ! |
| may be very different from how you do it in your | | | | You can start with this little exercise to get used to |
| native language. | | | | working on your accent. First, try this: Listen to |
| And pronunciation is the way that sounds are made in | | | | recordings of how people who speak your language |
| the new language. These sounds may be similar | | | | pronounce English or whatever language you are |
| (rarely exactly the same) to the sounds of your own | | | | learning. Next, make a recording of your own voice. |
| language, or they may be very different. To learn the | | | | Compare, do it over, see if that helps a little. |
| sounds, you have to learn where in the mouth the | | | | PRONUNCIATION: AN IMPORTANT PART OF |
| sound is made, how it is made, and the position of the | | | | ACCENT |
| tongue in making the sound. | | | | Proper pronunciation is only one of the parts of a good |
| Most people do not work on their accents. Some | | | | accent and maybe not even the most important one |
| achieve very good, even perfect, accents after living | | | | (many linguists think that intonation is the most |
| many years in their new country or by using their new | | | | important part of a correct accent). But pronunciation is |
| language for many years. | | | | where a learner of a new language can make the |
| However, this is not automatic. There are many people | | | | best progress. The correct Pronunciation of the |
| who spend years using a language and never get rid | | | | sounds of a new language CAN be learned! |
| of a heavy accent. | | | | Of course, it takes listening and practice but one little tip |
| Often, it doesn't matter to the person. If they live in an | | | | for English is to recall that the "long" vowels in English, |
| immigrant community, sometimes it is even a negative | | | | like the "e" in May, the "o" in toe, have a little "slide" at |
| thing to achieve a good accent in the new language. | | | | their end, either a "y" or a "u". That is why an English |
| This is because friends and family might think that one | | | | speaker ends up "smiling" after a word ending with a |
| is trying to forget their origins. | | | | "long a", or "puckering" after an "o". The mouth of |
| But if you live and work among people who speak the | | | | speakers of other languages barely move when he |
| new language well, you should work at improving your | | | | pronounces their vowels. |
| accent. Unfortunately, some people make judgments | | | | Here's another trick that might help you pronounce |
| about your worth and your intelligence according to | | | | English correctly. The consonants "p" and "t" are |
| how well you speak their language. Read what the | | | | pronounced with a puff of air in English. All you have to |
| Chinese American writer Amy Tan says about her | | | | do to make a huge jump in your English is to practice |
| own feelings about her mother's accent: | | | | saying words with these letters, such as Peter, pepper, |
| Lately, I've been giving more thought to the kind of | | | | table, etc. with a lit match in front of your mouth. If the |
| English my mother speaks. Like others, I have | | | | match goes out, you're speaking English. |
| described it to people as "broken" or "fractured" | | | | Obviously the two examples just given are brief and |
| English. But I wince when I say that. It has always | | | | crude explanations only meant to open the discussion |
| bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it | | | | that will be presented more carefully in the |
| other than "broken," as if it were damaged and | | | | recommendations you will find in the lists on this page. |
| needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness | | | | The most important thing to realize is that Accent is |
| and soundness. I've heard other terms used, "limited | | | | more than Pronunciation! |