Hi Everyone!
I have just uploaded my second video on YouTube. Please check out this video, which is about the American accent textbook that I've bought this afternoon at a local bookstore in Singapore:
As I have mentioned in the video, this is a learning kit specialized in accent reduction.
The reason why I've bought American Accent Training is that, after I had watched my first YouTube video, I felt that my English accent still leaves a lot to be desired, and I decided that I really should do something about it.
This learning kit cost me 72.48 Singapore dollars (approximately USD 50). If I can really master a correct American accent, I think it's well worth the price.
From today onwards, I plan to study this material bit by bit everyday, and get my accent gradually corrected. I hope by the time I complete this book, I will be able to speak English with a more natural accent.
In the course of learning to speak American English, I will be posting more videos on YouTube, so you can also monitor my progress as I go along. Hope you will check out those videos also.
As always, you are welcome to post your comments on my videos, as I would really like to improve myself.
Many thanks for watching this video.
Talk to you again soon!
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5 comments:
Hi,
Your blog is very interesting. Kudos to you for investing in yourself. Just a quick question: How do you know if you are doing it correctly? Try this online voice recognition software program where your speech is monitored by a Speech Professional. You get immediate feedback as to whether you have produced the sound correctly. Check it out: www.L2accent.com. Email me and I will email you the password.
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for your comment!
I will check out your website and will contact you if I need your professional help.
Cheers,
Uncle Polyglot
Hi Uncle Polyglot,
From some of the posts you have written on your blog, it seems that you are unlike a lot of the internet polyglots who appear to be extremely indoxicated with themselves ( or languages they claim to speak)
You are one of the most modest persons Ive ever seen.
So, Im sure that whatever your proficiency of languages is, you will never get complacent and continue to improve.
Listening to your English, I just wondered why you do not speak "Singlish" ( english spoken by some Singapolians like adding la at the end of a sentence)
Have you deliberately protected yourself so your excellent English is not polluted?
Speaking of accent, I do think that its got a lot to do with issues of identity, that is, who/what we identify ourselves with. In other words, the stronger ones identiy is, the harder it becomes to acquire a better accent. Im sad to say, but because I identify myself with the Japanse too much, there seems to be something stuck in making english accent better. on the other hand, For instance, Ive seen quite a few of my friends who truly love American/British culture, people. after they spend a year or longer, most of them usually come home picking up a pretty good accent.
Or it may partly explain why children pick up a good accent, since they have nothing to identify with ( supposing that they have not yet been badly brainwashed)
wish you all the best;)
cozy
Hi cozy,
Thanks again for your comment. Sorry for not replying sooner.
Regarding your question, I haven't been consciously avoiding Singlish, as it's something unavoidable here in Singapore.
I've chosen to learn an American accent simply out of personal preference, as I think it sounds pleasing to the ear. In this regard, I like a Canadian accent too. Come to think of it, I also love the sound of French, Italian, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Up until today, I still haven't managed to completely get rid of my Japanese accent. Obviously, it will take years and years to practice to pick up a correct accent. However, I'm willing to undergo this practice because, instead of finding the process boring and painful, I find it immensely enjoyable and pleasurable!
By the way, I am planning to shoot another video on YouTube in English very soon. This time around, I'll be speaking a bit longer than I did in my previous English video, so you might be able to tell whether there's been some improvement in my accent. Do keep a lookout!
Cheers,
UnclePolyglot
Hi Uncle Polyglot san,
Yes, Id love to see how you will have improved the accent by the time you complete your book.
When I took a phonetics course at a university, my professor told me that the hardest part for us japanese in making an accent better is vowels. after this course, I managed to make consonants ( of English) out, and yet I still have trouble pronouncing some English vowels.
What about you? which part exactly do you find the most difficult to master in an accent reduction?
( I do think that your English has already reached the highest level in every aspect for foreigners. that is indeed a great achievement not everyone can make, probably after decades of hardwork and passions for languages.)
although it is off the topic ( sumimasen), Ive recently reread a book titled Reverse method English learning ( eigo ha gyakukara manabe) by Hideto Tomabechi.
Tomabechi san insisted in this book that
(1) grammer as we study at school in japan is meaningless
(2) we should discard dictionaries right away
(3) never translate a language ( say, english into Japanese)
I mostly agree with him on the first point.
I, however, disagree on the second, third point.
while I do think it is not very wise to soly rely on dictionaries, they have been extremely helpful in my limited experieces.
also, I think that translation is not necesarily a bad thing. I now see it as one of the good ways to understand a langauge.
What do you think about Tomabechi san`s suggestions?
sorry again for a lenthy post.
wish you all the best;)
Cozy
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