Dear friends:
I want to share my experience like you guys do.
When I was 12 years old, I came to America from China. At first, I didn't speak English much nor I could understand any better. But now, my English has been improved a whole lot. But of course, I''ve been here for 4 years now.
But there are so problems I have with my american english accent. No matter how hard I have tried, I still can't speak the perfect American accent . I tried to read out loud newspaper or my literature textbook . None of those things work, if I have been doing it for about a year. My friend from Europe, he can speak American English accent perfectly without doing anything in specific, and he came here the same time I did. I still don't know how long do I have to go in order to acheive my dreamed "American accent'.
I know speak accented English doesn't mean you speak English, but still in order to assimulate into this country, you must speak their accent. I heard a lot of things which you can learn how to speak improve your accent, but I 'm not sure if they really going to work. Every time, I talk to my English teacher about it , he would always say don't worry, just relax. But how can I relax without american accent, and i came for 4 years already.
My story is a little long, but please be patient to read it. because I really need help so if one of know any method that can help me, please send it to chineseboy1986@yahoo.com
Thank you so much.
I'm with your English teacher. Relax. Concertrate on pronouncing the sounds of the language clearly so that you can be understood. Accents are picked up gradually. You shouldn't try to fake an accent it would make you sound false. Be proud of who you are and where you're from. Why pretend to be someone else? Stand up and say "This is me. I'm from China." be someone, be individual, don't be just another brick in the wall. Your accent won't change over night, it will take time, a true accent is picked up gradually, so relax.
It's true good English with a strange accent is far, far better (and easier to understand) than strange English with a good accent. Besides as you're from China, people will probably expect you to sound Chinese. It will probably take about ten years so just be patient.
Your accent seems to be strongly governed by your native tongue Chinese. This appears a little odd to me because you are young so that you should be able to "naturally" pick up the American accent.
One of the reasons you find difficult to speak the American accent is, I speculate, you probably do not speak English at home and don't have many American friends. Your accent is a product of the environment in which you are surrounded. You just need to make more opportunities to speak the American accent.
When I lived in the USA, I'd kept my very distinctive English accent (I am an Englishman) because I'd always spoken British English at home and the standard British accent was very intelligible to Americans outside. (The only problem is that people kept telling me "Ya sound kanda like Hugh Grant, man.") Thus, I didn't find necessary to change my accent in the slightest. I suppose, in your case, the Chinese accent is not necessarily very intelligible to Americans and, therefore, you feel imperative to more closely resemble their accent.
My recommendation is, if possible, try to always speak American English even at home. Moreover, try to befriend with Americans so that you will be more exposed to their language after school as well. Unlike others said above, it's probably not easy for someone at your age to be "yourself" since it usually takes a long time to find who you are and to be yourself. I think it's perfectly fine to mimic someone's accent that sounds nice to you. It doesn't mean you are pretentious but you are just making some effort to sound intelligible to others. Having a concrete model speaker will help you learn English more quickly. Once you have acquired the accent you had wanted, then you will feel more comfortable and confident so that you will be ready to find your "own" accent thereafter, if desired. Best of luck.
There is no perfect American accent. There are so many cultures that you have a mix.
Yeah... you have the Boston accent, the Bronx accent, the Southern accent, the Northwesten accent, the Texan accent, etc... in America.
Well, what chinese guy's trying to say is that the accent that american will understand. Like if there's "t" in a word, you would notice that they don't pronounce it. Like Santa Claus, american will say "sana" so where's the 'T' in there. And if you're not from the US, you would always pronounce "santa" as you spell it. So that's the problem there. It's embarrasing when people would always ask you to repeat what you have just said, it's humiliating. I mean, can I speak a single word without having them asked "i'm sorry?", pardon me, or say it again. It sucks!
ni hao, peng zhou
i also chinese in states. i hab same problem. people neva understan chinese accen.
if someone speak me, i kant know "r" an "l". so my "r" an "l" confuse. i kant sey "v", "th", "sh" moa. im teaset a lot on skool. so pery difficul mek frend. my famiri no no speak engrish. habin hard time me.
girls not like me. i hab hispanik frend. his english pery bad like me. teacher also not like me and tease me like sit. help
To have the perfect American accent: Block your nostrils with chewed gum and place a hungry ravenous raccoon in your underpants. If nothing else works, this will.
Men, you all are very lucky already. You are in the U.S and you are trying to improve your pronunciations. I have never been to the U.S. and also love to pick up American accent. Besides, I have to learn all kinds of stuff about English now: listening, speaking, vocabulary, etc. Too many things to do. I am struggling with them all now.
I am now working o my accent using the book and CDs from Ann Cook. Take your time (1, 2, or 3 years) with the book. It really helps. Don't set too ambitious deadline but work hard.
Try it, the book's name is American Accent Training. The more you work with it, the more it helps you.
Best luck!
Hello Peng Zhou :)
Maybe I can give you another perspective on your accent. I have two young nephews and so I am aware of the worries a young person has in school and with friends, and also I am born and raised American.
If you'd like to pick up more of the accent here, that is your choice and you will probably manage it with more time, patience and practice, but please know that you do not need to do this. Some of the most interesting people I have met from other countries speak English with their own accent. They sound completely natural to me, because I wouldn't expect them to sound as if they were raised next door to me. I would be less comfortable with a person if they were trying to hide their natural accent when speaking English, because I would think they must be uncomfortable. I never tried to pretend a Scottish accent to my Scottish friends, because to them I would sound so fake and forced (One of my Scottish friends tried his "american" accent on me, and he sounded like John Wayne, but also it was a little insulting).
So, please relax and just work on your understanding of the language, have fun meeting and talking with people and enjoy their natural curiosity about your history and background. It isn't the way you sound that matters, but what you say and how you mean it.
Keep up the good work and please don't worry :)
-Lynn