Accent samples - Alex

Here is Alex's sample. I'm sorry I didn't post your file earlier, but I had more important things to do.

http://www.antimoon.com/temp/alex.mp3

Where're you from Alex?

You distort standard pronunciation, but you do so in a consistent manner, e.g. you change all z's into s's, all ^'s into o's. You pronounced two words incorrectly. I'm pleasantly surprised you don't pronounce the r's the hard Spanish way.

Your sentence rhythm is good, you speak fairly slowly, and you make pauses between words which allows me to understand your speech fairly easily (I only had a problem with one part).

If I were you, I'd study the pronunciation of individual English sounds and learn phonetic transcription.

Very good. I understood everything you said, alex.

Thank you Tom for uploading my file and your comments.

Albert C.
I am from México, and I have about 1 year and 8 months practicing in a regular basis (30mins. daily) my pronunciation with a PC software ("Talk to me"), this software has british and american accent available in the same programme, I prefered the british accent. Also I have got a british course in cassettes(Linguaphone) and I combine both of them with BBC America programmes.
Before this, my English pronunciation was really bad, I think that may be Level 1.
All that I know of English, I learned it in basic school (The first 6 years of formal education), but after that, I never went to an English School.

After 14 years, In my 1st job, I really needed some English. In that moment I realized that my pronunciation and my colleagues one's, was terrible. So then, I decided to start studying and to improve my English by myself.
I know that my English is far from being Perfect English, but I am on my way of improve it. Like Tom said, you need passion to learn English, I found this site by reference of my English Software, and since then, I feel really interested and motivated with Antimoon's articles and topics.

This is the text of my speech:
"Discovery means becoming explicitly aware of how things are actually done, as opposed to what is said to be done.

Discovery develops a clear picture of how the business processes work internally and externally. It synchronises understandings of systems and activities across the enterprise, and brings customers, suppliers and partners into the process design activity.
Automated discovery of system logic will be a key feature of new business process management systems".

If someone else do not understand my speech, or any part of it, do not hesitate, and make an objective criticism.
Btw...I do not see any z in the text?.

Thanks.
Salu2 from México.

The "s" sound in "explicitly" isn't really syllabated as well as it should. There should be more of a "hiss" when you sound it.

In the word "aware," it sounds like you are not pronouncing the "r" at all. I can definitely tell that you have been studying British pronunciation and not American.

The word "done" has kind of a Scottish sound to it when you pronounce it. It has a long "o" sound like you might hear in the word "dome." I'm not sure this is standard British.

You put the stress on the first syllable of the word "develops" and not the second syllable. Is this how Brits pronounce it? In the US the stress is on the second syllable.

I could not understand the word "design" at all. It sounded more like you were saying "assign."

It sounds almost like you skipped the "of" between "discovery" and "system." That was difficult for me to understand as well.

Other than that you had fairly good pronunciation and were good at enunciating words. It's difficult for me to evaluate your accent as I am American and not British and that is the accent you have been training with.

Ryan

First of all, I understood everything.

You stressed the word 'develop' on the first syllable and it should be stressed on the second syllable.

'automated' begins with [o:] and not [au] as you said.

'design' should have [z] in the middle not [s]

Alex,

The following words contain a [z] that you changed into a [s]:

means [mi:nz]
things [thiNz]
opposed [.. 'pOuzd]
business ['biz n(i)s]
processes ['pro s(i) s(i)z]
synchronizes ['sin kr.. nai z(i)z]
enterprise ['en t..(r) praiz]
brings [briNz]
customers ['k^s t.. m..rz]
design [di 'zain]

You pronounced "feature" in a way that sounded like "future".

Before anything...thanks for your comments. It is really motivating to get a positive feedback. I will pay more attention to English sounds.

Here in Mexico, we have the "detail" of been USA neighbors, so, many people would like to speak an american accent, and also the american influence is very strong. You start to hear songs, to see movies, since you are a child. But too few people are really concerned about learning and pronouncing English properly.

I do not like the american accent, but ironically I have to deal with the american accent influence, which I already have received, and make an extra effort listening british accent.
I have a pair of british friends but I do not see them very often. So all my daily source of british accent is the BBC America, my cassettes and my software.
I am working at a high level Engineering company, and no one of my colleagues are interested in improving their pronunciation, they are all satisfied with the ability to make them understood (some of them went to English courses -Harmon Hall-).
jajaja Even sometimes they see me like a weird guy when I am practicing with my software.
Thanks again.

L8R

Alex.