Please listen and tell me what to improve

Charlie   Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:29 pm GMT
I have sore throat so I thought that my attempt on RP would be a bit less affected. Actually it turned out to be the opposite. Anyway, here's my sample so please leave your comments. I'm not saying what my nationality is since it will be fairly obvious after you listen, at least if you are acuustomed to that accent.

I know that I've made a lot of mistakes, especially with intonation in the beginning. I've never read or listened to this speech before. On the first thought I think I need to work on my vowels such as in wORds, sIRve etc. The word 'woman' sounds peculiar.

I've been living in the UK for 2 months and I'm trying not to speak that way. I use glottal stops, pronounce 'student' as something like 'shtudent' etc. but maybe it's even worse than speaking RP, and I shold stick to 'posh English'? Nevertheless, a substantial amount of people I hang out with speak posh English, that's just the nature of the place.

So please tell me what should I change in the way I speak. My goal would be to be taken for an Englishman by an American in a few years' time.

http://tiniuri.com/c/qwc
Charlie   Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:32 pm GMT
It was 'sERve' not 'sIRve'
Blanc de blanc   Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:48 pm GMT
Jolly good, old chap.


The only words which stuck out to my ears were 'twenty-five' and 'tell'. Otherwise, excellent effort. You're well on your way to poshness.
Caspian   Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:48 pm GMT
It's good, but you seem to have some kind of habit of saying each word as if it's the first in the sentence - perhaps your native language is Italian?
Charlie   Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:49 pm GMT
Thanks for encouragement ;) . Anyone else willing to comment?