Please evaluate my pronunciation and accent

bks   Sun Jul 08, 2007 5:48 am GMT
http://www.supload.com/listen?s=Su9w71C76dO

This is how I normally speak.
How is my pronunciation?
Don't just say things like, "You sound weird" or "Your accent is good".
If you're going to criticize, then please also suggest how I can improve.
Also, where do you think I am from?
Guest   Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:31 am GMT
You are certainly very easy to understand, and I get the impression that you are very fluent in English. I'm not too good at guessing non-native accents, but I would guess you're Austrian or Hungarian. It could also be Romanian.
Liz   Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:35 pm GMT
The link above doesn't work. Is it just me?
Guest   Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:42 am GMT
your accent is Russia meets Florida ;)
K. T.   Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:48 am GMT
I wonder if you sing or act. You have better resonance than some singers I've heard (No, I am not Paula, Simon, or RJ)...

I'm not an expert on accent reduction, but I have helped people sing and speak better. Here's what I suggest:

Have native speakers listen to the same sample you shared here and ask them to correct you.

Have them record the sample, listen to it once and then repeat it the second time as they speak.

I think you may catch that you are lengthening certain vowel sounds. The first vowel in "Systems" should sound like the "i" of "is". Listen to your recording. What vowel do you hear? Check your pronunciation of
"pronunciation" "experience" (the second vowel this time) and "isn't". The last part of "respond" would be better if you aimed for the "d" even if you don't pronounce it strongly. Now, my "English English" speakers may want to comment on the last word because "respond" is pronounced differently in GB I think.

One other idea: If you live in the United States see if your local library has any videos or DVDs on accent reduction. Some have accent reduction videos for speakers of different languages (i.e. Spanish, Korean, Russian...). Your English is clear. It seems that you just want to tweak it a bit. If you watch the videos, pay close attention to the position of the lips, mouth and teeth and how long it takes to make the sound. No videos. Start watching the shape of the mouth, teeth and lips of native speakers on TV and in real life. At least one survey says that (American) people feel more comfortable if you look at their faces, but not at their eyes. Look at their mouths, then. I do.

I hope this helps.
bks   Sun Aug 05, 2007 3:44 am GMT
Thanks for all your inputs, especially yours, K. T..
I certainly have problems with vowel lengths; my native language doesn't distinguish between certain English vowels like [i] and [I], or [ae] and [e], so it's hard to see the difference between them.
By the way, I'm not Austrian, Hungarian, Romanian, or Russian. ;)
Guy   Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:01 am GMT
Are you Japanese?