English learners view of "clear" English.
As a native speaker, I'd like to chip in on the subject of accents. There really is no need to modify your accent to try to sound like a native. Usually native speakers are well aware that foreign speakers of English use different sounds, particularly the vowels. That doesn't make your speech any less clear. When words like "leave" and "live" are pronounced the same, we native speakers can usually work out from the context what you mean. Far too many English learners get so hung up on their accent they lose sight of what is more important; i.e. good grammar, and a good vocabulary.
Now, as for foreign speakers trying to pick up what native speakers are saying - that is a completely different matter. Because of the number of variations in regional accents and dialects of English, you are always going to have a problem with that unless you immerse yourself in the local (regional) culture. Even native speakers have problems understanding different regional accents until they are used to them.
***Even native speakers have problems understanding different regional accents until they are used to them***
At one time many companies based their call centres in the Glasgow area as that part of Scotland was suffering from high rates of unemployment following the closure of heavy industrial manfufacturing. I don't know whether these companies thought beforehand about matters of accent and verbal communication and related comprehension but probems did ensue as many people calling in to these centres from other parts of the UK, from people not familiar with the Scottish accent, and that of Glasgow in particular, experienced a great deal of difficulty understanding what many of the call centre staff were saying to them. People from the South of England and the Midlands found it especially problematic it seems.
Anyway, the top and bottom of it all is that many of these comanies transferred their call centres to India. Did this solve the problem? Apparently not as the number of complaints from callers in the UK increased about ten fold, and some actually yearned to hear Glaswegian at the other end of the line once again......the general public is never satisfied no matter what.....
Ok I speak english as my first language. And the reason why we are not understood is because we dont speak anything like the tapes. English most people learn is english that is often not spoke. We have so many idioms and slang as well that is not taught. you can only pick it up by embracing yourself in the language and people that speak it. Common aMERICAN english if we like or not truthful is heavily influenced by (EBONICS) which is a style of talking MOSTnot all Afro americans have typical been speaking for years which is different from old standard english that the tapes are based of off. Ebonics is know as a BLACK/AFROAMERICAN language that was seen as foriegn years ago that was spoken by afrocan americans. tHE differance between ebonics and standard english devloped do to segragtion. now that everthing is more open and people are more closer culturally and racially ebonics has made its mark in manstream english which does not have as much slang as ebonics but is not as proper as the old standar. People often use words like can't won't don't ain't which is taught can not will not do not and ain't is not even a word. also the stroung use of camparisons- not calling things what they are real called. for example - money can be called mula, doe, bread, stacks, green, the greens, big faces, cash. thats just one example that can confuse non native speaks. or butt can be called ass, back, cakes, rump, junk. which yes confuse natives. also language structure standard english - hello friend, how are you? Is there any way you may do me a favor and allow me to borrow a dollar. Pretty nice and straight forword for a non native speak. now american english - hey wa dup? yo! can you let me hold some doe? something you might here from a youth or a young adult. but even if it was more proper american english it would sound like this. what up? do you think you can let me borrow a dollar? Also they is alot of made up words. Also words like that end in a -er become a and some times i's become a's but this is more common amoung young AFro americans and also other races now and also when people are trying to sound cool or have fun. but some people its in there normal speech.ALSO something that is MORE common between ALL americans and is key if you which to sound native is a tt mostly and sometimes t turns in to a d but . for example standard- player, thing , king (NOT REALLY IMPORTANT TO LEARN BUT WOULD MAKE YOU SOUND MORE AMERICAN BUT NOT USED TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY IF GOING FOR A JOB american slang- playa, thang. SHOULD KNOW THIS BECAUSE ITS MORE IMPORTANT now for the t and tt to d sound standard - matter, water american say- mader, wader. also which comon and more aproriate but that the -er to -a ending is the canalation of the g in -ing words like im running instead im runnin'. ALSO HERE ARE SOME CONTRACTIONS OFTEN USED they came for slang but now almost everyone uses them.
won't - will not
don't - do not
can't - can not
ain't - (not from a real word but used to mean not or is not)
'em - them
'dem - them
ima - i am going to (really use fullyif your lazy lol)
gonna - going
woulda - would have
shoulda - should have
coulda - could have
wouldn't - would not
couldn't - could not
shouldn't - should not
and alot more
These are just somethings in grammer if you want to sound more american that i thought some of you guys would appricate.
NOW lets talk accents there are 3 main accents southern east coast and cali to midwest. and non of them talk clearly aparently. also almost has a ownway of saying things which contribe to contant new words and slang. also enlish does not sound how it looks have of the time. thats why it seems to a native like we are the ones saying words wrong all the time and on clear. its because enlish in consider and germanic lanuage but really its almost nothing like the other germanic languages because it is mixed with latin influence mostly from french. so the sounds are all over the place. which makes it almost impossible for a non native to pronouce new words one learns correctly one their own without and native speak to help them. unlike other languages where if you now certian rules on pronuciation you can learn how to say words one your own once you have mastered the rules. which would lead to why people who are non native speakers can understand other non native speakers that have not mastered an american accent either. because following only vowel sounds and a little rules have came up with the same sounds as each other. just like two learners of spanish would. but the only difference is that spainsh sounds how it look and enlish does not. so the one who has mastered spanish and rules of vowels has a more comprehive spanish that the person that has spent the same time with english. english you need to almost learn every words pronouncation. BUT i HAVE TO SAY non navtive english speakers that have learned the language most often can spell better(of course only words they know) and know proper rules that most english speakers don't know or care about lol. yall probally spell better than me. lol but obiously if this was a essay i needed to turn in that would be a different story lol
GOOD luck to all trying to learn
if any one needs help or more questions i would be happy to help : )
My teacher says these contractions (don't won't...) are tacky and do not look nice in an essay, so we should avoid them.
Joanne but remember we are talking about speach. Not eassays. People in english don't talk how they write eassays. If you talk like that you will be very noticable and speak in a way that this not NATIVE. It would be obivous that you are NATIVE if you try to use every correct rule.
>>If you talk like that you will be very noticable and speak in a way that this not NATIVE <<
I beg to differ. If one were a native speaker and read a paper that used all of the most formal prescriptivist rules of English out loud, one would still sound quite native.
My goodness! I have just notioced what a boring , pompous arsehole I am.
"Common aMERICAN english if we like or not truthful is heavily influenced by (EBONICS) which is a style of talking MOSTnot all Afro americans have typical been speaking for years which is different from old standard english that the tapes are based of off."
This is the biggest load of shite I have read in quite some time. My husband is American and he speaks clearer and uses far less "slang" than many BE speakers that I know...
Also please learn what slang is before you start talking about it in a language forum.
What accent does Tina Turner speak? It looks clear English for me.
@Franco
Looks like Standard American with some Californian accent here and there.