My new audio sample, advice is welcome!

Clari   Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:44 pm GMT
I recorded the same transcript again, trying to correct the previous pronunciation errors.

http://www.4shared.com/audio/tgMQt6cH/VN552553.html

Is there any improvement? Can you understand me without looking at the transcript?
schlechtes vorbild   Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:01 pm GMT
It's more comprehensible this time, yes. However, I think you are building bad habits by doing this. Don't try to read something which you have never heard before. It will help with your intonation (and pronunciation in general) if you listen to native speakers and try to imitate.
Clari   Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:03 am GMT
schlechtes vorbild, many thanks for your honest advice. I also think reading those transcripts will get me nowhere. I've started listening to audio files downloaded from BBC's learning English website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

I listen to those audio files closely trying to find out and imitate the intonation.
enUSStudent   Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:14 pm GMT
Here's what I got outta your reading
"
Putting sweets and slacks near the checkout is a sales device we are all probally uware of, but what other ingenious trees are supermarkets using to pry more money from our wallets? A study by the British Consumer Association has revealed a foo tactifs you may not have heard of:

Next time you walk into a shop, odds are dat you will carry on walking for at least des three seconds until you adjust to the new surroundings. Canny supermarket operators know about dis "decompression zone" and usually leave the entrance area clear of stock.

Shtree in four customers noog right when they walk into a shop. Guess where the best offers are? You guessed it - on the right.

Ever wondered why the fruit and veggies are at the front of the shop as you enter? Annoyingly they have more chance of being crushed in your trolley by the end, but the psychological association with that first impression of freshness and khality boosts sales.

The most profitable shelves are at the end of each aisle. Goodies are harder to pass when dey are right in the pas of your swine trolley.
"

You know what, you sound like Bruno.
enUSStudent   Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:15 pm GMT
that was the first time.
enUSStudent   Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:18 pm GMT
Second time:

"Putting sweets and snacks near the checkout is a sales device we are all probably aware of, but what other ingenious tricks are supermarkets using to pry more money from our wallets? A study by the British Consumer Assocation has revealed a foo tactis you may not have heard of:

Next time you walk into a shop, odds are that you will carry on walking for at least three seconds until you adjust to eh new surroundings. Canny supermarket operators know about this "decompression zone" and usually leave the entrance area clear of stock.

Three in four customers look right when they walk into a shop. Guess where the best offers are? You guessed it - on the right.

Ever wondered why the fruit and veggies are at the front of the shop as you enter? Annoyinly they have more chance of being clushed in your trolley by the end, but the psychological assocation with that first impression of freshness and quality boosts sales.

The mosteh profitable shelves are at the end of each aisle. Goodies are harder to pass when they're right in the path of your swinging trolley.
"

You still sound like Bruno.
Clari   Sun Apr 11, 2010 2:56 pm GMT
enUSStudent, thanks for making me realize all my mistakes in such a straightforward way! Thanks for spending time listenning to both audio clips and making honest comment which will definetely help me a lot.
But I don't understand your last sentence. What does Bruno mean? I don't find much in Google. But I guess it is some harsh criticism?
asiachen   Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:16 am GMT
That's obviously a Chinese accent. In no way does she sound like Brüno.
US   Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:54 pm GMT
@Clari

Dis is Brüno: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9v1ckX3pI4

It's not an offense, just a funny note. And something you should fix, unless you want to purposely be funny.

@asiachen

"Shupermarket", the frequent use of sh , as well as "d" instead of "th" etc., overall it does sound like Brüno to me. Who cares if it's a Chinese accent, I know some Turkish people who sound just like Borat or Ali G, but they ain't Kazakh or English, are they?
asiachen   Mon Apr 12, 2010 6:53 pm GMT
I'm aware of the German characteristics you're talking about. That reminds me of Brad Oscar's character Franz Liebkind in 'The Producers'. The thing is I know a Chinese girl who sounds exactly like her and am surprised one would identify these mispronunciation features as German. What do you think is in common between Scottish and Indian accents? This question never came to my mind until I saw a failed attempt at Scottish accent, which turned up to be rather Indian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nPt8nASva8
US   Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:31 pm GMT
After watching some YouTube, I came to the conclusion that bad bad (really bad) german accents sound somewhat like chinese ones to me. I guess Bruno must be imitating those accents really badly, which is likely to be the reason.