Plz help me does it sound American

Boy   Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:47 pm GMT
http://www.uploadhut.com/success.php?id=398022



or

http://uploadhut.com/view.php/398022.wav


P.S: I'm just curious to know if I'm understandable or not. Actually I have watched like 20 American movies before this recording. So I'm just curious to now if my pronunciation of words got better or not. This is my main focus of area these days. Any feedback is more than welcome. Thanks.
Guy   Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:06 pm GMT
Boy,
You need to work on your intonation and rhythm as they are the two main factors that's causing you to sound unnatural. There were some parts that were quite hard to understand, but I think people will understand you better if you try to slow down a bit, because you sound like you're rushing too much.
You sounded like you have some Asian undertone to me. But I'm not sure because I can see it is not your native accent (you know what I mean) and you have worked on your accent quite a bit, so now it's hard to tell where you're originally from.
Uriel   Thu Nov 10, 2005 4:02 am GMT
For some reason, I could only access the first half of your recording, but I could understand some of it pretty well. The short phrase after "This is Boy" was total gibberish to me, though.

The sound I would want you to work on is "oy", however -- when you say "Boy" it sounds more like "Bah". Try saying "Booo-eee" a few times, and then gradually shortening it down.

I will try again later to see if I can hear the whole thing and give you any other tips!
treysheik   Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:07 am GMT
the clip (posted at the beginning of the thread) reminded me of edison chen... i dont know if thats a good or bad thing. the way he speaks annoys me (like in your clip when you said "you people"... it reminds me of those asian/white-rapper-wannabes) but thats just my opinion. but keep it up anyway.

p.s for those of you who dont know edison chen is some hong-kong star who was born in vancouver, canada. and he speaks in a way that annoys the #$*# out of me. plus he can't even speak mandarin (his own mother tongue) properly. ~treysheik
ram   Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:16 pm GMT
you are an asian most probably pakistani that wus im getting from your accent.
What you say people isnt he a pakistani and asian im sure about it cuz im asian indian and your style is 100 percent pakistani.

http://uploadhut.com/view.php/396108.wav
ram   Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:17 pm GMT
check his clip and tell me all you native guys that whats his nationality....
Uriel   Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:07 am GMT
I already know his nationality, so I'll keep out of that one.

Boy, your accent is heavy but very understandable, and that's a pretty great accomplishment for someone learning on their own. I would say that you need to work on your TH's and R's -- your "word" sounds like "wahd" instead of the American "wurrrd". You lose a few sounds in "I hope I get better at it" -- sounds like I hope I get behhrrahid" -- all of those T's in "better at it" become softened to D's in standard American: "bedderaddit" -- but in your version they disappear entirely -- sounds like that might be a rapid combination of sounds that is difficult for you?
Guest   Sat Nov 19, 2005 11:21 am GMT
Uriel,

Thanks for your remarks.
You are spot on. I felt kind of strain/exhaustion at the back of my tongue when I pronounced "bedderaddit." Pronouncing "D's" back to back in a word is difficult for me. My first goal is to make myself understandable than go for imitating an accent. I have got no assistance from any teachers in person at home. So far I have done all hard work on my own. I'll feel great if native speakers can understand me with less difficulty after all I haven't gone through any accent or pronunciation CDS/books. All I have done so far is to watch American movies and shows.


I have one fear in me as a person. When I was a 5 year old kid, I put down a flute down my throat while playing on the bed. It was stuck into the throat and I was gone through an operation. Whenever people say to me that my accent is unclear - I think about relating it to that incident. As all my cousins and friends have a clear cut accent when they try to speak in English. When I speak with my friends on the phone even in my native language - they complain to me that I have a very bizzare voice. A lot of saliva or flu kind of thing comes into play when I speak it. I don't know why people think like that. All I say to them - I don't know!


When Frances heard my voice before, she told me that I had no medical deformity. She told me that I should listen to English channels more and speak as much as I can in order to make my speaking muscles stronger.


I'm going to attand an exhibition on nov 22 at a local hotel where many university representatives come from around the world. Let me check myself how much they can understand me. If they don't understand me, they'll say 'pardon me' or else they'll reply to my questions.
Boy   Sat Nov 19, 2005 11:26 am GMT
The above post is mine as I forgot to write my name in the upper box of 'your name'. If I'm not wrong, I used to get a red error message whenever I forgot to write my name and this time I noticed that it had appeared as a "Guest". Some new changes made to the system???
yeah   Sat Nov 19, 2005 11:47 am GMT
yeah it's you.
i was like 'what the...' when i saw the post, because the poster's name was Guest and i know someone in this forum in the same name, and he never talks like this. anyway, thank good it wasn't your reply Guest. which means you're still that mean idiot fucker.

see ya
yeah   Sat Nov 19, 2005 11:49 am GMT
with the ....
Uriel   Sat Nov 19, 2005 11:36 pm GMT
You don't sound like you have a throat injury to me, Boy! In fact, you have a nice soft accent, which isn't at all a bad thing.

Saying similar sounds over and over, especially when they aren't ones that commonly occur back-to-back in your own language, is hard for anyone. You might try leaving a little space between -- "bedder addit". This won't sound entirely native, but it may help you enunciate, and very few people will really notice.

Otherwise, you sound pretty fluent, and I didn't have any difficulty understanding you. Good luck finding a good university! Still want to study in Australia?
Boy   Sun Nov 20, 2005 6:40 am GMT
Uriel,

Thanks for your help. I still have a plan to continue my studies in Australia or maybe in America. i have applied for a few universities in both countries. Once I get my I-20 I'll have a visa interview in the upcoming months.


I'm going to attend that exhibition because of my friend. He is also interested in pursuing his education either in UK or Australia. I want to go along with him because when you interact with new people from other countries it simlply instills confidence in you. It also won't hurt us if we try to converse in English a little bit. :)
Guest   Sun Nov 20, 2005 7:18 am GMT
Boy,

I don't think you have to sound American. Be proud!
Frances   Sun Nov 20, 2005 10:00 am GMT
Boy - I wish you luck with entry either in Australia or US. Anyway, either would be beneficial. I encourage that when you come to either country, make sure you meet and mix with locals; that will give you an excellent opportunity to both practice your English and assisting you in cultivating an accent that you might want.