Comments on: Accent reduction http://www.claritaslux.com/blog/accent-reduction/ How to learn a language and learning in general Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:35:19 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Marko http://www.claritaslux.com/blog/accent-reduction/comment-page-1/#comment-42849 Marko Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:16:09 +0000 http://www.claritaslux.com/blog/?p=999#comment-42849 I am a native English speaker and have always noticed that when foreigners sing English their accent is very much reduced. I think this is because music eliminates the native accent to a large extent. Accent has a lot to do with the rhythm of the sentence and when we sing we are forced to follow the music's rhythm rather than your natural accent. This is why it's very rare to hear regional British accents in songs. So unfortunately I don't think music is a good way to pick up and accent. This is interesting: I have foreign friends who can say single words on their own very well (i.e. without a detectable accent), but when they try to join words into a sentence all of a sudden there is an accent - so accent is about flow and how long you spend on each word and each part of a word etc. I am a native English speaker and have always noticed that when foreigners sing English their accent is very much reduced. I think this is because music eliminates the native accent to a large extent. Accent has a lot to do with the rhythm of the sentence and when we sing we are forced to follow the music’s rhythm rather than your natural accent. This is why it’s very rare to hear regional British accents in songs. So unfortunately I don’t think music is a good way to pick up and accent.

This is interesting: I have foreign friends who can say single words on their own very well (i.e. without a detectable accent), but when they try to join words into a sentence all of a sudden there is an accent – so accent is about flow and how long you spend on each word and each part of a word etc.

]]> By: Jim Morrison http://www.claritaslux.com/blog/accent-reduction/comment-page-1/#comment-41529 Jim Morrison Tue, 19 May 2009 15:54:14 +0000 http://www.claritaslux.com/blog/?p=999#comment-41529 Alright Mark, I totally agree with your method and it is pretty much how I work. I made a program (My Language Notebook) to help me do this. Have a look at this Polish lesson made with MLN: http://www.mylanguagenotebook.com/view_project.aspx?projectID=83 Double-click on a sentence to hear it. I just keep on playing each sentence and repeating it until I get closer and closer to the pronunciation of the native speaker. All the best, Jim Morrison Alright Mark,
I totally agree with your method and it is pretty much how I work. I made a program (My Language Notebook) to help me do this.
Have a look at this Polish lesson made with MLN:
http://www.mylanguagenotebook.com/view_project.aspx?projectID=83
Double-click on a sentence to hear it.
I just keep on playing each sentence and repeating it until I get closer and closer to the pronunciation of the native speaker.
All the best,
Jim Morrison

]]> By: Scott http://www.claritaslux.com/blog/accent-reduction/comment-page-1/#comment-41276 Scott Fri, 15 May 2009 14:02:46 +0000 http://www.claritaslux.com/blog/?p=999#comment-41276 I dislike the fact that I can't pick up accents better. I really like what you have said and will incorporate it in my life. I write about about language learning in general. I dislike the fact that I can’t pick up accents better. I really like what you have said and will incorporate it in my life. I write about about language learning in general.

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