Accents (in English)
By Dayne Collins
Writing this article is a calculated risk, I may become unpopular in the EC universe, lose a few readers, and receive some disapproving comments. I am aware that a lot of learners who read my content are borderline obsessed with mastering a particular accent. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to discourage anyone from achieving their desired accent, I just want to share my opinion on accent acquisition in ESL English education.
Perhaps your native language is a tonal language, and there are many. Words in a tonal language are pronounced with specific tones and accents generally dictated in writing. When learning a tonal language, mastering the appropriate accent is an integral part of becoming fluent in the language. However, this is not the case when learning English. English is a non-tonal language, and perhaps that is why there are so many different native English speaking accents around the world.
If you are concerned about your accent effecting your ability to master the English language, then relax. You may think your accent is stopping you from speaking clearly, however, that is not the case. The problem may be simple, perhaps you need to work on your timing and rhythm, especially if your native language is syllable timed. English is a stress timed language, this means certain syllables are stressed. The stressed syllables are usually pronounced longer, clearer, and articulated. Unstressed syllables are weakened, or softened, they sometimes seem to disappear entirely, or join to the next word (connected speech) and thus we have rhythm. Similar to syllable stress, we have sentence stress. This is when certain words in a sentence are spoken louder, and clearer. This is also related to the timing of English, but sentence stress can be manipulated to change the entire meaning of a sentence, native speakers will recognise this instantly. Sentence stress is also closely affiliated with the intonation. Intonation is the rise and fall of the English language. All of these factors, as well as correct pronunciation rely on each other to create the English language as we know it today.
You see, accent training doesn’t really have a place in English language education as a single skill. Accents may be acquired over time, based on those you communicate with every day. Work on the pronunciation of the sounds you struggle with most, master rhythm and intonation, then discover the almost natural next step of connected speech. If you work on this, I promise you will quickly realise how natural, clear, and fluent you are able to speak. You will be speaking English with absolute clarity and confidence.
Good luck to you.
Comments
Cool Expector Smith they're bit old now but insure there's still some relevance
Hi Dayne,
I'll check it out now. Thanks!
Expector Smith you can here my accent on the old podcasts in my blog here. One is all about accents too
An American can understand a British person very well, even though they're speaking with different accents. Some people may think the American accent is popular while some other people find the British accent so cool.
I agree with Tara - try to record it!
By the way, I know a British person (Brit) who can speak Chinese fluently but with a local accent. That's amazing! Maybe he should have stayed where I live - then he would have spoken Chinese with the so called standard accent:)
You're utterly right in your positions argued this text Dayne! Accent is different from fluency acquiring. They are different abilities and, of course, the articulation you have in English in real conversation situation is much more important than the accent undoubtedly. For example, I love the English accent, but I don't let my desire for it, disturb my progress in fluency that will lead me ahead, to keep an understandable dialog .
Great tips, Dayne! You should record this post and add the audio. It would be interesting to hear your accent. Audioboo works well with MyEC for voice blogging.
Yeah.. I've seen a few of chatters in the Main Room expressing their desire to have an English accent/American accent. Sometime or somehow they may associate acquiring accent as also fluent in English. It's hard to tell them that those two things are totally different things. Everyone has accent, even native English speakers. I know I speak English like any Malaysian speaks English - with Malaysian accent. LOL. I'm not worried about that. What I'm more worried is my articulation and intonation of English words.
I hope EC Members take note of your blog, and not to get overly worried about their accents.
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