Learning a second language is often very difficult for those whose mother tongue is Chinese. That's because Chinese is a very "unique" language. Most people would find it very difficult to learn Chinese, because there are so many different sounds, instead of letters from, what we call, the Roman alphabet. However, for the Chinese native speaker to learn English, there are some pretty big challenges to overcome. One of the most difficult is the accent. If you're in that boat, have no fear. There is help.
One of the main reasons why English is often mispronounced is because it is a language of exceptions rather than rules. In dire contrast to that, the Spanish language is a language of rules, not exceptions.
Vowel pronunciation- This is often a challenge. It is quite common for the Chinese to pronounce many vowels in the same way. But just as this would be unacceptable in the Chinese language, it is also unacceptable when speaking English, with an American accent. The letter "a", for example, in the word apple is pronounced quite differently than the letter "a" in the word aide. Also, when the letter "a" is used in combination with other vowels, there are common mispronunciations. An easy example of that would be the word "mountain". How would you pronounce that word? It would be pronounced quite differently than the word "maintain". Yet, both words have the letter "a". And both words have the same combination of letters, "ain". And yet both of those words are pronounced completely differently. Thank you, English language!
Syllable dropping- Something else that makes someone learning English as a second language standout as a new learner is syllable dropping. For example, the word "interest" is quite different from the word "interesting". The word "forget" is quite different than the word "forgettable". Forgetting to put the "ing" on the end of that word completely changes its meaning. Slow down! There is a saying among Americans that "speed kills". So you could say that speed kills the American tongue. As in learning tai chi, learn it slowly so that the moves of the tongue become indelibly recorded among your synapses. Then, you will be less apt to drop syllables, but pronounce every part of each word.
This underscores the importance of having someone who is a native speaker of the English-language, with an American accent, be the one who helps you as you learn to gain the mastery over a "thick" accent. It may be a difficult process. But no matter how good you are at learning by means of a self-taught course, accent modification is near impossible to accomplish without the help of a skilled listener. So, get the help that you need and get on the road accent reduction.
Mr. Wilson is a teacher and trainer who has over 25 years in the education field. As a double certified TESOL Instructor he has volunteered much of his time over the years to help people learn language and reduce, or eliminate, their accent. He now teaches language live over the internet in both an individual and group format. He has engrossed himself in the study of heightening memory capability and accent reduction while grasping a new language.
Find a complete album of videos for Accent Reduction and learning English for ESL learners on his YouTube channel:
[http://www.youtube.com/englishsponge]
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