This article is an introduction to the idea of intonation or stress as an important component of a proper English accent. Look for articles on related topics:

Intonation in the English Accent

Stress in the English Accent.

Liaisons and linkages of words and syllables in the English Accent

PROPER ENGLISH ACCENT
stress, tone, links, and sounds in your speech

Language delivers information about what we know, what we do, and what we want... It can be also used to communicate much more than the exact meaning of the words. It allows us to understand what the speaker feels about what he is saying, It helps us infer meanings, that is we can get more information from the words then their bare common meaning. It allows us to "read between the lines". A proper accent helps people understand you exactly as you want them to.

· SPEAKING: If English is not your first language, your accent will cause you difficulty in your speaking. Even if your grammar is perfect, if your accent is faulty, your meaning will not be clear.

· LISTENING: Also, you will lose a great deal of information if you can only hear and understand the actual words used without grasping the meaning conveyed by the intonation.

Every language expresses emotion and different shades of meaning in different ways. Some languages make their emotional point by stressing the end of a sentence, others use the order of words in an expression, or pitch changes, not only to state facts, but also to change the meaning or emotion in the words.

In this brief report we can alert you to the most common errors that people make when they learn English so you can concentrate on those errors. There are many improvements you can make in your accent. Some are immediate. Some will take more time. Here are a few ideas to start.

First of all, you have to realize that an accent is made up of three parts: intonation, liaisons, and pronunciation. Most people think that it is only pronunciation. That is wrong. Pronunciation is only one part of an accent.

PRONUNCIATION is the way that sounds are made in the new language. These sounds may be similar (rarely exactly the same) to the sounds of your own language, or they may be very different. To learn the sounds, you have to learn where in the mouth the sound is made, how it is made, and the position of the tongue n making the sound.

For example, the vowel sound /o/ in English often has a slight slide into a /u/ sound at the end of a word. The absence of this little detail marks a foreign accent.

LIAISONS OR LINKAGES, are the ways that words and parts of words are linked together in a language. This may be very different from how you do it in your native language.

For example, words are not always pronounced individually in English. Often there is a linking or blending of vowels and vowels or consonants and vowels. We do not say "my-name-is-Ann", but rather my na mi zann. Many other linkages are necessary in English.

STRESS OR INTONATION is the most important and the most difficult to change. It is the "music", the rhythm of a language.

For example, there are many occasions to stress English words differently according to their function in the sentence, such as to mark contrast, new information, or emphasis, etc. I can differentiate between:

"I didn't SAY that". (I only hinted at it.) and

I didn't say THAT (You misunderstood me.)

To repeat: there are three components to an accent, pronunciation, intonation, and linking. In other places we will examine pronunciation, which is the proper formation of vowels and consonants, and linking, the way that syllables within a word, and the beginning and ending of words come together.

You have to learn the "rules" of these three components of your new language. The work "rule" is in quotes because in speech all "rules" may be broken by native speakers in special circumstances. Still, if a "rule" helps you nine times out of ten, you shouldn't complain if it fails you once.

Most people do not work on their accents. However since you are reading this, you realize the importance of improving your accent. However, this is not automatic. There are many people who spend years using a language and never get rid of a heavy accent. But if you live and work among people who speak the new language well, you should work at improving your accent. Unfortunately, some people make judgments about your worth and your intelligence according to how well you speak their language.

Read what the Chinese American writer Amy Tan says about her own feelings about her mother's accent

I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother's "limited" English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And 1 had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.

If even a daughter can think that her mother is limited because of her limited English, you can be sure that other people also think this way.

You can go to a specialist who can work with you. This is the best way but it can be expensive. You can use recordings and courses to improve your accent. This can be as good as working with the expert IF YOU DO IT! It is just like the difference between having exercise equipment in your house and using a personal trainer.

The trick is to do it. You can start with this little exercise to get used to working on your accent. First, try this: Listen to recordings of how people who speak your language pronounce English. Next, make a recording of your own voice. Compare, do it over, see if that helps a little.

You can buy a digital audio recorder for less than $50. They are small and can be carried anywhere to record the special expressions that you hear and which you want to learn to imitate. A voice recorder is essential for you to improve your intonation.

The author, Frank Gerace, Ph.D, has worked in communication and education projects in Latin America. He has taught in public and private universities in Peru and Bolivia. Currently he teaches English to immigrant adults at an important branch of CUNY, the City University of New York. He also does private consultations for accent reductioon. He can be reached at accent(@l)eerespoder.com. His website is http://www.GoodAccent.com and for learners of Spanish: http://www.InglesParaLatinos.com/SpanishCourses.htm.

[Edited by Administrator (admin) Wed, 06 Jul 2011, 04:20 PM]