Preview

American Accent Training

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
6996 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
American Accent Training
Стр. 1 из 185

Chapter 1 American Intonation

The American Speech Music CD 1 Track 4

What to Do with Your Mouth to Sound American One of the main differences between the way an American talks and the way the rest of the world talks is that we don't really move our lips. (So, when an American says, "Read my lips!" what does he really mean?) We create most of our sounds in the throat, using our tongue very actively. If you hold your fingers over your lips or clench your jaws when you practice speaking American English, you will find yourself much closer to native-sounding speech than if you try to pronounce every ... single ... sound ... very ... carefully. If you can relate American English to music, remember that the indigenous music is jazz. Listen to their speech music, and you will hear that Americans have a melodic, jazzy way of producing sounds. Imagine the sound of a cello when you say, Beddy bada bida beader budder (Betty bought a bit of better butter) and you'll be close to the native way of saying it. Because most Americans came from somewhere else, American English reflects the accent contributions of many lands. The speech music has become much more exaggerated than British English, developing a strong and distinctive intonation. If you use this intonation, not only will you be easier to understand, but you will sound much more confident, dynamic, and persuasive. Intonation, or speech music, is the sound that you hear when a conversation is too far away to be clearly audible but close enough for you to tell the nationality of the speakers. The American intonation dictates liaisons and pronunciation, and it indicates mood and meaning. Without intonation, your speech would be flat, mechanical, and very confusing for your listener. What is the American intonation pattern? How is it different from other languages? Foa egzampuru, eefu you hea ah Jahpahneezu pahsohn speakingu Ingurishu, the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In Richard Lederer’s article “All American Dialects”, he states the ironic truth that “most of us are aware that large numbers of people in the U.S. speak very differently than we do.” (152) How is it that one language can have so many speech communities? It is because of the way our nation was developed. Our language is a mixture of culture and lifestyle that has diverted our English dialect, so that each region’s speech is unique. How I speak can define who I am, determine what I do, and locate exactly where I’m from in the U.S. This is the value of my, and my language’s speech communities.…

    • 1104 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The instruments Americans have are, for the most part, derived from those in Europe and the British Isles.…

    • 779 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The United States is a melting pot of many different cultures. People from all over the world come to the United States because they have the freedom to practice their culture here; this includes using their native language. In Leslie Savan’s book Slam Dunks and No-Brainers: Language in Your Life, the Media, Business, Politics, and, Like, Whatever she included a section called “What’s Black, Then White, and Said All Over?”. This section examines common way of speaking, which Savan claims has its origins in African American vernacular. Julia Alvarez, author of the book Once Upon A Quinceañera: Coming of Age in the USA, also writes about other cultures accumulating themselves into the American…

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As one of the most dynamic countries that primarily use the English language, the United States is a wonderland in which each state has its own accent and that all Americans take pride in their own language culture. In the documentary film Do You Speak American?, celebrated journalist and novelist Robert MacNeil sets out on a journey all around the United States, exploring how the language of America defines, unites, and separates its people. The title of the film proposes an intriguing question: what does it mean by speaking American? Speaking American is not just a matter of speaking English, and the answer to that question is far more complex. According to this film, not all Americans speak English, and those who do tend to speak it in different ways. As MacNeil explains, the reasons American accents vary…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even though these two religions have music and use instruments, the styles of music and instruments are very different. Native Americans use simple drums to emanate the beating heart of the Earth Mother. They dance while singing and chanting which can go on for days; only ending when the participants collapse in euphoric exhaustion. Nothing is written or formal and they individually dance, sing, and chant however they…

    • 1019 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The American Voice is also characterized by Hard Working. This is found in “I Hear America Singing”, by Walt Whitman as he…

    • 334 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Indians used song as a means of accomplishing definite results.”3 For example, they would sing in marriages, war, healing, and birth. They would also sing and/or play songs, such as game songs to bring players good luck when gambling in games. Although, they didn’t have much of an impact on colonial America other than Amerindian communities, because the European Americans didn’t treat them as equals, these traditions helped Native Americans connect to their heritage as a tribe's history is told by music and kept oral narratives alive. These vary from tribe to tribe and are important to their identity. Although, cannot be confirmed other than assumption and archaeological evidence, the earliest affirmation of Native American music came along with the arrival of European explorers. Musical instruments and pictographs portraying music and dance date far back to the 7th century. Instruments such as drums, flutes, and other percussions were used, however the most notable aspect in their music is by voice. Everyone would gather in large group and sing in unison, making the music haunting and powerful, yet effective. Tribes have collaborated with other communities' traditions and created…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Powwow

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages

    There are many different instruments used when making Native American music, including drums, flutes, and other percussion instruments. Perhaps the most important element of their music is the voice. Most of the instruments are percussive, and the reason why is it could provide rhythmic accompaniment to singing. Solo drumming don't use much in their music. But there are variety of drum and rattle types. Large drums, small hand-drums, kettledrum, and pieces of rawhide simply suspended from stakes are examples of drum types widely distributed. The most common melody-producing instrument is the flute. In some tribes, the repertory of flute music consists simply of songs that may also be sung. There is a separate repertory of flute music, although its style is not markedly different from that of the songs. The instruments of Native Americans are largely nonmelodic percussion instruments, and melody-producing instruments have special and restricted functions. Vocals are the backbone of the music made in Native American cultures. Unusual, irregular rhythms and a somewhat off-key style of singing is used. No harmony is ever incorporated, although sometimes many people sing at once, and other times the vocals are solo. In most cases, the…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Musical Genre: Jazz

    • 192 Words
    • 1 Page

    Jazz is one of the musical genres that represent America. It had a combination of influences from Africa and Europe. When Africans were brought to the United States as slaves, they brought their music and culture with them. Samuel A. Floyd Jr. stated “…particular musical tendencies were brought with Africans to the New World…and spread throughout African-derived populations in the United States, eventually becoming an integral part of the music we know as jazz.” African slaves used musical expression for social purpose in the 1800s; they sang songs when they are working or they played drums. The immigration of Europeans started in the seventeenth century. They brought the instrumentations, the tonality, the chords, and the form into the United…

    • 192 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Spe100syllabus

    • 1281 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Fundamentals of Speech is a required course for all BMCC Students expect Allied Health Majors. Before…

    • 1281 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Native Americans music traces all the way back to the first time they claimed land in America. Traditionally, their music was based around “spirit beings in the mythic past” (Victoria Lindsay Levine, Native American music, www.Britannica.com). At the time, America was populated…

    • 1898 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Another topic of discussion among Americans is accents. Most immigrants have one and most natives to the U.S. misinterpret this as stupidity. This immigrants is already trying their hardest to…

    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Native American Music

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages

    My overall opinion on Native American music has dramatically changed now. I never expected Native America music to sound this good. I have always had this opinion that their music consisted of only drums and flutes, but I was very wrong. I did my paper on just one song, but I listened to many other pieces of Native America music. I'm not afraid to say this, but some of these songs sounded better then what today's generation listens to and this…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The first principle of verbal communication is that all language has value. (Cheeseboro, O"connor, & Rios, 2010) No one language is superior to another, and all are equally important as it a connection to people and give them identity, culturally, and spiritually. The second principle of verbal communication is; “everyone culture speaks a dialect, with unique pronunciation vocabulary, and grammar.” (Cheeseboro, O"Connor, & Rios, 2010) There are several different dialects in this country alone, not to mention around the world. For example, there is a distinctive accent between a person who lives in the United States, and people who live in England, yet English is the primary language in both countries. The key is to listen, and to give acknowledgement that you understand, or not. If you have problems understanding one’s accent, be sensitive, and respectful when asking questions, and don’t buy into negative stereotypes. Our differences should be celebrated, and viewed as an opportunity to learn about others. “The third prnciple is to understand that words do not mean the same to all people.” (Cheeseboro, O"connor, & Rios, 2010) In the southern United States the word “tote”, can mean to carry something, while in the northern United states people assume you are referring to a “bag”, or an “umbrella.” Therefore, it is always a good practice to refrain from using “slang”, unless you are certain the reciever understands it. The fourth principle of verbal communication is to recognize variations on how spoken…

    • 1126 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    So in given a speech in the United States, it would have to be more complex then you think. In knowing how many languages are spoken in the U.S., and how many houses in the U.S where English is not the primary spoken language. Culture to culture the language differs, which is why there is so many languages in the world. In thinking about public speaking, you must think about the audience. While you may be speaking English, half of the audience may not be speaking English. The audience, especially since you are in the United States, is so diverse. One person may not even speak English but how would one know. Certain languages have similar words, in certain language I am meaning those “romantic languages”, like Spanish, Latin and Portuguese, where words are very similar. Yet, these words have different meanings in the certain way you say them. The meaning of words also changes from language to language and in the way one interprets them can change in that way as…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays