Over the top
Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2007
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Arabic
- Home Country
- Saudi Arabia
- Current Location
- Saudi Arabia
Hi everyone,
I have a difficulty in pronouncing the English r. I have read a lot about pronunciation and Phonology, I've watched many training videos but all in vain. I always listen to my voice and accent. Every night I record record record until the cows come home. I want to give up but part of me doesn't because I badly want to sound a native or at least near native. I always feel impressed when I see a foreigner speaks Arabic fluently. Therefore, I put a short-term goal that I speak English corretly then later I pick up an accent but it seems that my short-term target is going to be a very long one.
However, now after a lot of practices, I don't pronounce English r like an Arabic rolled r anymore but it's something between, I mean it's neither rhotic nor unrhotic and I feel shy to pronounce it this way because I sound so much pretentious. Furthermore, I have a diffeculty in pronouncing American t as in 'computer' for instance. Honestly I haven't put many effort in producing this sound but it always comes either exact d or exact t. Ooh I just fed up with all these failed attempts. My tongue aches and there's a pain in my cheeks and all the way I have been shifiting from American to British and go back to American again and so on and I'm ashamed to say I failed both.
Do you think a day will come when I'll be mistaken for a native? I hope I see myself speaking English natively and everyone asks me are you American, British? and get shocked faces, eyebrows raising when they know I am not. I appreciate any help, advice or even prayers.
Peace out.
I have a difficulty in pronouncing the English r. I have read a lot about pronunciation and Phonology, I've watched many training videos but all in vain. I always listen to my voice and accent. Every night I record record record until the cows come home. I want to give up but part of me doesn't because I badly want to sound a native or at least near native. I always feel impressed when I see a foreigner speaks Arabic fluently. Therefore, I put a short-term goal that I speak English corretly then later I pick up an accent but it seems that my short-term target is going to be a very long one.
However, now after a lot of practices, I don't pronounce English r like an Arabic rolled r anymore but it's something between, I mean it's neither rhotic nor unrhotic and I feel shy to pronounce it this way because I sound so much pretentious. Furthermore, I have a diffeculty in pronouncing American t as in 'computer' for instance. Honestly I haven't put many effort in producing this sound but it always comes either exact d or exact t. Ooh I just fed up with all these failed attempts. My tongue aches and there's a pain in my cheeks and all the way I have been shifiting from American to British and go back to American again and so on and I'm ashamed to say I failed both.
Do you think a day will come when I'll be mistaken for a native? I hope I see myself speaking English natively and everyone asks me are you American, British? and get shocked faces, eyebrows raising when they know I am not. I appreciate any help, advice or even prayers.
Peace out.