From french accent to american-english accent

[Boris Le Lay]

Hello to you all,

Thanks for reading this post ! Well, i come here because, by accident, i realized that my accent is really not good at all. I'm french and, of course, i have a french accent. Although it's impossible to completely lose it, i would like to speak an acceptable english. My pronunciation is really wrong. You would ask, "why american english". Well, i vahe nerver been in UK, only once in US and lived 1 year in Australia. Mostly, when i hear english, it's american english. Of course there are many US accents and the best would be to chose one particular accent before training myself. But i would need hints to know the major problems about my pronunciation if possible.

Here's a sample :

https://soundcloud.com/boris-le-lay/try01

I don't aim perfection, but at least not a shocking english for an american or even british audience. Thanks for giving me a hand about this !

 

[5jj]

Welcome to the forum, Boris. :hi:

Others may have time to give a more detailed analysis than I, but I will say that your accent is much better than you appear to think. Your French accent is far less pronounced than that of most French people I have met who speak English.

You did mispronounce a few words, and you occasionally stressed the wrong syllable in a word, but your pronunciation is not "really wrong". I would not say that your version of English sounds particularly American; indeed, I suspect that some Americans might feel that it is rather British.

 

[Boris Le Lay]

Welcome to the forum, Boris. :hi:

Others may have time to give a more detailed analysis than I, but I will say that your accent is much better than you appear to think. Your French accent is far less pronounced than that of most French people I have met who speak English.

You did mispronounce a few words, and you occasionally stressed the wrong syllable in a word, but your pronunciation is not "really wrong". I would not say that your version of English sounds particularly American; indeed, I suspect that some Americans might feel that it is rather British.

Hello 5jj ! Thanks for your answer.

Well it confuses me a bit, because, really, my friend insisted that i'd better speak with my natural french accent and just forget about trying to get any native accent - or close to it. Note that i just want to speak a correct english, not a fabulous one, something any native would say "mmm, that's good english for a foreigner".

But now, at least, i really want to inquiry about this. 5jj, can i ask you where you from, so i can understand your point of view about accents.

Cheers !

 

[5jj]

I am originally from Hampshire, in the south of England.

 

[Boris Le Lay]

I see, thank you 5jj !

 

[Barb_D]

I thought your pronunciation was very good. I can tell you are not American, but honestly, I didn't think your accent sounded very French. Have more confidence!

 

[Boris Le Lay]

I thought your pronunciation was very good. I can tell you are not American, but honestly, I didn't think your accent sounded very French. Have more confidence!

Well, i was ok with it until my friend really stressed out that it really does not work. He told me this : "You sound "try hard" ". So now i'm confused, because i don't know what to think.

 

[emsr2d2]

Well, i was ok with it until my friend really stressed out that it really does not work. He told me this : "You sound "try hard" ". So now i'm confused, because i don't know what to think.

Is your friend French?

 

[Boris Le Lay]

Yes. He's French, american father, who grew up in France, and moved to Florida 10 years ago. His wife, a Canadian, helped him to correct his accent and is nearly perfect now.

 

[probus]

I agree with both 5jj and Barb_D that your accent is pretty good. One can tell that you are not a native speaker, but there is never the slightest difficulty in understanding what you say, and there are passages in your speech that are very fluent and natural.

I think your friend is being snobbish. When it comes to English accent, he has several advantages over you: an American father, a Canadian wife, and most important, ten years of immersion in an English-speaking country.

To sum up, your accent does not suck at all.

 

[Boris Le Lay]

I agree with both 5jj and Barb_D that your accent is pretty good. One can tell that you are not a native speaker, but there is never the slightest difficulty in understanding what you say, and there are passages in your speech that are very fluent and natural.

I think your friend is being snobbish. When it comes to English accent, he has several advantages over you: an American father, a Canadian wife, and most important, ten years of immersion in an English-speaking country.

To sum up, your accent does not suck at all.

Well thanks for your remark. Well, then i should be more self confident...

Just a question to you all : when you hear me, can you guess my native language, or would you hesitate between several countries ?

 

[5jj]

Just a question to you all : when you hear me, can you guess my native language, or would you hesitate between several countries ?

It's difficult to un-know what one knows. I think I might have had you as French, but I am not sure. I can spot one or two give-aways - at least they are give-aways if you know the answer.

 

[Boris Le Lay]

Mmmm, yes my question is kind of odd...