could you evaluate my speech example?

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barbecuete

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Dear all,
I am sorry for this selfish request, but there's no one I could ask now, except for people in the Internet.

Could you listen to this video and evaluate my accent? What sounds are my biggest problem? I need expert advice.
Accent tag. Accent identification request. - YouTube

Could you also recommend a text which I could read for a video? There probably are some texts that are used by specialists to diagnose pronounciation problems.

And based on my current pronunciation where is it easier for me to move - to an American pronounciation or British or which one?

Thank you very much.
 

barbecuete

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Please.
Did at least anyone watch the video?
 

barbecuete

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Please. Anyone?
 

billmcd

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As an AmE native speaker, but not an expert on accents I hear a mixture of British/German. But I would add that I think your pronunciation is very good/excellent.
 

barbecuete

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As an AmE native speaker, but not an expert on accents I hear a mixture of British/German. But I would add that I think your pronunciation is very good/excellent.
Thank you very much for your time!!
Could you tell me which sounds or deficiencies give my speech this German accent?

I was well taught in childhood. I should thank my teachers for what you hear now. And now I feel obliged to revise my English not to loose everything. So I really want to know what I'm starting to loose/never knew in Pronounciation.
 

SlickVic9000

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Pretty good overall. There were a number of words where you placed the accent on the wrong syllable or used the wrong vowel sound. "Diagnosis", "wrong", "flood", "Lord", "sounds", and "comment" are a few that come to mind. I didn't detect much of an accent. At times it sounded vaguely British, but that's about it.

Also:
"lose" = to misplace something; to fail to maintain or preserve something
"loose" = the opposite of tight; unrestrained
 

barbecuete

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Pretty good overall. There were a number of words where you placed the accent on the wrong syllable or used the wrong vowel sound. "Diagnosis", "wrong", "flood", "Lord", "sounds", and "comment" are a few that come to mind. I didn't detect much of an accent. At times it sounded vaguely British, but that's about it.

Also:
"lose" = to misplace something; to fail to maintain or preserve something
"loose" = the opposite of tight; unrestrained

Thank you! It is very helpful.
But to me it seems almost unreal to correct such problems in pronunciation. I would probably need to review all the words in my vocabulary for correctness of stress and vowels. And I will need someone to listen to my pronounciation of all these words... almost unrealistic :(
 

billmcd

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Thank you! It is very helpful.
But to me it seems almost unreal to correct such problems in pronunciation. I would probably need to review all the words in my vocabulary for correctness of stress and vowels. And I will need someone to listen to my pronounciation of all these words... almost unrealistic :(

I would say that even among native English speakers i.e. AmE, one would hear little difference between pronunciation of "lose" and "loose" in casual conversation and the average listener would understand the use. So, as they would say in South Philly (Philadelphia) "fuhgedabowdit".

 

barbecuete

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I would say that even among native English speakers i.e. AmE, one would hear little difference between pronunciation of "lose" and "loose" in casual conversation and the average listener would understand the use. So, as they would say in South Philly (Philadelphia) "fuhgedabowdit".


Bill, I have not studied English for a very long time and now I want to do something for improvement of my pronounciation.
One simple thing I can do is to find someone just to practice speaking in English. But I want to do something more focused. I notice myself that the sounds I make do not sound very English anymore.
 

billmcd

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Bill, I have not studied English for a very long time and now I want to do something for improvement of my pronounciation.
One simple thing I can do is to find someone just to practice speaking in English. But I want to do something more focused. I notice myself that the sounds I make do not sound very English anymore.

Perhaps as an alternative to skype interaction you could visit www.manythings.org that includes Listen & Repeat and Pronunciation exercises. You must know/remember that few, if any, non-native speakers totally lose (there's that word again) their native language accent.
 

SlickVic9000

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I would say that even among native English speakers i.e. AmE, one would hear little difference between pronunciation of "lose" and "loose" in casual conversation and the average listener would understand the use. So, as they would say in South Philly (Philadelphia) "fuhgedabowdit".


I'd notice if you said "lose" when you meant "loose" and vice versa. You either make a "z" sound or an "s" sound. Though I'd still understand it from context, it would bug me nonetheless.
At any rate, I was talking about the difference between the spellings of the two words. I'm not sure I've heard anyone mix up "lose" and "loose" in conversation.
 

sharkerr

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Perhaps as an alternative to skype interaction you could visit www.manythings.org that includes Listen & Repeat and Pronunciation exercises. You must know/remember that few, if any, non-native speakers totally lose (there's that word again) their native language accent.

Or if you want something more professional: Skype Pronunciation Classes | Pronunciation StudioPronunciation Studio (it's not an ad, I myself used their service and can definitely recommend them to anyone who really thinks about improving his pronunciation).

Yea, I have to partly agree with billmcd, in my opinion they (or should I say we :) ? ) actually can lose their foreign accent but to acquire native one is absolutely different story. I'm struggling really hard with general British at the moment so I really mean my words :).
 

barbecuete

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Pretty good overall. There were a number of words where you placed the accent on the wrong syllable or used the wrong vowel sound. "Diagnosis", "wrong", "flood", "Lord", "sounds", and "comment" are a few that come to mind. I didn't detect much of an accent. At times it sounded vaguely British, but that's about it.

Also:
"lose" = to misplace something; to fail to maintain or preserve something
"loose" = the opposite of tight; unrestrained

Hello Vic,
I listened to my recording to try to understand if I really mix lose and loose in my speech. Then I realized that you have referred to my spelling :)
Now I realize how wrong I am and will try to write the word 'lose' correctly!

Could you please advise me once again what is wrong with my pronounciation of the words 'Lord', 'flood', 'comment', 'sounds' ?
In the word 'wrong' I think that I shouldn't have said the sound 'w' at the beginning, and in the word 'Diagnosis' I should have stressed another syllable, I guess? 'DiAgnosis' ?

Thank you!
 

barbecuete

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Or if you want something more professional: Skype Pronunciation Classes | Pronunciation StudioPronunciation Studio (it's not an ad, I myself used their service and can definitely recommend them to anyone who really thinks about improving his pronunciation).

Yea, I have to partly agree with billmcd, in my opinion they (or should I say we :) ? ) actually can lose their foreign accent but to acquire native one is absolutely different story. I'm struggling really hard with general British at the moment so I really mean my words :).

Thank you!
Do you know any schools that teach American accent? I doubt that my pronounciation is any close to British. I hope that a native speaker from GB will come by this post and tell me if my accent sounds American to him/her.
 
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