Accent check...again

[prono]

Hello,

just recorded myself again in hopes to get some feedback regarding my accent from you guys. I want to improve but honestly do not know where to start. I do not know what my major problem is....pronunciation, rhythm and intonation, my voice?

Any thoughts?

https://soundcloud.com/languageguy/test3-1

 

[emsr2d2]

I understood about a quarter of what you said. The main problem for me is that you don't enunciate each word clearly enough. The words all run into each other and that, combined with your very strong accent, makes it almost incomprehensible in places.

 

[prono]

I understood about a quarter of what you said. The main problem for me is that you don't enunciate each word clearly enough. The words all run into each other and that, combined with your very strong accent, makes it almost incomprehensible in places.

Thank you for your input. At least now I know what I have to improve in order to speak better.

I also wanted to ask about the rhythm and intonation in my speech. How would you rate that? I am also concerned about the R sound which is quite different in my native language. Am I pronouncing the R's to soft, to strong or is it just right?

Thanks

 

[Tdol]

I think you are speaking too quickly; if you slowed it down a bit, you would be easier to follow and then you could work on speeding it back up.

 

[prono]

Hey guys,

just made another recording (30 sec. long) in which I speak a bit slower and try to enunciate words more clearly. Would you mind telling me if you hear any improvement in my accent?

Thanks

https://soundcloud.com/languageguy/test-4

 

[emsr2d2]

It's slower yet still rushed. I tried to record it myself on Soundcloud but the link won't work. However, I will say that it took me nearly 15 seconds to record just the first two sentences in order to enunciate them clearly, so cramming the whole lot into 30 seconds as you did is still too fast.

 

[prono]

It's slower yet still rushed. I tried to record it myself on Soundcloud but the link won't work. However, I will say that it took me nearly 15 seconds to record just the first two sentences in order to enunciate them clearly, so cramming the whole lot into 30 seconds as you did is still too fast.

Thanks again mate. I guess I have to start speaking even more slowly. Which isn't that easy for me, as I speak quite fast in my native language.

It would be wonderful if I could hear an audio of you speaking the same text, so I would be able to compare. Hope you will be able to get the link working....

 

[emsr2d2]

If I have time, I'll try again. I've recorded it on Soundcloud and saved it, and made it public but when I try to put the link here, it says the recording can't be found.

In the meantime, yes, try to speak more slowly. It might be difficult but it's important if you want to be understood. Very few people can speak as quickly in a second language as they do in their native language.

 

[prono]

If I have time, I'll try again. I've recorded it on Soundcloud and saved it, and made it public but when I try to put the link here, it says the recording can't be found.

In the meantime, yes, try to speak more slowly. It might be difficult but it's important if you want to be understood. Very few people can speak as quickly in a second language as they do in their native language.

Hello emsr2d2,

I just made another short audio recording , this time speaking naturally, not reading a text from a book. If you will find the time, I would kindly ask you to listen to it and share your opinion.

https://soundcloud.com/languageguy/test-5

Thanks a million.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

I think speaking naturally rather than reading a text makes your speech a lot easier to understand. The pace is better and I understood everything except for a couple of words that run into each other towards the end when you're asking for comments. Was it 'If you could just...' or 'You could just...', or 'Could just...'?

Some of the vowels are stressed too much 'audio' 'comments' but overall it is an improvement.

 

[prono]

I am not a teacher.

I think speaking naturally rather than reading a text makes your speech a lot easier to understand. The pace is better and I understood everything except for a couple of words that run into each other towards the end when you're asking for comments. Was it 'If you could just...' or 'You could just...', or 'Could just...'?

Some of the vowels are stressed too much 'audio' 'comments' but overall it is an improvement.

Hi Roman55,

thanks for your feedback. I kind of figured that I was stressing a few vowels to much. I just wanted to get the proper rhytm and I guess I over did it. And yes, in the part you could not understand me I said "If you could just..."

Would you mind telling how "heavy" of a foreign accent you think I have? And what do you think the main reson for it is - prononciation, rhytm and intonation, my weird voice?

Thanks

 

[Raymott]

I could barely tell that your first recording was in English - partly due to my hearing not being the best and listening unaided. The good news is that I could understand some phrases in your second recording. I think the lesson from that is that you need to do more of whatever you did for the second recording.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

For me, the main problem is the intonation, which goes hand in hand with the vowel stress I mentioned earlier. There's obviously an accent, (that I would be hard pressed to identify), but once I 'tuned in' to it I didn't find it a hindrance to understanding.

Work on stressing the right syllable and pronouncing the vowels in the variety of English that you're going for (whatever that is) and you will be a lot easier to understand by native speakers. Because you speak quite fluently, a dodgy vowel of misplaced stress will throw the listener off completely. This wouldn't be the case with a less advanced learner speaking more slowly.

 

[prono]

I am not a teacher.

For me, the main problem is the intonation, which goes hand in hand with the vowel stress I mentioned earlier. There's obviously an accent, (that I would be hard pressed to identify), but once I 'tuned in' to it I didn't find it a hindrance to understanding.

Work on stressing the right syllable and pronouncing the vowels in the variety of English that you're going for (whatever that is) and you will be a lot easier to understand by native speakers. Because you speak quite fluently, a dodgy vowel of misplaced stress will throw the listener off completely. This wouldn't be the case with a less advanced learner speaking more slowly.

Thank you very much for your advice Roman. Would you mind just clarifying something for me? When you talk about intonation, are you referring to a drop or rise in pitch at the end of a sentence or a general rhythm of speech? Also, would you mind telling me which words/syllables did I stress incorrectly?


Thank you.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

Sorry to keep you waiting for my reply, but I've been a bit busy.

By intonation I mean the general rhythm, but it isn't that bad really.

The words that stand out as having excessive stress on the first (or only) vowel sound are, in order, audio, speaking, hopes, fast, and comments. This is just my opinion, and as I said earlier, once I tuned in to your way of speaking it wasn't that hard to understand you.

 

[prono]

I am not a teacher.

Sorry to keep you waiting for my reply, but I've been a bit busy.

By intonation I mean the general rhythm, but it isn't that bad really.

The words that stand out as having excessive stress on the first (or only) vowel sound are, in order, audio, speaking, hopes, fast, and comments. This is just my opinion, and as I said earlier, once I tuned in to your way of speaking it wasn't that hard to understand you.

No problem Roman. I am just glad that you were able to reply. Thank you for you comment again. At least now I know in what areas I need to improve.

I will continue to practice and will upload another audio in a few weeks time (hopefully a better one).

Cheers.