This is very useful. My biggest problem, as a non-native English speaker, is figuring out when to use a hard and when a soft "g".
Example:
Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
241–250 of 341 posts
Re: Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
#242I actually, without any speck of joke, want to speak english with redneck accent or texan.
example of i18n with redneck as target: https://web.archive.org/web/20120307132029/http://www.ninesy...
Re: Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
#243Earlier quoted context omitted.
In fact, I find it strange when Germans, for example, have a 'perfect British accent'. Even I would say it's perfect. Problem is, no one speaks like that... except the Germans. It also goes with grammatical accuracy as well. If any German, or Nordic etc, says "With whom were you speaking" it marks them as a foreigner instantly.
It’s not grammatical accuracy on their part, it’s the opposite, it’s a calque, a word by word translation from their native tongue. If it was actually perfect grammatical accuracy on their part they’d be saying “Who were you talking to” or “Who were you speaking to”. Correct is what the people say, not the opinion of literal singular English language teachers.
I use English according to defined grammar rules. It marks me as upper middle class and therefore trustworthy in administrative professional positions, greatly improving my life outcomes compared to someone who is not able to do so.
Re: Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
#244Very nice!
Re: Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
#245Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or, if you are from New York / New Jersey, the correct pronunciation is 'budder'. :)
As a Canadian living in the US, this is the bane of my existence. The disappearance of Ts from so many words and phrases irks me: - bouny hunner - innerview - alannic ciddy - Rocky Mounins - haunid house - udderly - budder (the bagel topping) - winner (the season) - bidder (the taste) - invennive - annie-American - bedder - odder (the cute wadder mammal) The inventive ways that Ts are dropped in favor of: - Ns - Ds -…
Or "aydeen, nine-teen (nine-deen?), twenny".
Yesterday, I saw an automatic caption of a Youtube video that said "admission" instead of "emission" (which is what I heard the speaker say, and certainly was the intention). The line is very thin indeed.
Re: Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
#246Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is no such thing as "English pronunciation". English does not have a regulatory body like Spanish or German have. There are many English dialects, and sounds (and meanings) vary, A LOT. It's up to you whether you want to try and assimilate the local dialect of where you live right now, or you want to simply understand and be understood. There are many non-native speakers who are extremely easy to understand, ev…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_language_regulators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Academies_of_th... I had no idea this would exist. I guess it makes sense that people would try to do something like this, but also, to my English addled brain, not much sense to expend the effort.
Most of these are just pretending to have any authority.
In particular for French, l'Académie Française is pretty much a joke, with mostly ecclesiastics above 80 years old, no linguists involved, and nothing produced in the last 50 years.
Re: Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
#247As a non-native English speaker, the "randomness" of English pronunciation has been a source of frustration for me for many years. I realized there are two types of issues: 1. Some sounds in English don't exist in other languages and you have to learn them "from scratch". For example the "flap T" in butter. Or the particular American "r" (constrast it to the Spanish rolled r for instance). 2. Certain sounds I DID kno…
A word of note: In British English "color" is spelt "colour"
And also the two vowel sounds are the same?
Re: Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
#248As a non-native English speaker, the "randomness" of English pronunciation has been a source of frustration for me for many years. I realized there are two types of issues: 1. Some sounds in English don't exist in other languages and you have to learn them "from scratch". For example the "flap T" in butter. Or the particular American "r" (constrast it to the Spanish rolled r for instance). 2. Certain sounds I DID kno…
We get annoyed about having to learn genders of words in other languages. It's just so silly! Then you remember that millions of children pick it up every day.
Nothing in language can actually be hard. It just takes enough practice to start thinking like a native.
But note I said practice, not repetition. You have to want to do it correctly. If you have an ear for correctness you will get there.
Re: Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
#249Earlier quoted context omitted.
Isn't that the same? I mean for a native English speaker. Both seem good aproximations (from a native Spanish speaker pov).
Loop vs Lu-peh. One has two syllables on the ending and the other has one. Surely that sounds noticeable different. Not saying it's right or wrong, but the two are different.
I notice English speakers have a tendency to assume final e's are silent.
Re: Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation
#250Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or, if you are from New York / New Jersey, the correct pronunciation is 'budder'. :)
As a Canadian living in the US, this is the bane of my existence. The disappearance of Ts from so many words and phrases irks me: - bouny hunner - innerview - alannic ciddy - Rocky Mounins - haunid house - udderly - budder (the bagel topping) - winner (the season) - bidder (the taste) - invennive - annie-American - bedder - odder (the cute wadder mammal) The inventive ways that Ts are dropped in favor of: - Ns - Ds -…
Every American YouTuber I watch in guiltier of dropping t's than any "bri'ish" person I know yet the meme exist somehow.