Accent and Pronunciation
Learn the English Accent and Pronunciation
If you’re one of the many Thai students who wish to have that “American” or “British” accent then you’re not alone. After all, what good is it to learn English if you can’t get the entire package right? This package includes all the skills on the English language from vocabulary, grammar, fluency, writing, and yes—the accent. But we have to be more specific on what we mean by accent. Accent in this case, is the way we pronounce a word. The word “water” with an American accent for instance, is pronounced as waw-ter whereas the British would pronounce it as wot-ter. This blog post will discuss several options that can help a Non-Native English Speakers get the accent and pronunciation right.
Now, the English accent is not simply divided into just British or American because each category is further divided according to the region of the country i.e. Southern, Western, Eastern, Northern. A Californian person for example, will have a different accent than someone from, say, Boston. If you ever have an opportunity to participate in a student exchange program, we really encourage for you to do so. You will be surrounded by native speakers who use the language on a regular basis in addition to the advertisements, TV programs, music and street signs that will be all in English. The duration of the stay in the host country doesn’t necessarily guarantee you will develop a perfect American/British accent, but it is still a good option.
Going to live in English-speaking countries like the U.S., Great Britain, or Australia may seem like a great way to learn the English accents, but this is not always a path that every Thai student can partake. Living abroad can be expensive, and some students may not want to live away from home. Not to worry, there are other methods for you to learn the English language accent without having to get on the plane.
Nowadays, there are many English language schools scattered all across Bangkok. These schools normally hire Native English Speaking teachers so students can learn the pronunciation from their teachers to get that accent they wanted. Please note that there are Thai (and other Asian) teachers who have lived abroad and have accents just as good as any American or British. Thai people may shy away from Asian teachers and favor American or European teachers when it comes to learning English because they were made to believe that only “farang” teacher can speak perfect English. When you’re with foreigner friends who speak English with good accent, try to observe how they pronounce the words. Being observant is a good technique for learning.
Another way to learn English pronunciation is to watch movies that are in English. Select your movies wisely. Movies with lots of slang and swear words are not the proper way to do it! Same goes for the music selection. May we just suggest oldies music? Ok, you’re probably rolling your eyes, but singers of the oldies music tend to pronounce the lyrics clearer than some of the modern singer so it’s a good way to practice your pronunciation.
Many online dictionary website also have the audio with pronunciation of the word. Make use of this to learn the correct way to say the word. The websites usually offer the American and British pronunciation as well. Try browsing through youtube and you’ll notice videos of people providing techniques to perfect your English accent.