Pronunciation Criticism

[Pacifica]

Here's an example: the different pronunciations of <ea> sometimes lead to terrible mistakes. For instance, I remember a friend saying something that sounded like "greet", except the word he had in mind was "great".

Once upon a time "great" did rhyme with "heat" (though I don't know what the sound was exactly!)

 

[Clemens]

Here's an example: the different pronunciations of <ea> sometimes lead to terrible mistakes. For instance, I remember a friend saying something that sounded like "greet", except the word he had in mind was "great".

I was confused by read and read when I was still learning to read.

 

[Clemens]

Once upon a time "great" did rhyme with "heat" (though I don't know what the sound was exactly!)

I wonder if it was how they pronounce "great" to this day in the north of England.

 

[kizolk]

For me the biggest difference between the sound of English and French are vowels and rhythm. Both languages have quite rich vowel systems but there's not a lot of overlap. I feel like this guy, for example, does all right with the actual pronunciations, but he has no idea of the rhythm or melody of French.

His voulez-vous vous en aller ? at 49:46 is quite terrible indeed.

Once upon a time "great" did rhyme with "heat" (though I don't know what the sound was exactly!)

Well, I've listened to enough of Foreman to know that if it's spelled the same, it was almost always pronounced the same

 

[Pacifica]

His voulez-vous vous en aller ? at 49:46 is quite terrible indeed.

That's a bit harsh! There's definitely an English stress pattern to it, but I don't think it's that bad.

 

[kurwamac]

You've been corrupted.

 

[Pacifica]

By English? That's possible.

 

[kizolk]

I said I'd post a Japanese sample, and Japan's upset victory today feels like a good occasion!

My Japanese's a bit rusty though :/ Both in terms of reading fluency and pronunciation (a few words came out a bit wrong, for instance *reikai or something similar instead of rikai towards the end).

By the way, to get back to something you talked about a while ago @interprete, that text doesn't have as many long vowels as you could find in more technical stuff, but there are three of them (almost) in a row around 00:31: jōhō o hyōgen. And I don't think it sounds particularly unnatural!

 

[Clemens]

Here goes Arabic. Well, I did only two sentences, as I plan to work on it a little more, so let's consider this an early draft. Of course, ayn proved to be very difficult, and more so in some contexts than others (I seem to pronounce it more easily in "ayn" in fact: between two vowels, and the A followed by I seems to be the more comfortable for me).
Also, I think I'm adding consonants where there shouldn't be... among many other problems. Interested in feedback in order to improve what can be improved.
I give you the right to laugh until the end of times.

Sorry for responding to something this old, but your tense vowels sound like you're on the verge of pronouncing an ayin, but then don't.

 

[Clemens]

No doubt the opinion of a native would be more illuminating, but I'd say it might be a case of an expat whose native accent got influenced by the local accent(s) of wherever they happen to be living. I.e. she sounds like an American whose accent took a coloring from British English, and I see in her article that she has spent some time in England, which might help explain it.

This is how she sounds to me; her o definitely sounds more UK than US. I also find a lot of academics in this country have their own dialect, almost like how people who grew up in boarding schools have a unique accent that isn't from anywhere.

 

[kizolk]

I also find a lot of academics in this country have their own dialect

I follow a podcast whose guests are mainly Anglophone scientists; I've found a few of their accents to sound a little strange, probably owing to the fact that most of them have either studied or taught abroad. The same is true for some French scientists; take a listen to Stanislas Dehaene for instance:

It's relatively subtle, but there's definitely something at least unusual in his accent. It might not be imputable to an English influence -- could be regional or sociocultural -- but I sense a foreignness to it.

 

[Clemens]

I follow a podcast whose guests are mainly Anglophone scientists; I've found a few of their accents to sound a little strange, probably owing to the fact that most of them have either studied or taught abroad. The same is true for some French scientists; take a listen to Stanislas Dehaene for instance:

It's relatively subtle, but there's definitely something at least unusual in his accent. It might not be imputable to an English influence -- could be regional or sociocultural -- but I sense a foreignness to it.

There is definitely something there, almost like someone who has a different native language but started speaking French at such a young age that there are just slight differences I can't quite put my finger on. When I hear similar things in English, it's like the uncanny valley; I can tell something is off but I wouldn't be able to say this person sounds French or German or Chinese or what-have-you. I find this especially with French-Canadians who speak English very, very well ... there's still a trace of something nonnative, but I can't explain it, like the journalist Adrienne Arsenault.

 

[interprete]

I said I'd post a Japanese sample, and Japan's upset victory today feels like a good occasion!

My Japanese's a bit rusty though :/ Both in terms of reading fluency and pronunciation (a few words came out a bit wrong, for instance *reikai or something similar instead of rikai towards the end).

By the way, to get back to something you talked about a while ago @interprete, that text doesn't have as many long vowels as you could find in more technical stuff, but there are three of them (almost) in a row around 00:31: jōhō o hyōgen. And I don't think it sounds particularly unnatural!

It seems I missed a notification because I’m discovering this post only today. Your recording is amazing! not seeing your face, you could definitely be convinced that this is a native Japanese speaking. Except for the hilarious "heu non" in the middle

 

[interprete]

I follow a podcast whose guests are mainly Anglophone scientists; I've found a few of their accents to sound a little strange, probably owing to the fact that most of them have either studied or taught abroad. The same is true for some French scientists; take a listen to Stanislas Dehaene for instance:

It's relatively subtle, but there's definitely something at least unusual in his accent. It might not be imputable to an English influence -- could be regional or sociocultural -- but I sense a foreignness to it.

What a strange coincidence, I looked him up on Youtube just five minutes before coming here. I did notice his accent too, because for some reason I felt it didn’t match the photos I had seen of him, that’s not how I imagined his voice would be. But I just thought he’s had an upper-class upbringing and didn’t think of a possible foreign influence.

 

[interprete]

I find this especially with French-Canadians who speak English very, very well ... there's still a trace of something nonnative, but I can't explain it, like the journalist Adrienne Arsenault.

But is she really French Canadian other than by ancestry? Apparently she was born and bred in Toronto, and her father’s name is Ray. She was entirely schooled in English, and a quick Youtube search doesn’t turn up any result where she can be heard speaking French. Maybe she’s already a second-generation English speaker?

 

[Clemens]

But is she really French Canadian other than by ancestry? Apparently she was born and bred in Toronto, and her father’s name is Ray. She was entirely schooled in English, and a quick Youtube search doesn’t turn up any result where she can be heard speaking French. Maybe she’s already a second-generation English speaker?

I had no idea of her background but I’ve heard her speaking and there is something in her glides and rhythm at times, unless she just has a type of Canadian English accent I’m not familiar with.

 

[kizolk]

It seems I missed a notification because I’m discovering this post only today. Your recording is amazing! not seeing your face, you could definitely be convinced that this is a native Japanese speaking. Except for the hilarious "heu non" in the middle

I was so close to perfection, too bad!!

Thanks! I think my pronunciation is decent when it comes to phonemes, but to be fair, my pitch accent is terrible. I literally have 0 skills in that regard.

But I just thought he’s had an upper-class upbringing and didn’t think of a possible foreign influence.

I thought of that possibility, but some of the oddities in his speech seem to be something else. I could definitely be wrong though, and it seems to me a number of respected scientists did have an upper-class upbringing so it wouldn't surprise me.