Tricky Accents: How to Speak and Listen Fluently- Part 1 SPEAKING Have you ever felt that the lady at the store spoke too quickly or that the actors on television use too many slang terms? You will encounter English speakers with very distinct accents, depending upon the region the native speaker originates. When you are given the opportunity to speak English, go for it! Do not be afraid to make mistakes pronouncing words or phrasing ideas, because mistakes are the best way to remember and learn what you did wrong. Imitation- Repeat what you hear! You can copy the things your friends say, television shows, radio broadcasts, or anything else you may hear. If a specific alphabet letter or sound does not exist in your mother tongue, learn to pronounce it properly based upon he formation of your mouth and placement of your tongue. Syllables- English words are often very wordy. Break the word(s) apart into syllables. Example: Mississippi = Mis-sis-sip-pi This word has 4 syllables. Accent- Your accent will naturally be very different from native speakers’ accents. Speak to as many people as you can from various regions across the globe to alleviate fears you may have about not understanding native speakers’ accents. Everyone will have a slightly different way of pronouncing words. However, what remains the most important is that your English accent remains consistent and clear. Tone- The way in which you say a phrase will change the meaning. Here are a few examples. Example: “You like dogs.” Raise your voice up at the end of the word “dogs” to ask a question. Drop your voice down at the end of the word “dogs” to create a statement. Separate each word in the sentence while dropping your voice down at the end of the word “dogs” to imply that the person does not like dogs. Beware: Synonyms- A specific word may actually mean something very different than you intended. Be careful when selecting words, because sometimes people will take offense even though that was not your meaning. Example: I often hear Chinese speakers say, “She is a half-blood.” This sounds as if the girl is some type of vicious animal. Instead, you can say, “She is Chinese and Mexican.”