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Spoken English

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The various accents with which the British,the Americans, the Australians, the New Zealanders, the South Africans, and the Canadians speak English are called the native accents of English.The accents of well-educated people are regarded as the standard accents and those of the uneducated as the nonstandard.The Educated South-eastern British, Educated Scottish,General American,Educated Canadian,Educated Australian,Educated New Zealander, and the South African are regarded as the standard native accents of English.

Phonetics Phonemes EnglishEnglish has become an international language of business,tourism,and science and technology.It's also used as a second language for administration,higher education,inter-state communication in many countries.English and its accents in these countries get influenced by the various aspects:phonemes,grammar,and vacabulary of the vernacular languages in these countries.These accents are called non-native accents of English.There are many non-native accents of English such as German,Japanese,Russian,Hebrew,Indian,Hungarian etc.

The official language of the Union of India is Hindi and its subsidiary official language is English.English is an important language for the proceedings of the parliament and the supreme court of India.Majority of the courses for the higher studies in India are offered in English.That's why English is taught as a second or a third language in all the vernacular medium schools in India.Since English is taught only through texts and by the teachers who are not quite familiar with the native accents of English,English spoken in India generally tends to have the following phonological peculiarities:

  • Time Stressed Rhythm English sentencesEnglish sopken in India generally has syllable-timed rhythm,i.e.,all the syllables in sentences are accentuated or stressed.This is because all the vernacular languages in India have syllable-timed rhythm.Whereas,the native English accents have stress-timed rhythm,i.e.,in sentences only certain syllables in the content words (nonuns,main verbs,adjectives,adverbs etc.) are accented and the function words(pronouns,prepositions,auxiliary verbs,articles,conjunctions) are said quickly using their weak forms and contracted forms,in other words they are not accented.The speaker tends to hop from one accented syllable to the other by quickly saying any number of unaccented syllables between them. The accented syllables occur at equal intervals of time.To rephrase,the syllable-timed rhythm is 'laa laa laa laa',the stress-timed rhythm is 'la la laa la la laa la la laa'.See the accented syellables in bold in the sentences below for example: 1) He promised he'd accept the invitation. 2)Put the pot on the table. 3)The modified electric cars, store electricity and then give power back to the grid. 4) It's almost astonishing!
  • word stress accent englishSpeakers of English in India generally stress all the syllables in polysyllabic English words.Whereas,in native English only one syllable-shown with ' mark before it in the dictionary- in a polysyllabic word is stressed.Every polysyllabic word in English has unique accentuation pattern,eg: democrat democracy democratic photograph photographer photographical telephone telephony telephonic Sometimes the word accentuation determines whether a word is a noun or an adjective or a verb,eg. accent(n) accent(v) present(n) present(v) When the native speakers listen to spoken English,they listen concentrating on the accentuated syllables in words.All the native English accents might differ in the use of vowels and sometimes consonants,but it's important to note that they use the same word accentuation patterns.This helps a native English speaker easily understand the other native accents.The word accentuation patterns are as important to know as the spellings of words.
  • The consonant phonemes /p/ /t/ /k/ are not aspirated in spoken English in India.In native accents of English they are aspirated or said with a puff of breath,as /ph/ /th/ /kh /.If these phonemes are aspirated,it's easier to recognize the words such as: pin-bin,pit-bit,pill-bill,peach-beach tin-din,tip-dip,tale-dale cane-gain,curl-girl,come-gum,crew-grew etc.
  • The consonant phoneme /r/ is a tap or trill in spoken English in India.It's pronounced wherever it occurs in the spellings of words,imagine someone pronouncing all the r's in the word performance.In native English /r/ is generally a post-alveolar frictionless continuant,and it's pronounced smoothly and only when it occurs before vowels,it's silent before consonants and word-finally.In English, words are not pronounced the way they are spelled,eg. the word tortoise is pronounced as totas, and the word performance is pronounced as pafomans.For more information on this topic please refer to this article and these links.
  • Communication Expression

Computers and PDAs generally don't support phonetic symbols,so I haven't used them in this post. Frankly speaking,languages are not the subjects to be taught only through texts.Learn as many languages as you want.Linguistically,the best way of learning the correct sound,rhythm and pronounciation of a language starts form listening to it first.We use languages mainly for communication so it's important to listen to the actual rhythm and pronunciation of the languages we learn. If you think you have perfectly learnt a second language,if you will,you can share your language learning techniques as comments on this post. :smile:


References:

  1. How to Learn a Language
  2. About ESL
  3. Multimedia English
  4. Audiobooks
  5. Library ebooks
  6. Youtube ESL
  7. Lyrics
  8. Dctionary
  9. Phonemes
  10. Word stress
  11. Rhythm

How it's been,Valentine?

Comments

I_ArtMan 10. February 2009, 03:56

very informative post. :up:

i have a dictionary that my wife bought me for a birthday a few years ago. it's a book with a disc.

every word has a little sound symbol you can click on and get the word pronounced properly. it's very useful even for me with my vocabulary, mostly built from reading, because some of the words i use, i don't really know the proper pronunciation for. so that's cool. :cool:

oh, it's called the "american heritage dictionary". 4th edition with a thesaurus.

Chas4 10. February 2009, 05:49

Even speaking English is only the American English for me there are so many other varations that I should learn.

KYren 10. February 2009, 06:02

Thank you Scott.:up:
English vocabulary has more than 500,000 words,80% of them borrowed from other languages.English words are not pronounced the way they are written.So a dictionary is a must while learning english.
I hope this post will be helpful from the beginners to advanced learners of ESL,including me of course.You'd find in the references under this post,a link to an online dictionary wich shows meanings of words from at least 40 other online dictionaries,a lyrics library,an online ebooks library(I will read the books you've recommened),free audiobooks and multimedia lessons on English.
Btw,don't you think I write on super boring subjects? :D

Arnekrilu 10. February 2009, 08:18

This was a very informative article on the englsh lanuage, written from the point of view of an indian. I learned A LOT. Thank you KYren :yes: :D :smile:

KYren 10. February 2009, 08:28

Hi Charles,I've read that all the native accents of english may differ in their use of vowels and consonants but they use the same word accentuation pattern.It helps a native speaker of English to easily understand the other native accents.You needn't learn about the other accents if you know American English.
In India,there are many native vernacular languages so there's no single accent of English here.And they don't have the same pronunciation and accentuation pattern.My south indian friends don't speak Hindi so only English is the common language between us.But sometimes I don't understand them coz their accent is different.A South Indian may pronounce the word example as yegzampal.A Bihari may pronounce the word school as sakool and a Punjabi might pronounce it as iskool.
That's why linguists in India suggest to adopt RP as the model to teach English in India.So that a Punjabi could easily understand a South Indian and vice versa.Plus RP has wide international intelligibility.

KYren 10. February 2009, 09:08

:up: Thank you.I am glad that you found it informative,Arne.Btw,I am not an omniscient.I learn every minute.

ellinidata 10. February 2009, 11:38

thank you Kyren
since my English is one of my second languages,
I do learn daily too.
Recently we did try a post with my friend Zaphira on vocabulary ,
the title of it is
"I love Words".
Of course we start something seriously and it turns to silly entries but there are some interesting words there to learn...
I am learning to appreciate English by the minute.
In the beginning I thought it is a boring language.
Comparing to it with some European languages it seemed to be.
Now I realize how many words I don't know
and how many I learn especially after reading literature more often.
I admire people with rich vocabulary.
Scott is one of them,
not to mention Melissa aka mjohnson
and Matthew aka noah counte.
Ed fascinates me as a wtiter more than as a vocabulaty user.
His imaginations is beyond imagination
and that makes the English read a treat.
Having a Greek/French accent makes me not to
try any compilated words in my daily use.
That will confuse my kids to tears :smile:
thanks for directing me her :smile:

KYren 10. February 2009, 12:44

Now the only place where I use English is OC.English is spoken mainly in the metropolis of India.
:up: Since you live in NYC,you must have got near perfect command over spoken English by now.
I wanted to ask you
what's the meaning of the word 'Meli'?

ellinidata 10. February 2009, 14:59

New York City is a place where you hear all languages at all times,
there are people who live here for over 20 years and still don't speak the language.
That happens because in their jobs and family( the environment that they live) their native language is only spoken.
:smile:

meli= honey (in Greek)

KYren 10. February 2009, 17:06

:D That's sweet!
how is the e in Meli pronounced? as i or e as in egg?

kalynka 10. February 2009, 19:44

Nice post, Kiran :up:!!! the more to come, right :wink:?

ellinidata 10. February 2009, 20:00

yes, like a sweet egg :smile:

:lol: it is an e

KYren 11. February 2009, 15:36

Thank you, Alla.:smile:

KYren 11. February 2009, 15:49

Angel,I thought it's pronounced as i as in these.:D
Eggs become sweet when they're used for making desserts.p:

ellinidata 11. February 2009, 16:18

yes indeed! :D

night wolf 15. February 2009, 13:11

I have an American new yorker accent , as some of my fiends here at Opera think so :lol:

bohot atcha Post man keep it "hogeya" <=== meaning comming :yes:

KYren 15. February 2009, 13:19

:up: Thanks for the comment,Amir.It's better to learn English with one of its native accents so that you'd be understood internationally.How did you learn the accent can I know,Amir? :smile:

ellinidata 15. February 2009, 14:09

Amir in your videos
one can hear more American accent coming from you than from the Persians that live in the USA !
:heart:
too much TV Prince p:

KYren 15. February 2009, 14:40

p: Really?May I please know how did you learn English,Amir.

night wolf 15. February 2009, 20:05

Angeliki I grew up with American accent ,the ones you talk about are new comers ,there no deeply in to it :wink:

bulls eye! :up:


T.V /movies /American girl next door!/ Movies/Movies :headbang: :yes:
I love the accent I even think in American! Even Speak to myself in American :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

ellinidata 15. February 2009, 20:16

the question is

do you dream in American?
are the dreams in color?
p:

night wolf 16. February 2009, 12:21

yes

and yes again :wink:

All the time :wink:

KYren 16. February 2009, 12:44

:smile: American girl next door?

night wolf 16. February 2009, 12:45

when i was a kid i had this American girl as my friend :wink: she moved out after a year and i never saw her :cry: awww

KYren 16. February 2009, 14:20

Oh so sorry Amir,what was she doing in Iran or you're talking about UAE? :smile:

night wolf 16. February 2009, 19:52

as A kid i was in UAE :wink:

:smile:

KYren 16. February 2009, 20:28

:smile: then why did you move to Iran?

night wolf 16. February 2009, 20:36

7 yers ago i wanted to go to Persian Art school and there was no Persia art school at that time in UAE as i went to a Iranian school from the 1st grade :D so i cane to Iran finished Art school ,went to Art university and got my fine art in Graphic design major Arts :up: then got a job here and now living with my dad witch he retired from his job in UAE about 5 years ago and my 2 brothers :D

still saving money to get a car or something P:

KYren 16. February 2009, 21:20

:D What that something might be? Well,all the best for the car.
Is the job related to your qualifications or it's just a temporary job which has nothing to do with your degree?

night wolf 17. February 2009, 05:31

It has nothing to do with my degree :down: but i got the job couse of my good English :D I`m a Foreign trade affair manager/translator :D

KYren 17. February 2009, 08:19

:smile: So,in this job you have to speak in English with foreign traders on the phone daily?

night wolf 17. February 2009, 08:52

not daily :D i rarly do that :wink: mostly bu e-mail and some internet reserch of the markets around the world and looking fo companys and making contacts with them...along with going to Bank`s/hospitals fo paper work`s and bank jobs :D It`s fun really :up: wohoooooooooo:hat: :hat: :hat:

:lol: :lol: I Love my job :up:

KYren 17. February 2009, 09:02

:up:
btw,don't you have ' mark in the computer? Why are you using this ` mark instead? It`s interesting.:D

night wolf 17. February 2009, 09:21

Mar'k!? that`s wrong!! I think :lol: "it`s this" "not thi's" P: your wrong man :lol: ..or am I?? nervous :lol:

KYren 17. February 2009, 09:58

:lol:

night wolf 17. February 2009, 10:46

AH!!! you were wrong Muhahaha !! :devil: :lol:

KYren 17. February 2009, 11:14

Use this ' punctuation mark. :devil:

night wolf 17. February 2009, 19:00

O.K got it ThanX ...so how are you? :whistle: :lol: p:

KYren 18. February 2009, 09:49

Fine,thanx.:D

night wolf 18. February 2009, 10:00

:lol: good :D

ShwetankD 1. March 2009, 05:33

Hey...dis is some of d most interesting blog discussions dat i have seen here at opera...

KYren 1. March 2009, 05:53

Hi,what did you find interesting about it?:smile:

ShwetankD 1. March 2009, 06:18

Language...! :smile: i love languages..

KYren 1. March 2009, 07:10

:D Really? How many languages you are fluent in?

ShwetankD 1. March 2009, 07:28

English nd hindi....nothing much to show there !! awww . But my girlfriend is teaching me some portuguese ! Nd some of my friends will be working on my chinese soon...... Right now....i m just another ignorant Indian ! :smile:

KYren 1. March 2009, 07:44

:cool: You're working on Chinese? I hear it's one of the toughest languages in the world.

ShwetankD 1. March 2009, 07:55

No...i dont have ne portuguese girlfriend ! I just happen 2 have a very talented girlfriend..... She is only 15 and is fluent in portuguese , spanish and japanese !! As for chinese....there are many in Dehradun .. belonging to chinese ethnicity ... So whenever i am there, i catch up wid dem....

ShwetankD 1. March 2009, 08:00

Greek must be one real stylish language !

KYren 1. March 2009, 08:08

That's cool,man.Thanx for commenting.:cool:

Arnekrilu 2. March 2009, 07:58

Your blogg is still interesting. I know how to say hi in Hindi, bengali, shershucpa, and about 4-5 other languages. And I understand a little (written) portugese. :smile: :smile: :D

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