An American English Accent?

How do you pronounce the "A, E, I, O, and U" while speaking Spanish? Do you find you carry an American accent?

For example, do you use the American "A" sound in Spanish words with the letter "A" in them? Then what about the other letters? Do you continue to speak with an American or an English accent?

You may notice that Spanish people use their vowel sounds with English or American English words. That's why most people think they have an accent.

Collect a list of words with the vowels in them. Determine if you are sounding out the words in another language's vowel sounds. Say them often to note the differences.

For example, if you choose a simple word in English such as "cat" and are using the American accent, do you notice if someone else may be using the "AH" sound instead of the typically more common sound? What about the word for "apple?" Are people using the correct sound, or are they using the "AH" sound as in "father?"

The Spanish word for cat uses the "AH" sound. Do you use the American "A" or the Spanish "A" for that sound. Try saying "gato" with an American accent and with a Spanish accent. Notice how different the sounds are to the mouth, to the tongue, and generally how they sound when spoken out into the air.

Noting what you do with the vowel sounds will help you appreciate what the tongue has to do to distinguish the sounds.

If you ever get together with a study buddy, try noticing what goes on with the mouth and the tongue of the speaker. Are they switching sounds of another language for the spoken words or are they using the correct vowel sound?

After a bit, you should become more of an expert in pronouncing the words correctly and recognising why it is that you carry an accent in the particular language you are studying.

In schools, too, children are placed in English As A Second Language programs, because their words and pronunciations are switched around.

Talk to them about that when you have a chance or the time. It clarifies a great deal of things and will solidify uniformity of the spoken words and clarify misunderstandings in the attempt of the spoken word. It also will help with the sequencing of sounds in common language skills such as spelling. You will have to choose the correct sounds and sound order in the letters of a given word.

Ask others if they can hear an accent in your speech if you haven't realised it yet. Their input may mean a great deal in months to come.

Carry on speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish!

Scary and Tame Words

Happy New Year!

It is a brand new year to learn the language you are pursuing. This blog focuses on Spanish, and so welcome, if that is your aim.

This year, keep a list of words in Spanish that you consider too scary to tackle. Write down why and when you noticed that you were having a problem with the words. Also, note which ones are easier to master. You may find just as many words that appeal to you and the tongue if you take a look at the words.

Later on, this process will help you to keep going. Don't stop when you encounter a scary or difficult word. Jot it down and keep going. Writing them down lets you know tangibly you are dealing with the word, and that you know what you will have to do when the time comes to adding it to your vocabulary.

You may recognize patterns such as word endings or masculine or feminine sounds that make you falter or stumble. Dealing with them is just the thing you need to do. Perhaps, you will discover you are confusing the word or words for something in English or in another language, or you are having a problem remembering the meaning of a particular word.

Just jot them down and look at them periodically. Some of them may become more familiar in the process, and you will discover you took the right steps to remedy the problem.

Enjoy the New Year! Don't allow any words or phrases to get the best of you.