DAY 4 – Accent Reduction
The Filipino accent and the American accent have distinct characteristics that arise from differences in phonetic patterns, stress, intonation, and vocabulary. This guide aims to help learners understand some key differences between these accents and develop awareness of how they affect pronunciation in American English.
FILIPINO ACCENT: VOWEL SOUNDS
The Filipino accent often exhibits vowel sounds that are more centralized or closer to the schwa sound (/ə/) compared to American English.
Some examples include pronouncing “bat” as “bət” or “pin” as “pən.”
AMERICAN ACCENT: VOWEL SOUNDS
American English has a wider range of vowel sounds, including the “short a” (/æ/), “long e” (/iː/), and “aw” (/ɔː/) sounds that may differ from Filipino English.
For example, “cat,” “seat,” and “saw” are pronounced with distinct vowel sounds in American English.
FILIPINO ACCENT: CONSONANT SOUNDS
The Filipino accent may exhibit certain consonant sound substitutions, such as replacing the “th” sound (/θ/ and /ð/) with “t” or “d.” For instance, “think” may be pronounced as “tink.”
AMERICAN ACCENT: CONSONANT SOUNDS
American English maintains the “th” sounds (/θ/ and /ð/) that are absent in the Filipino accent. It is important to practice and differentiate these sounds to achieve clarity in American English pronunciation.
FILIPINO ACCENT: STRESS & INTONATION
In the Filipino accent, syllable stress may differ from American English. Filipino English tends to have more equal stress across syllables, whereas American English emphasizes certain syllables within words for natural rhythm and intonation.
AMERICAN ACCENT: STRESS & INTONATION
American English employs word stress to convey meaning and emphasis. Learners should focus on identifying and practicing stress patterns, such as stressing the first syllable in “hotel” or the second syllable in “understand.”
FILIPINO & AMERICAN ACCENT: VOCABULARY & PRONUNCIATION
While many English words are shared between Filipino and American English, pronunciation may differ due to accent variations. For example, the pronunciation of “schedule” or “advertisement” may have slight differences.
NEUTRALIZING REGIONAL FILIPINO ACCENTS & TRANSITIONING TO AN AMERICAN ACCENT
Mimic Native Speakers: Practice imitating the sounds, stress patterns, and intonation of native American English speakers. This can be done by repeating phrases or sentences from recordings or engaging in conversations with native speakers.
Listen to Native Speakers: Immerse yourself in American English by listening to native speakers through movies, TV shows, podcasts, and conversations. Pay attention to their pronunciation and intonation patterns.
Record and Self-Assess: Record yourself speaking in American English and listen back to identify areas for improvement. Compare your pronunciation to native speakers and make note of any discrepancies. Adjust and practice accordingly.
Remember, acquiring an accent takes time and practice. Embrace the uniqueness of your Filipino accent while aiming for clearer communication in American English. Consistent effort and exposure to the American English accent will gradually help you refine your pronunciation skills.
DAY 4 – EXERCISE 1
“V” and “W” Sounds: Filipino native speakers often struggle with distinguishing between the “v” and “w” sounds in English due to their absence in the Filipino language. To practice:
Listen carefully to native English speakers pronouncing words with “v” and “w” sounds.
Pay attention to the position of your lips and teeth when producing these sounds.
Practice minimal pairs like “vine” and “wine” or “vat” and “what” to differentiate the sounds.
“Th” Sounds: Filipino native speakers commonly replace the “th” sounds (/θ/ and /ð/) with “t” or “d” sounds. To improve:
Practice tongue placement by placing the tip of your tongue gently between your teeth.
Repeat words containing “th” sounds, such as “think,” “this,” or “that,” focusing on producing the correct sound.
“F” and “P” Sounds: The distinction between “f” and “p” sounds may be challenging for Filipino speakers as the “p” sound is more common in Filipino. To overcome this:
Practice minimal pairs like “fan” and “pan” or “fun” and “pun” to differentiate between the sounds.
Pay attention to the use of voiceless “f” sound versus the voiced “p” sound.
Short Vowels: Filipino English tends to have fewer distinct vowel sounds compared to American English. Short vowel sounds such as /æ/ (as in “cat”) or /ɛ/ (as in “bed”) may be challenging. To improve:
Listen to native English speakers and focus on the pronunciation of short vowel sounds.
Practice minimal pairs, such as “cat” and “cut,” or “bed” and “bad,” to develop accuracy.
Rhotic “R” Sound: Filipino English tends to have a tapped or rolled “r” sound, while American English has a distinct rhotic sound. To work on the rhotic “r” sound:
Practice the American English “r” sound by slightly raising the back of your tongue.
Listen to native speakers and imitate their pronunciation, focusing on the placement and vibration of the “r” sound.
TIPS FOR IMPROVING PRONUNCIATION
Immerse Yourself in American English: Listen to American English speakers through movies, TV shows, podcasts, and conversations to familiarize yourself with the sounds and rhythm of the language.
Practice with Minimal Pairs: Engage in minimal pair exercises to highlight the differences between challenging sounds. Focus on contrasting similar words to develop accuracy and distinguish between sounds.
Record and Self-Assess: Record yourself speaking and listen back to identify areas for improvement. Compare your pronunciation with that of native English speakers and make adjustments accordingly.
Seek Feedback: Engage with native English speakers or language partners who can provide feedback on your pronunciation. Actively seek opportunities for conversation and practice.
Practice Regularly: Consistent practice is key to improving pronunciation. Set aside dedicated time each day to focus on challenging sounds, intonation, and rhythm.
DAY 4 – EXERCISE 2
For this exercise, learners should focus on pronouncing the challenging sounds and words with accuracy and clarity. They can practice reading the passage aloud, paying close attention to the specific sounds, stress patterns, and intonation patterns mentioned. They can also engage in partner practice, providing feedback and corrections to one another to improve their pronunciation skills.
In a quaint little town called Accentville, lived a group of determined learners striving to overcome their accent-related difficulties in English. They gathered at a local language center, ready to embark on a journey of improvement.
Their first challenge was the pronunciation of the “th” sound. They diligently practiced saying words like “think,” “thought,” and “theater” with the correct dental fricative sound, focusing on placing their tongues gently between their teeth.
Next, they tackled the distinction between the “v” and “w” sounds. They practiced saying words like “very,” “water,” and “wine,” paying attention to the position of their lips and teeth to produce the accurate sounds.
Another hurdle was the short vowel sounds. They repeated words like “cat,” “bed,” and “cup,” striving to pronounce each vowel sound clearly and distinctly.
They also focused on word stress and intonation patterns, emphasizing the correct syllables and using rising and falling tones to convey meaning effectively.
The learners cheered each other on, providing feedback and support. They practiced in pairs, taking turns reading aloud and correcting each other’s pronunciation. With each repetition, their confidence grew, and their pronunciation became more accurate.
As they continued their journey, they realized that overcoming accent-related difficulties was a continuous process. They embraced their individuality and celebrated their progress, knowing that clear communication was within their reach.
DAY 4 – EXERCISE 3
This technique is called ACCENT SHADOWING. Play the video and follow along. Do your best to mimic their accents.
Did you enjoy that activity? Now let’s notch the complexity up a bit. Still using ACCENT SHADOWING, let’s practice with slightly more complex scripts and accents.
DAY 4 HOMEWORK – FOR IN-CLASS ACTIVITY
Practice with the movie scripts below. The first one will be a practice round. The second one will be the main graded monologue you will present in class.
SCRIPT #1: CRUELLA DE VIL
So this is a confusing day. My nemesis is my real mother. And she killed my other mother. I guess you were always scared, weren’t you, that I’d be a psycho like my real mum? Hmmm? That explains all the “tone it down, try to fit in” stuff. Love me into shape, I suppose, was the plan. And I tried. I really tried because I loved you. But the thing is… I’m… Not sweet Stella, try as I might. I never was. I’m Cruella. Born brilliant, born bad, and a little bit mad. I am not like her. I’m better. Anyway, must dash. Much to avenge, revenge, and destroy. But I do love you. Always.
SCRIPT #2: STEVE JOBS
Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories. The first story is about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out, they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We’ve got an unexpected baby boy. Do you want him?” They said: “Of course:.
My biological mother found out later that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would go to college. This was the start in my life. And 17 years later, I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was, spending all the money my parents had saved their entire life.
So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK.It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out, I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked far more interesting. It wasn’t all romantic, I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms. I returned coke bottles for the $0.05 deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.
Let me give you one example: Reed College at that time offered perhaps one of the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus, every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed.
Because I had dropped out didn’t have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating. None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life.
But 10 years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out,I would have never dropped in on that calligraphy class. And personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.
You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that teh dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path and that will make all the difference.