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 #17 (permalink) Sat Dec 15, 2007 18:52 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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Thank you all - you've been very helpful. Actually I'm Janet and I wouldn't go for American pronunciation! I've been a teacher of English for 14 years - ESL - and still come across surprising questions I've never thought of before! I know that there's a discrepancy between the language of the textbooks and real language but that's embarrassing at times - that's where people like you are ... may I say ... handy ... without being offensive  ? |
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Zhani
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
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Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
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| #18 (permalink) Sat Dec 15, 2007 19:25 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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| zhani wrote: | | Thank you all - you've been very helpful. Actually I'm Janet and I wouldn't go for American pronunciation! |
Looks like you consider pronunciation a matter of choice. Why decide against an American accent?
To saddle another horse, are you from Zhani or do you connect special memories with the word?
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 Ralf
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| #19 (permalink) Sat Dec 15, 2007 20:27 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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| zhani wrote: | | Thank you all - you've been very helpful. Actually I'm Janet and I wouldn't go for American pronunciation! I've been a teacher of English for 14 years - ESL - and still come across surprising questions I've never thought of before! |
Hi Janet
You're not under the mistaken impression that a native speaker of British English would never say something such as "I'd've thought..." or "You'll've...", are you? |
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Yankee
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| #20 (permalink) Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:22 am Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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Zhani is what my friends use to address me since my first name is Zhaneta in my language and Janet is its English equivalent, Ralf, but I'm wondering what you associate this name with.
Nothing personal, Yankee, I don't like American pronunciation - I'm Bulgarian and don't like Russian language either which is very close to mine but with a softer pronunciation. So, to me American is to English as what Russian is to Bulgarian. I have been to England and I'm aware of the different accents there and no- I'm not under any mistaken impressions - I live on the same planet as you . Language is something that is changing and I assume that apart from the rules everything is possible in it. I'm not a native speaker and will never regard myself as competent and as reliable as you may be.
Thank you!
P.S. Why not a matter of choice, Ralf - I could do my best to teach my students standard British pronunciation or American - it's up to me. |
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Zhani
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 14 Dec 2007
Posts: 20
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
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| #21 (permalink) Sun Dec 16, 2007 13:11 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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| zhani wrote: | | P.S. Why not a matter of choice, Ralf - I could do my best to teach my students standard British pronunciation or American - it's up to me. |
How do you do it if it's up to you?
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Ralf
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| #22 (permalink) Sun Dec 16, 2007 13:45 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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| zhani wrote: | | Nothing personal, Yankee, I don't like American pronunciation - I'm Bulgarian and don't like Russian language either which is very close to mine but with a softer pronunciation. So, to me American is to English as what Russian is to Bulgarian. I have been to England and I'm aware of the different accents there and no- I'm not under any mistaken impressions - I live on the same planet as you |
Hi Zhani
I asked because we had been discussing contractions, and then you suddenly mentioned that you prefer British pronunciation. To me, accents and contractions are different topics.
Tell me, what do you think of the so-called URP accent?
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Yankee
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| #23 (permalink) Sun Dec 16, 2007 14:19 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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| Quote: | | come on, man, let's teach him the strong-R'd American accent (at least non-northeastern American accents)! |
| Quote: | Hi Zhani
I asked because we had been discussing contractions, and then you suddenly mentioned that you prefer British pronunciation. To me, accents and contractions are different topics. |
As you can see it wasn't suddenly  . Perhaps they are different topics but sometimes not! However...
I was doing a course on cultural studies in Britain 7 years ago and we were shown a video about a woman from the working class /this is absurd/ who was taking private lessons on pronunciation so that people can't judge her by the way she speaks and could have a better life! No, I wouldn't go for URP either and play snobbish! I like two things about Britain - the greenness of the grass and trees and the way people talk - average educated people. Not aristochrats.
Ralf - we teach English in Bulgaria and we explain differences in pronunciation b/n BrE and AmE and not only in pronunciation. We play recordings and teach transcription. I could set the American way of pronunciation for my students to follow or the British one. We are very good at accents - perhaps its natural and has sth to do with Bulgarian and articulation apparatus I don't know... |
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Zhani
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 14 Dec 2007
Posts: 20
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
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| #24 (permalink) Sun Dec 16, 2007 17:17 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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Oh, I see. I didn't understand why you had addressed a comment about accents to me since I'd said nothing whatsoever about accents.
What a relief it is to know that you are not a URP fanatic.  |
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Yankee
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| #25 (permalink) Sun Dec 16, 2007 19:21 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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Sorry, Yankee, I didn't mean to offend anybody here - I sound the same in my language because I'm always in a hurry and think about more than one things at a time and don't pay much attention to details and logic - I just say what I want to say and the outcome is often ambiguous and not very clear cause I don't mention a lot of the info I actually have to.
I have read some of the other posts and they are really helpful - I like this forum. |
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Zhani
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 14 Dec 2007
Posts: 20
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
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| #26 (permalink) Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:05 am Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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| My name is Amy, Zhani. Nice to meet you. |
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Yankee
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| #27 (permalink) Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:11 am Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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| zhani wrote: | | Ralf - we teach English in Bulgaria and we explain differences in pronunciation b/n BrE and AmE and not only in pronunciation. We play recordings and teach transcription. I could set the American way of pronunciation for my students to follow or the British one. We are very good at accents - perhaps its natural and has sth to do with Bulgarian and articulation apparatus I don't know... |
Pretty cool. I don't think I've ever heard a person from Bulgaria speak English, but now I'm quite curious!
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Ralf
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| #28 (permalink) Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:12 am Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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| zhani wrote: | | I just say what I want to say and the outcome is often ambiguous and not very clear cause I don't mention a lot of the info I actually have to. |
Welcome on board then 
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Ralf
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| #29 (permalink) Mon Dec 17, 2007 21:35 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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| I'm sure I'll enjoy the travelling |
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Zhani
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 14 Dec 2007
Posts: 20
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
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| #30 (permalink) Fri Dec 21, 2007 16:20 pm Pronunciation and Present Progressive |
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zhani
ask yourself these two questions:
1) Do I enjoy pronouncing the "r" as "arr", or would I rather pronounce it "ah"?
2) Do I enjoy rounded vowels, or do I prefer diphthongs?
If you answered "arr" and "diphthongs", I suggest you take up the Great American Midwestern Accent.
hehe
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