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標題: cantonese english accent [打印本頁]
作者: jake123    時間: 2007-12-29 21:12     標題: cantonese english accent

Don't know where to post this, so if this is the wrong place, please move to another forum.

Ok, I came to Van when I was like grade 3 and I've been here for a lil more than a decade. I still have a strong cantonese accent when speaking english. I'm just wondering what I can do to minimize the accent and what do people think of it(well I'm pretty sure I know the latter).
作者: notgoddy    時間: 2007-12-29 21:32

Just to be sure, is it bad like this?

[youtube]_Zt-oXyTVCg[/youtube]
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Zt-oXyTVCg
作者: jake123    時間: 2007-12-29 21:39     標題: 回復 2# 的帖子

no.........
作者: Intelstan    時間: 2007-12-29 21:40

I've been in Van for almost 15 years (not living in richmond) and I still think I have a very minor chinese accent when speaking english.  I think the problem is that I watch more of the chinese channel than western ones and I speak chinese at home.  

Accents are generally not a problem as long as it's understandable by others.
作者: notgoddy    時間: 2007-12-29 22:01

^^exactly, don't worry about it if it is not a problem.

The best way to fix accents is to hang out with people that speaks proper English.

or watch English television.
[youtube]4AwKFs6Zygg[/youtube]
作者: fm9610    時間: 2007-12-30 00:48

Actually I think the guy in the video was speaking Singaporean/Malaysian English. This is what I usually heard from my colleagues who originally came from there.

I think Hongkong English is actually English as spoken by the British Royalties like the Queen, which is actually not that bad.
作者: notgoddy    時間: 2007-12-30 01:15

Yeah, I figured that out too but I was too lazy to correct that.
作者: jimmyche    時間: 2007-12-30 02:04

If you accent is not stopping other people from  understanding your word. It's alright.
作者: fibbi    時間: 2007-12-30 02:58

I have exactly the same problem too... Strong accents, and sometiems even not that fluet when I speak in English...

Watching more english channels helps me to learn more vocab and slang. But not necessary help me to correct my accent. Maybe my linguistic capability is just low...hard to "learn" from TV...
作者: Alcoholic    時間: 2007-12-30 04:48

listen & learn
when you try, relax, & don't give yourself too much pressure when immitating proper english... cus if you "try too hard", you'll just end up stuttering~ just practice more & let it try to flow naturally.

to me, most of the time accents happen because you're still not comfortable & not going smoothly with the dialect...& you are unsure of how to use the vocabulary. improper grammar is also a major cause.

[ 本帖最後由 Alcoholic 於 2007-12-30 04:50 編輯 ]
作者: SAZABI    時間: 2007-12-30 10:31

Don't worry... I have been here since grade 8 and I can't even speak English...

We spoke chinese in school...
now still speak chinese at work...
Go out... gosh... I go to Richmond usually, so you get my point...
Even when I went to work in Russia, the boat came from southern part of China... haha...


The guy with blue shirt is the captain
作者: raima    時間: 2007-12-30 12:43

原帖由 jake123 於 2007-12-29 21:39 發表
no.........


and what's with his hand?!
作者: SmellyTofu    時間: 2007-12-30 12:59

原帖由 fm9610 於 2007-12-30 00:48 發表
Actually I think the guy in the video was speaking Singaporean/Malaysian English. This is what I usually heard from my colleagues who originally came from there.

I think Hongkong English is actually ...


Yes, that is a typical Singlish accent... it does get annoying sometimes but I can put it on when needed.

Accents can be a trained thing but it's one that takes years before you actually start fixed on one without even trying. Now I've been in Australia for 20+ years and whilst I speak English with an Aussie accent (no, not talking Paul Hogan or Steve Irwin type), I do tend to pick up on some accents with people I hang around with. I started out with Malay coz some of my high school friends were Malay... so you speak like this la.. you know what I mean la!... then now it's the British one at work which I love anyway.. so some words come out like Jamie Oliver... just not as animated as he is... and the girl that speaks on the MTR trains... ohh... sorry.. she tell me to stand back from the doors all night long.

But seriously, I think you've got to speak rather than listen/watch TV. Hang around the people you want accents to be. Talk and talk and talk. Practice can only mean one thing.. perfection.. well, close to it. For vocab, grammar and context of phrases and when it's appropriate to use them, try TV but if you want to get even better, do just the radio. Talk-back radio (not sure if you call it that up there.. but stations where people call in and talk about issues) will really get your ears tuned into listening and understanding each word or everyday chatting. Just remember though, these sorts of mediums will be in the colloquial setting most likely so of course some phrases you just don't use in different situations. The same way you don't use too slang and informal words in formal settings in Cantonese.

[ 本帖最後由 SmellyTofu 於 2007-12-30 13:02 編輯 ]
作者: maanmo    時間: 2007-12-30 18:38

the chinese radio stations  should  have programs about how to improve  spoken english , and lessen the accent.

my own experience is i cannot overcome the difference between cantonese and english

the english language has a rhythm that is fast and slow
  it has dynamic volume that is stressed loud and soft

its not using these english rhythm and stress that makes it hard for the native
speaker to understand

the use of tone or frequency shift is also very different in to the languages
i think the best way to improve spoken enlish is personal coaching , but
that is a neglected area of esl teaching
作者: Ultraman    時間: 2007-12-31 01:40

One of my friends came here (from HK) when he was still in early secondary school, now he's 3x and he has been working in Caucasian companies only. He still has some non-native accent la. I think besides studying, learning and from daily experience, also depends on your personality and how talented you are. Hehe....
作者: maldini    時間: 2007-12-31 02:28

Be proud of your Hong Kong English accent.
作者: AmericanBeauty    時間: 2007-12-31 05:41

I just came to acceptance of my accent.  My English is pretty broken to start of with, LOL!  And I speak three different languages through the day, so that only makes it harder for me to get rid of my accents.  However, according to my co-workers who are all native English speakers, they can understand my English jsut fine, so I am not going to fight it.  And yes, be proud of your Chinese root and let the accent flow!
作者: jake123    時間: 2007-12-31 12:15

wow so many resposnes w/in a day!!!!!!!

you guys make me feel better abt my accent, thx!

my pronunciation is ok, but i can still improve much on. wt's more important is the intonation... but i guess i hv to learn it all by myself?
作者: Guy    時間: 2007-12-31 13:58

just wondering jake

where do you usually hang out, and with what nation of people?
what company do you work for?

but it's all okay, because you live in richmond.
作者: yiujun    時間: 2007-12-31 17:56

did you live in Richmond? haha
作者: jake123    時間: 2007-12-31 18:42

lol i am still in univ.

i live in east van, but there're enough chinese ppl so all i hang out w/ are chinese ppl(not cbc), although I do speak english w/ half of them.
作者: maanmo    時間: 2008-1-1 15:13

the issue we should think about is what could  a non native speaker of english  difficult to understand .

  if the speaker's first language is cantonese, then he may still be using
the contonese rhythm, intonation, and loud _ soft patterns when he speaks english

  the english speaker then  has to filter out these cantonese linguistic color before
he can get to the message

  this important part of learning english for cantonese speakers has been neglected
in english teaching and learning

  the chinese language radios in vancouver should really have a 10 minute segments
several times a day , in which volunteer listeners of all ages will learn to
speaker english  without the cantonese rhythm, stress, and intonation
with a language coach

then we will begin to understand the issue,
its not a matter of practicing speaking with english speakers,
its not a matter of being proud or not proud of your accent
  it is a matter of understanding  the difference between english and cantonese
and then acquire the skills to speak english with english rhythm stress and intonation
作者: Caffie    時間: 2008-1-1 21:11

原帖由 maanmo 於 2008-1-1 15:13 發表
if the speaker's first language is cantonese, then he may still be using
the contonese rhythm, intonation, and loud _ soft patterns when he speaks english

Hmm... my first language was Cantonese... I started speaking English since kindergarten and now I sometimes feel that my Cantonese has a bit of English accent O_O
作者: Ultraman    時間: 2008-1-1 23:07

Honestly, why bother to have any accent? But in fact, you should be glad and it's actually an advantage to speak bilingual (English and Cantonese, or English and Mandarin) or trilingual (English and both Cantonese and Mandarin) or even quad-lingual or more tim la! Which not many Caucasians are able to do that!
作者: siumaibb    時間: 2008-1-2 11:45

there are books with software out there for you to improve your spoken english.
作者: ACooperFan    時間: 2008-1-3 23:51

my coworkers who are caucasians say my english has a hint of a cantonese accent but when i went back to HK, ppl said my cantonese had a hint of an english accent....oh well....
作者: juicyjojo    時間: 2008-1-3 23:56

Here is what I do:

1. borrow some English books from the library
2. get your voice recorder ready
3. read the books out loud and record
4. listen to the recordings and see what kinds of words or phrases in particular that you need to improve on

Since you have been practising English for such a long time, I am pretty sure that you could tell from what is a good accent or bad accent.
you can also do it without recording, just keep reading to yourself- practise makes perfect.  



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