I came to the United States when I was 8 years old, now living in the states for 17 years. I speak Chinese more than English thoughout my years. Most of my Chinese accent had went away, but I do find myself occasionally speaking 1 or 2 words in a sentence that sound a lil choppy and should've been extended. I'm very fraustrated, and depressed after 17 years of residing here in the states, my speech hasn't reach to the summit of sounding rock solidly native considering I came here at such an early age. Maybe the problem was when I'd first discovered standard english accent was at the age of 16 from a radio talk show... Little too late for any pre-caution, I immediately began to absorb and immitate the sounding of American "Valley" intonation. The pitch of ups and downs have became distinctive, but stressing the correct words selectively in a phrase are still difficult... This flaw gives people the impression that I'm a second generational American-immigrant who didn't pick up English as a fetus, in turn distant themselves one foot away from me.
Though I'm not urging to fit in the popular American social society with whites or blacks, nor to improve my self image in anyway; I'm happy and proud of the way I am, my flaws as well as my accomplishments and background. But in the business world without excuse, speech is a necessity to survival. Rather you go to a public place to receive the same treatment, respect, fairness, concern like everyone else, or in a workplace dealing with co-workers and clients. Speech is a MAJOR factor to good people skills period. Hence "Perfect english equals success" (I don't like this reality one bit).
Ways I practice American intonation are through reading out loud, verbally fighting in online chat rooms, speak english often with outter racial people... and still couldn't master the intonation. If I'm too focus on the valley accent, my voice would sound rigid and harsh, lacking air output. If I speak carelessly with a tone of relaxation, I'd not sound like an American at all. I don't know if there's any other way I can improve, I really need you guys to give me all sorts of input from suggestion to advice for this everlasting personal struggle of mine. One thing really upsets me is the only times I speak perfect Keanu-Reeves English (commented by many) is when I wake up groggy.
!!!Please help. I've been dealing with this problem since my first tease in grade school!!!
Do those Speech Pathology Network really help? I'd love to have a one on one private training session with a pathologist...
(My weakness is when I'm too self concious to speak American. I'd lose all of my American accent and replace it with Chinese inntonation as a comfort zone to sooth myself, and ended up being embarassed by others and myself.)
|