German Speakers

English Pronunciation tips for German Native Speakers

Posted on December 17, 2013 Updated on April 13, 2014

Although English technically is a West Germanic Language, created out of a fusion of Germanic dialects in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of England, pronunciation issues still will arise for the German native speaker. This is because both language groups have evolved and are characterized by not only grammar and vocabularly differences but also completely distinct sound systems. Follow these tips to enhance your English Accent:

1. Drill those English Consonants Count yourself lucky. Maybe not as lucky as the Scandinavians who didn’t endure mother tongue dubbing of Hollywood Films… but lucky enough. Unlike speakers of other language groups that are further from English, you only have a small handful of consonant sounds to master. Possibly you have already got a few under your sleeve already. Ensure that you are producing these 5 English consonants accurately: TH, CH, DZ, R, W. You can easily access many YouTube pronunciation videos on how to do so! Try training yourself, step by step, starting with short words and moving into longer, more complex words and phrases.

2. Don’t put Senf on your English Consonants.

Make sure the following sounds are distinct.

r for red and w for window
w for wait and v for van
j for judge and y for yellow
z for zenith and s for secret
ch for change and sh for shut
th for the and d for do OR z for zeal
th for birthday and s for bursar (N.B. Take care not to sing “birsssday” for “birthday”)

Don’t use them interchangeably or it will impact on the meaning and intelligibility of your message. Use the Audio English pronunciation tool on http://www.leo.org to listen to the target pronunciations of a word. Record yourself saying the same word. Listen and compare and smooth out any differences in your pronunciation production.

3. Welcome to Hollywood. Watch English Films without dubbing. I know those German Voice actors and the Sound Engineers that sequence the sound are amazing and I also know that Brad Pitt sounds and even looks better speaking German, but don’t do it to yourself! Listen out for unknown idioms or phrases. Try to repeat them back. Granted, you may pick up an American accent but no doubt it will be a step in the right direction compared to Brad Pitt auf Deutsch.

Accent neutralization takes considerable effort. Many non-native speakers may still retain a hefty accents even after years of expat life in an English speaking country. Sure, an accent is often a completely wonderful thing to have as it can set you apart and gives you that extra string in your bow since everyone can tell you are multi-lingual. However, at times, accent can hamper the effectiveness of your message. With time and careful practice however, you can neutralise your accent to smooth out it’s intensity and thus increase your speaking clarity. Don’t give up. Work on your weaknesses and practice daily to improve your English proficiency.

Some non-native speakers choose to consult a Speech Pathologist for accent reduction /modification therapy.

We treat from Melbourne to Bogota, Hong Kong, Saigon, London, New York, Tel Aviv… anywhere you are based. Sessions are available face-to-face in our Melbourne Clinic or if you are worldwide Skype based services also can be tailored according to the accent you require for your region, career or academic purpose.

For further information on accent modification and reduction programs please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology.

Words: Sarah Lobegeiger (MA Speech Pathology, MA Opera, pending, BMus, BAEng, TESOL cert IV)

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