how can i make an Australian accent if im chinese

Mandarin to English: Achieving Perfect Pronunciation

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Getting perfect English pronunciation as a Mandarin native speaker may seem like a lot of hard work. You would know by now that the 2 languages are so distinct from each other, it may feel like comparing apples to oranges! Despite how hard some English words may seem to pronounce, don’t despair. If you follow a regular practice schedule, focusing on some targets that you know need improvement, your English pronunciation can improve!

N.B. If you are a Cantonese Speaker, be sure to check out this article tailored for your needs here: CANTONESE SPEAKERS

1. Drill those English Consonants!

Think back to English class. Did any one teacher, instruct you on how to produce those difficult consonants? If not, it’s time to get to work…

Mandarin has a total of approximately 22 consonants. Australian English, in comparison has up to 24. Many of the consonants needed for English are not found in Mandarin. If you are trying to perfect  your English accent make sure you have worked on these sounds specific to English in particular. Speaking of English consonants alone there  are at least 12 consonant sounds which can not be found in Standard Chinese. You may have already managed to produce a few of them correctly, in some words. Some other sounds may be much harder to get your tongue around. Take care that the following sounds are clear and accurate if you are aiming for a great English accent:

  1. b (as in ball),
  2. d (as in doll),
  3. g (as in girl),
  4. j (as in judge),
  5. v (as in video)
  6. th (as in the)
  7. th (as in three)- this is different from the “th” in “the”
  8. z (as in zoo)
  9. sh (as in she)
  10. zh (as in measure)
  11. h (as in hat)
  12. w (as in window)
  13. ch (as in chocolate)

THE FIX:

This is going to take some time to get right, so prepare to work hard! Start practicing each sound just by itself, one at a time. Make up some flashcards, or seek out an iPad app to drill your  target sounds. Try saying the sounds first on their own, then add some vowels. Search for words that have the sounds you know you struggle with. Make a list of practice words and say each word slowly, taking care on the difficult sounds. Listen out for your focus sounds in the speech of native speakers. Compare their “ch” sound to your “ch” sound and try to adjust your speech accordingly.

It takes ongoing, daily practice to correct sounds and get closer to the local accent.

2. Consonant Clusters

Unlike Mandarin, the English sound system features consonants that are joined together without a vowel. You can think of this as a bit like a sound sandwich. Thus we have words like smoke. In this word, the first two sounds “s” and “m” need to be joined together expertly to be intelligible. We can call this a consonant cluster where two or more consonants are joined together. There are many more consonant clusters. How you master them, will predict your intelligibility.

THE FIX:

Take care to pronounce consonant clusters clearly and articulately. Be careful with the extra hard ones! High frequency clusters to work on include: “thr”, “dr”, “cr”, “shr”, “pl”, “fl”, “st”

3. Speech Intonation

What is intonation? In a nutshell, this refers to the music of your speech. Every accent and dialect follows parameters of rhythm, tone and pitch that match expression. When we learn a new language, we are all inclined to apply the intonation of our mother tongue to our target language. In Mandarin, the tone of the word will shape the meaning of the word. In English, this is not the case. In English, changes in pitch, stress and timing effect the overall meaning and expression.

THE FIX:

Try to slow down and link your words together smoothly instead of rushing to sound more fluent. If you speak at a slower rate, listeners will understand you better and you may also feel more calm and confident while speaking. Use pauses to collect your thoughts and don’t be afraid to take more time when you need it. Try to mimic the nuances and phrases of local speakers. Repeat back comments from newsreaders when you watch the news. Try to follow the rise and fall of English exactly.

Accent neutralization takes a lot of time. Many non-native speakers may still have strong accents even after decades of being immersed in an English speaking country. Sure, an accent is exotic and often very charming! With time and careful practice however, you can reduce it’s intensity and increase your speaking command and clarity while still retaining that element of difference, if you wish! 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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