Accents
are something we often only see in terms of region or a way of
speaking. We don’t connect the ways in which they reflect on
the cultures they serve or the people who speak them. In reality,
where one lives, dictates how they speak and the words they use more
than just about anything else.
Becoming
familiar with a true native accent doesn’t just change the way
you communicate with other people, it connects you to an entirely
different culture, even if you can’t visit that place in the
here and now. Whether you’re reading a book written by a
British author or enjoying a song from the deep South region of the
US, understanding an accent matters and connects in ways most people
don’t even see.
But
how can we learn an accent or even understand a dialect that is not
native to us? Well, technology can most certainly help.
Learning Accents: How Can It Be Done?
Many
of us would love to learn accents and inflections, if for no other
reason than to enjoy cultural TV shows, books, songs, and even jokes
from those regions of the world. The question is: how can you learn
the accent of a place in which you don’t live? Start with the
basics and go from there.
Listen and Learn
The
best way to truly learn an accent is to listen. means opening your ears to the exact rhythm and inflection.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the opportunity to chat in
person with a true speaker to study how syllables sing or words are
pronounced in real-time. This is where the text
to speech software can help. By simply inputting text into an online
text to speech generator, you can choose from any number of accents
with which to have that text read aloud back to you.
Let’s
say you’re really looking into becoming familiar with Cockney
British. Simply input some text and a British
text to speech generator will read the text aloud in that particular accent. Try in
both male and female voices or choose from given regions of a certain
country. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with how an
accent sounds in terms of rhythm, without having to track down an
actual British citizen!
Sing A Little Song
Really
want to get intimate with an accent? Don’t just speak the words
out loud, warble them out in a beautiful song. Studies show that
simply singing in a disparate accent can be a key way to learn the
innate diction and inflection of a certain language. Elect a song in
the accent or language you are looking to learn. Examine the lyrics
and sing them out loud until you feel as if they are being stressed
perfectly. Generally, this can be done with most musical categories,
so long as you can plainly make out the lyrics and effectively sing
them out loud.
Learn the International Phonetic Alphabet
Really
feeling serious about connecting to a new accent? Start by
familiarizing yourself with the International Phonetic Alphabet. Each
letter of this unique alphabet effectively represents a tone and
style of making that accent. When you’re studying a new accent
or language, becoming conversant with vowel and consonant sounds can
prove an overwhelming and uphill battle.
By
learning the phonetic alphabet, you’re studying distinctive
tongue and lip positions. Eventually, you’ll learn how to mix
those positions into unique ways to take on different accents. When
you’re learning any type of accent, don’t give headfirst into a very difficult accent or language. Start with something like a
British accent and then move on to a French accent or something
similar.
Why Connection Matters?
Why
does connection matter in the first place? Well, the world is a
pretty big and vast place. It is easy to forget that your story isn’t
the only tale being spun in the current time. Connecting to different
accents and cultures expands your little world, making it bigger and
brighter. Not only can this leave you feeling more open and connected
to your fellow humans, but it expands your understanding of the human
experience and why different cultures matter.
Learning
an accent connects us to the world at large and opens doors even
traveling can’t unlock. Whether you learn an accent via British
text to speech or simply learn the International Phonetic Alphabet,
you can open yourself up and feel different about your fellow humans.
by
Janeth Kent Date:
16-07-2020
hits :
2434
Janeth Kent
Licenciada en Bellas Artes y programadora por pasión. Cuando tengo un rato retoco fotos, edito vídeos y diseño cosas. El resto del tiempo escribo en MA-NO WEB DESIGN END DEVELOPMENT.
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