Description
Accent-Reduction Video Download:
Learn General American Sound
This 60-minute foreign accent-reduction video is the companion to The SOUND & STYLE of AMERICAN ENGLISH audios. It’s part of the complete program for Learning a General American sound. It provides visual help in learning the two important non-pronunciation traits of the General American accent.
- Firstly, the video adds animated graphics of pitch changes for reinforcing the “jump up & step down” intonation technique.
- Secondly, it provides vivid video of the “starting tongue position” and the exact tongue movements that generate the American resonance so central to the learning technique.
HISTORY OF THIS ACCENT-REDUCTION VIDEO
We began selling downloads of our audio products in 2017. Since then, many ESL and speech trainers have asked if they could still get our old accent-reduction video. Its original publisher, Video Language Products, recently ceased operation and sold us back the rights. We have now converted it to a downloadable MP4 video and made it available through the website. It’s nostalgic to see myself with much more hair and younger-looking skin. Yes, we shot the video back in my Hollywood-coaching days. However, our customers have convinced us that the added video feature has helped many teachers and students to master the basics of our accent-reduction method. So here it is again.
IS THERE ONE STANDARD AMERICAN ACCENT?
Folks often ask me exactly where in the USA people speak American English “without an accent.” WELL! Pretty much all Americans grow up speaking a local accent. It’s just that we call some of those variations “no accent” or “non-regional accents.” So, for better or worse, here’s what I mean by that term.
I define the “Non-Regional American Accent” as oral English that identifies its speakers as native-born Americans. But, at the same time, it does not give most listeners clues that speakers are from specific cities or regions. I don’t believe, however, that there is one absolute standard for “a correct non-regional accent.” Some vowel pronunciations can vary a bit without creating the impression of an accent change. The intonation and voice placement remain the same in the different versions of “non-regional” American.
