Introduction
First of all, don’t be too hard on yourself. Don’t worry if you don’t sound very Canadian or that you have a heavy foreign accent. You will notice that Canadians are used to hearing many accents, so it’s not really a problem. Your primary aim should be – to be understood. Secondly, this is just a phase. Your pronunciation will improve with time as you continue to use the language and immerse yourself in the culture. Lastly, you can do many things to hasten your improvement. Here are some simple tips to start with:
So,the question is how to improve my Kannada accent right?
The answer to the above question is;
The number one tip that Kannada teachers recommend is a process called shadowing.
Shadowing, developed by the American Professor and polyglot Alexander Arguelles, is simply the process of repeating what a native speaker says as quickly as you hear it. This skill can be used by any level of Kannada learner and can be the best way to improve your Kannada accent.
How to Shadow in 5 Simple Steps
- Find an audio clip at your level. For beginners I would recommend short, 1-2 minute conversations. Then move on to more complex, longer conversations as you get into the intermediate level.
- Listen to the audio once or twice. Really hear how the speaker is saying each word or phrase.
- Read the transcript of the audio. This is your chance to learn new vocabulary and grammar. Make sure you take the time to really understand the nuance of each expression.
- Listen to the audio while following along with the transcript. Here’s your opportunity to take notes on how the speaker accentuates certain words or phrases. Once you’re comfortable with what the speaker is saying you can begin to shadow.
- Read aloud while playing the audio. While you listen to the native speaker, read aloud, following their intonation and pronunciation. Do this until you’re comfortable speaking without the need to pause the audio and you feel good about your accent.
What else you can do to improve your Kannada accent :
1. Don’t speak too fast
It’s harder to understand words when they are delivered quickly. We also have a tendency to speak too fast when we are stressed or excited. So before you speak, relax. This avoids tensing up your mouth and vocal cords. Speak at a normal pace. Stress the important words in your sentences by saying them louder and longer. This will help others get your general message without having to listen to each word you say.
2. Listen and observe
Observe how others speak and listen to their pace and intonation. When you answer in a conversation, try to mimic the pace and tone of the other person. If you have problems pronouncing certain words, observe how native speakers say them. Watch how they form the words with their mouths and then practice at home.
3. Look words up
Develop the habit of looking up a word when you’re unsure of how to pronounce it. Most online dictionaries don’t only define words, they also have a feature that lets you hear how the word sounds when spoken. Beside or below a word, you may see an icon that looks like a speaker. Click on the icon and hear the word pronounced. If you don’t want to use this feature, just check its phonetic spelling written the way it should be said.
3. Practice, practice, practice
It might sound obvious when I say “practice,” but the key is to make sure you’re practicing the right way.
When improving pronunciation, you have to say the words and phrases you’re learning out loud as much as possible. When you’re studying by yourself, it can be easy to just read, write and listen to CDs without ever actually saying anything out loud. While listening repetitively is good, it’s essential for you to say new phrases aloud, too.
Repeat everything you hear, paying special attention to the ups and downs or the “music” of the language (intonation), and also the tricky sounds (pronunciation).
4. Mimic/Shadow everything you see and hear
When you watch Kannada TV programs or movies, there will be many phrases and words that you’ll hear and think, “I want to learn that phrase.”
Pause the movie and mimic what you hear, paying close attention to intonation as well as pronunciation. Then go an extra step beyond that.
How are the actors’ facial expressions when they speak? Do they bow, smile or frown when they say certain things?
Speaking like a native doesn’t stop at pronunciation and intonation. To speak perfect Japanese, you have to mimic everything the natives do.
Pronunciation is something that improves the more you use the language. Continue immersing yourself by listening to Kannada music, podcasts, news and others. Join conversations, make small talk, or make a presentation. Some even join their local Toastmasters Club to take their language skills to the next level. Keep at it and you’ll see (and hear) great improvement in no time!
Also, you can join Multibhashi to improve your Kannada accent.
