L2 BLOG

Okay.  So , I am kind of cheating today by blogging about Day 12 and 13 simultaneously, but it is appropriate because I want to talk about the Russians.  We love the Russians, not only are they our largest clientele at the L2 Accent Reduction Centre, but we have many wonderful Russian friends.     Today, after 50 years, the Canadian hockey team beat the Russians, but we still love all of our Russian clients!   Today’s accent reduction tip is something I heard from a Russian Journalist and from a passerby on the street right outside of our centre (canadian spelling).

Who: Russian Visitor
Word on the Street: ” We will t+ ry to beat them at hockey. ”
Substitution : pronouncing t +r as two distinct sounds
Canadian Pronunciation:  We will try /tʃrai/ to beat them at hockey.

The tr  combination  should sound like a  chr  /tʃr/.

Try these words with a chr /tʃr/ combination:chrace for  trace, chrack for  track,  chradition for tradition, chraffic for traffic,chree for tree.

Place: T.V in Jen’s living room
Who: Russian Journalist
Word on the Street: “Eef the Russians win gold”
Substitution : The long /i/ as in bee as opposed to the short /I/ as in bit.
Omission: No w insertion.  It should sound like go  weld.  There is a little /w/ that a lot of people miss.
Canadian Pronunciation: “ If /If/  the Russians win gold /gowəld/.

Try these words with a short /I/- bit, sit, mitt, hit, fit  vs.  a long /i/ beat, seat, meat, heat, feet

Try to insert a w in the following words: gowəld for gold ,   cowəld for cold , sowəld for sold,