It is hard for both Americans and foreigners to understand each other though we all speak the same language-English. I still have my Indian accent but manage to teach undergraduates and communicate with professors, co-workers, and friends. just by following some suggestions and hints that 10 years of my experience taught me.
Here are some helpful points which helped me during my initial days:
Basics: Speak slowly, audibly, and separate words in a sentence. Most importantly, remember that the English language has its own grammar and rules, so try to get out of the habit of speaking English like a native language. If you follow these two rules then it is easy for the other person to understand us even if we have an accent.
For example, Juan is phonetically spelled as 'Juliet Uniform Alpha November' or 'John Union Adams NewYork'.
My story: I still remember my first conversation with a customer support employee of a credit card company. He asked my name but he did not understand because I have an Indian accent and my name is very uncommon. So I repeated it twice. Well, it did not work the third time either. My husband was hearing all the conversation from the restroom, he shouted from inside "use the phonetic spelling". At last, it worked.
Learn to pronounce correctly: Quickly want to learn how to say words then go to dictionary.com, search for a word and simply click on the sound symbol next to the word. You can hear the correct pronunciation and learn without others' help.
Subtitles or Closed caption: If you are interested in learning the American accent or want to know more about American culture then I suggest turning on the CC on your television remote. This way you can read and listen to the words at the same time. This helps in comparing your pronunciation with Americans' and also slowly catching up with the American accent.
NATO Phonetic Alphabet
Letter phonetic letter A Alpha B Bravo C Charlie D Delta E Echo F Foxtrot G Golf H Hotel I India J Juliet K Kilo L Lima M Mike N November O Oscar P Papa Q Quebec R Romeo S Sierra T Tango U Uniform V Victor W Whiskey X X-ray Y Yankee Z Zulu Western Union Phonetic Alphabet
Published onLetter phonetic letter A Adams B Boston C Chicago D Denver E Easy F Frank G George H Henry I Ida J John K King L Lincoln M Mary N New York O Ocean P Peter Q Queen R Roger S Sugar T Thomas U Union V Victor W William X X-ray Y Young Z Zero 1/25/11 9:15 PM
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