Episode 31 (Foreign-Language Accents)

In the August 2020 edition of the podcast, Paul discusses foreign-language accents both in the context of acting and everyday comprehension. He addresses issues related to English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers in addition to English-language speakers’ attempts to master languages that are foreign to them, specifically French, German, Russian, etc. Paul also talks about phonetics, the difference between an accent and a dialect, “accent reduction,” and “reverse mistakes” when attempting to either speak a new language or, in the case of an English-language actor, master an accent for the screen or stage.

For The Click Song, visit YouTube, copyright Miriam Makeba. And for The Syringa Tree audio file Paul references in the podcast, visit IDEA.

(Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)