Use of native English pronunciation

Use of native English pronunciation

I actively deter the use of native English pronunciation to be taught as a model in English courses because the underlying shortcomings outweigh the benefits. The use of native English as a model poses a significant number of problems to the natives of countries that speak in other languages other than English, but circumstances make them entitled to learning English. English plays a very significant role in various scenarios on the global stage. English is a native and non-native language used extensively in diplomatic and political relations between nations and to conduct economic and commercial activities to ensure member countries transact to heighten their profit margins and strengthen their mutual relationships. English is also widely used to grace cultural activities and practices. However, this is not a certificate for it to be used as a model in English courses in non-native countries. One of the main reason as to why it should not be used as a model in the foreign non-native states is because it makes the country to lose its lingua –cultural identity by imitating the pronunciation and accent of the language. Cultural identity is a resource that all communities should battle to protect since it’s what makes them unique from a group of individuals. My personal experience in using English as an additional language has posed a number of challenges. To begin with, when speaking with an English native, most of the time, I have to request the other party to please repeat his statement or question. This is because the American or British accent used is weighty and unclear; this makes it difficult to understand or instead to draw a conclusion from the sentiments given by the other party. The different experience I have had is the feeling of cultural rights deprivation.

Culture is a strong factor that determines the originality of individuals in a group. Being compelled to communicate and pronounce words in the native English accent becomes a great communication challenge since I try to sound like a native English speaker, and this feels more like trying to change my originality, which compromises my well-being. Apart from the disadvantages caused, English as an additional language bears significant advantages. During social interactions, the communication barrier is breached since many individuals speak the English language, and communication becomes more effortless. On the other hand, conducting business transactions is made to become easier since both transacting parties can effectively communicate to make offers and request discounts alone without the influence of third party translators. A study conducted by Sung in Hong Kong in 2013 portrayed similar experiences as my individual experiences in using English as an extra Language. The university students who got interviewed expressed different opinions on their preference for using native English in the taught courses. A significant percentage of students preferred to sound natural in their pronunciation, however, they noted that native speakers were not their ideal pronunciation models. Most of the students complained that the American accent is weird, unclear, and confusing to understand. One student justified this when he mentioned that the American accent is not intelligible as he used to think.

Four other students issued their sentiments on the non-native speaker of English as the punctuation model. The first student mentioned that he likes the accent of some of the educated English speakers, giving an example of TVB pearl which is an English TV channel, he noted that the reporter’s accent is non-native like, pleasant to the ear, and more precise. The other proficient non-native English speaker preferred to act as a pronunciation model was the former chief justice of Hong Kong, Mr. Tiliang Yang, who teaches English pronunciation at a radio station with a good accent, the student said. It’s hence notable that despite the attitude towards the local Hong Kong English accent, the citizens barely express the same opinion towards educated Hong Kong English speakers. The other section of respondents preferred to sound analogous to some distant non-natives. Hugo Becker, a French actor, was mentioned as a preferred pronunciation model. The respondent claimed that the actor’s possessed an accent with a European flavor, making it distinct from the British or American accent. The other student responded that the ideal pronunciation model that she prefers is Heidi Klum. A renowned German renowned supermodel. Not being a native but a German Citizen, she speaks English with exquisite American English and has very clear pronunciation than the other native speaker. The student said that these distinctive characteristics made her prefer the model as a pronunciation model. Regarding the difficulties experienced by several students. I actively deter the usage of native English as a pronunciation model. The use of the model has got a psychological and socio-cultural effect on the non-native countries. An English speaker that displays intelligible pronunciation that is diverse should be given the benefit of the doubt to assume the role of a pronunciation model since whatever matters are both segmental and distinctive feature exhibited by the model but not the how they pronounce their words.

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