This past weekend, I was in Autrans with some teacher friends and we were playing a game called Bananagrams.
It’s a word game (like Scrabble, but way more (beaucoup plus) fun!), so I’m sure you can imagine that we English teachers were having a blast (s’amuser comme des fous)/
As we were playing, I laid down (j’ai placé) the word “Totem.”
Jane, a British friend asked me what word I had.
“Todem.” I said, with my American accent.
“That’s not a word. Totem is, but not todem!” (The difference is in the pronunciation—try it!)
That’s what I said “to-Tem”, I replied, trying to do my best British accent.
Clearly, my American accent meant that British Jane didn’t understand what I said. And we speak the same language!
If you’ve ever had problems understanding your American colleagues, perhaps you thought that it was because English is not your native language.
But in fact, it can also be due to their American accent.
I don’t have to tell you that Americans don’t always articulate and that it sometimes (ok, often…) sounds like (donne l’impression) all the sounds run together.
It’s so frustrating, especially when you know that your English is decent.
But it doesn’t have to be so difficult, if you’ve got some of the “secrets” to understanding the American accent.
Of course, I can’t give you all the secrets at once, but this week’s episode of SBFG TV shows you how to understand some VERY common expressions: “What are you…” and “What do you…”.
It’s one very useful secret. 🙂
Don’t let the simplicity of the written structures fool you (Ne laissez pas la simplicité des structures écrites vous tromper). When you read them, they’re extremely simple. When you hear them…well, that’s where it gets complicated.
This week’s episode will greatly help you better understand your American colleagues.
So, whuduhya think?
I’d love to hear from you. Did this video help you? Have you heard your American colleagues talk like this?
Leave a comment below and let us know.
You know, thousands of other French-speaking professionals come to SBFG to boost their English and boost their career. Share your story and join the conversation! After all, we can all learn from each other!
Thank you as always for reading, sharing and joining in!
Have a fantastic week in English,
Christina
Hello ! Thanks for your help. Well done ! You know all the problems we meet as French people while trying to understand American people.
I like very much your lessons. I’m sure I’ll have a fantastic week in English thanks to you.
Hi Aïcha, my pleasure and thanks so much for your comment! I’m sure I’ll have a fantastic week now too, thanks to your compliments! Yes, for French people (and other nationalities, too), the American accent can be difficult to understand if the person doesn’t articulate clearly.
If the American doesn’t have a lot of experience communicating with people who don’t speak English as their native language, the American may not even realize that it can be difficult for the other person to understand.
That’s why I think that if we look at little “chunks” of sound, it can help you recognize them, so that when you hear something like “whuduhya”, you recognize it as “What do you” !
Thanks so much and have a great week!
hi Christina, be sure I like all your lessons and videos.
Sorry for my silent… .I often understand what is being said but I dare not engage the conversation in English with colleagues or clients. Timidity, or rather I have overcome fear or shame to make mistakes – And that’s you help me to move forward because you reassure me, as a child growing slowly with practice !
Thanks so much for your patient and friendliness . I wait with joy your next lesson !
Emma
Hi Emma,
Thanks so much for your kind words. I’m so glad that you enjoy the videos. I can understand about the fear of engaging a conversation with colleagues. It’s not easy to put yourself into a situation where you know that you’ll have some difficulties, and that you’ll make mistakes. It takes a lot of courage in fact! You can increase your courage little by little, by starting small conversations, or by just saying hello and exchanging a few words. At the beginning, it’s harder, but it can become easier, as you say: with practice!
It makes me so happy to know that you’re building your confidence and that I can be a part of that! Keep up the good work!
I love this video so much! That’s exactly what I thought when I first arrived in US! But now I’m used to it, and I have to say that I do that too lol
Hah, that’s funny! I suppose it just goes to show that you adapt to your adopted country and the people who live there 🙂 All the best to you, Audrey!