Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Speaking Russian like a Russian--accent, accents, and stress

  1. #1
    Новичок
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    5
    Rep Power
    9

    Talking Speaking Russian like a Russian--accent, accents, and stress

    Hello all!

    I am in a russian conversation class and we are graded on pronunciation, stress, etc.
    I was just wondering if there are any resources available that would help me with this. We didn't speak much in my first two semesters of Russian so I'm not confident and still sound PAINFULLY American when I speak. I've tried listening to russian radio and things like that but I really need a resource that sticks mostly to vocab that I know (basic).
    I guess I'm just looking for pronunciation help in general so if you have any tips/advice/etc please share!

    Thanks in advance!!!!

  2. #2
    Завсегдатай Ramil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Other Universe
    Posts
    8,499
    Rep Power
    30
    Get a Russian skype penpal.
    Send me a PM if you need me.

  3. #3
    Властелин Medved's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Wonderland of Russia
    Posts
    1,201
    Rep Power
    26
    This site has not bad pronunciation lessons:
    Russian Pronunciation: Hard Vowels

    Also:


    And +1 to the Ramil's post
    Another month ends. All targets met. All systems working. All customers satisfied. All staff eagerly enthusiastic. All pigs fed and ready to fly.

  4. #4
    Завсегдатай sperk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    США
    Posts
    2,285
    Rep Power
    16
    Quote Originally Posted by Jordan View Post
    Hello all!
    sound PAINFULLY American when I speak.
    as painfully as this guy (starts 56 secs. from the end.)
    Телекомпания НТВ. Официальный сайт | Новости НТВ | Путешествие в прошлое
    Кому - нары, кому - Канары.

  5. #5
    Новичок
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    4
    Rep Power
    0
    Better speak with native Russian! I'm Russian so if you want add me on skype(deimex9) or msn (deimex85@rambler.ru)

  6. #6
    Новичок OlyaOlya's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Saint-Petersburg, Russia
    Posts
    6
    Rep Power
    9
    skype is the best way - so you can hear real russian speach!
    Would be glad to help you. Me nickname in skype - olroir. Welcome!

  7. #7
    Новичок
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Spain
    Posts
    9
    Rep Power
    9
    Quote Originally Posted by Jordan View Post
    ...and still sound PAINFULLY American when I speak. !
    It's difficult to get rid of one's accent, specially when your language belongs to a different language family. If you want to practice, get a skype penpal with your same level in English so you are patient with each other.

  8. #8
    Новичок
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    RUSSIA
    Posts
    4
    Rep Power
    0
    Learning the nuances of spelling and pronuncation rules will help emmensly.

    Things like

    И after Ж = Ы
    Л before Ю = ЛЬ

    This are things that no one will really tell you and things that native speakers also don't often think about or notice. They'll tell you that you still have an accent but won't be sure exactly how to correct it.

    If you can remember these types of rules it will make your pronunciation a lot better.
    Ты давно переехала из этого района, но я помню твои окна и номер дома, код домофона, который часто сломан. А все тот же дворник двор чистит снова. Твои глаза серо-синие - я зависим.....

  9. #9
    Новичок
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    5
    Rep Power
    9

    Smile

    Thanks everyone! I've been listening to podcasts to get some understanding of pronunciation. (I'm not quite ready to skype yet I don't think--I don't know enough of the language yet.)
    However, I have another question that goes along with pronunciation. Where does one speak from when speaking Russian? For example, French is more nasally and sort of spoken in the front of the mouth and English and German and spoken from the back of the mouth. People always say that Russian is guttural but I'm not sure this is true. Any ideas? Also, it seems that they speak with more diction--a lot more emphatic consonants.. maybe?

    Thanks everyone!!!

  10. #10
    Завсегдатай sperk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    США
    Posts
    2,285
    Rep Power
    16
    These languages may sound that way to a foreigner but it's all done unconsciously by native speakers and they're not aware of these things. Trying to figure out if Russian is guttural or nasal or whatever won't help your pronunciation. Diction varies tremendously depending on the social setting, emotions, etc.
    Кому - нары, кому - Канары.

  11. #11
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    14
    Rep Power
    10
    Yeah I'm having the same problem...
    I guess the most important thing is to be able to make the difference between hard and soft consonants properly...and that's sooo hard.
    I wish there would be more resources about this topic. It's soo hard to find them. And yeah it's true, it helps to speak with native speakers just to hear how it should sound...but a guide how to pronounce them, e.g. where to have the tongue and stuff, would be from big help.

  12. #12
    Властелин Medved's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Wonderland of Russia
    Posts
    1,201
    Rep Power
    26
    I might teach russian pronunciation, although I'm not a professional teacher but I have some successful experience of doing that. And I really don't understand why not use Skype right away. We just might talk in English about Russian and Russian sounds... MrEugene1000
    Another month ends. All targets met. All systems working. All customers satisfied. All staff eagerly enthusiastic. All pigs fed and ready to fly.

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 14
    Last Post: May 28th, 2014, 06:44 PM
  2. Best resource to find the word stress (accent)?
    By Hanna in forum Pronunciation, Speech & Accent
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: August 10th, 2009, 02:25 PM
  3. Russian noun stress
    By JackBoni in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: October 28th, 2008, 12:02 AM
  4. Accents in Russian
    By Trzeci_Wymiar in forum Pronunciation, Speech & Accent
    Replies: 32
    Last Post: June 30th, 2008, 06:24 AM
  5. Stress (accent) mark
    By detail in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: March 16th, 2006, 12:52 AM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary