CCSP English Minute 4

CCSP English Minute

Aulas curtas de inglês, duas vezes por semana (2ªs e 5ªs), exclusivamente no Clubeonline

Por Jason Bermingham

Aula desta segunda-feira, 17 de março: Don’t try to lose your Brazilian accent

Many Brazilians who study English put a lot of effort (se esforçam muito) into losing their accent. Their goal (meta) is to sound more like a native speaker of the language. My advice is: “Não se preocupe com sotaque!” Yes, you should work to improve fluency. But when you go to Cannes Lions or show around (servir de guia) a visitor during the World Cup, remember that it is good to sound Brazilian!

Here are three reasons why you should not try to lose your Brazilian accent.

1) For starters (em primeiro lugar), unless you learned English when young (quando jovem), you probably won’t be able (não será capaz) to speak English without an accent even if you try. Take me for instance: I have been in Brazil for over 15 years and I still speak Portuguese with an American accent. I believe it is better to accept your accent as a natural part of the way you speak a foreign language than to try to hide (esconder) your accent and sound like (soar como, parecer) something you are not.

2) Secondly, the more you try to speak without an accent, the stronger your accent will become. Sometimes when I take a taxi, I try to sound like a native paulistano so the driver (motorista) won’t ask me where I am from. It never works. So the next time you have a Skype conference with a team of executives overseas, forget your accent and focus on the ideas at hand (perto, à mão). Your English will sound better and those listening will find it (o julgarão) easier to understand.

3) Finally, and most importantly, nowadays (hoje em dia) having an accent is cool! It means you’re multilingual. And it gives people an idea of where you come from. Actors like Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz all have accents. Their accents make them sound exotic. Isn’t Rodrigo Santoro taking advantage of (aproveitando, tirar partido ou vantagem) his Brazilianess to get roles (papeis) in Hollywood? You too can benefit from your accent when you travel abroad.

Just don’t forget (apenas não se esqueça) that too much of an accent can be a bad thing. For instance, Brazilians who are starting to learn English often add an “-ee” sound after words that end in a consonant. This can and should be corrected with practice. After all, even Rodrigo Santoro would sound uncool if he said “Goo-dee nigh-tee” at a Hollywood party.

Click on the “Radio” icon at right to hear a full audio recording of this lesson.

To improve your pronunciation (without losing your identity) read the book English Pronunciation for Brazilians.

http://www.livrariasaraiva.com.br/produto/1981040/english-pronunciation-for-brazilians-the-sounds-of-american-english

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