{"id":39920,"date":"2019-02-20T14:26:29","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T13:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=39920"},"modified":"2019-02-20T14:26:29","modified_gmt":"2019-02-20T13:26:29","slug":"improve-your-english-accent-with-these-6-great-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/improve-your-english-accent-with-these-6-great-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"Improve Your English Accent With These 6 Great Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Turn on a radio anywhere in the world and it won\u2019t take long before you\u2019re listening to an English song. And, if you\u2019re a learner of English, at some point you\u2019ve probably sat down with your favourite one and tried to understand the lyrics<\/strong><\/em><\/span>. But have you ever paid much attention<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to a singer\u2019s accent?<\/p>\n

Along with physical appearance, accents are one of the first things we notice about a person. Rightly or wrongly, accents can give us an idea of someone\u2019s background, ethnicity and social status.<\/p>\n

How well can you identify someone\u2019s accent? Give this accent quiz<\/a> a go!<\/p>\n

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Changing Accents<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Identifying accents is tough. Pronunciation and intonation are not set in stone<\/strong><\/em><\/span>; the way we speak changes, depending on where we are, who we\u2019re with and what we\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

Sometimes we modify our language intentionally, other times we do it without realising. And, as you\u2019ve probably experienced first-hand<\/strong><\/em><\/span>, some people are more prone to accent changes than others.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take Adele as an example. Take a moment to listen to one of her songs<\/a>. Now, compare this to when she\u2019s chatting with talk-show host Ellen<\/a>. What do you notice? How is her accent different?<\/p>\n

When she sings, she has quite a neutral, American-sounding accent. This is quite misleading, because she\u2019s actually from Tottenham, an area of North London! The way she speaks in the interview is her \u2018authentic\u2019 accent.<\/p>\n

In the case of Adele, we can\u2019t be sure whether this language shift is something subconscious or a strategic decision to appeal to a larger audience.
\nAccents are naturally fluid, but there are also plenty of examples of artists who perform in their own variety of English. Here\u2019s a selection of songs that represent part of the great diversity of Englishes found around the world today.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not familiar with the different sounds of English and their corresponding symbols, here\u2019s an interactive phonemic chart<\/a> to give you a helping hand!<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Southern American English<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Johnny Cash – Walk the line<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

America singer-songwriter, Johnny Cash was born in 1932, in Arkansas (pronounced \u2018ar-k\u0259n-saw\u2019) and lived most of his life in the other southern states of Kentucky and Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalk the line\u201d is a beautiful song and a sample of Southern American English. In particular, listen out for the vowel sounds in words like \u2018mine\u2019, \u2018time\u2019, \u2018binds\u2019 and \u2018line\u2019. Instead of \/ai\/ it sounds more like \/a:\/ and this is a characteristic feature.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth mentioning that Southern American English doesn\u2019t refer to a single accent, but a collection of regional dialects of English. As with all of the examples listed below, there is always variety within the variety!<\/p>\n

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Jamaican English<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Bob Marley – Buffalo soldier<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Jamaica is the birthplace of reggae and Bob Marley is an icon of the country and the musical genre. In this song, Marley pays tribute to the Buffalo Soldiers<\/a>, regiments of African American soldiers who served on the Western frontier following the American Civil War.<\/p>\n

Try the Lyrics Training<\/a> game to see how well you understand Jamaican English!<\/p>\n

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Now, we\u2019re going to set sail<\/strong><\/em><\/span> from the Gulf of Mexico, past Cuba to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. A British colony for over 250 years, Jamaica\u2019s official language is Jamaican (Standard) English. Although English has a strong presence on the island and in its music, the most widely spoken language is Jamaican Creole<\/a> (or Patois).<\/p>\n