小猪佩奇：你想有纯正的英伦发音吗？
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老桑说
近两年最火的一只小粉猪，
无疑就是小猪佩奇。
如果你每天看一个小时的小猪佩奇，
你有可能会像她和她的朋友一样，
学会说英式英语呢
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「 朋友，你好，我是老桑。 」
老桑与小猪佩奇
经常有学生问我如何使他们的英语发音更纯正，达到和母语者一样说英语的水平。
一些学生想要英式发音，认为皇家口音可能会给他们在学校或工作上带来更多的社会资本。
另一些人则偏好美式发音，认为这能帮助他们更好地融入当代生活。
在我最近一次去南京东南大学访问时，我谈到了美国法律教育体系以及提高英语水平的方法。
校园中，我遇到了一个小猪佩奇mascot（吉祥物）。我和她拍了一张照片，然后发在了微信朋友圈，在很短的时间内就收到了数百个“赞”。
小猪佩奇是谁？
Who is Peppa Pig?
小猪佩奇是一部面向6岁及以下儿童的英国学龄前动画电视连续剧，讲述了佩奇和她的家人以及assortment（各种）动物朋友的冒险经历。
每集有不同的主题，时长约五分钟。许多故事都是有关日常生活的，比如佩奇和她的朋友们在泥泞的水坑里打滚的一集。
佩奇和她的朋友都说英国口音，也使用典型的英国词汇。虽然美国人和英国人很容易理解对方，但有时我们听到对方的话时得有一个适应过程。
比如当我听到英式的“lift”而不是美式的“elevator”时，我有时会停下来想一下。
小猪佩奇在中国很流行，特别是猪年的到来让它又火了一把。前不久一个叫“啥是佩奇”的视频火遍大江南北，赢得了数亿的访问量。
但在美国，她可能不如《芝麻街》或其他许多面向学龄前儿童的电视节目那么受欢迎，只是众多电视节目中的一员。
中国父母经常让我推荐儿童电视节目。我首先推荐《芝麻街》（Sesame Street），这是一个自1969年以来就很受欢迎的系列。
经典的系列剧《罗杰斯先生的邻居》（Mister Rogers Neighborhood）已经不再播出了，但是“你会成为我的邻居吗”的开场主题，仍是许多看这个节目长大的美国人喜爱的台词。
小猪佩奇效应
The Peppa Effect
小猪佩奇开播已经15年了，但最近在美国引起了一些争议。家长们担心年幼的孩子看了节目后学会了英国口音。
一位美国母亲担心女儿称她为“Mummy”（而不是“Mom”）并要求她去“holiday’”（而不是“vacation”）。
这一现象被称为“小猪佩奇效应”：家长们对小猪佩奇让他们的孩子用英国口音说话感到既高兴又惊慌。
不过，随着时间的推移，孩子们进入幼儿园后就对节目失去了兴趣，他们的口音也渐渐变成了美国口音。
“tomato”在英国英语和美国英语中有相同的含义，但发音不同：英式发音是“to-MAH-to”，美式发音是“to-MAY-to”。这是一个微小的语音差异，但可以明显区别出说话人来自哪里。
也许你在想，如果你每天看一个小时的小猪佩奇，你可能会像她和她的朋友一样说英式英语。所以，如果小猪佩奇能影响学龄前儿童的口音，她也能影响你的口音吗？
什么是“native speaking”
口音是使用同一种语言的一群人形成的一种独特的发音方式。有很多不同地方的口音，这就解释了为什么费城人的发音可能不同于德克萨斯州或伦敦人。
当非母语人士用将母语代替为目标语言中的非等效发音时，就会产生外语口音。这导致了两种语言在重音、节奏和intonation（语调）上的差异。
研究表明，如果你从3岁或4岁以上的时候开始说一种语言，你可能永远不会在这种语言中获得像母语一样的口音。
所以当中国学生问我是否能像我一样用英语说话时，我很遗憾地告诉他们不能，但这并不重要。好消息是你总能提高你的口语流利度和发音。
我学汉语已经20多年了，很多人flatter（夸）我说，“如果我闭上眼睛，我可能以为我在和一个汉语是母语的人交流！”我知道这有些夸张，因为我说中文时能感受到自己的口音。
正如你从我的视频中看到的那样，我关注的不是口音，而是尽可能地传达信息。
所以，即使你每天看一个小时的小猪佩奇，你讲英语的时候很可能仍然有中国口音。
但没关系。以你的身份为荣，更多地关注沟通的目的，建立关系，分享信息，减少距离。信息往往比它所说的口音更重要。做你自己。
减少关键性错误
Reduce critical errors
我指导学生减少关键错误，而不是强调口音。中国的英语学习者常犯一些容易造成误解和沟通障碍的错误。但是，如果你努力提高你的发音技巧，你就可以获得更好的流利性和交际效果。
在我的视频《提高你英语口语的5个技巧》中，我分享了以下五种提高你英语口语的方法：
听并且复述
用英文思考
讲一个跟你文化有关的故事
跟别人交流
放松
如果你选择看小猪佩奇，重点关注她说的某一句话，然后按照她说的重复。例如，她经常说，“我喜欢泥坑！“听这句话，重复一遍，然后再试几次。当你把注意力集中在这一点上时，你可以试着模仿她的音调和节奏。
当你对这句话感到满意的时候，试着模仿再长一点的句子，比如，“如果你在泥坑里上下跳跃，你必须穿上你的靴子。”听，重复，听，重复……
当然，当你重复这些“愚蠢”的台词时，不会紧张，因为当你练习的时候是很放松的。之后随着时间的推移，你就能够将这些模式应用到你演讲的其他部分。
当你用这些台词建立起自己的信心时，尝试和别人交谈，用你自己的语言讲述一个故事，比如讲讲“啥是佩奇”视频中，在农村的祖父用鼓风机为他的孙子做小猪佩奇的故事。
接受现实
Be realistic
最后，你的中国口音很可能永远是你英语口语的一部分。同样，我的美国口音也可能永远是我汉语口音的一部分。这也是我们学习语言时的常态。
不过实际上，把时间用来改善我们的口音并不是最明智的做法，因为无论如何这是一场徒劳的战斗。我认为最好的办法是把注意力集中在你的发音上。
有些人花tremendous（很多）努力改变口音。一些人甚至可能参加口音减轻课程，认为他们可以学习如何听起来更像本地人。
许多演员与语言教练一起工作，但这通常仅限于他们在节目或电影中使用的台词，但当他们在镜头外讲话时，就会恢复他们的母语口音。
我的朋友，减少关键性的错误，提高你的英语发音质量。随着流利程度的提高，你自然会更接近一种母语口音，也就不必为自己的口音而烦恼了。
最后，你的目标是交流和建立关系，这时你的微笑和个性将比你的口音更重要。
本文部分图片来源网络。
谢谢收看《老桑说》。
给你启发，激励你上进，陪伴你坚持。
敬请期待下一集。
英文版
English
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Peppa Pig:
can you acquire a British accent?
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「 Hello, my friend！
I'm John Smagula. 」
Students commonly ask me how they can improve their accents, seeking to speak English like a native speaker. Some students want a British accent, thinking that speaking the Queen’s English may give them more social capital at school or work. Others seek an American accent, thinking they might “fit in” better with contemporary life.
On my last trip to Southeast University in Nanjing, I spoke on the American legal education system and how to improve your English. As I was walking around campus, I met a Peppa Pig mascot. Of course, I took a photo with her and sent it out in my WeChat Friends Moments—only to receive hundreds of “likes” within a very short period of time.
Who is Peppa Pig?
Peppa Pig is a British preschool animated television series for children 6 and under, featuring Peppa Pig and her adventures with her porcine family and assortment of animal friends. Each episode is approximately 5 minutes long, having its own theme. Many of the themes are bland and inane, like Peppa Pig and her friends jumping in muddy puddles.
Peppa and her friends all speak with a British accent also use quintessentially British vocabulary. Although Americans and British readily understand each other, we sometimes have to adapt when we hear the other’s words. For example, I sometimes take pause when I hear the British “lift” instead of American “elevator.”
In China, we all know Peppa Pig, who has rocketed to stardom as we celebrate this Year of the Pig. Her Chinese New Year video went viral in China, receiving hundreds of millions of views. In the United States, she is one of many television offerings, although probably not as popular as Sesame Street or some of the many other TV shows available for preschoolers.
Chinese parents often ask me to recommend children's television shows. I first recommend Sesame Street, which has been a popular series since 1969. The classic series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is no longer on the air, but the opening theme of "Won't you be my neighbor" is a beloved line by many Americans who grew up watching this show.
The Peppa Effect
Peppa Pig has been around for 15 years, but recently caused a bit of a controversy in the United States. Parents were concerned that their young children who watched the show were acquiring a British accent and vocabulary. One American mother was alarmed that her daughter called her “Mummy” (and not “Mom”) and asked to go on “holiday” (rather than on “vacation”).
Called the #PeppaEffect, parents ranged from amused to alarmed about how Peppa Pig caused their children to speak with British accents. As time went on, though, the children lost interest in the show after they entered kindergarten, and their accents went back to normal.
Tomato has the same meaning in British and American English. But the pronunciations are different. The British say to-MAH-to, whereas Americans say to-MAY-to. It's a minor speech difference, but will almost instantly will identify where the speaker is from.
Perhaps you may be thinking that if you watch Peppa Pig for an hour a day, you might speak British English just like her and her friends. So, if Peppa Pig can influence a preschooler's accent, can she influence yours as well?
Native speaking
An accent is the unique way that speech is pronounced by a group pf people speaking the same language. There are many regional accents, which explains why an individual from Philadelphia is likely to sound different than someone from Texas or London.
Foreign accents come about when non-native speakers substitute their native sounds for a non-equivalent sound in the target language. This results in a difference in stress, rhythm, and intonation between the two languages.
Research has shown that if you begin speaking a language after you are over 3- or 4-years-old, you will probably never acquire a native-like accent in that language. So when Chinese learners ask me if they can speak in English just like me, I tell them they can’t. But that’s not important. The good news is that you can always improve your speaking fluency and pronunciation.
I have studied Chinese for over 20 years, and many people flatter me by saying, “If I close my eyes, I would think I'm talking with a native Chinese speaker!” I know it's an exaggeration, because I can hear my own accent when I speak Chinese. As you may notice from my videos, I focus not on accent but communicating a message as best as I can.
So, even if you watch Peppa Pig for an hour a day, you will most likely still have a Chinese accent when you speak English. But that’s OK. Be proud of your identity, and focus more on the purpose of communicating—to build relationships, share information, and reduce distance. The message is often more important than the accent it is spoken in. Just be yourself.
Reduce critical errors
Rather than focus on accent, I instruct students to reduce critical errors. There are some common errors that Chinese learners of English make, which can cause misunderstandings and communication breakdowns. However, if you work on your pronunciation skills, you can achieve greater fluency and communicative effectiveness.
In my video 5 Tips to Improve Your Spoken English, I share these five ways you can improve your spoken English:
listen and repeat
think in English
tell a story about your culture
talk with others
relax
If Peppa Pig is your choice, focus on a line she says and repeat it exactly as she says it. For example, she frequently says, “I love muddy puddles!” Listen to this line, repeat it, and then try again a few times. When you focus on this one bit of speech, you can try to match her tone and rhythm.
When you are comfortable with this quote, try a longer one, like, “If you are jumping up and down in muddy puddles, you must wear your boots.” Listen, repeat, listen, repeat… Of course, it’s hard to be tense as you’re repeating these silly lines, so it should be easy to relax as you practice. Over time, you’ll be able to apply these patterns to other parts of your speech.
As you build your confidence with these lines, start to talk with others and tell a story from your own language—like the heartwarming Chinese New Year video where a grandfather in the countryside makes a Peppa Pig figure out of a wood stove blower fan for his grandson.
Be realistic
In the end, your Chinese accent will likely always be a part of your spoken English. Likewise, my American accent will likely be part of my spoken Chinese. It’s the way it is when we learn languages later in life. But really, it’s not the best use of time to try to improve our accents, which is a futile battle anyway. The better approach, I think, it to focus on your pronunciation.
Some people make tremendous efforts to change their accents. A few may even take accent reduction classes, thinking they can learn how to sound more native-like. Many actors work with language coaches, but often that is limited to the lines they use for the program or movie, but they revert to their native accent when speaking off camera.
My friend, it is possible to reduce critical errors and improve your pronunciation in English. As you improve your fluency, you will naturally come closer to a native accent, and there will be no need to fret over your own. In the end, your objective is to communicate and build relationships, where your smile and personality will be more important than your accent.
{ 今日英文速记卡 }
1.Mascot \ ˈmas-ˌkät \
a)含义：n. 吉祥物;福神
b)例句：
i.As I was walking around campus, I met a Peppa Pig mascot.
在校园里，我遇到了一个小猪佩奇吉祥物。
ii.The team's mascot is a giant swan.
这个队的吉祥物是只大天鹅。
c)近义词： amulet, charm, talisman
2.Assortment
\ ə-ˈsȯrt-mənt \
a)含义： n. 分类; 搭配; 花色品种; 混合物
b)例句：
i.Peppa Pig is a British preschool animated television series for children 6 and under, featuring Peppa Pig and her adventures with her porcine family and assortment of animal friends.
小猪佩奇是一部面向6岁及以下儿童的英国学龄前动画电视连续剧，讲述了佩奇和她的家人以及各种动物朋友的冒险经历。
ii.He was dressed in an odd assortment of clothes.
他穿着奇装异服。
c)近义词： hodgepodge, mélange, mishmash
3.Intonation
\ ˌin-tə-ˈnā-shən \
a)含义：n. 语调，声调;
b)例句：
i.This results in a difference in stress, rhythm, and intonation between the two languages.
这导致了两种语言在重音、节奏和语调上的差异。
ii. In English, some questions have a rising intonation.
英语中有些疑问句使用升调。
c)近义词： inflection, pitch, tone
4.Flatter
\ ˈfla-tər \
a)含义：v. 奉承
b)例句：
i.I have studied Chinese for over 20 years, and many people flatter me by saying, “If I close my eyes, I would think I’m talking with a native Chinese speaker!”
我学汉语已经20多年了，很多人夸我说，“如果我闭上眼睛，我会认为我在和一个汉语是母语的人交流！”
ii.He asked, “how will you manage without me?” She replied, “don't flatter yourself.”
他问，“没有我看你怎么办？”她回答“别自以为了不起”。
c)近义词： adulate, butter up, stroke
5.Tremendous
\ tri-ˈmen-dəs \
a)含义：adj. 极大的，巨大的; 可怕的，惊人的;
b)例句：
i.Some people make tremendous efforts to change their accents.
有些人花很多努力改变口音。
ii.A tremendous amount of work has gone into the project.
大量的工作已投入到这项工程。
c)近义词： enormous, huge, walloping
Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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