Mind Your Diction

Description Over the years, I have found out that foreign speakers of the English Language with particular reference to Nigerians have come up with the trend of imitating the accent of the English. It is popularly referred to in local parlance as ‘phonee’. Even those who have never crossed the boarders of the country are also into the trend. It is generally believed that if you are in the 21st century, you are meant to have this supposed American/British accent. The electronic media makes it even more annoying because you find out that every presenter is trying to be more British than the Britain’s or more American than the ‘Americans’. The irony of the whole issue is that we do not take into consideration the correct pronunciation and articulation of the words. So here we are, trying to acquire an accent while our pronunciations and articulations are totally wrong. After a careful study, I also came to the realisation that even the Americans and the Britain’s do have mistakes in the pronunciation and articulation of the English Language. How do you explain the return of a Nigerian from Germany spotting a heavy English accent? Uttering just a sentence paints a whole picture of a ‘fake’. Therefore, this book seeks to address the issue of wrong pronunciation and proper intonation. This book would serve as a guide to achieving a generally acceptable pattern of intonation and a guide to correct pronunciation. The work MIND YOUR DICTION is a practical explication of the correct articulation of the phonemes of English. Ample examples are provided that illustrate these phonemes in actual English words. There are also sections on exercises and practice that further assists the learners consolidate on the proper pronunciation of the phonemes in actual English words. The accompanying video CD also serves as a further visual in the bid to ensure that learners get the appropriate pronunciation of the phonemes. The text is a good resource material designed to help young learners, and even adults, who need help with proper pronunciation. It is therefore recommended for anybody that requires a good resource material to help improve his /her communication through proper pronunciation of English phonemes Written and spoken English obviously have different approaches. Writing consists of marks on paper, which make no noise and are taken in by the eye; whilst speaking is organized sounds, taken in by the ear. How can a book, which is nothing but marks on paper, help anyone achieve a better-spoken English language? Well, this book has been written in its simplest form and has been loaded with guidelines for easy understanding. Besides, a video compact disk has been attached for teaching that is more practical. You would particularly find this practical guide very useful. The book has been divided into two section: part one and part two. Part one deals basically with phonemes of English; vowels and consonants. Each vowel and consonant is discussed in detail with ample practice given for each. Other topics discussed in part one include: diphthongs, stress, intonation, articulation, duration and syllable. Part two goes into discussing the commonly mispronounced words in Nigeria (other foreign learners inclusive). The study of connective and intrusive R was also delved into. How to take care of your voice and breath control exercises were also dealt with in this section. My years of experience as a presenter both on television and radio gave me the urge to further studies into this field. I have obtained a professional certificate in speech communication. Believe it or not, your intonation and pronunciation matters in effective communication: you therefore have to get it right. This book would surely be of value to you. The video for this book can also be purchased on createspace.com Cambridge English Pronunciation Dictionary by Daniel Jones is used as a major guide in this book.