Pronunciation Advice.

[FredricHenry]

Link to my recording:  http://vocaroo.com/i/s0gxFI7Rir2Z

 

Hello everyone! I was hoping I could get some feedback on my pronunciation. However, first off, I would like to explain why I posted here and not in the sticky'ed thread above.  I recently read this post over on hackingchinese.com ( link ) and I tried following the steps as best as I could.

 

• For the basics, test only pronunciation (provide Pinyin)
• Be familiar with the content (preview) or use very easy texts
• Be familiar with the language structures used
• Start from single syllables, but move to disyllabic words as soon as possible
• Learn basic tones before you start meddling with intonation

So I read Pinyin during this pronunciation sample and I chose a dialogue from Integrated Chinese Level 1 Part 1 (I am currently working through Integrated Chinese Level 1 Part 2 now). Because this dialogue was not the article that everyone was testing their pronunciation with, I decided to make a new thread. 

 

Carrying on.. Here is what Olle says I should do for you (the evaluators):

 

1. Give it to a native speaker without telling him/her what it's about. 

 

-(Note from me): So I am not telling you all what is about (It is obvious though). I know some of you might not be native speakers, but most of you are a lot more advanced than I am. So I am hoping your advice can help me steer clear of any potential bad habits I could form/have formed.

 

2. Give it to a teacher along with a transcript.

 

- (Note from me): Well, as of right now, I am completely self-taught. I know I should get a language exchange partner, but I am shy. I keep telling myself, "Oh I will get one once my Chinese is better!" but I know it won't get better without one. So getting a partner is something I will work on.

 

- (Transcript is down below because I'd like to test to see if you can understand what I am saying before you know what I am saying by reading the text.)

 

3. Listen to it yourself and note any problems.

 

-(Note from me): I have listened to it a couple of times and I noticed a few mistakes on saying (what I think) were the wrong tones. For all I know, I could be messing up all of the tones!

 

I would like to thank you all in advance for helping me advance further in this wonderful language! Any advice and feedback is welcomed and much appreciated! 

 

P.S. My apologies for the construction noise in the background. They have been working on my apartment for a few weeks now and there wasn't much I could do.

 

 

Transcript: 

 

person A: 小姐，您要买什么衣服？

person B: 我想买一件衬衫。

person A: 您喜欢什么颜色的，黄的还是红的？

person B: 我喜欢穿红的。我还想买一条裤子。

person A: 多大的？大号的，中号的，还是小号的？

person B: 中号的。不要太贵的，也不要太便宜的。

person A: 这条裤子怎么样？

person B: 颜色很好。如果长短合适的话，我就买。

person A: 您试一下。

[Person B checks the size on the label and measures the pants against her legs.] (I didn't read this)

person B: 不用试。可以。

person A: 这件衬衫呢？

person B: 也不错。一共多少钱？

person A: 衬衫二十一块五，裤子三十二快九毛九，一共是五十四快四毛九分。

person B: 好，这是一百块钱。

person A: 找您四十五块五毛一。谢谢。

 

[Melanie1989]

I thought it was pretty good. I'm not very advanced either, so i don't feel like i have the right to correct you, but i understood most of what you were saying before i looked at the dialogue. Just wanted to tell you i think you're pretty good, though you sounded quite uncomfortable. Well done! Also, you're braver than me, i still haven't uploaded a recording.

[FredricHenry]

Thanks Melanie1989! I hope I can become more comfortable as I try speaking in Mandarin more often!

[Bad Cao Cao]

Pretty good. You are fudging your dorsals (j,q,x) and your Chinese will always sound off until you fix this (for example, second time you say 喜欢). Generally, people who haven't got dorsals down will also fudge r, sh, ch, zh and c,s,z - but hard to truly tell from this recording. sinosplice.com will give you the best overview on these sounds.

 

Tones are ok, but missed a few. The only true fix for tones is to listen a lot and *really* notice intonation - particularly sentence intonation, then do some shadowing / speaking / more recording. 

 

People are better off posting from a PSC type test/transcript to get full feedback. Particularly one that covers in detail the above sounds + umlaut u, ng final etc. Posting these types of recordings -- you are either going to get pai mapi feedback, or half baked feedback.

 

Best way to have impressive pronunciation is to study xiangsheng.

[FredricHenry]

Bad Cao Cao, thank you so much for that critique and advice. I will work on finding some better material. You hit the nail on the head with the fudging of r, sh, ch, zh, c, s, z as I have always had trouble pronouncing those. 

[Carl Chen]

The following is my suggestion for your reference.

 

person A: 小姐，您要买什么衣服？

person B: 我想买一件衬衫。

person A: 您喜欢什么颜色的，黄的还是红的？[tone]

person B: 我喜欢穿红的。我还想买一条裤子。[tone]

person A: 多大的？大号的，中号的，还是小号的？[tone. But when you say '小号', the tone is perfect! So I did not mark it]

person B: 中号的。不要太贵的，也不要太便宜的。

person A: 这条裤子怎么样？

person B: 颜色很好。如果长短合适的话，我就买。[You did not say '色' in the recording and the tone for 合適 should be improved]

person A: 您试一下。

[Person B checks the size on the label and measures the pants against her legs.] (I didn't read this)

person B: 不用试。可以。[Needs a pause]

person A: 这件衬衫呢？

person B: 也不错。一共多少钱？

person A: 衬衫二十一块五，裤子三十二快九毛九，一共是五十四快四毛九分。[Only Spelling mistake, the word should be 块]

person B: 好，这是一百块钱。

person A: 找您四十五块五毛一。谢谢。