Sunday, December 6, 2009

Accent Reduction Practice with Audio Books - part 2

A reader of my blog asked the following question:

Hi Lisa,

My name is George, I just read your blog, could you please recommend me which audio book is better for learning English? Could you please give me some names of these audio books?

I appreciate it.


George:

Regarding your question about which audio books I recommend for learning English and reducing your accent:

I don't have any recent names of books that I recommend. There are so many good ones available. It's best to find a topic that you enjoy and that will hold your interest.

But here are some tips to keep in mind:

It's best to get a non-fiction book, preferably a "self-help" or a "how to" type of book. With such topics, the speaker usually speaks at slower rate. It's still very natural, but not as rushed as in fiction books. The speech can also be more clear because it's got a more instructional tone. It could also be beneficial if you are able to find books related to your field of work. For example, if you are in the business or financial field, you might be able to find audio books related to that topic. This way, you will come across a lot of words that you need to use regularly at the workplace.

Stay away from fiction books. These sometimes have an actor who does too much "performance" with his voice, or they might use British actors/readers.

I hope that helps.


Best wishes with your accent.

Lisa Mojsin