Nov 3. Hello, China.

I have never been to China. I know the Chinese are capable of amazing infrastructure; they appear to be good listeners and culturally, consensus makers; they also rarely speak English without an accent. I am sure, if they actually practiced the language found on this website, they would not only come in contact with the most important inventor and story-teller of English, but most affective user of English, as well. Think Globe Theatre, filled to bursting. Think of Will acting, dominating centre stage.

So, if the Chinese PRACTICED much of what is on this website, listened to corresponding examples, perhaps attempted to emulate what they hear, judged their performances through listening back to themselves and comparing my performances, many would progress. New vocabulary and word-clusters would become natural, new inflections and phrasings as well. This work should be led by highly skilled teachers and performers such as myself, but since I have always been the best I know, I have no idea where you might find them. They must be great listeners, and good encouragers. Without a live teacher, here is what to do.

Choose material to work on - scenes, monologues, bits found in resources, etc.. All speeches and plays have audio recordings and pdfs. My accent, I would call mid-Atlantic: parents well educated Canadians, and very bright. I was athlete-of-the-year in high school and drama star. I worked 7 summers in BC logging camps through university, and The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Then acted for 11 years in world-class classical theatres, coaching perhaps 1000 private students over 20 years - 10,000 hours, easily.

While recording, I shade very lightly with the odd character-accents, and different notes, but mostly I attempt to be clear with my thinking! My natural accent is ideally situated, closer to England than Newfoundland. Chinese people most certainly pronounce some English words incorrectly. My accent will help them find them, then PRACTICE will help adjust them. The computer and phone, are ideal tools for this practice. I am sure AI will also help eventually. The fact is, this website is crammed with unique Shakespearean/Elizabethan/London/acting examples to practice and refine. Developing your English oral skills in this way, is to my mind, the essence of soft global power.

You Chinese are not the enemies of Canadians. We have other worries on this USA election day. North America, I hope, has had enough of vicious and dumb; time for another Obama. Barak likes Shakespeare as well; he certainly writes like Will.

PRACTICE this website, judge yourself critically, practice some more, practice with your friends, with your devices. Listen and practice, and practice and listen. Then please, teach the Americans to speak English!

Next
Next

I am not stupid!