There are several reasons people want to practice a South American accent. For those who work in the entertainment world, maybe because they get a role or character from South America. Whatever the motivation behind it, the thing to remember is to always be careful and wise not to offend or insult native speakers of the accent. With just practice and persistence, you can master a South American accent for a role in a film or simply to impress your friends.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Changing the Way of Talking
Step 1. Speak slowly
People from South America are known for their slow speech and seem lazy. They have characteristics in speaking such as lengthening the pronunciation of words, especially vowel sounds. To sound like a native speaker, you have to follow their slow speech.
Step 2. Mix up the pronunciation of your vowel sounds
Another aspect of practicing a Southern accent that you need to know about is making your vowel sound sound confusing. For example, the pronunciation of the words “pen” and “pin” should sound the same, as if the two words were mixed together. The same goes for pronouncing “tin” and “ten.” The word “Get “will sound like “git,” and “just “will sound like “jist “or “jis “(the t at the end is barely audible).
Step 3. Speak to the beat
To speak in a Southern accent, you'll need to lengthen your vowels so that they sometimes sound like two syllables. For example, the word “bill” would be pronounced like “bee-hill” and “short” would become “showat.” Practice speaking using rhythm.
Step 4. Don't sound the letter “g”
Say words that end in "g" without sounding the letter. An unsound “g” is common in most Southern accents. For example, Southerners would say “fixin'” instead of “fixing” and “fishin'” for “fishing.” However, you don't need to do the same with words like " thing " or " dog," because this rule only applies to verbs ending in "ing."
The word “Fixin'” is also a word commonly used by those who speak with a Southern accent to signal when they are about to do something. For example, “I'm fixin' to go fishin' this afternoon!” (“I’m going fishing this afternoon!”)
Step 5. Perfect the pronunciation of a few phrases first
It's a good idea to perfect a few phrases that you're sure you can pronounce well and correctly. You can find phrases to learn from a book you may have read, or something you remember from a movie you've seen, or something you got from a friend or family member from the South. Before starting with a full-blown accent, keep practicing and perfecting the pronunciation of these phrases. Common phrases include "Jist-a-minute" and "Jist a second".
Step 6. Be wise in learning and using a Southern accent
You need to remember that there are many speakers who use authentic Southern asken. Native speakers of this accent certainly can't get rid of their accent. Therefore, if you imitate a Southern accent with the intention of mocking a native speaker's speaking style, you may offend or even be perceived as insulting.
You should also consider that Southern accents are sometimes associated with certain stereotypes and subcultures. The stereotypes that are perhaps most commonly associated with people from the South are stupid, uncivilized, and poor. Therefore, before you imitate a Southern accent, you should adjust it to the context
Method 2 of 3: Using Different Words and Phrases
Step 1. Use colloquial idioms in conversation
Every language and culture has its own idioms and colloquial language. Try learning idioms and colloquialisms used in the South. Here are some examples:
- “Bless her/his little heart” (literally: “Blessed his heart”) can sometimes be used to indicate that someone is incompetent or it can be when someone does something that pleases others or gives attention to others.
- “Dad burn it!” is basically a euphemism for “Gosh darn it.” (can be interpreted as “damn” in Indonesian)
- “He chews his own tobacco” (literally: “He chews his own tobacco”) is used to describe an independent person.
- “He could talk a cat out of a tree!” (literally: “He can persuade a cat to come down from the tree!”) is used to describe a person who is persuasive and convincing.
Step 2. Reduce the use of the verb “to be. This means removing “is,” “are,” and “am” in your sentence. For example, instead of saying, “Are you ready?” (“Are you ready?”), say “You ready? " ("You are ready?")
Step 3. Re-learn the word “done.” in Southern dialects, the word “done” (in English grammar, “done” is the third form of the verb “do” which means “already, finished, has been [done]”) has several different meanings. Here are some examples:
- Can replace the word “already,” for example in the sentence, “I done let the dog out this morning” (“I let my dog play outside this morning”).
- Can be used to emphasize or emphasize the meaning of the word it follows, for example “I done cannot do this anymore” (“I really can't do this anymore”).
- It can also be used to replace the word “did” (second or past form of “do”), for example in the sentence, “I done my math homework tonight” (“I have done my math homework tonight”). (However, this usage is considered obsolete; educated and modern native speakers of the South are no longer using it.)
Step 4. Don't forget to include "might could" and "y'all" in the conversation
Southern dialects have many unique grammatical structures, and these two phrases are examples. However, the most important thing is to adjust the usage to the context!
- Use the phrase “might could” or “might should” when you want to indirectly suggest and at the same time tell someone to do something. For example, " You might could put another log on the fire ".
- Use “y'all” instead of “you all” (all of you). For example in the sentence, "Y'all should come here and look at this dawg!” (“You better come over here and see what this guy is doing!”) or “Y'all uns " (more often used for kids), usually spelled out as one word " Y'all-uns need to stop that racket right now " ("You have to stop this commotion right now").
Step 5. Keep in mind that Southerners are known for their modesty
The greeting words "Sir" (Pak/Tuan) and "Ma'am" (Ma'am/Madam) are commonly used by children to their parents (regardless of age), people who have positions, older people, or people who are not familiar. Likewise, the use of phrases such as "pardon me (sorry)", "excuse me (excuse me)", "Thank ya (thank you)", or "Thankee much (thank you very much)." Words like " Yessir ", " Yessah ", and " Yes'm " (from “Yes, Sir” meaning “Yes, sir”) are usually pronounced as one word.
Method 3 of 3: Learning the Southern Accent
Step 1. Do more specific research on the Southern accent you will adapt
Southern dialects have different accents depending on the region. The phrases and accents used in Georgia in the 1800s were different from those in New Orleans today. The slow, lazy Southern style of speech was common in the past or in rural areas and you won't find it in metropolitan areas like Atlanta or Birmingham. Usually, the dialects are grouped by region. Here are the two main regions of the division of the South American region and their accent differences:
- Coastal/Lowlands: Don't pronounce the "r" at the end of a word and combine it with the next word ("bigguh dog " instead of "bigger dog”). Read short vowels/singulars, as in " dog, " becomes a longer diphthong (dual vowel) ("dah-wug").
- Outback/Mountains: Extends the "oo" sound in words like "loose". Pay close attention to the "o" sound in words like "coat".
Step 2. Watch TV shows and movies that feature characters with a Southern accent
Get your ears used to hearing a Southern accent pronounced. In the Netflix TV series House of Cards, Frank Underwood's character has a faint Southern accent, while in films like Forrest Gump, many of the characters speak in a thick Southern accent. Whereas in the TV show "Justified," the character has the accent that speakers from today's mountainous regions use. By watching movies and TV shows, you will become familiar with the different characteristics of a Southern accent.
Step 3. Look for people who have a Southern accent
If you know someone with a Southern accent, invite them to sit down and have a conversation with you. However, if you don't know anyone with that accent, you can ask around until you find someone who understands and doesn't mind talking to you for a bit. Repeat the same words over and over and try to imitate exactly how the other person says it. Ask them to correct your pronunciation on certain words and practice correct pronunciation.
Step 4. Read a book about speaking in a Southern accent
Try reading Steve Mitchell's The Complete Guide to Southern Speaking, along with its sequels. You can also look for books aimed at actors to perfect accents in general. The knowledge you gain from reading books on how to acquire and maintain a Southern accent will certainly be of great help when you are trying to speak to native speakers.
Tips
- Find a friend to practice with!
- Dedicate at least a few weeks of time to study. Learning accents takes a lot of patience and time.
