How to speak with a Middle Eastern accent. (part 2 of "sneak peak at my next thread")

How to Speak With a Middle Eastern Accent
[link to www.ehow.com]


Speak from the throat. One of the most basic ways to think about how a language sounds is to think about what part of the mouth and throat people use to produce that language's words. While English sounds come from the mouth and nose-leading Middle Easterners to think that English sounds nasal-Middle Eastern, or Semitic, languages speak with the throat. Try pushing sounds out from your throat rather than your mouth to begin speaking with a Middle Eastern accent.

Step 2: Get rid of your "th." One thing common to Middle Eastern speech is that it does not produce a "th" sound, as in the word "through." The result is that Middle Easterners, even ones who speak very good English, stumble over the "th," if they can produce it at all. So, to speak with a Middle Eastern accent, make your "th" into a hard "t" or into an "s" sound.

Step 3: Leave the "h" out. Ask a Middle Eastern if they are happy and they will probably respond that, yes, they are very "appy." The sound structures of Semitic languages uses a throaty mixture between a "ch" and a "j" sound instead of the breathy "h" that English uses. So, when you get to words like "house" and "happy," drop the "h" and say the word from the next letter.

Step 4: Forget the "w." Like the "th" and the "h" sounds, Middle Eastern speech generally lacks a "w" sound. So, when someone asks you what you would like to drink, tell them that you'd like a "viskey," not a "whiskey." Also, as you blur your "h," "w" and "th" sounds, be sure to add plenty of "eh" or "uh" sounds to slow yourself down and make it seem like you're really contemplating your word choice and sentence structure.