Helllo Rachel, Thank you so much for the in-depth video. By the way I have a question to ask . Knowing you have may students you need to answer to I would be very much appreciated if you could answer mine:). My question is what if the student is born with a high pitch voice ???? Thank you so much in advance ❤️
Rachel isn’t available anymore to talk with the people like she used to, I’m going to finish my first month of subscription with her and moving to English with Ronnie, I highly recommend her 👍👍👍
I have found that when I make short vowels sounds with a "k" in front of the vowels and focusing on the reverberation in lower part of the throat, that there is a difference when I speak. ka-ka-ka-ka, keh-keh-keh-keh, kee-kee-kee-kee, etc....
Think of it as acting. I closely watched characters and celebrities from my favourite shows and I trained myself to sound like them. It's almost like singing. I picked up their sound, their phrasing and their vocabulary. It felt kind of fake and phony at first and I was also a little exaggerated. It resolved on its own as I learned to inject my own personality. I also learned to think in an american voice. My thoughts in english have a voice and an accent. I think outloud a lot and it's helped me immensely in sounding natural and fluid.
I don't know if everyone here realizes what a valuable lesson this is. It's practically a Master Class. People learning the American English sound should watch this video several times. Thank you teacher!
You want a good example of formats, listen to Elizabeth Holmes speak, the ex-CEO of Theranos that was arrested for fraud. When she spoke in public or to investors, she spoke in a very low baritone sounding voice. Sometimes she would forget and speak in her natural voice. You can find them on UA-cam. When you say that speaking in a lower tone is more "warming", you are exactly correct. The higher pitches make you feel suspicious of the person or give you anxiety. But when you hear a low tone, you feel more relaxed and trusting. Elizabeth figured out how to dupe people and get them to trust her by speaking in a lower tone!
I'm bilingual (grew up speaking English and Spanish) and do this instinctively. This is the first time I've heard it explained scientifically. Awesome video! :)
I didn't learn Spanish until adulthood but grew up around Spanish speakers - the Spanish native is the only one besides natural English I could mimic without even trying, and is a common placement for low-income areas of Southern Nevada even when speaking English. I didn't even realize that's one of the main things I'm doing with my "Natural" accent, but this video made it make so much freakin' sense. It also explains why so many people compliment my Spanish as sounding reasonably natural even though I still struggle like heck with it sometimes.
I'm an American, native English speaker, but I love videos like this because I love learning about the various ways that people speak from the global community. These sort of videos provide some interesting insight into the physiology of speech because they're all using a single control sentence. Eep! I love it.
In my own experience, she's the best teacher on UA-cam. A few years ago I had a heavy accent even though I was studying every day and living in the US. Since I got into her videos and put in work I've improved like 80%. Thanks, Rachel. Blessings.
I got a job at a call center thanks to your advices. If I keep improving, definetely I can get a better job in any other industry. Your videos were a huge step when I applied at the call center. I'm currently in nesting ( Training ) and I'm very nervous but thankful because I finally got a job. It's my first real job.
Rachel is the best English teacher on UA-cam. She always comes with high quality videos and classes and knows exactly what we want and need to learn ❤ Thank you
@@andres126mendez5 Es la autora del video, la dueña del canal Rachel's English que significa el Inglés de Rachel. Ella es la profesora que aparece en este vídeo.
That's why we're not the same speaking different languages. I feel like I have another personality when I speak English, I just couldn't explain the way you did haha Thanks for sharing! :)
FABULOUS!!!! I am an SPL retired. never did this work but I am working with someone now. old dog/new tricks! What beautiful clarity! adds an excellent new perspective. WELL DONE!
I am a native speaker of American English and I am studying French; so I sometimes research language learning in general. This women is brilliant. Listen to her and imitate how she talks. Even when she slows down her speaking, she is using pronunciation consistent with a neutral but very "American" accent. For example "your videos" comes out a little like "yer videos" something Americans get from our Irish/Scotch-Irish roots. Getting back to the topic of this particular video, it is so important to get your mouth in the right position for the language. I won't go into how I did this with French since this is a video on English but the same concept helped me a lot.
I've been in the usa a long time. Long enough that I'm very very fluent in the language. But when I record myself I always notice something is off about how I speak English but couldn't place what was off. I watch this video once and relaxed my throat and boom, when I listen to the recording I sound really American lmao. I had no idea I was speaking with a tight throat until this video. I'd also like to add that I picked up a long time ago that Americans speak with a lower frequency tone, but I always tried to force the deepness of my voice. Cueing the throat to relax and to pretend the mouth is at my throat is better than 'forcing' the deepness.
Undoubtedly, You're one of the best teacher in the world. Please make more new videos about in "Ben Franklin exercise" My American accent has improved a lot by watching your Ben Franklin videos! Please make more new "Ben Franklin" videos! It will definitely help everyone a lot to improve their accent. And finally thanks for everything. Love you ♥
Rachel, you're nothing short of an angel sent down from heaven! I've managed to graduate from a little Ivy college, get a Master's Degree, work as a Director, have an impressive vocabulary, know just about all I need regarding American culture, yet have not been able to shed my accent over the years. It gets in the way and is annoying as hell. I've turned to every video and lesson I know and was feeling hopeless until I found YOU. Seriously, you hit the nail on the head with this video. You're the best and I can only thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤❤❤
I thought my English sounds not bad until I heard my voice from the recorder on my phone. It was so weird and disgusting 😕. I searched up online to find the reason but the only thing I found was how to relax yourself when speaking English. I tried to exhale with my chest and lower my tone when I speak English and that made it better. I watched your video today and everything just make sense. You explained how to sound more natural very clear and that's easy to understand. Btw you're the first teacher I ever saw who actually tells people how this work. Nice work and thank you so much Rachel 💓
I just created a new playlist on my youtube called " the best video ever" and saved this video there, so that I'll never forget to rewatch this video as many times as I need till a speak like an american
IT WORKS IMMEDIATELY!!!!!! I am a native Spanish speaker, I live in Quebec (so I live in French), but I'm about to start a new job in English and my accent is so strong, I don't know how I got to this video, but I just want to thank you Rachel. God bless you!
I'm Cambodian. My language (Khmer) is very different from English and it's hard for some foreigners to understand me when I speak English. Luckily, I've learned so much from your videos and improved my pronunciation a lot. Thank you so much.
Summary: Placement: a place where your voice resonates 1. A pitch is lower in English (it gives a warmer tone) 2. Shape of the vocal cord is different (formants in your throat): - larinx or voice box should be in a lower relaxed and released position (low placement); - imagine that you have a wide open neck; - no nasality in the vowels in American English; - soft palate is closed or lifted; and - sound is thicker and more resonant in your chest. Exercises: Exercise 1. Play with your vocal cord: - make it tense or relax; - make it wide and open, let the sound sink; - make a pitch lower by sliding down; - find more range for your voice, try different voices; - imagine that the mouth is in your chest; - release tension in your neck; - add more space for your sound; - imagine a column of connection of everything to the anchor root (your larinx); - Imagine a triangular in your trachea but not with a wide part atop but upside down. Exercise 2. Find a Native American speaking your native language: - observe it; - notice why it sounds so strange; - try to find the sound that you are trying to find in American accent; - imitate how she/he speaks your language; - this will help you find a new placement in American English Conclusion. You will sound more American, if you keep it low, wide, open and vibrating in your chest: - add more space; - lower your pitch; and - lower your voice down your throat.
Excellent summary. Thank you. I wish the practice would be easier to understand and practice though. The practice is not clear enough, at least for me.
@orestes Lamelas I would still pick one of those accents that exists in the US and try to imitate it. Why not? Lucky for you Orestes Lamelas, Latin American/Spanish is one of those accents that is getting to be pretty standard in the US; but if you are from some place like China or Russia you would do well to pay a little more attention to accent reduction.
I agree with you. Unfortunately in some situations, some people will not respond so well to you. I have a very strong English Midlands accent which many people don’t like. I had to try hard to change mine to get job interviews and hold down a decent job. It’s unfair, but that’s how it is.
This video is incredible thank you! I've been exposed to English since 3rd grade and has been a part of my free time for a long time. My pronunciation is good but it always felt so different than most Americans. Even practicing with this video helped me realize that. Feels like I can improve my English again and it's a lot of fun!
Wonderful! As a person who loves language and accents, one of the first things I notice in a new language is its “placement;” what is its basic mode of voice production that makes it sound the way it does? I learned Greek in Greece when I was in my teens; I could actually feel the difference in my vocal placement when I spoke it. Generally things are more tense and forward. Then I went over to Turkey, and immediately the difference in placement stood out to me. I found myself listening intently and trying to figure out what made them sound so different. Then I realized that they speak with a very deep/low “open throat.” And now learning Vietnamese, I see the placement is once again very different. I’m not a language teacher but when I informally helped people with the pronunciation of language I always mention that. This is like confirmation that I wasn’t just making it all up! 😀
@@capitalistche It’s more “open throat” than American English, if that makes sense. And when the “tiki” kids talk, they exaggerate that a lot. (The same kinds of people in America do the opposite; it’s a very tight kind of voice.)
i've notice when Im speaking I tend to speak a much lower voice. this is what I needed to practice is to change the placement of my voice. I love this video. Thanks Rachel!
My sister and I are native bilingual from birth. We both have different voices when we switch languages. I have always thought it was just a hilarious quirk, but now I understand it is an integral part of the language. super interesting
Brilliant, Amazing, Stunning, Unreal. It's not just English lessons, it's amazing linguistic science! Wonderful, Astonishing, Unbelievable, Bedazzlment...
I always thought something about my voice was wrong. And I believed that I had to keep my own voice in my second language. Now I know I can change it to fit better in English. Cool!
Hello Rachel, greetings from Seattle. Thank you so much for posting this video, it has really opened up my eyes about my learning experience. I am originally from Tijuana, Mexico but I have lived in Washington State for almost 20 years. Although I believe my level of English is advanced, a lot of times I don’t feel confident speaking in English because of the way I sound since Spanish is my first language, but with this video I will be able to relax my vocal tract and sound much more natural. A million thanks from the Emerald City !!!
Learning English is a kind of Alice in the wonderland, hard work but music and dance too... such a weird brain conections moving our minds on, and think it d be harder learning without a that huge help of Rachel's, my friend! thank you so much, the smartest English teacher!
This is absolutely amazing!!! I had pronunciation classes produced by a speech therapist, and this subject was never brought up. I noticed there was something about the quality of my voice that prevented me from speaking American English more like a native, but I simply couldn’t understand what it was exactly. I’m halfway through this video and I can change my voice already!!! Thank you very much, Rachel!!!
I am a Filipina ESL teacher. And I always enjoy and at the same time learn so much from your videos, Rachel. You are a real pro and your videos have a pleasant look. They're the best I've seen so far. Keep it up. Thanks a lot!
So interesting! My husband speaks Arabic natively, but has a degree in English. He often speaks too fast and emphatically. He often sounds angry or impatient.
As an English tutor for foreign students, this has helped me realize what else I can do to help my students enrich their clarity in speaking. Thanks for making this video Rachel! Helped a lot!
This video surely helped me realize that when I speaking english the sounds are concentrated deep in the throat I don't know how to explain that but I feel it, and when I'm speaking in my native language the sounds are located up in front of my mouth and face also upper inside of the nose, I always try to imitate americans while they're speaking as much as I can and probably it came naturally
Hello, Rachel. You're now my favorite American English language teacher. Thanks to your video on how to properly answer telephone calls. I made my brief lecture on basic corporate phone conversation phrases successful. I listen to your videos everyday. I'm a Filipino and I really admire American accent.
From Los Angeles US. In my opinion the Problem created by oneself : First our psychological state ,it might be, lack of confidence, no feeling positive of what's doing thinking negative thoughts oneself silently " We should uplift ourselves with positive thoughts ,relaxing our body, mind, and spirit ..It's like playing guitar ,one hand pluck the strings and the other make the cords and it must be done right or accordingly
This video what I looking for it for years. I spent years to find why the people didn't understand me. Although I have higher education, I lost many perfect promotions because my accent too weak. Really, this video changed my life. RightNow, I can talk with everyone in high confidence. I appreciate you.
For some reason, I kinda knew there was a "secret" for that kind of pronunciation. I used to think of it as a "mouth configuration", but turns out it's something way more substantial. Tyvm, Rachel!!!
I just want to say that your hair is soooo classy! On top of the great teacher you are. This video is invaluable, even for someone like me, who has lived many years in the U.S! Thank you 🙏
Rachel, thank you so much! It's for the first time I've ever heard about the necessity of lowered larynx position in order to sound more like a native. Everyone talks about the articulators, but never mentions the formants and the vocal tract shape. You've improved the way I sound now speaking AmE by only one video. Awesome!!!
I can tell the nationality of most people by how they speak English, without even looking at the person. It's like they carry the tone or the flow of their native tongue into the English language even if they speak perfect English.
"We want to avoid nasal vowels in American English". Rachel, good morning from Rio de Janeiro -RJ Brazil. Very important material. It has never been published before. Thank you .
This is really fascinating. I tried it and had never realized that I am speaking lower in English vs my native German. My English does sound warmer. Mind-blowing. I have the huge privilege of being able to self-disclose that I'm not native, as people can never tell.
I have subscribed to Rachel's Academy because Rachel is the only one who talks about American accent training to such a level. As someone who lives in the US for 10 years, I can tell you placement is the most important thing in accent training yet its the most difficult to master because you need to feel where it is for your own specific case. Rachel please make placement video a regular here or in the academy. You are truly an artist in training!!!
My English improved since I watch Rachel's English , thanks...sorry, working, so I ve got a break at 8min...At university a teacher of said americans is kind of "roll or twist" their tongues when they speak...exemple: "world" such a hard twist tongue word (that too)...Easy words? NOPE!!! Thank you all at Rachel's English!!!
I have always thought about this thechnique, since I used to be in church choir and every time I did my warm ups and singing that's when my english used to came out more clearly and naturall. So ever since I discover this thechnique I always prepare myself for the day with my warm ups. Thank you for bringing this up to us and make it clear and easier to understand the thechniques of english speaking skills. Greetings from Mexico.
This video answer my questions. I sometimes find myself rushing as I speak, therefore I place my voice somewhere like in the back of my throat and I am aware it sounds awkward, not natural. Now, I am starting to practice 'speaking from my chest and in a relaxed way' Like I said when I'm rushing myself while I'm speaking I add on some sort of stress therefore I'm doing the opposite I am supposed to do to sound more natural. Thanks a lot Rachel. 😁
This video is phenomenal! I think even some of those born in the US with immigrant backgrounds and grew up bilingual have the wrong formance placement as they have acquired their parents' way of speaking growing up or only speak with the formance of the non-English language.
Native American speaker here. I watched this video because I'm interested in learning more about placement in order to speak other languages more fluently, as well as for creating new character sounds for voice over. Thanks!
Hi Rachel, I totally agree with your assessments: "Not many teachers talk about it, and I will say it's one of the hardest things to teach...". I often helped my ESL friends/coworkers; this is one of the most difficult areas to coach in. Thank you for your wonderful effort!!! Best, Albert from San Francisco, USA
You are a magnificent English teacher I've never met . Thank you so so much!! For this valuable lesson . I wish I had found your English classes 6 years ago , when I came to 🇨🇦 ❤ my native language is Spanish and now I can understand why people didn't understand me before. These classes mean the world to me, and I really appreciate it. God bless you always❤
As a 6 languages speaking person, I ve been improving my accents for my acting career; I just wanted to tell you that your videos are great and my English improved in 30 minutes ! You are so specific and kind!!!Thank you for your videos.
Hi there! Recently, when I'm speaking in English, I feel my voice sounds lower than when speaking in Japanese. I don't know why, but it sounds in my upper chest. I've been keeping pronunciation practice in English for three years so that it might have changed my sound. Now that I've watched your video, I believe I'm on the right track. Thank you for the great coaching as always!💕
This is great. I had noticed that my accent is less noticeable when I speak in a lower voice but couldn’t really understand why. So I guess use your voice box more and open up the sound than just focusing on trying to make the right pronunciation with the mouth?
It is marvelous video that is never had in the UA-cam explained why Chinese speaks English like a Chinese and other countries etc. It is all about voice placement. I believe if i could speak the same tone like American speaks Chinese then just use it and switch to English i can get it!
My mother tongue is Spanish and I learned English as an adult. During my first years learning English I read a very interesting article that analyzed both phonology systems (Spanish and English) and the author highlighted in which part of the mouth the sound is generated in each language. He said that in Spanish the sound occurs at the tip of the tongue while in English it occurs at the back of the tongue. From that moment, every time I spoke in English, I began to make an effort to generate the sounds in the back of my tongue and I realized that my pronunciation improved significantly, so I began to receive very good criticisms from my teachers, some of them Americans, who considered that my accent in English was close to the native accent. But it is now, around 40 years later, that I see a professional and scientific explanation of this topic, which is really interesting.
Thank you so much for the video! It's probably one of the hardest concepts to absorb and, in turn, internalize when learning English but without it it's almost impossible to sound like a native American.
Watching this video in 2024 I first watched ms rachel videos in 2015 and stopped in 2017 and my English has been drastically improved since i started, managed to travel to america on a scholarship for 6 months but i still struggle with some sounds like the TH sound which is my biggest problem till now.. But with that said, this video is wonderful, i started watching and 10 min in and i was just saying out loud how amazing is this, this is truly a masterclass.. Thank you
Agreed. I speek with a much lower pitch when in American. Higher for French. in between for Arabic lol. I feel like I have different personas for each language as well! Neet. ^^
We're definitely bombarded by English speaking people that is just a matter of imitating exactly the way they speak being either American or Brit you choose! Right now I'm honing my ears into getting the African American English and the way they actually speak. It's been kinda rough, since I'm used to listening to African American songs you go with the flow! Lol Boogie man 's gonna getcha!
As a voice major in college, your student is using head, because her pitch is high, if you want to go down without bringing the pitch down, you are using the chest voice. What a way to teach singing. Using your diaphragm , airflow, controlling the airflow, using the nasal, when to use the nasal passage, and chest, or mix.
I watched this on a whim, American English is my first language, but it was so interesting. I didn't expect to want to watch all of it. It's so great there's people putting educational videos like this on UA-cam for free. Thank you so much. How you went into detail, muscles and various places where intonation comes from, was so very interesting
I really appreciate this video, Rachel. I could clearly see and feel how much you dedicate yourself into your teaching and how you really care for your students. I'm deeply engaged. Thank you very much
I love this video so much . I’ve experienced this kind of thing before when I talked with my friend who is Vietnamese, but she’ had been living in Australia for 8 years. I’ve noticed that even though she still makes a lot of mistakes, in terms of grammar and vocabulary , she has great voice, . It feels like I can hear the music of English on her voice . Now I know it’s called placement. Thanks Rachel as always
This is a very powerful video. A friend of mine is learning American English and to me she sounds American but she tells me whenever she speaks to American they usally ask her where she from or they can tell that she not American. Now what you have said in this video makes so much sense because now that I think about her pitch way to high. I have already shared with her this video.
honestly i was skeptical but now i’m so surprised it worked!!! for 2 years i’m working on my accent and this was the last piece on the puzzle thank you so much!!! that half hour was so worth it you explain things amazing and the video has a nice learning flow it’s not too heavy and it’s straightforward thank you. the whole “science” behind the voice really helped me understanding where do i need to improve myself the vocal fry was a really good info also, it helped me and the thing about the vocal track was the piece that was missing like i already kinda knew all of this but your video and explanation put it all together clearly you got a sub and a like from me i’m so thankful! have a great day!
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Hey Rachel, I’m seriously needing your help, my accent is killing me slowly, I’m losing my self confidence, tell me what to do.HELP.
Helllo Rachel,
Thank you so much for the in-depth video. By the way I have a question to ask . Knowing you have may students you need to answer to I would be very much appreciated if you could answer mine:). My question is what if the student is born with a high pitch voice ???? Thank you so much in advance ❤️
.....
Rachel isn’t available anymore to talk with the people like she used to, I’m going to finish my first month of subscription with her and moving to English with Ronnie, I highly recommend her 👍👍👍
I have found that when I make short vowels sounds with a "k" in front of the vowels and focusing on the reverberation in lower part of the throat, that there is a difference when I speak. ka-ka-ka-ka, keh-keh-keh-keh, kee-kee-kee-kee, etc....
I am so fluent in English almost as good as a native speaker IN MY MIND.
And then i open my mouth..
hahahahah
OH MY GOD!!!...me too
Think of it as acting. I closely watched characters and celebrities from my favourite shows and I trained myself to sound like them. It's almost like singing. I picked up their sound, their phrasing and their vocabulary. It felt kind of fake and phony at first and I was also a little exaggerated. It resolved on its own as I learned to inject my own personality. I also learned to think in an american voice. My thoughts in english have a voice and an accent. I think outloud a lot and it's helped me immensely in sounding natural and fluid.
Thank you so much . I’ve only watched one video of yours and it’s helped me so much. Looking forward to watch more videos from you.
lol same here, I'm from New York
I don't know if everyone here realizes what a valuable lesson this is. It's practically a Master Class.
People learning the American English sound should watch this video several times.
Thank you teacher!
You're very welcome Eli!
Exactly! Unbelievable!
Well said
yes,you are right
You want a good example of formats, listen to Elizabeth Holmes speak, the ex-CEO of Theranos that was arrested for fraud. When she spoke in public or to investors, she spoke in a very low baritone sounding voice. Sometimes she would forget and speak in her natural voice. You can find them on UA-cam. When you say that speaking in a lower tone is more "warming", you are exactly correct. The higher pitches make you feel suspicious of the person or give you anxiety. But when you hear a low tone, you feel more relaxed and trusting. Elizabeth figured out how to dupe people and get them to trust her by speaking in a lower tone!
I'm bilingual (grew up speaking English and Spanish) and do this instinctively. This is the first time I've heard it explained scientifically. Awesome video! :)
Where are u from?
Same here !
I didn't learn Spanish until adulthood but grew up around Spanish speakers - the Spanish native is the only one besides natural English I could mimic without even trying, and is a common placement for low-income areas of Southern Nevada even when speaking English. I didn't even realize that's one of the main things I'm doing with my "Natural" accent, but this video made it make so much freakin' sense.
It also explains why so many people compliment my Spanish as sounding reasonably natural even though I still struggle like heck with it sometimes.
@@Alice-fw4cu does your English sound american and as a native speaker?
@@abortion_worst_genocide_ever I think so. I have friends in the same situation and they do it.
I'm an American, native English speaker, but I love videos like this because I love learning about the various ways that people speak from the global community. These sort of videos provide some interesting insight into the physiology of speech because they're all using a single control sentence. Eep! I love it.
Awesome! Thanks for watching Cathleen!
In my own experience, she's the best teacher on UA-cam. A few years ago I had a heavy accent even though I was studying every day and living in the US. Since I got into her videos and put in work I've improved like 80%. Thanks, Rachel. Blessings.
Amazing Ethan! I'm so glad to hear this. :)
You're the best English teacher on UA-cam. I'm a huge fan! Thank you for sharing this. :)
You're very welcome Fatima!
Rachel this video is a killer. Placement makes a huge difference in how we sound like. Thank you
Hey satanic illuminati on your dp
You’re giving advice that nobody had given to me before. Thank you! It’s technical but uncomplicated and I love it
*how we sound
I got a job at a call center thanks to your advices. If I keep improving, definetely I can get a better job in any other industry. Your videos were a huge step when I applied at the call center. I'm currently in nesting ( Training ) and I'm very nervous but thankful because I finally got a job. It's my first real job.
I'm happy for you Meli! Congratulations and keep it up! :)
Please don’t stop making placement related videos. It’s extremely helpful. Thank you so much. Russia is here
A
Speech Therapy for free, this is amazing!
Thanks for watching Oaky!
Rachel is the best English teacher on UA-cam. She always comes with high quality videos and classes and knows exactly what we want and need to learn ❤
Thank you
Yeah. I think the same. She is literally going deep in teaching.
quien es rachel me la recomiendas por favor!!!?
@@andres126mendez5 Es la autora del video, la dueña del canal Rachel's English que significa el Inglés de Rachel. Ella es la profesora que aparece en este vídeo.
That's why we're not the same speaking different languages. I feel like I have another personality when I speak English, I just couldn't explain the way you did haha Thanks for sharing! :)
Great minds think alike! Ditto!
It happened to me a lot in English my personality differs then my native language, this is strange isn’t?
Same
@@space4639 i feel exactly the same way
I think american english is the most beautiful of all and my dream learns this beautiful english congratulations teacher rachel 👍👍👍👍👍👍
FABULOUS!!!! I am an SPL retired. never did this work but I am working with someone now. old dog/new tricks! What beautiful clarity! adds an excellent new perspective. WELL DONE!
Thanks for watching Ann!
I'm a native American English speaker, and I absolutely *love* your channel, because the principles you cover are so generally applicable!
Wow, thank you Bhami!
I am a native speaker of American English and I am studying French; so I sometimes research language learning in general. This women is brilliant. Listen to her and imitate how she talks. Even when she slows down her speaking, she is using pronunciation consistent with a neutral but very "American" accent. For example "your videos" comes out a little like "yer videos" something Americans get from our Irish/Scotch-Irish roots. Getting back to the topic of this particular video, it is so important to get your mouth in the right position for the language. I won't go into how I did this with French since this is a video on English but the same concept helped me a lot.
Thanks for sharing Laurence!
I've been in the usa a long time. Long enough that I'm very very fluent in the language. But when I record myself I always notice something is off about how I speak English but couldn't place what was off. I watch this video once and relaxed my throat and boom, when I listen to the recording I sound really American lmao. I had no idea I was speaking with a tight throat until this video.
I'd also like to add that I picked up a long time ago that Americans speak with a lower frequency tone, but I always tried to force the deepness of my voice. Cueing the throat to relax and to pretend the mouth is at my throat is better than 'forcing' the deepness.
Thanks for sharing!
@@TheG010 still I can't figure how you did that !
I need a teacher like you, who can really push me forward.
Undoubtedly, You're one of the best teacher in the world. Please make more new videos about in "Ben Franklin exercise" My American accent has improved a lot by watching your Ben Franklin videos! Please make more new "Ben Franklin" videos! It will definitely help everyone a lot to improve their accent. And finally thanks for everything. Love you ♥
Rachel, you're nothing short of an angel sent down from heaven! I've managed to graduate from a little Ivy college, get a Master's Degree, work as a Director, have an impressive vocabulary, know just about all I need regarding American culture, yet have not been able to shed my accent over the years. It gets in the way and is annoying as hell. I've turned to every video and lesson I know and was feeling hopeless until I found YOU. Seriously, you hit the nail on the head with this video. You're the best and I can only thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤❤❤
Glad to hear that Kiki and thanks for sharing! :) I am so glad to know you've found something that works for you here. ❤
I thought my English sounds not bad until I heard my voice from the recorder on my phone. It was so weird and disgusting 😕. I searched up online to find the reason but the only thing I found was how to relax yourself when speaking English. I tried to exhale with my chest and lower my tone when I speak English and that made it better. I watched your video today and everything just make sense. You explained how to sound more natural very clear and that's easy to understand. Btw you're the first teacher I ever saw who actually tells people how this work. Nice work and thank you so much Rachel 💓
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Wenpei!
Probably the best English teacher on UA-cam
I just created a new playlist on my youtube called " the best video ever" and saved this video there, so that I'll never forget to rewatch this video as many times as I need till a speak like an american
Oh yeah! I ofen don't see this videos,only listen.I don't practice anything,I don't know how.
IT WORKS IMMEDIATELY!!!!!! I am a native Spanish speaker, I live in Quebec (so I live in French), but I'm about to start a new job in English and my accent is so strong, I don't know how I got to this video, but I just want to thank you Rachel. God bless you!
You're very welcome Carlos!
I'm Cambodian. My language (Khmer) is very different from English and it's hard for some foreigners to understand me when I speak English. Luckily, I've learned so much from your videos and improved my pronunciation a lot. Thank you so much.
That's awesome Hea! Thanks for watching and keep it up! :)
Unbelievable talent she is… eye opening, voice confounding, expands understanding… what YT should be
Summary:
Placement: a place where your voice resonates
1. A pitch is lower in English (it gives a warmer tone)
2. Shape of the vocal cord is different (formants in your throat):
- larinx or voice box should be in a lower relaxed and released position (low placement);
- imagine that you have a wide open neck;
- no nasality in the vowels in American English;
- soft palate is closed or lifted; and
- sound is thicker and more resonant in your chest.
Exercises:
Exercise 1. Play with your vocal cord:
- make it tense or relax;
- make it wide and open, let the sound sink;
- make a pitch lower by sliding down;
- find more range for your voice, try different voices;
- imagine that the mouth is in your chest;
- release tension in your neck;
- add more space for your sound;
- imagine a column of connection of everything to the anchor root (your larinx);
- Imagine a triangular in your trachea but not with a wide part atop but upside down.
Exercise 2.
Find a Native American speaking your native language:
- observe it;
- notice why it sounds so strange;
- try to find the sound that you are trying to find in American accent;
- imitate how she/he speaks your language;
- this will help you find a new placement in American English
Conclusion. You will sound more American, if you keep it low, wide, open and vibrating in your chest:
- add more space;
- lower your pitch; and
- lower your voice down your throat.
Thanks for sharing Roman!
Rachel's English thank you for a great video, Rachel!
Excellent summary. Thank you. I wish the practice would be easier to understand and practice though. The practice is not clear enough, at least for me.
@orestes Lamelas I would still pick one of those accents that exists in the US and try to imitate it. Why not? Lucky for you Orestes Lamelas, Latin American/Spanish is one of those accents that is getting to be pretty standard in the US; but if you are from some place like China or Russia you would do well to pay a little more attention to accent reduction.
I agree with you. Unfortunately in some situations, some people will not respond so well to you. I have a very strong English Midlands accent which many people don’t like. I had to try hard to change mine to get job interviews and hold down a decent job. It’s unfair, but that’s how it is.
Rachel , you’re the best English teacher I have ever met! You taught what other teachers couldn’t teach.Thanks .
You're very welcome @ArthurWang-ju1ye!
Rachel’s method of using imagery really makes practicing placement much easier to do. This is a very smart way of teaching. Thank you so much!
This video is incredible thank you! I've been exposed to English since 3rd grade and has been a part of my free time for a long time. My pronunciation is good but it always felt so different than most Americans. Even practicing with this video helped me realize that. Feels like I can improve my English again and it's a lot of fun!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing Evan!
All students from Egypt 🇪🇬
Cairo University
Thank you for your beautiful voice and accent
Mo. Fangary 💕💕💕
Here from Egypt too 😍 🇪🇬
11 years, what a commitment. Thank you ❤️
You're very welcome!
I always had this feeling I had to work something in my throat while speaking in English, now I know why. Thanks Rachel!
Wonderful! As a person who loves language and accents, one of the first things I notice in a new language is its “placement;” what is its basic mode of voice production that makes it sound the way it does? I learned Greek in Greece when I was in my teens; I could actually feel the difference in my vocal placement when I spoke it. Generally things are more tense and forward. Then I went over to Turkey, and immediately the difference in placement stood out to me. I found myself listening intently and trying to figure out what made them sound so different. Then I realized that they speak with a very deep/low “open throat.” And now learning Vietnamese, I see the placement is once again very different. I’m not a language teacher but when I informally helped people with the pronunciation of language I always mention that. This is like confirmation that I wasn’t just making it all up! 😀
hello. you said that Turkish people speak with a low tone, does that mean our pitch is at the same level as american english speakers? thanks!
@@capitalistche It’s more “open throat” than American English, if that makes sense. And when the “tiki” kids talk, they exaggerate that a lot. (The same kinds of people in America do the opposite; it’s a very tight kind of voice.)
i've notice when Im speaking I tend to speak a much lower voice. this is what I needed to practice is to change the placement of my voice. I love this video. Thanks Rachel!
You're welcome Minimalist Ann!
English pronunciation is so difficult because we use such a wide range of pitches going up and down. I love this approach to accent improvement!
My sister and I are native bilingual from birth. We both have different voices when we switch languages. I have always thought it was just a hilarious quirk, but now I understand it is an integral part of the language. super interesting
So amazing thank you! I’m American but this has helped me to think of my voice while speaking other languages.
You're so welcome Jeremy!
Best English teacher ever seen..
I am lucky that you are my teacher..
God bless you...
Brilliant, Amazing, Stunning, Unreal. It's not just English lessons, it's amazing linguistic science! Wonderful, Astonishing, Unbelievable, Bedazzlment...
I always thought something about my voice was wrong. And I believed that I had to keep my own voice in my second language. Now I know I can change it to fit better in English. Cool!
Great! Thanks for watching!
ياااااريت
انا عربي
Rachel knows her stuff. Very useful videos I use with my own students I teach.
Cool, thanks for sharing Robbie!
Hello Rachel, greetings from Seattle. Thank you so much for posting this video, it has really opened up my eyes about my learning experience. I am originally from Tijuana, Mexico but I have lived in Washington State for almost 20 years. Although I believe my level of English is advanced, a lot of times I don’t feel confident speaking in English because of the way I sound since Spanish is my first language, but with this video I will be able to relax my vocal tract and sound much more natural. A million thanks from the Emerald City !!!
Learning English is a kind of Alice in the wonderland, hard work but music and dance too...
such a weird brain conections moving our minds on, and think it d be harder learning without a that huge help of Rachel's, my friend! thank you so much, the smartest English teacher!
This is absolutely amazing!!! I had pronunciation classes produced by a speech therapist, and this subject was never brought up. I noticed there was something about the quality of my voice that prevented me from speaking American English more like a native, but I simply couldn’t understand what it was exactly. I’m halfway through this video and I can change my voice already!!! Thank you very much, Rachel!!!
I am a Filipina ESL teacher. And I always enjoy and at the same time learn so much from your videos, Rachel. You are a real pro and your videos have a pleasant look. They're the best I've seen so far. Keep it up. Thanks a lot!
Hello there and thanks for watching V!
So interesting! My husband speaks Arabic natively, but has a degree in English. He often speaks too fast and emphatically. He often sounds angry or impatient.
This totally explains why as a native American speaker I feel like i have to raise and tighten my throat to speak mandarin. Makes total sense now!
As an English tutor for foreign students, this has helped me realize what else I can do to help my students enrich their clarity in speaking. Thanks for making this video Rachel! Helped a lot!
This video surely helped me realize that when I speaking english the sounds are concentrated deep in the throat I don't know how to explain that but I feel it, and when I'm speaking in my native language the sounds are located up in front of my mouth and face also upper inside of the nose, I always try to imitate americans while they're speaking as much as I can and probably it came naturally
Great! Thanks for sharing! :)
Hello, Rachel. You're now my favorite American English language teacher. Thanks to your video on how to properly answer telephone calls. I made my brief lecture on basic corporate phone conversation phrases successful. I listen to your videos everyday. I'm a Filipino and I really admire American accent.
Thanks Jen!
I think you are the best teacher of American English pronunciation in utube.
From Los Angeles US. In my opinion the
Problem created by oneself : First our psychological state ,it might be, lack of confidence, no feeling positive of what's doing thinking negative thoughts oneself silently " We should uplift ourselves with positive thoughts ,relaxing our body, mind, and spirit ..It's like playing guitar ,one hand pluck the strings and the other make the cords and it must be done right or accordingly
This video what I looking for it for years. I spent years to find why the people didn't understand me. Although I have higher education, I lost many perfect promotions because my accent too weak. Really, this video changed my life. RightNow, I can talk with everyone in high confidence. I appreciate you.
That's great to hear! Keep it up Mohammed!
For some reason, I kinda knew there was a "secret" for that kind of pronunciation. I used to think of it as a "mouth configuration", but turns out it's something way more substantial. Tyvm, Rachel!!!
You're very welcome Cerominho!
I just want to say that your hair is soooo classy! On top of the great teacher you are. This video is invaluable, even for someone like me, who has lived many years in the U.S! Thank you 🙏
You are so welcome Ana!
Rachel, thank you so much! It's for the first time I've ever heard about the necessity of lowered larynx position in order to sound more like a native. Everyone talks about the articulators, but never mentions the formants and the vocal tract shape. You've improved the way I sound now speaking AmE by only one video. Awesome!!!
Hi Anna! It's always great to hear positive things and thanks for watching.
Thank you a lot! After I lowered my placement I immediately started feeling really comfortable to speak in English!
I can tell the nationality of most people by how they speak English, without even looking at the person. It's like they carry the tone or the flow of their native tongue into the English language even if they speak perfect English.
"We want to avoid nasal vowels in American English". Rachel, good morning from Rio de Janeiro -RJ Brazil. Very important material. It has never been published before. Thank you .
You're welcome @marcosantoniomattar5869!
We should thank heavens that we're getting all of these lessons for free. Appreciate it ❤
This is really fascinating. I tried it and had never realized that I am speaking lower in English vs my native German. My English does sound warmer. Mind-blowing. I have the huge privilege of being able to self-disclose that I'm not native, as people can never tell.
You are best teacher
Thanks Rachel’s English 💐🏅
😊
Where are you from?😊
much better than vanessa
@@matthewtaylor2670
Hi how are you ?
@@alikamil5540 long-tongued and chipper. you?
This lesson is great even for more advanced english speaking people, you have many of those lessions for everyone begginer or advanced. Thank you!
You're very welcome Tomislav!
I have subscribed to Rachel's Academy because Rachel is the only one who talks about American accent training to such a level. As someone who lives in the US for 10 years, I can tell you placement is the most important thing in accent training yet its the most difficult to master because you need to feel where it is for your own specific case. Rachel please make placement video a regular here or in the academy. You are truly an artist in training!!!
My English improved since I watch Rachel's English , thanks...sorry, working, so I ve got a break at 8min...At university a teacher of said americans is kind of "roll or twist" their tongues when they speak...exemple: "world" such a hard twist tongue word (that too)...Easy words? NOPE!!! Thank you all at Rachel's English!!!
Rachel, you are the greatest English teacher ever. I have learned so much from this channel
This is amazing! I wish there was a channel like this for learning Korean as a native English speaker
You really deserve at least 1 billion subscribers. My favorite trainer.
I have always thought about this thechnique, since I used to be in church choir and every time I did my warm ups and singing that's when my english used to came out more clearly and naturall. So ever since I discover this thechnique I always prepare myself for the day with my warm ups. Thank you for bringing this up to us and make it clear and easier to understand the thechniques of english speaking skills. Greetings from Mexico.
Hello there and thanks for sharing!
This video answer my questions. I sometimes find myself rushing as I speak, therefore I place my voice somewhere like in the back of my throat and I am aware it sounds awkward, not natural. Now, I am starting to practice 'speaking from my chest and in a relaxed way' Like I said when I'm rushing myself while I'm speaking I add on some sort of stress therefore I'm doing the opposite I am supposed to do to sound more natural. Thanks a lot Rachel. 😁
That's great! You're very much welcome Blanca!
omg we're the same
i mean, really the best. so many english videos are about specific techniques, you really touched and tried to convey the "dao", the nature
This video is phenomenal! I think even some of those born in the US with immigrant backgrounds and grew up bilingual have the wrong formance placement as they have acquired their parents' way of speaking growing up or only speak with the formance of the non-English language.
Thanks for watching!
Native American speaker here. I watched this video because I'm interested in learning more about placement in order to speak other languages more fluently, as well as for creating new character sounds for voice over. Thanks!
You're welcome Katherine and thanks for sharing!
Hi Rachel, I totally agree with your assessments: "Not many teachers talk about it, and I will say it's one of the hardest things to teach...". I often helped my ESL friends/coworkers; this is one of the most difficult areas to coach in. Thank you for your wonderful effort!!! Best, Albert from San Francisco, USA
You're welcome and thanks for sharing Albert!
You are a magnificent English teacher I've never met . Thank you so so much!! For this valuable lesson . I wish I had found your English classes 6 years ago , when I came to 🇨🇦 ❤ my native language is Spanish and now I can understand why people didn't understand me before. These classes mean the world to me, and I really appreciate it. God bless you always❤
Thanks a lot @lizhalston8207!
There are no words in my tongue to describe my lovely teacher 《Rachel♡》.
Thanks a million ♡♡
As a 6 languages speaking person, I ve been improving my accents for my acting career; I just wanted to tell you that your videos are great and my English improved in 30 minutes ! You are so specific and kind!!!Thank you for your videos.
Glad to hear they helped, Sara!
Hi there! Recently, when I'm speaking in English, I feel my voice sounds lower than when speaking in Japanese. I don't know why, but it sounds in my upper chest. I've been keeping pronunciation practice in English for three years so that it might have changed my sound. Now that I've watched your video, I believe I'm on the right track. Thank you for the great coaching as always!💕
I believe you are! Keep it up.
Poo99 ok un poco ir manejando a III con Julián García ir manejando en casa i
Hi, I recommend you EigoNodo.
That’s a really great method.
ua-cam.com/video/A_SCuMwcg-A/v-deo.html
@@釣りくま I've actually known "英語喉チャンネル Kaz's NipponDream" and it helped me improve in speaking English... Thank you for your kindness!
It happens to me, too. Though my first language is Spanish 😊 I think it's normal to sound with a deeper voice when speaking English 👀
You are a great teacher.
You're gestures the way you speak and the most there is no cutting in the vid
Thank you Hassan!
This is great. I had noticed that my accent is less noticeable when I speak in a lower voice but couldn’t really understand why. So I guess use your voice box more and open up the sound than just focusing on trying to make the right pronunciation with the mouth?
It is marvelous video that is never had in the UA-cam explained why Chinese speaks English like a Chinese and other countries etc. It is all about voice placement. I believe if i could speak the same tone like American speaks Chinese then just use it and switch to English i can get it!
Thanks for sharing Zhang!
My mother tongue is Spanish and I learned English as an adult. During my first years learning English I read a very interesting article that analyzed both phonology systems (Spanish and English) and the author highlighted in which part of the mouth the sound is generated in each language. He said that in Spanish the sound occurs at the tip of the tongue while in English it occurs at the back of the tongue. From that moment, every time I spoke in English, I began to make an effort to generate the sounds in the back of my tongue and I realized that my pronunciation improved significantly, so I began to receive very good criticisms from my teachers, some of them Americans, who considered that my accent in English was close to the native accent.
But it is now, around 40 years later, that I see a professional and scientific explanation of this topic, which is really interesting.
Hello, do you happen to remember the name of the book?
@@monidefi2680 it was not a book but an article in a weekly magazine I used to read.
Me sirvió comentario, ¿crees que la a, e, i, o sean las mismas en inglés y en español solo que la voz cambia?
I'm over the moon about placement lesson,in my opinion you are first pronunciation teacher in the world.Thanks
Thank you so much for the video! It's probably one of the hardest concepts to absorb and, in turn, internalize when learning English but without it it's almost impossible to sound like a native American.
You're very welcome and thanks for sharing Brandon!
Watching this video in 2024
I first watched ms rachel videos in 2015 and stopped in 2017 and my English has been drastically improved since i started, managed to travel to america on a scholarship for 6 months but i still struggle with some sounds like the TH sound which is my biggest problem till now..
But with that said, this video is wonderful, i started watching and 10 min in and i was just saying out loud how amazing is this, this is truly a masterclass..
Thank you
Thanks for sharing @Mostafa_Elrawy!
Agreed. I speek with a much lower pitch when in American. Higher for French. in between for Arabic lol. I feel like I have different personas for each language as well! Neet. ^^
We're definitely bombarded by English speaking people that is just a matter of imitating exactly the way they speak being either American or Brit you choose! Right now I'm honing my ears into getting the African American English and the way they actually speak. It's been kinda rough, since I'm used to listening to African American songs you go with the flow! Lol Boogie man 's gonna getcha!
As a voice major in college, your student is using head, because her pitch is high, if you want to go down without bringing the pitch down, you are using the chest voice. What a way to teach singing. Using your diaphragm , airflow, controlling the airflow, using the nasal, when to use the nasal passage, and chest, or mix.
Thanks for your tips Ana!
I watched this on a whim, American English is my first language, but it was so interesting. I didn't expect to want to watch all of it. It's so great there's people putting educational videos like this on UA-cam for free. Thank you so much. How you went into detail, muscles and various places where intonation comes from, was so very interesting
I really appreciate this video, Rachel. I could clearly see and feel how much you dedicate yourself into your teaching and how you really care for your students. I'm deeply engaged. Thank you very much
I'd like to present can you thank you
You are the best English teacher on UA-cam I have followed. This the first time I've heard explained scientifically that is the way I love most
I appreciate it @user-ue8ej7gw3o!
I love this video so much . I’ve experienced this kind of thing before when I talked with my friend who is Vietnamese, but she’ had been living in Australia for 8 years. I’ve noticed that even though she still makes a lot of mistakes, in terms of grammar and vocabulary , she has great voice, . It feels like I can hear the music of English on her voice . Now I know it’s called placement. Thanks Rachel as always
Awesome! Thanks for watching Trần!
Hats off to you!
I have got in one lecture I had been looked for ages.
I adore you.
You are the best teacher ever. You answered one of my questions that made my mind very busy. Yes, this is the secret. Perfect!
Thank you very much Soh!
This is a very powerful video. A friend of mine is learning American English and to me she sounds American but she tells me whenever she speaks to American they usally ask her where she from or they can tell that she not American. Now what you have said in this video makes so much sense because now that I think about her pitch way to high. I have already shared with her this video.
That's great! Thanks a lot Gerry!
You're absolutely insurmountable regarding training and explaining American pronunciation, Rachel! Thank you so much for your immense effort! :)
My pleasure Dmytro!
I realized the best way to relocate my placement. I can speak English more like native than before. Thanks, Rachel's English!
honestly i was skeptical but now i’m so surprised
it worked!!! for 2 years i’m working on my accent and this was the last piece on the puzzle thank you so much!!! that half hour was so worth it
you explain things amazing and the video has a nice learning flow it’s not too heavy and it’s straightforward
thank you.
the whole “science” behind the voice really helped me understanding where do i need to improve myself
the vocal fry was a really good info also, it helped me and the thing about the vocal track was the piece that was missing
like i already kinda knew all of this but your video and explanation put it all together clearly
you got a sub and a like from me
i’m so thankful! have a great day!
You're welcome and thanks a lot for subbing! :)