In the last pronunciation practice session, my tutor, who is going to be unavailable for a week or two due to ongoing severe and inconsistent power outages in the region he’s residing in, recommended me to have a role model for my pronunciation practice. This is what his suggestion is about:
“Do you watch Japanese news anchors on TV, like NHK? I’m specifically referring to those who have the American accent of English…We have female anchors, definitely Japanese and with the American accent. You can watch them. Because it’s the Daily News Article that you read, they would be a perfect model for you. Because they’re not talking to you, they’re not conversing with you. It’s not a conversational tone. They’re reporting the news… I’m thinking that they’re Japanese natives who speak English with the American accent. Watch them and emulate them.”
I know that most of the female news anchors on NHK World English http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/ are Japanese-American or those who grew up in English speaking countries while only very few of them are Japanese natives, but nonetheless, his suggestion seems worth a try to me. Although I usually watch NHK World English when out of the country, I’ve never seen it as pronunciation practice materials. Shame! In fact the NHK World English website contains an abundance of good English learning materials not just for pronunciation practice. You might as well check it up if you’re looking for one.
The top candidate for my new role model for Pronunciation Project 2012 is Catherine Kobayashi. I’ve seen her several times before, but she didn’t ring my bell in any sense that time. This time, however, I rediscovered her as a good model for me to emulate her pronunciation and enunciation. She is eloquent, elegant, and beautiful. She is very charming when reporting something non-serious, like weather or news trivia. Her smiles and casual tones make her look very attractive. Oh yes, my role model cannot be visually challenged because I need a daily feast to my eyes. Am I mean or what? I’m just being honest.