一、 什么是Accent（口音）?
Accent is a combination of three main components: *intonation *(speech music), *liaisons * (word connections), *and pronunciation * (the spoken sounds of vowels, consonants, and combinations).
口音由三个要素组成：语调、连读、发音
二、 美语在美国不同地区有什么区别吗？
America is a big country, and while the pronunciation varies from the East Coast to the West Coast, from the southern to the northern states, two components that are uniquely. American stay basically the same—the speech music, or *intonation, *and the word connections or liaisons.
在美国不同地区，美语发音不同，但美语的语调和连读基本相同。
三、 是否应该放慢语速，清楚地发出每一个音节？
Native speakers may often tell people who are learning English to "slow down" and to "speak clearly." This is meant with the best of intentions, but it is exactly the opposite of what a student really needs to do.
我也曾遇到过类似的问题：和英国同事用英语交流的时候，有时我担心他不明白，我就故意放慢语速，我觉得发音很清楚，没有连读，但同事听不懂。但我平时很随意地用正常语速和他交谈，却基本都能听懂。
四、你的口音很差吗？
Your accent is *not *bad; it is nonstandard to the American ear.
我们的口音没有好坏之分，只不过对于母语人士来说并不标准。
五、 培养标准口音，从改变习惯开始
Changing your old speech habits is very similar to changing from a stick shift to an automatic transmission.
我们在学习美音时需要改变过去的言语习惯。就像我们过去熟悉了使用变速杆，现在要换成自动变速器。
