Speaking a language can be a daunting task, with the fear of making mistakes and sounding foolish always present. While making mistakes is an integral part of the learning process, sounding authentic doesn’t have to be a challenge. Personally, singing helped me immensely in correcting my pronunciation and developing an authentic accent when speaking Spanish and Portuguese. Finding music that you enjoy is the key, and if you find yourself at a loss for ideas beyond the complete works of Shakira, don’t fret, I’ve got you covered.
A great place to start to improve your Brazilian accent is with A Garota de Ipanema by João Gilberto, Stan Getz, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and Astrud Gilberto. This bossa nova classic has a slow and steady rhythm, making it easy to pick up. As Jobim is from Rio de Janeiro, the song features plenty of characteristic “sh” sounds occurring in words such as “mais(h) linda”, helping you develop a sense of where the sound occurs.
For those looking for a challenge, try Carolina by Seu Jorge. Seu Jorge’s sultry and gravelly voice lends itself well to relaxed Portuguese speech. The song is a bit of a tongue twister due to its tempo, but if you learn it line by line and then slowly build up the pace, you’ll catch on in no time.
When it comes to learning Spanish, rap is an excellent tool for developing pronunciation, with the speed and rhythm patterns closely mirroring normal speech. Anjos de Plantão by Ivo Mozart featuring Doncesão is a great example of this, featuring the nasal “ão” sounds commonly found in the Portuguese language.
If you’re looking to perfect your “r” rolling skills, ¡Corre! By Jesse y Joy, a Mexican pop duo, is a song you won’t want to miss. The slow and steady tempo lends itself to plenty of “rr” sounds such as “corre”, “interrumpes”, “razón”, “perro”, and “repetido”. By the end of the track, you’ll have made the sound a total of 64 times!
Finally, Obsesión by Aventura is an excellent example of how Spanish speakers tend to blend words together when speaking quickly. The verses feature a staccato rhythm and plenty of syllables packed into each line, making it tricky but rewarding to master. And if you’re looking to explore more, Shock by Ana Tijoux is another great track to help you develop your Spanish-speaking skills.
Your assignment is to rephrase the whole text with improved vocabulary and create unique content with a natural language tone. The entirety of the output should be in English. The given text to be reworked is as follows:
