cat - кят (чуть твёрже)

cafe - кяфей

Аскер, главное, не слушайте всяких неучей, и у Вас все получится!

I am thrilled to see you back. I remember you very well. How could you have endured to stay away from MT for such a long time?  That must have been unbearable! It is my understanding that you have been here every single day for these ten plus years. Just reading, perhaps. Anyway, nice to see you here! However, I have to agree with Amor71: to learn to speak like natives you have to do it by a certain age, and it works until you're 11. That's the law! In your examples "book" and "cook" the "oo" are pronounced exactly alike (if we are talking of vowels). It's no secret that native speakers while pronouncing a very short exploding [u] subconsciously mean [o]. In "flush" just like in "bus" a short reduced [u] is heard. These particular intricacies of English pronunciation might be strange to a Russian ear.

An acquaintance of mine (well, a colleague of a colleague) went to England when she was like 15, and spent about five years there getting educated: first she did her final year of secondary school (the 11th grade equivalent, I'd imagine) and then moved on to attend college.. 

Now, when I first heard her speak (and I had no idea who she was at the time, mind you!) there was absolutely no doubt in my mind (and trust me: I can tell the Queen's English, when I hear one ;-)) that I'd found myself in the company of a real, honest to God English lady. (And she looked the part, btw: rather slim, green-eyed, ginger hair, reddish skin and lots of freckles, but that's beside the point..))). 

I mean, 'wow'! Her English was amazing!   

The point being is that there's no law (nothing is set in stone) when it comes to learning foreign languages: Yours Truly, for instance, -- and I don't even mean to brag and boast, just to further enforce the point I am making here -- has never been to any English speaking country and yet his English is pretty good, wouldn't you say? 

Have a native speaker proofread my diatribe, if you wish and they will tell you.. ;-)

You know what, I would believe you. In one of the largest linguistics studies ever conducted researchers from three Boston-based universities showed children are proficient at learning a second language up until the age of 18, roughly 10 years later than earlier estimates.

My own daughter started learning English at the age of 14. And she'd made great progress in only four years attending a regular US high school. She has a good ear for music that helped her pick up the language faster. Her writing skills though proved to be better developed than her speaking. It wasn't till grade 11 that her native American-speakers stopped mocking her for her terrible Russian accent. As you might guess, her biggest problem was the long and short English vowels. She said they burst out laughing at her pronouncing the word "double".

Now your other point is about yourself, right? You said, "Yours Truly, for instance, -- and I don't even mean to brag and boast, just to further enforce the point I am making here -- has never been to any English speaking country and yet his (is it my?) English is pretty good, wouldn't you say?" - Yes, your achievement ought to be commended, but aren't we talking about accent, pronunciation and phonetics here? I wish I would speak in English with you. Thanks for your input.

А мне сказали, квинс инглиш учат в университете, чтобы легко отличать "А" от "А" и от "А", а "У" от "У".

Именно так. Новые звуки, новые ощущения, новая моторика. Нужно выучить 44 новых гласных и согласных звука, ни один из которых не произносится так, как русский. И не только квинс инглиш - в любом инглише, американском в том числе, в каждом варианте и диалекте свои заморочки.

может ли вариьроваться произношение "одного и того же" гласного звука в зависимости от фонем, идущих до или после? 

(ответ: да, может)

No, it's 'his', rather than 'my': 

I was referring to myself in the third person, see, just like them Royalties would, back in the day :-D  

I believe there's even a term (a rather unpronounceable one, btw, since we talking about accent, pronunciation and phonetics here) for it..) 

Incidentally, I wasn't fishing for a compliment, okay?..))) I want us to be clear on that!))) I was just making a point, that's all!

Anyway, 

the bottom line here (as I see it) is that pretty much anyone (regardless of their age or background) can reach the native proficiency in a foreign language, provided they work hard enough and stay motivated. And your daughter is a perfect example. Nice to be a proud parent, isn't it?..) 

Cheers!

Я не могу говорить за всех преподавателей, но мне повезло учиться на инязе у очень уважаемой преподавательницы, которая работала и стажировалась в Великобритании именно как преподаватель фонетики. У нее был тот самый BBC English, когда он еще был BBC English :)))). В школе в старших классах нам преподавал английский и техпер наш директор, у которого тоже было произношение практически на уровне носителя. Это город Орел, есличо. У меня, раз уж Вы выше спросили, акцент все-таки есть, но, по словам носителей, "еле заметный" и нерусский. Притом, что я никогда не жила в языковой среде.

Так что не тушуйтесь, это совсем не так сложно, как Вам кажется.

Та самая Рина Грант?!..)

Ну надо же!

интроьверт

"

может ли вариьроваться произношение "одного и того же" гласного звука в зависимости от фонем, идущих до или после? 

(ответ: да, может)

"

Да это был мой вопрос. Спасибо за ответ!