German accent when speaking English

Michael I already wrote a little piece in the last newsletter about what the "German Accent" in the pronunciation of English sentences is all about. In the meantime, I have enrolled in a course at the University of Berkeley called "Pronunciation Skills in English," which is all about how to eliminate your accent so that you sound somewhat like an American. The course is led by a resolute old matron who drills the 10 participants, who come from China, Vietnam, France, and Germany, on how to pronounce words correctly with a California slang. She repeatedly emphasizes the stark differences between British pronunciation, which is taught in most schools outside of America, and American pronunciation.

For example, when a Brit says "offer," the American version almost sounds like "uh-ffer." We had to repeatedly emphasize the pronunciation of similar-sounding words, such as the difference between "few" and "view." Well? Well? If you read them aloud, you might not notice any difference at first, but since I am now a bit more educated, I'll tell you: The "f" in "few" is a voiceless (hissing) "f," while the "v" in "view" is voiced, almost like a German "w." Or what would be the difference between "France" (pronounced "Franz" in American English) and "friends"? Well? Well? Okay, I'll tell you that too: "France" hisses at the end, and "friends" not only has a more "e"-sounding "a" but also a voiced "s" (like in "hose"), nothing hisses. Additionally, when it doesn't hiss but hums, the word is drawn out, so "France" is noticeably shorter than "frieennnds." At the end of the course, we'll have to read a page of American literature (it must not be British!) aloud and record it on tape. The teacher will then give her comments and also record them on the tape.