Why not? A native speaker of German usually will have a good or great grasp of pronunciation of German. It doesn’t mean that they know precisely how to get a speaker of English to sound German. If a German person uses his or her voice professionally, the pronunciation, enunciation and the articulation may (or may not) be the best, however. To say that all native speakers are equal is like saying that a ten-year-old baseball player is the same as a professional major league player.
The Sounds We Make
The sounds we make when we speak a language are basically those of consonants and vowels. Some languages even use tongue clicks. Speaking of the tongue, the placement of it and the resultant sound can vary quite a lot, from one language to another. There are vowel sounds in English which are far from the same as those in German. Some are fairly close, but how do you get from the English sound to the German sound?
A native German speaker may not know the transformative steps, because there wasn’t ever a need for a transformation. Your first bit of evidence of this is if your native German speaker speaks English with an “accent”. The accent is the result of not knowing, not practicing, or not fully grasping the nuances and idiosyncrasies of linguistics as pertain to the assimilation and utilization of language.
As we look more closely, we discover that there are diphthongs (in language, as opposed to only pure vowels. These also are typically not interchangeable from one language to another. As if that weren’t bad enough, the tongue position, placement, and movement are also different one language to another. For example, the th-’sound isn’t used in some languages and a foreign speaker may often replace the th- sound with a d- sound. Sometimes a foreigner speaking English may place the tongue on the back of the upper teeth to achieve the th– sound. It’s close, but not quite there.
As it is impolite in most cultures to “stick out your tongue”, this may inhibit a foreigner from saying a properly articulated th– sound. Native speakers will hear that something is wrong, but they may not know 1) precisely what is wrong and 2) how to correct it.
Conversely, there are two German ch– sounds, which do not sound like English; one is generated in the back of the throat and sounds like you are trying to dislodge a popcorn shell stuck there. An English speaker learning German could potentially feel like it’s a little “rude” to make those German sounds, or otherwise feel self-conscious.
You Want to Be Understood
The most basic purpose of language is to convey an idea from one person to another. We call this communication. If you pronounce something incorrectly:
- It may not be understood at all.
- It may be misunderstood.
- It may be misinterpreted.
- It may cause an argument.
- It will waste everyone’s time, trying to figure out what was meant and intended.
- It could even be embarrassing to you.
To Get from Here to There
If you’re a speaker without a regional accent or dialect and if you speak well, you will have a grasp of what sounds are made when you talk. If you 1) have learned a language well and have spoken for hundreds of hours with native speakers and 2) can recognize the differences, the nuances, but also the transitions from the sounds of your native language to those of the target language, then you already have the experience to quickly sound like a native speaker. You will have effectively prevented the embarrassment of being the brunt of “sounding just like a (stereotypical) American” who is “not even trying to get it right”. Practice does not always make perfect, if the things being practiced are imperfect. Yes, perfection is a high standard. But what’s wrong with having high standards?
I can’t tell you the satisfaction and thrill of having a German, give me a “Wow” reaction, when I speak German. Aside from loving to surprise people in general, the look of appreciation on their faces and the quality of the cultural exchange which subsequently ensues is very rewarding.
Perfectionism versus High Standards
A competent teacher will have high standards and will help you without making you feel embarrassed or stupid. A great teacher will take you as far as you can go, while making it enjoyable, treat you with the respect you deserve, and discover what’s holding you back so that you can advance.
Perfectionism or being a perfectionist isn’t the same as high standards. It is a trap that can ultimately stop progress. You can dictate your speed, whilst a competent teacher knows how to find what you need, when you need it, and in your own learning style.