Could someone tell me if I am "getting it", I am as new as one can get to Hebrew

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

I am just starting chapter one of the Pimsleur Method Hebrew, a gift from my Mother.  Below questions I have is the "conversation" I wish to be evaluated.  Thanks for the look-over in advance.

I did the first 30 minute track 3 times and I want to make sure I am learning correctly before I start committing what I have learned into long term memory.  I am moving to the second 30 minute track tonight.

Is there a person I could look up on youtube who has a GOOD Israeli accent?  I learned Spanish in a way so I sound like the guy from the TV station "Telemundo", which amuses people, but I do not want to speak Hebrew this way.  I like to speak English like the Zohan for fun when I serve up hummus, but I don't want to learn with Adam Sandler's accent in my head [unless his accent is good, I have no criterion to judge by.  With no arguments, his accent is better than mine.]

Is it true that Rabbi Kahane lived on a Kibbutz just to learn how to speak "street slang cool flowing Hebrew" in addition to his formal Hebrew that he know from being a serious Torah/Talmud scholar?

I can safely assume Rabbi Kahane's accent is one to emmulate?

How about Chaim ben Pesach?

I want to sound "hip and cool", but I do not want to sound unschooled.

I would like to see a few people who have skilled Hebrew down so I do not sound "just" like anyone.  I want my Hebrew voice to be as unique as my english voice.

My Latina room-mate says I have got my Spanish rrrrrr's down, I know how to roll the R well.  Is this something I can transfer to Hebrew?  Evrrreet?

Sometimes Hebrew speakers sound French almost.  Should I avoid this, or is it good [regional?] Hebrew?

I want to be living in "East" Jerusalem within two years of three days ago [the next two years of my life are "mission years"].  I hope a then 33 year old guy is not too old for the IDF, I'd also like to be a Magen David Adom EMT paramedic after 3 years in the IDF.  I DEFIANTLY need good Hebrew to be a paramedic, so many situations!  I may start medical classes here in California if I can figure out a way to pay for it.
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This would be me talking to an Israeli woman.I am trying to ask her if she knows english, she says she does not know english, I ask if she knows Hebrew after this, and she says yes that she knows Hebrew and she is an Israeli.  I say I understand, I am American, I know english, and I know a little bit of Hebrew.
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[I say to a gorgeous olive skinned woman]

"Sleecha, shalom, at meiveenah Angleet?"

[she then says]

"Lo.  Ani lo meiveenah Angleet."

[I speak back to this woman]

"At meiveenah Evreet?"

[she says]

"Ken.  Ani meiveenah Evreet; Ani Yisraeli."

[I say]

"Ani meiveen.  Ani Ameriki.  Ani meiveen Angleet.  Ani meiveen ketset Evreet."



-thanks.

[Moshe92]

I think it's nearly impossible to learn how to speak a different language with a perfect accent unless you grew up speaking that language. Even Chaim and Rabbi Kahane talk in Hebrew with slight American accents. Although of course you should try to sound as much like a native speaker as possible.

בהצלחה

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

My ultimate goal is to do my best and to give my future children an image of their father known for always engaging things at his best, hopefully they will do their best and so on w/ grandchildren and further descendants.  I want my kids to see what a person who does their best for themselves will look like.

I think I do things passionately, striving for my ultimate results in my interests because my Dad and Mom are also passionate people when it comes to their own interests.  This is one thing I want passed from my parents, through me, and unto my children and descendants.

Realistically I may never sound as good as Rabbi Kahane, or even a 6 year old Israeli, but I want to give it my passionate best.  If I see some things done right a few times, sometimes I get it myself.  To an Israeli I may always sound like, "the foreigner", who knows unless I do my best.

Is there any well known speaker who is better than Rabbi Kahane and Chaim?  I already listen to these guys and I try learn how things sound, and the way their messages emotion and context matches up. - Bonus if they are interesting or educational!  Prime Ministers, or Rabbis, or I someone else perhaps.  Maybe just listening to Israeli TV?  Maybe it all is going to help somewhat after awhile.

I need to know at least enough Hebrew to find a Torah loving beautiful Israeli wife to be the Mother of my children, and certainly enough Hebrew to be acceptable to her Parents!  I hope to gain a Father-in-law who is a profound Torah scholar in addition to a wife.  I don't want to come across as an American rube.

"I know that plans and reality may be two different things, but I think my demands on life are minimal." - Moshe Dayan

It's hard to figure out just saying things like an every day person, not trying to put on a show...  a friend of mine said [about Spanish, hinting it's a universal rule] learn how to cuss really well, because people REALLY mean what they say when they cuss and this is when their accents will be most clear and accurate.  I think it's easier to call someone a "faygala" than saying "boker tov".

#1 I do not want to sound like, "Cousin Balki" from the TV show "Perfect Strangers".  If I ended up with the equivalent sound of "Furio" from "The Sopranos", this would be a far league greater IMO.

At english sound my at least normaller than bad when Israel, eh? 

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

1.5 hours of my "Pimsleur Method" Hebrew CDs.

Ani medaber ketsach Ivrit, lo colcah tov.  [I speak a little Hebrew, not so well.]

[I have no idea how to write the words out, the course did not come with a book, so I am trying to pronounce out words into letters phonetically]

I am excited.

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

#1 I do not want to sound like, "Cousin Balki" from the TV show "Perfect Strangers". 

That's who I sound like when I speak Hebrew.

The hardest thing for me to get in pronunciation is the Resh sound.  Israelis pronounce it sort of like a French R, which can be hard for Americans to imitate.  I just trill it like Balki.

 

I am not sure if I get the resh right, but I seem to make a French sounding R sound which comes from way back in my throat, almost to my sternum [almost sounds like I am gargling with mouthwash for a moment].  "Efo kikow raaaagh-bin"? [where is Rabin square?]  I grew up 1 hour south of Montreal in NY which is where I am familiar with the French R sound [I did take a few years of French when I was quite young, all forgotten though], and it does sound kinda French like that now that I think about it.  The voice on my Hebrew CDs sounds not quite as gargly as I do so I might be overdoing it.  I'll keep hammering away at it though.

[Ben m]

don't worry about the accent.i was born in israel and i still don't have an israeli accent.