HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION SKILLS
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION SKILLS
Why is it important to improve your English pronunciation skills?
English learners from non-English speaking countries study hard to be able to speak with correct grammar, accurate vocabulary and relevant expressions. But the most challenging of all is mastering the English pronunciation. Accurate pronunciation is an important part of learning any language. Also, the tricky thing about pronunciation is that it is not just about acquiring knowledge but most importantly it’s a physical skill that you need to practice very dedicatedly to get the desired result. The way your speech sounds can have a big impact on whether or not people understand what you are saying and their initial impression of you. If your English pronunciation isn’t good, then your knowledge of the language and your fluency will always be underestimated.
When to decide to improve your English pronunciation skills
Have you ever felt embarrassed because someone pointed out your incorrect pronunciation? Do you find it challenging to properly understand native speakers of English because they pronounce the words differently? Have you ever been told that you have a strong mother tongue accent? If the answer is yes, do read on.
Effective strategies to improve your English pronunciation skills
Although, there are no shortcuts to perfect pronunciation, there are some proven strategies that you can follow to improve your English pronunciation skills and gain results within a reasonable amount of time.
- Read aloud or speak and record yourself. If you can’t hear your pronunciation problems, it’s tough to improve your English pronunciation skills. Play back and listen carefully. Make notes for what needs correcting and try again
- Learn new words with their pronunciation. To improve your English pronunciation skills, do not guess the pronunciation. Check the pronunciation on free pronunciation/ dictionary sites or even a simple google search to hear the sound. Thereafter repeat and check. Many sites allow you to do that and check whether you have pronounced correctly.
- To improve your English pronunciation skills, speak slowly. Replacing the old speaking habits with new ones while speaking naturally and fluently is perhaps the most challenging aspect. While learning the right pronunciation is not very difficult for most learners, using it in natural speech is very difficult. So it could be a good strategy to slow down and consciously choose the correct pronunciation you have learnt.
- Listen to pronunciation videos and podcasts to improve your English pronunciation skills. Listen to the speaker say a sentence. Record yourself saying that sentence and play it back. Identify the difference and work on it.
- Try some tongue twisters. If you can’t make some sounds that are necessary in order to produce English words, then you will need to give your mouth and tongue muscles a workout. One great way to improve your English pronunciation skills is with pronunciation exercises like “Tongue twisters”. Instagram and You Tube are great resources for demonstrating these.
- Watch some videos on phonemes. Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound in speech – the sound that letters contain when broken down. Watching such videos will go a long way in making your speech more accurate to improve your English pronunciation skill.
- Pay attention to intonation and stress. To improve English pronunciation skills means more than just mastering individual sounds. It’s also understanding intonation (the rise and fall of the voice) and stress (some sounds in words and some words in sentences are louder or clearer than others). Read poems, speeches and songs aloud, concentrating on the word stress and intonation.
- To improve English pronunciation skills, sing a song. Learn the words of popular English songs and sing along. Singing helps you relax and because you don’t need to concentrate on constructing sentences for yourself, you can concentrate on making your pronunciation sound great.
- Practice speaking English alone. Practicing alone will give you the freedom to repeat as many times you need without feeling embarrassed.
- Find a language buddy who is also interested in improving the English pronunciation. Giving feedback to each other will keep you motivated.
Have patience and stay motivated to improve your English pronunciation skills
None of the above techniques is an instant fix to improve your English pronunciation skills, but they will help you accomplish your goal. How easy it is for you to master English pronunciation largely depends on how similar your native language is to English. Also some people are natural mimics. For them it is easy to make the same sounds as someone else they hear speaking. Furthermore, every language requires the tongue to move in different ways. If your native tongue is already accustomed to the movements, it is easier. How long it may take for you to master the English pronunciation is thus subject to various factors. According to some researchers, it takes around two months for a new habit to become automatic. But for some learners it may take longer. Do not lose hope.
A piece of good news if you want to improve your English pronunciation skills
Successful communication in today’s world doesn’t require a native speaker accent. International intelligibility is becoming the most relevant pronunciation goal for learners of English today. Your goal shouldn’t be to sound like a native English speaker but to speak as closely as possible to a standard pronunciation so that people (both native and nonnative speakers) can understand what you say. Pick the one that fits your style and professional goals and go for it.
Learn to improve your English pronunciation skills at Inlingua International School of Languages, New Delhi
Although there are plenty of ways to work on your pronunciation but there is no substitute for learning from a trainer with proven expertise. A professional trainer will give you feedback on which sounds and words you need practice with and recommend exercises suited for you. You might wish to explore learning to master the English pronunciation with experienced trainers at Inlingua International School of Languages, New Delhi.
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