Do you skip words while talking/reading just because you don’t know how to pronounce it but are well aware of its meaning? Have you ever felt embarrassed when someone corrected your pronunciation? Are you good at writing but avoid speaking/talking in front of people? If yes, then you’re at the right place, as the title suggests, this article is all about how you can improve your pronunciation and get rid of the fear of mispronouncing a word. There is a difference between knowing English and being able to speak confidently in the language, the confidence only comes once you know that what you’re going to say is right.
It is rightly said that there is no wrong way of pronouncing any word unless and until you’re able to convey the message, but there is definitely a right way to pronounce every word. Therefore, if you’re looking forward to learning spoken English, here we have 5 super effective ways by which you can improve your English pronunciation:
Don’t just listen, but observe
This goes without saying that you’ll learn how to speak only when you’ll learn to listen to words carefully. There’s a high chance of learning quickly if you’re a good listener. There are many words in English that sound similar but their spellings are different. Once you’ll master this difference you are good to go.
Pay attention to the sounds and words
English can be a tricky language when it comes to speaking. There are some words and sounds which are more important than others, like when we pronounce “introduce” it sounds like “in-tro-DUCE”. In many cases, if you’ll put stress on the wrong word, it can change the meaning completely. Also, not only words but sentences have stresses as well. In a sentence there some words that are more important, and are said with more strength than the rest of the words.
Take help from Podcasts/videos
There are tonnes of video and audio guides available on various platforms online that you can use to learn and improve. Podcasts are a better way to learn, and there are more than 200 audios files that will train you from pronunciation to stress.
Shadowing Technique
Shadowing is a very effective way to enhance your pronunciation as well as accent. Pick an audio/video with subtitles, in which the speaker is talking at a normal speed. Then repeat every phrase with the speaker’s rhythm and the “flow”, just like when you imitate your sibling to irritate them, only this time you’ll do it to improve your accent.
Record your voice as you speak
Now, this is the hardest part, as no one likes to listen to their own recorded voice, it makes the majority of the people highly uncomfortable. But, trust me this step will help you the most as only after listening to your own voice you’ll come to know how much progress have you made and where is the room for you to make the improvements. You can also ask a friend to hear the audio and compare it with to someone else saying the same words or sounds.
If the aforementioned tips and tricks sound a little difficult to you and you think you’ll require an external help then there is an option of joining a trusted English speaking course. This will help you professionally and you’ll get better training. inlingua is one such institute that conducts English speaking classes in Delhi and is known for its expert trainers, modern techniques of teaching and stress-free environment.
Saket Pathak, 12 July, 2019 (7:28 AM)
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