Pronunciation Practice

Starting this fall semester, Nomen Global is offering an exciting new course: Pronunciation. For many students, pronunciation is very difficult. Many sounds in English do not exist in other languages; thus, it is difficult for many student to hear and produce these sounds. If you are going to study pronunciation, it will be a challenge, but not an impossible task! These 5 tips can help you on your way to more native-sounding English.

Read Aloud
When you read aloud, you are working the most important muscles involved with pronunciation--your jaw and your tongue. Even if you don't get the sounds exactly right, you are exercising those muscles that you need for new and different sounds. Remember, just as you go to the gym to exercise your arms and legs, you should take as many chances exercising the muscles in your mouth for pronunciation. Reading aloud is a great way for your to hear the flow of the language while working out at the same time.

Listen and Repeat
As you listen to TV or movie, repeat some of the things that you hear. The first step to being able to pronounce words correctly is hearing the differences in the sounds from your native language and English. Listen carefully to podcasts, articles, stories, dialogs, and other online materials and repeat some of the things you hear.

Record Yourself
Because it can be difficult to listen to yourself as you speak, record yourself to hear how you sound. Record yourself as you recite poetry or tongue twisters to see if you sound like a native English speakers. After several weeks of recording, you will be surprised how much you improve!

Use a Mirror
Using a mirror can be extremely helpful when learning new articulations. Watch what native speakers do and try to mimic their mouth in the mirror. Sometimes it is easy to hear the sound, but not so easy to make the "shape" in your mouth.

Learn to Laugh
Learning and creating new sounds can be difficult for the muscles in our mouths! Sometimes, we feel silly when we repeat certain sounds over and over. Sometimes, we look silly when we try to articulate a sound properly (think the TH sound!). But, we are all learning together! The most important rule in learning pronunciation is also learning to laugh at yourself! When you make mistakes, get over it and move on. When you feel silly, just laugh and keep practicing!

Learn more about pronunciation techniques with us at Nomen Global!