Pronunciation II

Today, I’m going to continue the posts about pronunciation. We had our Friday tests today and I noticed that pronunciation still is a big deal in our class. Most students are very fluent whereas others are more accurate, but they all lack good pronunciation. So, as I promised, I will post more videos and tips to improve your pronunciation skills.

Here are some tips from the Englishclub:

Pronunciation Tips

These English pronunciation tips will help you get the most out of your Pronunciation Power program.

Tip 1
Do not confuse pronunciation of words with their spelling! For example, “threw” and “through”, although spelled differently, are pronounced the same. Also, identical letters or letter clusters in words do not always produce the same sound. For example, the “ough” in “though” and “through” represents a different sound in each word. Learn to practise what you hear, not what you see.

Tip 2
Imagine a sound in your mind before you say it. Try to visualize the positioning of your mouth and face. Think about how you are going to make the sound.

Tip 3
Listen to and try to imitate the Pronunciation Power instructor. In addition to listening for specific sounds, pay attention to pauses, the intonation of the instructor’s voice and patterns of emphasis. This can be just as important as the pronunciation of sounds.

Tip 4
The English language has many different dialects, and words can be pronounced differently. It is important, however, that you pronounce words clearly to ensure effective communication.

Tip 5
Finally, the Pronunciation Power program is a tool to help you. But you must practice what you are learning! Remember that you are teaching your mouth a new way to move. You are building muscles that you do not use in your own language. It is like going to the gym and exercising your body. Use the program to exercise your mouth a little bit each day.

YouTube Videos

Here’s a list of videos from YouTube that might be of some help to all of you out there.

This video teaches you the five vowels we have in English and the 15 sounds they have altogether. Give it a whirl.

Another interesting video is this one from JenniferESL, who is an ESL/EFL Teacher based in the US, and offers lots of pronunciation tips. Here she teaches the “unvoiced” TH.

If you liked the video, you can subscribe to her Youtube Channel by clicking  here.

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