Thursday 28 November 2013

Learning Better Pronunciation In English

By Angela Briggs


The first thing to emphasize when discussing better pronunciation in English is that it is not about getting rid of accents. You can still discuss something in a formal setting with a regional accent. However you do need to be sure that what you are saying can be clearly understood.

There are always practical benefits to learning how to say words in a more formal way. For example while you may speak in a certain way with your friends you may not necessarily want to speak this way if you are going to a job interview and you want to impress the interviewer. This does not mean having to hide an accent but simply making sure that you can be properly understood.

This is why it can help to learn how to pronounce words more clearly. In more formal scenarios such as giving a speech or a job interview this can also be important. You could be telling a very funny joke or giving the most intelligent interview answer but if the person listening cannot understand it then they will not understand or get the punchline.

When trying to pronounce words more clearly it is best to use either an American or British style of pronunciation. While there are other variants of English these tend to be the ones that people are more likely to understand and tend to be the clearest. It also makes it easier when learning words without having to adapt to different patterns of speech.

Generally speaking it is also best to focus on words you have problems with. Focusing on these will then make it easier in the long term to pronounce other words. As with other forms of study it takes a lot of practise and over time the amount of repetition it will make it a lot easier to learn how to say a word. In short it is worth noting that while people can develop bad habits with the right routine it is equally possible to develop good habits.

Watching videos can also help as well. The additional benefit with this is that you can pause and rewind. This then means you can watch this over and over again. Eventually you will be able to mentally picture someone saying the word and then be able to replicate it without having to think about it too much as you learn almost on a subconscious level as opposed to trying to cram the information in as much as possible.

However formal teaching methods can help as well. Going to a class is often useful as well because you are going with other people. Working together with others is often useful because you can all help each other. The combination of formal and informal methods can often provide the best long term results as you get the benefits of a formal class and you learning through your own interests.

In short there are both formal and informal ways to learn better pronunciation in English. This does not mean you cannot speak in your natural accent and nor is it about the right or wrong way to speak. However clearer communication can be useful and it is worth developing these skills to give you another way to help you communicate in more formal situations and avoid unnecessary embarrassment and frustration. Look online to find courses, video tutorials and other ways to help you pronounce words clearer in English.




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