12 English Pronunciation Observe Actions You Can Do By Your self
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It’s a standard state of affairs amongst English learners: You’re excited to observe your pronunciation, however there’s no one you may speak to.
However do you know you may truly do plenty of English pronunciation observe by yourself?
These are my favourite actions to do after I don’t have anybody to observe my English with—I hope you’ll discover them helpful.
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1. Reverse Dictation
Aim: To verify how simply comprehensible your pronunciation is
Telephones are the last word gadget for learning. You should utilize your telephone to assessment flashcards, verify the dictionary and—sure—even to check your English pronunciation.
A technique to do that is thru reverse dictation. Dictation means to hearken to somebody talking after which write down what they are saying.
Reverse dictation turns that round. This time, it’s you who has to talk—and your telephone would be the one writing down what you say.
That is doable via the speech recognition function, which is current in just about all trendy telephones. Listed below are the directions for Android and iPhone.
You may then say easy sentences and even dictate an entire grocery record out loud! In case your telephone finally ends up misspelling a phrase, then most probably your pronunciation of that phrase is much less clear. The fantastic thing about this technique is which you can repeat the sentence till your telephone acknowledges each phrase completely.
2. Act It Out
Aim: To choose up pure intonation and physique language
English films and TV collection are a number of the most enjoyable studying supplies you should utilize!
Nonetheless, for this exercise, you’ll be going past passive listening. As an alternative, you’ll need to choose a selected film scene and provides every line your full consideration. To make it simpler, activate the subtitles.
Right here’s a film clip you can begin with:
Hear intently to every line, then hit pause and repeat precisely how the actor stated the road. There’s somewhat little bit of appearing concerned! You gained’t solely be imitating the pronunciation but additionally the intonation and emotion behind the road.
To take your pronunciation observe even additional, you may even strive dubbing on the second move. Put the clip on mute, then say every character’s line in real-time. Do your finest to match your speech with their mouth actions.
To study with extra media reminiscent of movie clips, inspiring talks, music movies and extra, FluentU could possibly be useful.
FluentU is a language studying platform with a spread of genuine movies that embody interactive dual-language subtitles. You may take personalised quizzes that embody talking questions, which is able to assist increase your English talking expertise.
3. Minimal Pairs
Aim: To clear up the confusion with related sounds
Minimal pairs are two phrases in English which are virtually the identical aside from one sound. It’s quite common for English learners get these phrases combined up.
For instance, most English learners (myself included!) have struggled in some unspecified time in the future with minimal pairs reminiscent of reach vs. rich and feet vs. fit.
Listed below are another examples:
- lot vs. rot
- sink vs. think
- pun vs. pan
To overcome minimal pairs, flip them right into a form of tongue tornado or warm-up train.
Choose one to 5 minimal pairs. Say every pair repeatedly and as quick as you may whereas nonetheless sustaining correct pronunciation. You are able to do this each morning or everytime you begin training your English.
This forces you to differentiate between the 2 phrases. The following time both phrase comes up in a dialog, you’ll be capable to pronounce it way more precisely.
4. Sound Mastery
Aim: To give attention to a single sound in English
No matter your stage of proficiency in English, there would possibly nonetheless be a couple of sounds that you just’re having a tough time with. Normally, what makes these sounds so tough is that you’re not used to announcing them.
To make these sounds extra acquainted, the secret is repetition. Take one sound that you just’re not as snug with and make an inventory of phrases with that sound. Then write down every phrase on an index card.
Then you need to scatter these playing cards into locations the place you’ll see them on daily basis. You would possibly put one index card in your lavatory, one other inside your pockets and a 3rd one in your laptop.
Everytime you see a card, say the phrase on the cardboard out loud. Each time you encounter the phrases, you’ll get an increasing number of assured with announcing the sound!
5. Sing Alongside
Aim: To observe linked speech
Select a music that you just like a lot you possibly can hearken to it time and again. For instance, I’m a fan of Michael Jackson songs, so I would begin there.
After you have a music, play it and hear for any linked speech. In English, phrases can generally circulate into one another, as if there’s no area between them. The phrase fall in love has three phrases, however it’s typically pronounced as “fallin love.”
This may not really feel pure so that you can do at first. However native English audio system do it on a regular basis! It’s simpler to note and imitate linked phrases in songs, particularly with the refrain.
Lastly, sing together with the music whereas ensuring that you just’re additionally connecting your speech on the proper locations. Within the music above, the phrases dream of you and miss a factor are examples of linked speech.
6. Tongue Twisters
Aim: To coach your mouth to get used to English
Tongue twisters are one of the crucial time-tested pronunciation workout routines round. In spite of everything, it’s not simply language learners who use them. Tongue twisters present up often as get together video games, and public audio system typically use them to arrange for speeches!
Many tongue twisters don’t make a lot sense of their meanings. That’s as a result of the entire level of a tongue tornado is the sound. Tongue twisters repeat the identical sound in virtually each phrase.
Listed below are some powerful tongue twisters:
Frivolous fanciful Fannie fried contemporary fish furiously.
What number of snacks might a snack stacker stack, if a snack stacker snacked stacked snacks?
If two witches would watch two watches, which witch would watch which watch?
Say every tongue tornado slowly at first, then pace up till you attain the quickest pace you may go!
For extra of those, there are useful apps (Android and iPhone) that kind tongue twisters by stage.
7. The place’s the Stress?
Aim: To get used to correct phrase stress
No matter your native language is, there’s one a part of English pronunciation that in all probability didn’t come naturally to you at first: phrase stress. This refers back to the syllable in a phrase that’s emphasised (spoken the strongest or loudest).
Right here’s phrase stress in motion:
- blanket
- amazed
- psychology
Improper phrase stress is without doubt one of the most typical pronunciation errors individuals make. That’s not shocking contemplating how random phrase stress appears to be in English!
Right here’s what you are able to do: Seize an English e-book or article which you can learn after which choose a single paragraph. Look out for phrases with a number of syllables and mark the phrase stress in all of them.
Let’s take this sentence from “The Curious Incident of the Canine within the Night time-time”:
I got here residence from college sooner or later and nobody answered the door, so I went and located the secret key that we hold under a flowerpot behind the kitchen door.
After you’ve marked the phrase stress by yourself, verify your dictionary to see should you bought every phrase proper. Then learn every multisyllabic phrase out loud, exaggerating the stress. Lastly, learn the complete passage whereas protecting the right phrase stress in thoughts!
8. Your Day in a Haiku
Aim: To hone your writing and pronunciation on the similar time
Acquired quarter-hour to spare? This writing train doubles as a pronunciation train.
The essential thought is to write a fast poem in English about your day. There’s an additional rule, although: it’s a must to write it as a haiku.
A haiku consists of three traces with 5 syllables within the first line, seven syllables within the second line and 5 once more within the third line.
In case you actually loved your breakfast, you would possibly write:
I like my breakfast
Scrambled eggs, toast, sausages
Throw in ketchup, too
The outcomes can get wacky! However you’re not achieved but.
After writing your haiku, recite it in three totally different tones. You are able to do your regular voice first, then mess around with totally different moods: monotone, singsong, completely happy, indignant or whispering.
This can broaden your emotional vary when speaking in English so your speech will sound extra pure.
9. Do-it-yourself Interview
Aim: To change into snug with expressing your self in English
One secret to enhancing your English pronunciation is speaking to your self. And never simply in your head, both—I imply speaking out loud!
To show it right into a every day observe, make your individual little recordings. Every day, reply a selected query in English for 2 minutes whereas recording your self in your telephone.
The questions ought to get you speaking about your life, like these:
- How have you ever modified since final 12 months?
- In case you might meet one historic particular person, who would it not be?
- What’s a joke or meme that you just just lately laughed about?
No must even give you them your self! There are many query lists accessible on-line (and sure, these are the identical questions individuals ask at events or after they wish to get to know somebody higher).
After recording your self, take a break for at the least 5 minutes to refresh your thoughts. Then play again the recording and observe the way it sounds.
Are there phrases you’re having hassle with? Did you pause midway via since you weren’t certain specific your self? Write these down as an inventory of issues to work on to your subsequent pronunciation observe.
10. Backchaining
Aim: To clean out phrase beginnings and endings
Sure phrase beginnings and endings in English will be laborious to pronounce, particularly in the event that they’re not in your native language. For instance, some English learners wrestle with “s” at first of a phrase (college, snake), whereas others wrestle with phrases ending in consonants (pan, scientist).
In case you can relate to this, you may strive a extra focused pronunciation train: backchaining.
Backchaining is establishing a sentence backwards. You begin with the final phrase, then add the second to the final phrase and so forth till you type the entire sentence.
Right here’s the way it works:
bucket — the bucket — dropped the bucket — unintentionally dropped the bucket — I unintentionally dropped the bucket.
You may even do that for particular person phrases: n — an — pan.
This train will be very useful as a result of it forces you to isolate particular sounds and phrases.
For an added problem, inform a narrative whereas backchaining! Go for at the least three sentences. It’s a little bit of a mind-bender and you may find yourself speaking about humorous situations.
11. Speak With an Object in Your Mouth
Aim: To observe talking clearly
In case you’re fighting announcing your phrases clearly, then strive utilizing this straightforward pen trick.
Simply seize a pen or pencil, and put it in your mouth between your tooth. Then, begin talking! You may speak with out a script, or use a passage of writing reminiscent of an article or web page from a e-book
You’ll must put way more effort into talking as a result of the pen might be in the way in which, forcing you to consider how you might be announcing sure phrases.
Then, take the pen out of your mouth, and repeat what you simply stated. It needs to be a lot simpler this time because the pen is now not in the way in which, and there’s a very good probability you’ll hear an enchancment in your pronunciation.
You additionally don’t have to make use of a pen or pencil. You may additionally strive an object like a cork, as advised by Accent’s Means English with Hadar.
12. Watch Your self within the Mirror
Aim: To ensure your mouth and tongue are within the appropriate place
A good way to enhance your pronunciation is to look at your self within the mirror whilst you speak, to see the form of your mouth and tongue. Examine the way in which you’re shifting your mouth to the way in which that native audio system transfer their mouths, to see the place you is likely to be going unsuitable.
Make certain to look at movies which are near the mouth of the speaker so you may see the smaller particulars. This playlist from BBC Studying English is an effective instance.
Watch the video, and take a look at your finest to repeat the precise place of their mouth whereas wanting within the mirror to see if it matches. You may pause the video to make this course of simpler whilst you look between the mirror and the display.
By making changes to your mouth form or tongue placement, you may make your pronunciation clearer, and extra pure.
You get the very best outcomes when you are able to do some English pronunciation observe on daily basis. Fortunately, you gained’t all the time want a dialog associate for this! With the solo workout routines above, you may work towards changing into a superb English speaker whether or not you’re alone or with different individuals.
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