THE pronunciation in English is something that many people worry about, especially those who have a little more difficulty. However, this language has so many exceptions that it is difficult to know how far we are free to speak our “version” of the language.
Furthermore, students feel very pressured when they start to learn this language, which is natural, given the number of challenges, especially those related to pronunciation.
Many people come to believe that they will never be able to pronounce words that seem to be more complicated than others, but the truth is that with practice and dedication, it is possible to improve your pronunciation.
This means that this problem should not become a reason for giving up, on the contrary, it should be seen as a challenge that can be overcome.
Mastering English and being able to communicate effectively in that language is a basic requirement for those who want to reach new heights in life.
More work opportunities appear, you can communicate with people from all over the world, and international travel is more productive. That's why, in this article, we'll show you the importance of pronunciation, give tips to improve it, and the benefits of practicing it. Check out!
Understand more about the importance of good pronunciation
English pronunciation is extremely important if you want to communicate and make yourself understood. It should not be overlooked, however, it is common for new speakers of the language to be misunderstood for mispronouncing words.
Furthermore, when only one word is mispronounced and confused with another by the listener, he may think he understood, when in fact you meant something else.
This leads to poor communication and situations that can put you in a tight skirt. Also, for professionals who deal with home alarm system or other technologies, having good pronunciation is even more important.
Therefore, it is necessary to identify and correct some errors, as this makes it easier to relate to other English speakers, native speakers, professional contacts and so on.
There are two elements that need to be considered, and one of them is emphasis, which in a linguistic cut refers to the tone of a syllable within the word. Spanish and Portuguese are languages that use accents to show tone, but English does not.
It's important to be aware of this, though, because a word can have a completely different meaning, especially if you put the emphasis in the wrong place.
For example, the word “contest” has two completely different meanings. If the emphasis is on "con”, she refers to a competition; but if the emphasis is on "test”, means that someone is opposed.
To avoid these problems, professionals who do document translation they use some specialized websites, which help them to practice pronunciation with an emphasis on the right syllable of each word.
Thus, the terms are divided into syllables and the user finds where the strongest is. It's a good tip for those who need to practice.
The second element that needs to be considered is intonation. If we don't raise or lower our tone of voice when we speak, communication would be very robotic, as when listening to Google Translate.
Intonation is the rise or fall of the tone of voice when speaking a complete sentence. If you don't know how to use it, it can give the prayer a wrong meaning or make it sound strange.
It is through intonation that we transmit feelings and emotions, or add nuances to the lines. When we ask a question, for example, the intonation changes so that the listener understands that it is a question.
If you go to a school and want information about online technical courses, will change the tone of voice when clarifying all your doubts, probably.
If you're upset with someone, you'll also show it by talking to that person. Therefore, to have a natural pronunciation and establish good communication, it is also important to pay attention to intonation when speaking.
Now that you understand the importance of pronunciation, in the next topic, we'll give you some tips to improve it. Follow up!
Tips to improve English pronunciation
There are some practices that can help you improve your English. Below, we list the top 10. Are they:
1. Listen and repeat
Listening and repeating what was said is one of the best ways to improve your English. You can do this with:
- music excerpts;
- Movie phrases;
- Podcasts;
- Serial phrases.
If you are watching, for example, a video of career coaching in English, imitate how each word was spoken and pay attention to the rhythm of the sentence.
2. Split the words
Some words are more difficult than others, so they must be divided in order to find a common root. Another option is to write the pronunciation sound to read and learn faster.
For example, jewel and jewelry have a very similar sound, but first learn to speak jewel (jewel), and then talk about jewelry (jewelry).
3. Pay attention to words with the same sound
Several words have similar pronunciations and they must be placed in the same group so that you can learn them.
This is the case of words that are very common in everyday life, such as key (key), money (cash), honey (honey/darling), Mickey, Disney and so on.
4. Speak slowly, exaggerating sounds
Many people who are learning the language, whether within the personalized gift company, on the streets or in schools, believe that the faster they speak, the more they will impress others.
This is not true, as speaking quickly can impair pronunciation and lead to bad habits. If you speak slowly, you have more time to think about what you want to say and how you are going to say it.
In addition to making you feel more relaxed, speaking in this way is a practice and it changes over time. Gradually you will speak faster naturally.
It's also important to exaggerate the sounds at first, paying attention to the words you have the most difficulty pronouncing. Although it sounds strange, this exercise helps a lot in pronunciation.
5. Talking in the mirror
If a professional needs to present a project of access control system for a client, he's going to train a bit in front of the mirror.
This is also one of the best ways to train your English pronunciation, repeating the words you have the most difficulty in front of the mirror. Observing your expressions as you speak helps you improve your movements and imitate sounds correctly.
6. Listen to podcasts
The internet is an endless source of free resources. With a quick search, we can find many useful YouTube videos that help improve pronunciation.
In addition, the student can find podcasts in videos that have a full focus on English pronunciation techniques.
7. Pay attention to the physical aspects of pronunciation
Speaking a foreign language requires using the mouth and other parts of the body in different ways. If you need to communicate with a company branding service on the outside, the mouth and throat will be used in an unfamiliar way.
Therefore, pay attention to the natives' mouths and gestures and try to imitate them in the mirror exercise.
8. Use English in everyday life
Your ear needs to get used to the language so your mouth can reproduce it. English has different accents, so the more you hear it from different natives, the more you can pronounce it.
Choose movies and series with English subtitles, as well as audios, videos on YouTube and other resources that you can adapt to your daily life.
9. Read aloud
On the internet, it is possible to find all kinds of content in English, from news to manuals of starter key. If you already know the basics of pronunciation, read as much as you can aloud and note the way you speak the words.
10. Record videos and audios
You can select phrases from movies and series and repeat them, recording them in videos and audios. Then listen to the original lines and the ones you repeated to see what needs to be improved.
A tip for this is to choose short sentences at the beginning, and gradually increase the level of difficulty.
Conclusion
Discipline is critical when learning English, and the practices we've shown here are beneficial because they help improve the language.
Through them, you discover what you're doing wrong and learn to use each word the right way. In time, your English will be much better and other people will be able to understand you, without any gaps in communication.
This text was originally developed by the blog team Investment Guide, where you can find hundreds of informative content on different segments.
