One of the biggest difficulties in learning English is reading, since most of its syllables and phonemes are totally different from the Portuguese language. Only time and language practice will give you the ability to read and pronounce English words correctly.
In this article we will leave some tips on how to learn to read correctly and improve your pronunciation in English. Remember that the tips in this article can be applied in any language.
Why learn to read English correctly?
Reading the words in Portuguese and English and understanding them can be easy. But if you get used to reading them wrong, you will end up pronouncing them wrong.
When you strive to learn to read and pronounce English words correctly, it will greatly improve your learning and absorption. If you know how to read and pronounce correctly, it will be easier to understand what you hear.
Knowing the correct pronunciation of words will help you watch series, understand music, improve your vocabulary, and help you understand the grammar of the language.
Reading is the best way to improve your English skills, so you should strive to do it correctly.
Learn the English alphabet and syllables
The pronunciations of vowels and consonants in English are totally different from Portuguese, you must re-decorate the alphabet. If you have difficulties, just listen to the alphabet song daily.
You should also be aware of the small changes that exist in the pronunciation of certain syllables in certain words. Be aware of the differences in American English and British English pronunciations.
If you don't know how to pronounce a certain word, don't be shy about using the Google Translate pronouncer or other similar tool.
Listen, Read and Sing
To pronounce English correctly you need to train your brain, your ear and also your reading. The best way to reach perfection is to absorb as much content as possible.
So you should listen to as many audios as possible, try to accompany audios with texts, so you already train your reading. Listen to music and sing along! Singing is one of the best ways to learn to pronounce without straining or losing patience.
If you have difficulty studying, find a friend to train you in reading, speaking and pronouncing words. Nothing better than studying as a team!
What not to do
Some people like to use IPA -International Phonetic Alphabet or international phonetic alphabet. But we recommend that you do not use this type of tactic to learn how to pronounce words. This is just a puzzle that can confuse your mind, learning to use IPA is like learning another language. The best way to learn to pronounce is to listen to audios.
Be careful not to delay your learning. Study with dedication and correctly! Listening to music or audios every day without any attention is nice, but it will not make you learn to pronounce correctly.
Another thing that can complicate your learning to pronounce is the regional differences we mentioned. Perhaps in our childhood we learned to pronounce certain words in Portuguese and English totally different from the original, or we heard several words with an accent that can end up confusing our minds. So learn only from places that are a real source of instructions. Know how to discern whether you are learning American, British or Portuguese English.
I hope these little tips help you!
