You might have noticed that while learning English, the words you see are not the ones which you hear. Numerous people are learning new languages and thus connecting with more and more people. One of the most popular languages to communicate and even the language which is in-demand all over is ENGLISH. This language has a close connection with German as well as French and thus helps in learning these two languages too easily. Being an English Literature student, I would like to tell you all that English isn’t an easy language to learn because of its odd pronunciation rules. So, here I am with the best 10 tips for perfect English pronunciation.
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1) It is difficult to hear our own pronunciation errors because while communicating, we don’t focus on the sounds we make. And if we do not hear our pronunciation mistakes, then it is not easy to correct them. So, if you really want to have a perfect English pronunciation, then record your speeches, hear them and make notes on the specific areas on which you really have to work upon. It is important to LISTEN TO YOURSELF.
2) Speaking fluent English doesn’t mean to speak fast, so just SLOW DOWN. If you speak too fast, you will sound indecisive and nervous as well as bad habits will be reinforced on you. Speak slowly and take sufficient time to think what to say next and breathe properly to pronounce the words correctly. Taking time just makes you feel relaxed and you can even concentrate properly on your pronunciation.
3) You just need to VISUALIZE the sound of the word which you are going to make. What I mean to say is that just visualize the positioning of your face and mouth. Study English pronunciation using a phonemic chart and while pronouncing the words, think about the sound as well as relate the same with other phonemes. Some people even sue diagrams for learning English and if you are one of them, think of the tongue and mouth position which will help you in making the shape inside your mouth while making the sound correctly.
4) If you really want to have the perfect English pronunciation, then you have to go PHYSICAL, because practicing English speaking is a physical skill, wherein you are teaching your mouth to move in different ways using different muscles. Speak different words every day and choose difficult sounds.
5) Stand right in front of the mirror and WATCH YOURSELF. Watch the placement and movement of your lips and tongue as well as the shape of your mouth.
6) Nothing is better than listening to the native speakers, so COPY THE EXPERTS by watching movies and listening to programs on television and radio. You don’t have to be sure what they are saying, but you just have to imitate what you hear.
7) People are afraid of making mistakes and thus the pronunciation mistakes endures, so PRACTICE ALONE. Create your own scenarios, like you, are ordering something at a restaurant or you are asking someone for the directions and just say your dialogues. You don’t have to feel shy. Just be confident and think over your pronunciation.
8) Get a feedback from your LANGUAGE BUDDY, the one who is perfect in English pronunciation. It is really important to get a feedback from an outsider. So, find a person in your family or any of your friend who is interested in improving your English. Try to exchange few recorded messages with the person and listen to each other’s pronunciation carefully.
9) If you mastered in the individual sounds, then don’t think that you have achieved your goal of having a perfect English pronunciation because good pronunciation is much more than that. It is important to pay attention to STRESS (few words are clearer or louder) AND INTONATION (rise-fall of voice). While reading articles in magazines, newspapers and singing songs aloud, reading speeches and poems, just concentrate on the intonation and stress on the words.
10) Learn the lyrics of popular English songs and SING THEM aloud. Its not just helps in getting the difficult words out, but also help us to relax and even with intonation and rhythm. Singing a song doesn’t need your concentrating because you need not to construct the sentences by yourself, so you can easily concentrate over your pronunciation.
These are the best tips for perfect English pronunciation. So, just give each of these tips a try and find out which one if works the best. Lastly, just want to say that these tips are not the ones which fixes everything instantly, but yes, these tips will definitely help you all in reaching your goals with your regular practice and hard work.
