English Pronunciation: Suggestions for Non-native English Speakers
For many of those who are not native speakers of English, pronunciation can be regarded as one of the hardest parts of learning such a new language. It's not just about knowledge of the words, but how these words sound, how these words are pronounced in a series and how they are stress 'as to what;' Unlike many languages, English is notorious for its vowel sounds, which are quite different to many other languages, however this feature isn't natural but if mastered can come in handy in terms of understanding and speaking.
Now let us examine practical strategies aimed at common pronunciation problems of foreign language learners and the ways of their diagnosis and elimination.
Learning English Sounds
English possesses an especially large range among all languages in terms of speech sounds. One's clear influence on one's ability to communicate and their mastering is extremely important.
Vowel Sounds
Generally, the vowel sounds of English become a problem as well. For example, the letter " a" possesses a different sound in the words such as cat, father, about. American intonation is a unique part of English language that involves short and long sounds, however, there is also, 'schwa': an unstressed sound such as "uh" which happens to be the most common vowel sound in American English, which many American natives use in their everyday conversations without even being cognizant of it.
Exercise: Stand in front of a mirror and try pronouncing the vowels in the words 'bit', 'beat', 'bat', 'but', and 'bet', to see how subtle changes in vowel sounds result in different mouth and tongue movements, as well as change the meaning of a word altogether.
Consonant Sounds
For most people learning English, English consonants are another source of trouble, especially to those whose native language lacks some of the sounds used in English. For instance, the "th" sound as in the words think and this is not present in many languages. Many learners pronounce 'th' incorrectly, instead using 's' or 't' which causes chaos in pronunciation of words such as thin (pronounced like "sin") or them (which comes out sounding like "dem").
Exercise: To pronounce the "th" sound, try gently blowing air and placing your tongue softly between your teeth. Begin with some easy words like think, thank, this, and that.
Common Pronunciation Pitfalls and Their Ways of Resolving
The Stress and Intonation Game Engage
Incorrect stress on the wrong syllable or word in a sentence can lead to different sentences bearing entirely different meanings from what they intended. In English, words that include parts of speech which are to be stressed or emphasized are present and this understanding can avert miscommunication.
For instance, consider I did not say that she takes the money, and I did not say she took the money. In both versions, however, the focus of the sentence is the aspect which has been stressed.
Exercise: Steadily train by performing sentences and different emphatic words every time. This will strengthen the physical ear to the variations in meaning that come with variations in stress. Additionally, try to practice reading out loud while recording your voice to see how your intonation has changed.
The Mystery of Silent Letters
The English language has its unique set of written letters which are silent causing confusion amongst the English language learners. Writing, for example, contains silent letters which include /knight/, /debt/, and /plumber/ because the letters do not sound. Predictably, there is no regulation regarding which letters can be muter and which cannot be, thus the best response to this question is to learn about silent letters.
Exercise: Pick up some words with silent letters and try to say them in a way that disregards the sound of the silent letters. This is an example of a corresponding drill in speech, which allows students to practice native pronunciation. Native English speakers are also referenced, since listening to them can help identify more of these silent letters.
Contractions and Linking Words
It is common for native English speakers to combine words in speech or use contractions. For example, one might say, "What are you doing?" and in daily speech habits say something like, "Whatcha doing?". This kind of linking can make English seem faster and more difficult to understand.
Getting over the fear of contractions like can't in place of cannot and won't in place of will not, as well as the fact that native speakers often do 'blend' their speech, will work towards making you sound far more fluent.
Exercise: Select multiple common phrases like "How's it going?" or "What's up?" and rehearse how to say the phrases in a matter of seconds without any breaks between words as if having a conversation.
Accent: The Unavoidable Fact
Accents are normal. Each and every one has an accent since it forms a part of who they are. But, non-native speakers tend to emphasize on the elimination of their accent in English. There's no place for such extremes, yet perfection has to be the last goal in this context. It is sufficient to be understood by others.
Still, some features of the accent may be confusing. Some people from particular places may have a problem of confusion of the sounds "v" and "w" which might result to…say using the term wine when he or she is trying to mean a vine. Some have difficulty of telling apart the "l" and "r" sounds and this is very typical of the Japanese native speakers.
Exercise: Look for sounds that are not in your accent and work on them through pain staking efforts listening to a native speaker and repeating after them. Use tongue twisters or minimal pair words like light and right, or vest and west when trying to master difficult sounds.
What is the Importance of Listening for Pronunciation Learning the Correct Way?
Listening as one of the activities is also a facilitator for correct pronunciation. It's obvious that the more native speakers one is exposed to, the more one becomes acquainted with the nuances of speech.
Active vs. Passive Listening
As you watch an English TV show or listen to a podcast, try to focus your attention on how a particular word is pronounced by a particular speaker. Once the recording is over, try to say the same sentence again, but this time try to copy the speaker's tone, stress, and rhythm.
This is different from passive listening where one is just exposed to a language and doesn't bother to try repeat or imitate. For example, simply having English speech sound in the background while engaging in other tasks will be useful in getting your ear to the language's flow and rhythm.
Exercise: Begin with active listening. Look for short videos and podcast clips and try to imitate the speaker's pronunciation, taking note of the linking of words, their stress patterns, and the precise articulatory features involved. After that, begin passive listening with the radio or an English Speaking YouTube channel turned on in the background as you do your tasks or while you are simply lounging around.
Practical Tools for Pronunciation Improvement
Phonetic Alphabet
Mastering the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) can be a unique weapon for non-native speakers. This constructs the concept around a particular word and explains how that word should sound according to its sounds.
For example, the following is how the word cat can be pronounced in international phonetic alphabets: /kæt/ for the Greek alphabet, the following is how the word father can be pronounced in the IPA: /ˈfɑːðə/.
To find a new word in a dictionary, you may find mastering even the basic symbols of the IPA helpful.
Exercise: Dedicate some of your time researching mispronounced phonetic symbols in your language. If you come across a new word, check its IPA transcription before attempting to pronounce it.
Shadowing
Shadowing involves a repetition of what has just been said by a native of the language at the same speed with the same rhythm and intonation. This is a helpful method to adopt when working on fluency, intonation, and pronunciation.
Exercise: Watch out for the TED talk of native speakers or any interview; listen to a few seconds and turn the tape off and repeat it. In time, this exercise will contribute to bettering pronunciation and listening skills as well.
The truth is that enhancing abilities to pronounce words and phrases in the English language takes time, looking downward is simply not in this case, progression is what comes along with practice. Whenever you come across a word that is new to you, take some time to pronounce it and learn its elements as well. Do not be disheartened by errors, they boost you closer to fluency.
