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First you
learn…..then teach your kids……

5 Techniques
for Better English Pronunciation

Enhancing
Communication Skills…Enhancing Performance

Accent is
another word for pronunciation. And for free flowing communication, in any
language, the speaker must master that language’s pronunciation patterns. The
following are five key pronunciation techniques that, when practiced for ten
minutes a day for one month, can immediately and significantly improve your
accent.

Here are five
essential techniques that will quickly make your accent more effective:

Technique #1:

Learn the
correct articulation technique for pronouncing an American ‘r’ and an American
‘th’. From our experience at the Accent Reduction Institute, these two
consonants are two of the most challenging for non-native English speakers.
They are also two of the sounds that, when pronounced correctly, make the most
noticeable improvement toward clear communication. ! How to pronounce an
American ‘r’: 1. Do not let the tip of your tongue touch the roof of your
mouth. 2. The sides of your tongue, near the back, lightly touch your upper
back teeth. 3. Purse and protrude your lips. 4. Your mouth and lips are in a
slightly rounded position. 5. This is the sound of an angry dog!

Practice
saying the following words using the above technique:

a) red

Red looks
good on you.

b) right

He’s always
right!

c) really

I really like
you.

d) bring

Please bring
me the phone.

e) great

That’s a
great idea!

f) drink

What would
you like to drink?

g) rock

This lesson
rocks!

How to
pronounce ‘th’:

1. Place the
tip of your tongue between your top and bottom teeth.

2. Your
tongue must be visible.

3. Your lips
are in a horizontal position.

4. Push air
out.

Practice
saying the following words using the technique above: a) thank you

Thank you for
your kindness.

b) think

I think
you’ve got it!

c) something

Can I help
you with something?

d) faithful

He’s a
faithful companion.

e) math Her
best subject is math.

f) both

I’d like both
of them.

Technique #2:

Make sure to
pronounce the last sound of each word.

In many
languages other than English, the last sound of a word is a vowel. That means
that the speaker does not use his teeth, tongue, or lips to alter the steady
flow of sound. Words in English, however, often end with a consonant. The last
consonant sound of a word is referred to as a ‘final consonant’. Ending a word
in a consonant can drastically change the meaning of the word. This is because,
in English, grammar is often determined by the word-ending.

This is
particularly the case in terms of verb tense, subject/verb agreement, and
plurality. Note the difference in meaning in the following words, and how the
meaning changes depending on the word ending:

Verb tense:
Present tense I play the violin

Past tense I
played the violin

Subject/verb
agreement: First person

I go to work
by train.

Third person

She goes to
work by train.

Plurality:
Single

The treasure
is buried under the tree.

Plural

The treasure
is buried under the trees.

It’s also
important to realize that, regardless of grammar, changing the last consonant
of a word can drastically change its meaning. Compare the difference in word definition
in the following pairs: bad vs. bat

ice vs. eyes

back vs. bag

seat vs. seed

Practice
pronouncing final consonants by reading out-loud, daily, one paragraph from a
book, newspaper, or magazine. Make sure to pronounce the last sound of each
word.

Technique #3:

Slow down
your rate of speech.

The five
areas of pronunciation proficiency are: vowels, consonants, rhythm, stress, and
intonation.

Rhythm, or
rate of speech, is often overlooked in pronunciation programs. But from our
years of experience, we’ve found that improper use of rate of speech can
greatly effect a listener’s ability to understand the speaker. Nearly always,
this is because the person is speaking too fast. It’s a common misconception
that if we talk faster, people will think we’re more fluent. That’s simply not
true. In fact, the slower we speak the clearer we are. This is true for even
native English speakers, like me! When I speak slowly and clearly, people are
less likely to ask me to repeat myself. The best way to slow down your speech
is to pause between ideas. This simple technique will help you speak with more
clarity. Make sure to pause after commas and periods. This is essential. By
doing so, your listener will know that a new thought or idea is on its way.

Practice
pausing after commas and periods:

1. I need to
work late tonight. However, I’ll leave as soon as I can.

2. I like
chocolate but, actually, I prefer vanilla.

3. I didn’t
mean to get off at this stop, but rather, at the next one.

4. Roger, our
project manager, is out of the office this week. In fact, he won’t return until
the end of the month.

5. We need to
get ink and cartridges. Also, while you’re at it, pick up some paper too.

6. I like
pizza with onions, mushrooms, olives, and pepperoni.

7. I don’t
like scary movies. On the contrary, I like comedies.

8. He’s very
athletic. He can golf, ski, and skate, even if he can’t snowboard.

9. I’ll send
you the information when it arrives. Likewise, if you get it first, will you do
the same for me?

10. I don’t
like math. Even so, it’s necessary to know the basics.

Technique #4:

Use correct
syllable stress.

Syllable
stress refers to the part of the word that is pronounced longer, stronger, and
with emphasis. Syllable stress is a very important part of English communication.
If you put the stress on the wrong syllable, people might not understand what
you’re saying.

In some
cases, a change in syllable stress can change the meaning of the word. Let’s
look at the word ‘object’. When the stress is on the first syllable, the word
refers to an inanimate item, concept, or entity. When the stress is on the
second syllable, the word means to forbid or disallow.

The following
pronunciation pattern will help you get your message across clearly and
effectively:

1. Stress the
first syllable when the word is a noun.

2. Stress the
second syllable when the word is a verb. Practice the following sentences with
correct syllable stress. Make sure to emphasize the syllable written in bold
letters. Noun Verb 1. What is the object of the game? I object to the plan. 2.
We’d like an increase in sales. Let’s increase productivity.

3. There’s a
conflict of interests. Our schedules conflict.

4. He got an
award for good conduct. He conducts himself well.

5. She keeps
excellent records. Record your expenses.

Technique #5:

Practice five
minutes a day to rapidly improve your pronunciation.

Practice is
the key component of pronunciation mastery. We all have the same components of
the speech apparatus (tongue, teeth, lips, and jaw) and, therefore, we are all
able to produce the same sounds. If we don’t have a particular sound in our
native language, we have to teach our tongue, teeth, lips, and jaw what to do
in order to make this new sound. With practice, we literally change the motor
memory of the speech apparatus as we acquire this new sound on a permanent
basis. This is where practice becomes fundamental in the speech and language
acquisition process. By practicing ten minutes a day for one month, your mouth
will begin to ‘memorize’ the new speech pattern. Soon this will feel natural
and sound accurate.

There are two
best ways to practice your newly acquired pronunciation skills are:

1. Read
out-loud for ten minutes every day. To do this most effectively…

• Take a
paragraph or two from a magazine or newspaper and focus on one particular sound
that you’d like to practice.

• Circle that
sound every time it appears in the reading passage.

• Now read
the passage out-loud while using correct pronunciation techniques.

For example,
if you’d like to improve your pronunciation of the ‘r’, circle every ‘r’ in
your reading sample and then read the passage aloud while focusing on the
pronunciation technique as described in Technique #1. Some people like to use a
handheld mirror to make sure they are using their tongue, teeth, lips, and jaw
as indicated.

2. Watch the
national news for a few minutes every day. To do this most effectively…

• Make sure
you’re watching national news and not a regional broadcast. In the United
States, national newscasters are required to speak with Standard American
Pronunciation.

• Watch the
anchor’s mouth while he/she speaks. Pay close attention to the position of his
lips, tongue, teeth, and jaw.

• When you
hear a word that is difficult for you to pronounce, say the word out-loud as
pronounced by the anchor.

• Use the
national news anchor as your pronunciation role model!

With
consistent practice, your pronunciation will improve. And your confidence in
English speaking situations and your everyday life will soar!