How to Improve Your English Pronunciation (The First Thing You Must Do)

Summary

This video explains how to improve English pronunciation by focusing on the difficulty of distinguishing similar sounds. Many non-native speakers struggle because their native language doesn't have certain English sounds. The video introduces an effective method based on research: listening to pairs of words with similar sounds helps train the brain to recognize differences. The presenter shares personal experiences of mispronouncing words like 'cheap' and 'sheep' and how this method helped improve their pronunciation. Viewers are encouraged to use the free exercises provided on the resource page to practice and refine their skills.

Takeaways

• 😀 Learning to improve English pronunciation requires understanding and practicing the key sounds in English.
• 😀 One of the main challenges in pronunciation is that some English sounds don't exist in many native languages, leading to mispronunciations.
• 😀 Adults often struggle to distinguish between similar sounds in English, which can lead to perceiving different sounds as the same.
• 😀 It’s not enough to only practice making individual sounds correctly; distinguishing between similar sounds is equally important.
• 😀 A method for improving pronunciation involves training the brain to hear the differences between similar sounds or words.
• 😀 Listening to pairs of words with similar sounds in quick succession helps the brain notice the differences between those sounds.
• 😀 An exercise contrasting two similar sounds, like 'AA' and 'EH', can help learners become more aware of the pronunciation differences.
• 😀 The benefits of such exercises include increased awareness of pronunciation differences, exaggerated pronunciation to make sounds easier to hear, and reduced tendency to mispronounce similar words.
• 😀 The method has been proven effective for improving pronunciation, as it helps learners become more accurate in their speech.
• 😀 The speaker applied this method themselves and significantly improved their pronunciation, reducing common mistakes with confusing word pairs.

Q & A

Why is it difficult for many learners to improve their English pronunciation?

One of the main reasons is that some English sounds are not present in learners' native languages. This leads them to replace difficult sounds with others they can produce, which results in mispronunciations.

What is the first step to improving English pronunciation?

The first step is to learn to pronounce all the main sounds in English correctly. This helps to form a strong foundation for good pronunciation.

How can learners practice English pronunciation effectively?

One effective way is to find pronunciation exercises for each sound in English and practice them regularly to master correct pronunciation.

What is the challenge with learning English sounds?

The challenge is that many English sounds are very similar to each other, making it hard for learners to distinguish between them, especially as adults, who don't have the same ability to easily differentiate sounds as babies do.

Why is it difficult for adults to distinguish between similar English sounds?

Adults often have difficulty distinguishing similar English sounds because their brains may perceive them as the same, especially if these sounds don't exist in their native languages.

Can practicing pronunciation of individual words always solve pronunciation problems?

No, practicing individual words may not always help because if learners can't hear the differences between similar sounds, they may continue mispronouncing them without realizing.

What method helps in overcoming pronunciation challenges with similar sounds?

The best method involves listening to words that are similar in sound right after one another. This helps the brain recognize the differences between the sounds more effectively.

How does listening to words in pairs help learners with pronunciation?

By listening to similar words together, learners become more aware of the pronunciation differences. This method helps the brain identify distinct sounds, making it easier to practice and improve pronunciation.

What are the benefits of using exercises that contrast similar sounds?

These exercises have three key benefits: they make learners aware of pronunciation differences, they often feature exaggerated pronunciations for clarity, and they reduce the likelihood of pronouncing two different words the same way.

Can you provide an example of how the contrastive method works?

An example would be an exercise that contrasts the 'AA' sound with the 'EH' sound. By comparing these sounds directly, learners can clearly hear and understand their differences.