4 steps to improve your speaking and pronunciation and in English
It is a bit complicated to learn a language and think about perfecting your pronunciation at the same time .
It even happens that at a certain point, we are super embarrassed in front of our native friend for having said a wrong word or for having missed the elocution of an expression! This is the reason why many people don’t even dare to speak in English! Yet this is the key to being able to move forward!
There are many techniques that will definitely help you improve your pronunciation in English, gain more confidence and overcome your fear!
Listen
Résultats de traduction
... And then repeat !
Listen, repeat! Listen and repeat again until you can pronounce it correctly! Everything we know, we have learned through repetition. Whether it’s talking, walking, singing, playing… the same goes for the accent we have. It is not enough to be born often in the southern sun to have the southern accent! It is by listening to the people around us and repeating their words, their intonations, that we have acquired our accent.
To have a better pronunciation in English it is necessary to put to part this very simple principle of repetition with the English language. So, after watching movies and series in English, select a few lines that you liked and repeat them out loud, being careful to take the right intonation, as if you were the main character. It is by listening and repeating that you will learn the correct pronunciation of English.
Then, master the principles of spelling ...
In English, there are many recurring spellings patterns, so you need to master them by heart if possible. The most frequently encountered models are:
Words which end with the letter “e” and which lengthen the vowel preceding the said letter. The easiest examples are “cake”, “kite” and “like”.
The letter “c” produces a fairly smooth sound when followed by the letters “e”, “i” and “y”. However, it produces a harsh sound when followed by the letters “o” or “a”.
The combination of consonants like “sh” and “ch” produces what linguists call the consonant system. In the end, the two letters produce a sound that is nothing like the other.
And finally do pronunciation exercises!
A good idea to improve your pronunciation of English is to practice exercises. You will find some on Youtube, in particular the “Benjamin Franklin Exercises”. These exercises take English words whose pronunciation can be difficult for a French speaker, and make you work on them.
There are many examples, that’s why you have to train a lot.
Bonus Tips
When you read aloud, no one understands you: Take mini-breaks and take your time. Try to control your breathing! No one is chasing you.
You don’t understand phonetics: It’s time to learn. Phonetics is still the basis for learning pronunciation in English. By mastering phonetics, you will learn the exact sound of the word from the start. This will limit the chances of making mistakes.
You don’t understand the English accent: Watch movies in English, you will get used to it over time
You don’t know the English alphabet: search Youtube for songs with the English alphabet. Learn music is always fun!