Speak better – easy ways to improve your English pronunciation

Language pronunciation is an acquired skill, which is naturally ascertained through exposure to a given linguistic dialect or tone, usually from an early age. It is for this reason, of course, that many parents have chosen to enrol their children in programmes, such as the ones we have available at Cambridge School of English, or supplement their child’s learning and further their own understanding by taking part in the TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language program. In lieu of being born in an English speaking country, or being taught the language from a young age, most mature language learners are left with a slew of problems in trying to develop a natural sounding accent. There are a variety of methods which can be used by both young learners and mature students alike, and are outlined below.

Language exposure

Language exposure is a sure fire way to get your brain up to speed with the language you are trying to learn. There are both free ways to do this and multiple professional options through Cambridge School of English, with the latter being most speedy and effective.

The free option, and something our language teachers will even recommend with regard to language exposure, is rather simple, and includes things such as watching films in English, listening to music in English, in which you know the words, or even taking time out of your daily routine to listen to, and or watching the news in English.

The professional option is where we at Cambridge School of English come in, with our comprehensive list of courses, tailored specifically to fit our students demands.

For our youngest learners we have a variety of conversational and usage learning programs, which will allow a natural flow of absorption in a fun and interactive way. As for our more mature students, we try to focus our efforts, with a crash course system which seeks to identify all the key areas in which common errors are made, and seek to amend those (more details later), and generally follow a method of correction, where mispronounced words and words which could be pronounced better are actively corrected.

Pronunciation coaching

At Cambridge, we have a diverse range of staff members who have many years of combined experience in teaching Pronunciation. This method is the fastest and most effective way of focusing a direct effort to make direct changes to one’s pronunciation, and is usually done as part of a larger course or program.

The methods used to teach young people and children usually differ considerably from those applied to adult classes. This, for the most part, is due to the considerable difference in how young people learn in comparison to adults.

The main format of a Pronunciation coaching lesson involves an initial breakdown of the main problem areas, and a rebuilding and restructuring of the correct pronunciation, which is given by one of our experienced staff members.

There are additionally many games and activities which can be used to expand and develop this skill once the main parameters and core issues have been addressed.

Examples of those lessons are listed below.

1. Reading aloud

This method is probably the most effective for gaining an initial understanding of how words should be pronounced and giving the user the ability to practice their speech and have a competent English teacher correct them, as intensely as they can achieve until they can acquire their desired level.

2. Record and listen

An activity often set by teachers, especially for students who may feel more shy practicing as part of a group, is to simply take a text at home, preferably with accompanying audio in their desired accent, and to simply record themselves and try again and again with repetition until they can improve the sound to be comparable, all whilst in the comfort and safety of home. This can then be touched up in class.

3. Music and singing

A good way to expand one’s pronunciation is to sing out loud and attempt to mimic the voices of those singers and their accents. This is a fun and less stressful way to improve one’s pronunciation also.

At Cambridge School of English, we take great pride in our reputation and track record, in not just pronunciation teaching, but in all areas of English Teaching.

What has been outlined here is only a small fraction of the numerous options available and which can be specifically tailored to meet the dynamic and individual needs of learners.

If you would like to find out more about what we have to offer regarding our TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language courses or any other questions about our study programs, don’t hesitate to contact us.