Improve Your English Pronunciation And Build More Trust With Your Colleagues!

Have you ever had a conversation with a native English speaker…

…and instead of their pronunciation being clear and easy to understand, it actually confused you, or sounded kind of…weird?

Or maybe you’ve had?that look?from someone that says,?“I’m trying my hardest to understand you, but…”??

Remember, we shouldn’t feel embarrassed or frustrated about this. Everyone who has ever learnt a second language, knows what this feels like.

The truth is that almost every English speaker has a different accent, or intonation, which makes pronunciation one of the hardest things for an English learner to master.

Throughout the last year, I’ve worked with many Software Engineers who had problems with their pronunciation and clarity when speaking English. These problems are NOT just English problems. They are caused by a lack of skills that can affect your chances of being promoted, building trust with your colleagues, or working in English speaking countries.

Now, the good news is that pronunciation is a skill and like any skill it can be developed and advanced through regular practice.

Therefore, the real question you should be asking is “What can I do to improve my communication effectiveness, so I can be understood more clearly"?

The tricky thing about pronunciation is that it's not just a question of acquiring knowledge, it’s a physical skill that you need to practice regularly. You’re teaching your mouth a new way to move and use different muscles. For instance, when we make the 'R' sound in English, we need to round our lips and push them away from our teeth. We also raise the front of our tongue towards the roof of the mouth, just behind the teeth. Try the following words and notice this for yourself, 'Return', 'Respect, 'Require' and 'Register.'

To make things more confusing, English is NOT a phonetic language and the spelling of an English word doesn’t always tell us how to pronounce it. Several different letter combinations can be used to spell the same sound and there are silent letters. So instead of trying to learn specific rules, it’s often much more effective to listen, practice and memorise the different English sounds. ?

With this in mind, one of the best things you can do is to listen to native speakers as MUCH as possible, as OFTEN as you can. Spending just 20-30 minutes each day listening to English language content will really help to improve your pronunciation. You can use podcasts, Ted Talks, movies and TV series. But do this every day, as small but consistent action is the BEST way to see results. If you want to be understood by natives, you've got to LISTEN to, LEARN from and SPEAK to natives. Much like when you learn a new programming language, you've got to actually sit down and practice to become good at it.

Improve Your English Pronunciation????'How to Pronounce ED Endings' so you SOUND like a Native!

The Good News!?This is one of those small differences that?makes a BIG difference to your fluency, which is why it’s one of my favourite things to teach my clients.

And as a native and an English Communication Coach, I can tell you that it's REALLY refreshing to hear 'ED' endings pronounced correctly and?it's SO easy to fix too!

This is EXACTLY my goal with this video! ?

Warning!?These tips can also?improve your understanding of Native speakers!?Find out how in this video! ??

Furthermore, people who speak more slowly give the impression of being more confident and trustworthy. So try to slow down when you speak, so you can demonstrate your confidence in the situation. This is particularly useful in a meeting or presentation, as it allows our message to be communicated with more confidence and conviction.

Remember, accurate pronunciation is an important part of learning English. The way your speech sounds can have a huge impact on whether or not people understand what you are saying, their initial impression of you and how much trust you can build with your audience.

When you improve your pronunciation, you improve your English clarity and fluency and will perform much better in important business situations like meetings, presentations and job interviews.