Are you
interested in improving your pronunciation?
For
Spanish people in general, improving their pronunciation is a common goal.
There are particular difficulties between the two languages; English speakers
equally have as many difficulties with Spanish pronunciation and accent as
Spanish speakers do with English. However, due to the phonetic way of reading
and pronouncing Spanish words, Spanish tends to be easier than English with its
groups of strangely pronounced sounds – take the horrible combination of ‘ough’
which is pronounced umpteen different ways depending on the word!
For Spanish
speakers in Spain there is a strong sense of importance
and emphasis on the correct pronunciation and accent in Spanish, which is
carried over into their desire to speak English equally correctly. For English
speakers, however, this is less important; knowing and accepting that there are
many correct accents and ways of pronouncing words; I was told recently that in
London alone there are five distinct accents, let alone in the rest of the UK, the
United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and even India where
English is the national language. All are accept as correct.
Many
non-native speakers, not just Spanish speakers, look for accent
modification/accent reduction training as a way to learn strategies that
will help them to improve their pronunciation. The ideal way, obviously, would
be with a specialised trainer but there are also many self-help training
programs available. Nevertheless, unfortunately this does not provide you with feedback on how they are doing is an
essential way of learning what your mistakes are and what to do to improve them
so doing this alone is really not the best way to go about improving. There
are many software programs out there, but you have to be careful that they have the ability to
identify subtle stress and intonation patterns which are essential
features to address in accent modification. I have had my own personal
problems with software programs. Taking a course on teaching English via an online program,
we were expected to understand the program both from the teachers’ side and as
well as the students’ so as to understand any potential problems they might be
facing whilst using the program. This entailed doing the pronunciation exercises
online; I failed all of them and I have to say that my British accent is pretty
good! It’s not just English language programs. While I was trying to learn French
recently, the software stated that I was incapable of pronouncing anything
correctly which was very disheartened. When my French teacher also had an
equally bad score, I realised that it was not necessarily my bad accent but
rather the software program. Though, that does not excuse my French accent, it
still is pretty bad!
Here
are some ways to either get started, supplement the training you might
currently be taking, or brush up on your skills:
1. Find a speech role model
Find someone who speaks in a way you like, that you can identify with and is pleasant to your ear. It does not matter who this is, it could be a radio or TV personality, a family member, friend or colleague. Do you like the tone, rate of speech, resonant quality or way of phrasing? Try to imitate those features you consider to be desirable in your own communication.
2. Get a professional’s opinion
It is difficult to change aspects of your speech if you don’t know what problems are affecting the effectiveness of your communication. It could be a good idea to find a specialist who can help you identify areas that may need improvement, if you really consider that you have problems.
3. Video or audio-record yourself
Despite the fact that many people are intimidated by this, it is actually very helpful to hear and see how you may present yourself to others. It really does not matter how low or high-tech it is. Consider how you look - fidgeting, playing with your hair (my particular tendency), wringing your hands, moving about nervously), how you sound (monotone, too fast, nasal, too quiet), and how you speak (using professional language or too much slang, rambling, long-winded or concise)?
4. Ask for feedback from those you trust
If you feel as though your communication may be holding you back at work, ask your manager, colleagues, and others for honest feedback. People who interact with you frequently and in a variety of settings such as on the phone, in meetings, during formal presentations, and so on are best.
5. Project your voice
Take deep abdominal breaths and speak as you exhale; do not waste any air. Keep your mouth open and relaxed. Look in the direction you want your voice to go and imagine your breath stream floating along the air towards your target (this would be a person or an object far away from you). Take replenishing breaths as needed so the end of your sentence sounds as loud and strong as the beginning. It is best to stand up when speaking.
6. Pronounce your sounds clearly
It is always a good idea to make sure that your word sounds are accurate and clear, especially at the ends of words. Always finish the words properly so that you say “thinking” instead of “thinkin',” and “biggest,” not “bigges-.” One of my personal annoyances is when people learn contracted expressions such as ‘gonna’, ‘wanna’ or ‘dunna’ when they are young at school as a way of learning authentic speech. I personally feel that authentic speech will come naturally when people are familiar and comfortable about speaking in another language, but it is essential for clear, easily understood speech if you know what the correct ‘un’contracted version is so that you can use it correctly in appropriate situations.
7. Speak at a slightly slower rate
When people are nervous, they tend to speak too fast. Some people think that speaking fast is a sign that they can speak the language well. However, slightly reducing your speaking rate by stretching out the vowels and pausing where a comma or full-stop would occur infinitely increases your ability to communicate clearly an well. Chunk information into manageable groupings, and then take a breath before continuing. Try to speak at the same rate as the person with whom you are speaking (assuming they are not racing themselves!) This is a way of inducing rapport, empathy and a sense of connection which enables people to listen and understand better.
8. Use appropriate intonation
Try to speak with a natural, varied inflection pattern. Stress the last important word in a thought group. This will make it stand out and be remembered.
Stress the word by slightly raising your pitch, speaking slightly louder, and lengthening your vowels.
If you just use a louder voice, you may sound angry.
Smile to infuse a little more energy and/or personality in your voice.
9. Practice idiosyncratic stress rules when reading
Everywhere you look, you will see proper nouns (business cards); compound nouns (grocery store circulars); numbers (appointment books), and other written references to pronunciation rules. Use every opportunity to read aloud practicing your newly learned techniques for proper stress and intonation.
10. Practice whenever, wherever, and with whomever you can
Use every speaking situation as an opportunity to practice your best speech techniques. Practise makes perfect! Listen and observe the reactions/responses to your speech from all you encounter.
1. Find a speech role model
Find someone who speaks in a way you like, that you can identify with and is pleasant to your ear. It does not matter who this is, it could be a radio or TV personality, a family member, friend or colleague. Do you like the tone, rate of speech, resonant quality or way of phrasing? Try to imitate those features you consider to be desirable in your own communication.
2. Get a professional’s opinion
It is difficult to change aspects of your speech if you don’t know what problems are affecting the effectiveness of your communication. It could be a good idea to find a specialist who can help you identify areas that may need improvement, if you really consider that you have problems.
3. Video or audio-record yourself
Despite the fact that many people are intimidated by this, it is actually very helpful to hear and see how you may present yourself to others. It really does not matter how low or high-tech it is. Consider how you look - fidgeting, playing with your hair (my particular tendency), wringing your hands, moving about nervously), how you sound (monotone, too fast, nasal, too quiet), and how you speak (using professional language or too much slang, rambling, long-winded or concise)?
4. Ask for feedback from those you trust
If you feel as though your communication may be holding you back at work, ask your manager, colleagues, and others for honest feedback. People who interact with you frequently and in a variety of settings such as on the phone, in meetings, during formal presentations, and so on are best.
5. Project your voice
Take deep abdominal breaths and speak as you exhale; do not waste any air. Keep your mouth open and relaxed. Look in the direction you want your voice to go and imagine your breath stream floating along the air towards your target (this would be a person or an object far away from you). Take replenishing breaths as needed so the end of your sentence sounds as loud and strong as the beginning. It is best to stand up when speaking.
6. Pronounce your sounds clearly
It is always a good idea to make sure that your word sounds are accurate and clear, especially at the ends of words. Always finish the words properly so that you say “thinking” instead of “thinkin',” and “biggest,” not “bigges-.” One of my personal annoyances is when people learn contracted expressions such as ‘gonna’, ‘wanna’ or ‘dunna’ when they are young at school as a way of learning authentic speech. I personally feel that authentic speech will come naturally when people are familiar and comfortable about speaking in another language, but it is essential for clear, easily understood speech if you know what the correct ‘un’contracted version is so that you can use it correctly in appropriate situations.
7. Speak at a slightly slower rate
When people are nervous, they tend to speak too fast. Some people think that speaking fast is a sign that they can speak the language well. However, slightly reducing your speaking rate by stretching out the vowels and pausing where a comma or full-stop would occur infinitely increases your ability to communicate clearly an well. Chunk information into manageable groupings, and then take a breath before continuing. Try to speak at the same rate as the person with whom you are speaking (assuming they are not racing themselves!) This is a way of inducing rapport, empathy and a sense of connection which enables people to listen and understand better.
8. Use appropriate intonation
Try to speak with a natural, varied inflection pattern. Stress the last important word in a thought group. This will make it stand out and be remembered.
Stress the word by slightly raising your pitch, speaking slightly louder, and lengthening your vowels.
If you just use a louder voice, you may sound angry.
Smile to infuse a little more energy and/or personality in your voice.
9. Practice idiosyncratic stress rules when reading
Everywhere you look, you will see proper nouns (business cards); compound nouns (grocery store circulars); numbers (appointment books), and other written references to pronunciation rules. Use every opportunity to read aloud practicing your newly learned techniques for proper stress and intonation.
10. Practice whenever, wherever, and with whomever you can
Use every speaking situation as an opportunity to practice your best speech techniques. Practise makes perfect! Listen and observe the reactions/responses to your speech from all you encounter.
And
most importantly, enjoy it in the best way you can and do not worry about how
long it takes, all effort is good effort and it will eventually come.
At One Stop Language we can help you with improving your pronunciation as well as developing effective communication techniques.www.onestop-language.comwww.onestop-language.com
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