Expert English Pronunciation, Accent Reduction & Fluency
Q. Why is it difficult for native speakers to understand me when I talk with them in English? A. You are using the sound system of your first language when you speak English, which has it’s own sound system. Did you know Read More ...
If Arabic is your native language, you may be using the Arabic “sound system” when you speak English. There are some important differences between Arabic and English. There are many more vowels in English than Arabic, and the ones that aren’t Read More ...
If Japanese is your first language, you may be using a Japanese “sound system” when you speak English. Japanese has fewer vowels with very regular lengths, but English vowels can be stretched or shortened anytime, depending on the need. English Read More ...
If an Indo-Aryan language like Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Nepali, Sinhala, or Divehi, is your native language… you may be using its “sound system” when you speak English. The more you understand about the English sound system, the better you will sound Read More ...
If French is your native language, you may be using the French “sound system” when you speak English. The “mode” or starting position in French is different from English. English front vowels are longer and more tense than French vowels. Schwa exists Read More ...
If Korean is your first language, you may be using the Korean “sound system” when you speak English. But the Korean sound system does not use stress in words and sentences in the way English does. [bctt tweet=”the Korean sound Read More ...
If your first language is Russian, or a dialect of Russian, you may be using the Slavonic “sound system” when you speak English. You may not have learned much about this if you studied English as a foreign language. Some Read More ...
If Chinese is your native language, you may be using the Chinese “sound system” when you speak English. In Chinese, tone is word-specific, but in English tone is statement-based and must be adjusted for what’s new, what’s different, and what’s Read More ...
If Spanish is your native language, you may be using the Spanish “sound system” when you speak English. You may not be stretching and shrinking your English vowels to shape each word. You may be using a Spanish melody for your Read More ...
If you are difficult to understand when you speak English, you are probably using your first language sound system as you say English words. English is stress-based, and you must learn to “package” words and “package” phrases, using strategies that Read More ...
Written for ESL and EFL teachers, tutors, and accent reduction coaches, as well as advanced level English students who can read and understand the English on this website. Inside, you’ll discover how our languages differ and learn great strategies and Read More ...
Take Private Lessons. American Pronunciation Coach provides private, intensive, customized training to help you speak English more fluently and comprehensibly, and reduce your accent. We will work together to help you achieve your goals. I will diagnose your speaking habits in English and teach you Read More ...
Just as artists use charcoal or paints or clay to create an experience, teachers use research, best teaching practice and personal insights to craft the best learning experience for their students. I consider what I do to be an art Read More ...
The Æ sound in very common in English–many words have it. It’s an important sound–it’s long and strong and tense–and it helps your listeners to know what you’ve said. To sound more natural and reduce your accent in English, work Read More …
Is it possible to learn phonetics without having learned phonics first? My son has problem with pronouncing English words. I wanna teach him English pronunciation from scratch. Is teaching him phonetics useful? Answer: Yes, it is possible to learn phonetics Read More …
These two sounds, D and TH, differ in location—where they’re made, and in manner—how they’re made. /d/ is created by pressing the blade (front top part) of the tongue up firmly against the roof of your mouth, behind your upper teeth where the alveolar bumps are. Read More …
Proficient bilingual toddlers enjoy greater cognitive benefits that their monolingual peers, a new study reports. Read more here: Switching Between Languages Pays Off for Bilingual Toddlers
How much English vocabulary is still Germanic? Answer by Peggy Tharpe: Found this on the internet…so it must be true. The study, published in 1973, offered this breakdown of sources: Latin, 28.34 percent; French, 28.3 percent; Old and Middle English, Read More …
Here are the ways stressed and unstressed syllables differ in American speech. Duration: stressed syllables are longer; unstressed are shorter. This forms a contrast in duration that is fundamental to native speaking Energy: stressed syllables have more energy or power Read More …
Occasions when I incorporated home language into ESL teaching: I was teaching elementary school children and used English solely in class. My educational assistant spoke Thai, Lao, and English. I often asked her to use Lao if the Laotian kindergarten Read More …
English pronunciation is governed by patterns, not rules. I’ll start with the smallest pieces of sound and work up to larger ones. Vowels and consonants: you can find resources to hear the way they sound and learn symbols to represent Read More …
I taught English as a Second Language to children for many years…decades, in fact. Children’s brains are programmed to learn language. Begin exposing them to a second language as early as possible in childhood, during those years when language learning Read More …
Use your whole body to speak, not just your mouth. Put your reading material on a shelf at eye level so you can read it while you are standing. Pull air into your lungs, and then push it out using Read More …