Ideas and tips to help you improve your pronunciation outside of classSpeech is probably the most difficult part in the English language to improve the outside of the class. After all, how can you tell if you're pronouncing something wrong? Well, you can actually in many cases, and the first few ideas below will show you how. The ideas down as soon show you other ways useful to work on pronunciation, all without the need for teachers.
Register yourself
Just as many people are shocked when they hear the voice of the recording for the first time ("Oh my God! Do I really like that sound ??"), will be surprised the number of mistakes in your speech you can choose up all through the recording of your voice and play again. You can make this more effective than by playing again and record your registration form at the same time or one after the other. Is most easily done on a computer, or in a language laboratory with the two parts of the old-fashioned recorded on opposite sides of the cassette. There will be a lot of points you miss the speech, for example, vowel sounds that do not even hear the difference between, but you should be able to get the rhythm of your on and off almost perfect only by doing so.
You can also listen to a recording of yourself while listening to just one voice that you want to work in, for example, make sure that the voices of the private does not seem to seconds, or you do not miss the sounds h.
At present, there are also programs the computer and one or two sites that show you the wave form and analysis of your voice and compare the form of a sound wave that you copy. Most of the programs and then give you the result, for example 76 points for being 76% similar to a registration form. It is amazing that way seems to see that up on the computer screen, but still there are all kinds of technical and practical problems of this system. One issue is that given equal weighting of things is important, such as perfectly matched the tone of the language and the important things, such as emphasizing the right words. The other thing is that there are many other ways, in fact quite true to say a word or phrase, but you have to copy a version (perhaps idiosyncratic) that the computer is producing. If you are copying someone with a different age or gender, you may not want to copy 100%! However, access to evidence or visible result is very stimulating, and I spent longer on CD by the Japanese have done it any other language learning games and other materials that you use at the time. Also made me listen to my production closely.
You could also try videoing yourself and examine your mouth against the form of the language of origin or shape of the mouth form.
Working with text
Before listening to the recording, and stressed trying to tag the words and forms weak (such as "Tir" sound for the word "to"), and sounds associated with (for example, "saton" for "sat on"), and / or sound one particular (for example each of the examples of schwa) text, and then listen and check. Then read from the tapescript, with a focus on getting the points that you are working on the right.
There is significant activity with the text and read and record the shade. I try to talk on the record, using the same rhythm and the speaker and until the end of each sentence in the same exact time.When they seem to have the hang of this try again, but this time turning the volume down in the middle of recording. When you turn the volume back up again, you must have still speaks exactly in time with the recording.
Learn the phonemic script
If you want to be able to use the dictionary properly, you will need to learn to use dictionaries symbols to show pronunciation. For example, / d / y in the dictionary meaning of the yachts, and not j of jam. The dictionaries will always be a list of these codes at the front, and you can capture this and test it yourself until you know them all. As is the case in this article, and usually phonemic symbols are placed between slashes, eg / a: / for the vowel in the hard disk.
Learn the rules of spelling and pronunciation
Although it may seem that English spelling is completely random and it is impossible to know the pronunciation of one word is the first time you see, this is not quite true. In fact, with few pronunciation rules you can usually make a good guess. For example, there is a provision Magic E, which explains the difference between mice and average, can be explained by the different words of the chapter in the cheese, the chef and the choir from the roots of words are in different languages.
Contract the throat or ears
Can be most votes in the English population (b, c, d, etc.) in pairs with the last sound that have the same shape of the mouth and tongue, but the situation is a copy expressed or silent. In other words, most of the sounds that come in pairs and one uses the vocal cords, and the other not. For example, if you say / p / to Pat and to / / the while holding the bat your fingers on the side of the throat around the Adam's apple, and should not be able to feel anything during / p /, but should not shake when you say / b /. Must be true for the same / k / a kangaroo and / g / for the goats, and most of the consonants other in English (exceptions include r, l, m, n w and / j /) you can do the same thing by holding your hands cupped to your ears and listen resonance to the voice booming.
Using a video camera or mirror
Another thing you can do with the sounds of a silent and expressed, such as t and d is to look in the mirror and make sure your mouth does not change the shape. If the consonant sounds, which you practice is not the husband expressed / silent, however, must achieve at least to change the form of your mouth when you say it. For example, it should be sheep u mouth more than an approximation of the nights of sleep. The same applies to the voices of illness, as they say do not vote the illness two with the positions of the mouth itself. This is true even with the voices of reason that has attached sometimes. For example, the ee of the sheep is not just a long version of i of the ship, as it should be the mouth and pulled on a much larger scale in the past - and this is why we say "cheese" and not "chips" when you take a picture!
With diphthongs such as / n / f / EI /, you must make sure your mouth is moving while you correct pronunciation. This is because diphthongs are basically a combination of two votes short illness.This is also the best way to distinguish similar sounds of diphthongs long illness. For example, you must move your mouth while you say hope of survival, but while still tell you for a long time "or" sound more than that.
You can practice the form of the mouth in more detail with the book or website which shows the mouth shapes for each sound, or you can watch the video closely and try to copy the actor.
If you have problems in pronunciation in English h (common to speakers of French and Spanish, for example), you can practice this with a mirror in another way. Put the mirror at a distance very close to your mouth. H with the word, it should be steamed up to the mirror as if you are going to polish it - but not covered in spit!
Use your hands
One well-known trick using your hands is to put the right index finger in front of your mouth as if you would ask someone to shut up with "Shhhh!" After you have said one word with the sound of two thousand, you should be able to feel wetness on your finger where your tongue has touched it.
The trick with the other hand look even sillier if you try it in public! If you experience problems in the development of the tongue in the right position, for example, and when he says, for r, and put your hand on your mouth the next as if the tongue, and move in time with your tongue and you make it sound. For example, with the PO should keep your hand still and try to get your tongue to burn your hand. With the voice of your hand should bend right back and then face down, with your tongue do the same.
Register yourself
Just as many people are shocked when they hear the voice of the recording for the first time ("Oh my God! Do I really like that sound ??"), will be surprised the number of mistakes in your speech you can choose up all through the recording of your voice and play again. You can make this more effective than by playing again and record your registration form at the same time or one after the other. Is most easily done on a computer, or in a language laboratory with the two parts of the old-fashioned recorded on opposite sides of the cassette. There will be a lot of points you miss the speech, for example, vowel sounds that do not even hear the difference between, but you should be able to get the rhythm of your on and off almost perfect only by doing so.
You can also listen to a recording of yourself while listening to just one voice that you want to work in, for example, make sure that the voices of the private does not seem to seconds, or you do not miss the sounds h.
At present, there are also programs the computer and one or two sites that show you the wave form and analysis of your voice and compare the form of a sound wave that you copy. Most of the programs and then give you the result, for example 76 points for being 76% similar to a registration form. It is amazing that way seems to see that up on the computer screen, but still there are all kinds of technical and practical problems of this system. One issue is that given equal weighting of things is important, such as perfectly matched the tone of the language and the important things, such as emphasizing the right words. The other thing is that there are many other ways, in fact quite true to say a word or phrase, but you have to copy a version (perhaps idiosyncratic) that the computer is producing. If you are copying someone with a different age or gender, you may not want to copy 100%! However, access to evidence or visible result is very stimulating, and I spent longer on CD by the Japanese have done it any other language learning games and other materials that you use at the time. Also made me listen to my production closely.
You could also try videoing yourself and examine your mouth against the form of the language of origin or shape of the mouth form.
Working with text
Before listening to the recording, and stressed trying to tag the words and forms weak (such as "Tir" sound for the word "to"), and sounds associated with (for example, "saton" for "sat on"), and / or sound one particular (for example each of the examples of schwa) text, and then listen and check. Then read from the tapescript, with a focus on getting the points that you are working on the right.
There is significant activity with the text and read and record the shade. I try to talk on the record, using the same rhythm and the speaker and until the end of each sentence in the same exact time.When they seem to have the hang of this try again, but this time turning the volume down in the middle of recording. When you turn the volume back up again, you must have still speaks exactly in time with the recording.
Learn the phonemic script
If you want to be able to use the dictionary properly, you will need to learn to use dictionaries symbols to show pronunciation. For example, / d / y in the dictionary meaning of the yachts, and not j of jam. The dictionaries will always be a list of these codes at the front, and you can capture this and test it yourself until you know them all. As is the case in this article, and usually phonemic symbols are placed between slashes, eg / a: / for the vowel in the hard disk.
Learn the rules of spelling and pronunciation
Although it may seem that English spelling is completely random and it is impossible to know the pronunciation of one word is the first time you see, this is not quite true. In fact, with few pronunciation rules you can usually make a good guess. For example, there is a provision Magic E, which explains the difference between mice and average, can be explained by the different words of the chapter in the cheese, the chef and the choir from the roots of words are in different languages.
Contract the throat or ears
Can be most votes in the English population (b, c, d, etc.) in pairs with the last sound that have the same shape of the mouth and tongue, but the situation is a copy expressed or silent. In other words, most of the sounds that come in pairs and one uses the vocal cords, and the other not. For example, if you say / p / to Pat and to / / the while holding the bat your fingers on the side of the throat around the Adam's apple, and should not be able to feel anything during / p /, but should not shake when you say / b /. Must be true for the same / k / a kangaroo and / g / for the goats, and most of the consonants other in English (exceptions include r, l, m, n w and / j /) you can do the same thing by holding your hands cupped to your ears and listen resonance to the voice booming.
Using a video camera or mirror
Another thing you can do with the sounds of a silent and expressed, such as t and d is to look in the mirror and make sure your mouth does not change the shape. If the consonant sounds, which you practice is not the husband expressed / silent, however, must achieve at least to change the form of your mouth when you say it. For example, it should be sheep u mouth more than an approximation of the nights of sleep. The same applies to the voices of illness, as they say do not vote the illness two with the positions of the mouth itself. This is true even with the voices of reason that has attached sometimes. For example, the ee of the sheep is not just a long version of i of the ship, as it should be the mouth and pulled on a much larger scale in the past - and this is why we say "cheese" and not "chips" when you take a picture!
With diphthongs such as / n / f / EI /, you must make sure your mouth is moving while you correct pronunciation. This is because diphthongs are basically a combination of two votes short illness.This is also the best way to distinguish similar sounds of diphthongs long illness. For example, you must move your mouth while you say hope of survival, but while still tell you for a long time "or" sound more than that.
You can practice the form of the mouth in more detail with the book or website which shows the mouth shapes for each sound, or you can watch the video closely and try to copy the actor.
If you have problems in pronunciation in English h (common to speakers of French and Spanish, for example), you can practice this with a mirror in another way. Put the mirror at a distance very close to your mouth. H with the word, it should be steamed up to the mirror as if you are going to polish it - but not covered in spit!
Use your hands
One well-known trick using your hands is to put the right index finger in front of your mouth as if you would ask someone to shut up with "Shhhh!" After you have said one word with the sound of two thousand, you should be able to feel wetness on your finger where your tongue has touched it.
The trick with the other hand look even sillier if you try it in public! If you experience problems in the development of the tongue in the right position, for example, and when he says, for r, and put your hand on your mouth the next as if the tongue, and move in time with your tongue and you make it sound. For example, with the PO should keep your hand still and try to get your tongue to burn your hand. With the voice of your hand should bend right back and then face down, with your tongue do the same.