improve my pronunciation

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taquitto - 19 Jan 2004 22:32 GMT

hiya, which book do you suggest me to improve my pronunciation by myself?

cheers

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John Ings - 19 Jan 2004 23:11 GMT

>hiya, which book do you suggest me to improve my pronunciation by myself?

A software dictionary that includes .wav files that pronounce the word
for you over your computer's sound system. Even then, working by
yourself is not always enough. Those speaking a language foreign to
them often just don't hear certain subtleties. It takes an elocution
teacher (as opposed to a language teacher) to note erroneous
pronunciations and call them to the student's attention. In some ways
it's more like learning to sing than learning to speak.

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Mxsmanic - 20 Jan 2004 03:49 GMT

> hiya, which book do you suggest me to improve my pronunciation
> by myself?

Books on corrective phonetics are tremendously useful, although
unfortunately I don't have any specific titles in mind. You generally
need to study this to suppress an accent, although you can learn to
pronounce acceptably without it.

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STL - 22 Jan 2004 18:26 GMT

I believe imitation is a great start. Some people imitate the accents
and voices of others by listening carefully and then "pretending" they
are that individual they are imitating. I am one of those, and I can
imitate most language styles after listening to them for only a short
period of time. Silly as it sounds, you may want to tackle your goals
from this approach.

HTH

:-)

> > hiya, which book do you suggest me to improve my pronunciation
> > by myself?
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> need to study this to suppress an accent, although you can learn to
> pronounce acceptably without it.

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John Ings - 22 Jan 2004 21:08 GMT

>I believe imitation is a great start. Some people imitate the accents
>and voices of others by listening carefully and then "pretending" they
>are that individual they are imitating. I am one of those, and I can
>imitate most language styles after listening to them for only a short
>period of time. Silly as it sounds, you may want to tackle your goals
>from this approach.

For instance, can you imitate an English speaking person who speaks
your native language badly? If you can, try speaking English in the
same way, because all the English habits that make him speak your
language with an accent are just the habits you need to speak English
better.

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Django Cat - 22 Jan 2004 22:21 GMT

>> I believe imitation is a great start. Some people imitate the accents
>> and voices of others by listening carefully and then "pretending" they
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> language with an accent are just the habits you need to speak English
> better.

That definatly makes sense - conversely, when I was learning French someone
suggested I tried to do an accent based on Peter Seller's Inspector Clousou
- I thought it was a really stupid idea, but it does actually seem to have
worked...

DCC

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Bill Bonde ( the oblique allusion in lieu of the frontal attack ) - 23 Jan 2004 06:28 GMT

> >> I believe imitation is a great start. Some people imitate the accents
> >> and voices of others by listening carefully and then "pretending" they
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> - I thought it was a really stupid idea, but it does actually seem to have
> worked...

Doing an accent of a target language speaker speaking in your native
language is a very good idea. I'm surprised that language instruction
doesn't seem to usually take this course, at least not formally. I think
the students should come into class ready to speak, or try to speak,
that way. One reason this can help, I think, is that the learner is
perfectly comfortable in his native language and can branch out into
accent without being hindered by grammar or vocabulary.

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Michel - 26 Jan 2004 00:39 GMT

Why don't you, simply, try to repeat a text after someone else.You can do it
on the web if you like. Why don't you go, for example, at Webster's site and
connect you to "word for the wise". It is absolutely great! The speaker has
got an angel voice.
M.R.
-----------30-

> hiya, which book do you suggest me to improve my pronunciation by myself?
>
> cheers

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Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / January 2004

improve my pronunciation