It is a mistake to think that pronunciation is any less important than reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Pronunciation is the bridge between you and a native English speaker. It is the first thing that anybody notices about you, when you start to speak. It connects you. Without clear pronunciation, messages can get lost or confused. The listener might even start to feel frustrated because they don't understand what is being said! Pronunciation is not about removing your accent. It is about making your English sounds clear and distinct, so there is no confusion about what you are saying. When you learn to make the correct sounds, your English will become easier to understand. You will sound more natural and learn to speak English more quickly. It will help you listen to English better, because you will learn to identify and recognise the sounds that other people are making. Your confidence will grow, exponentially. When you can get your message across clearly (not perfectly, but clearly) and you can understand other English speakers more clearly, your confidence will grow. You will start more conversations, you will get moire practice. You will improve faster. Can I make it clear that SPEAKING PRACTICE IS NOT PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE?! Pronunciation is a completely different skill and it needs specific study and particular attention. Unfortunately, it is not often taught in classrooms because:
But… Just like you practice and study grammar, you MUST practice and study pronunciation. (You can practice with a couple of pronunciation lessons here and here). I think that learning how to “say it right” is so important that I've also made 5 practice lessons for you – all completely free. I want you to try these lessons. They are fun and you can practice with them again and again, as you improve. Write your name and email into this box below, I'll email you the first lesson, right now!
 Pronunciation of the English Language can be a bewildering jungle if you let it. If we keep our nerves steady, brains alert and sharp, we can hack the way and emerge into the sunny glade of clear, concise English pronunciation. Learning and obeying all the rules of grammar will not automatically give excellence to your speech or pronunciation. Correct pronunciation requires the proper sounding of the letters and combination of letters in a word and the correct placing of the stress or accent in words of more than one syllable. While pronouncing properly we have to know that at times not all words are pronounced, some are silent so we have to omit their sounds to give proper value to letters that are sounded. To be understood in any language, for that matter, pronunciation is important. Language becomes incomprehensible if the pronunciation of words is incorrect. False and wrong pronunciation can be a cause for laughter or embarrassment. For example, if snacks is pronounced as snakes; it sounds funny and dismissed as lack of knowledge but if English is pronounced as englees, ship as sip, school as escool and biscuit as biscoot; is unpardonable! There are many more examples of such mispronunciation. Someone could misunderstand the statement and a simple situation may blow dangerously out of proportion. The letters of the alphabet fall into 2 divisions- vowels and consonants. The vowel letters are a, e, i, o, u. A vowel letter represents a soundmade when the voice passes without obstruction through the vocal cavities. The consonants, which comprise the remaining letters represent sounds made when the voice or breath is obstructed by the teeth, lips, tongue, or soft palate. Consonants form syllables only in combination with vowels, hence the master key to correct pronunciation is the knowledge and use of the proper sound values of the vowels, separately and in combination. However, it is possible to mispronounce words in the English language and it is almost impossible to formulate a set of rules which will cover all words and all circumstances. A good dictionary is indispensable and should be consulted regularly. Since pronunciation is largely a matter of imitation, careful attention to the pronunciation of thosewho speak correctly is necessary. Repeat the correct pronunciation of words which you have been in the habit of mispronouncing until they become familiar. Many errors in pronunciation are due to speaking too fast and carelessly. The following cautions should be kept in mind. Do not drop the final g in such words as calling, going seeing. Do not drop the final t in such words as accept, expect, deft, left, kept, swept. Give proper stress to consonants in collect, asked, distinctly, picture, length, think. Be careful to distinguish between words that are spelt alike but pronounced differently according to meaning. Most importantly, avoid mispronouncing names. Everyone feels happy when we pronounce their name right. Check with people if you are unsure about the pronunciation of their name. Friends, the importance of pronunciation to English language is essential. Keep this in mind; keep listening and keep learning. You will just be fine. Start now for a better tomorrow! Speakwell English Academy is one of India’s leading institutes in India offering Spoken English and Personality Development training. To join the course at any of our centers you can Call us on 9022840033. For franchise enquiry or other trade enquiries, you may call 0091-22- 61321515 Website: www.speakwell.co.in / email us: To download the SPEAKWELL APP you can go to the play store or go to the following link https://goo.gl/GP2GXM
A common mistake made by many international students studying English as a second language is not paying adequate attention to English pronunciation. This underestimation of the importance of pronunciation is mainly because students tend to think mistakenly that pronunciation is less important compared to other aspects of the English language such as grammar, lexicology and vocabulary. Pronunciation is vital to proper communication because the incorrect use of pronunciation inevitably leads to the message being misunderstood by the recipient. Pronunciation of the letter sounds in words as well as syllable emphasis on parts of words will more often than not change the words meaning and context drastically thereby irreversibly altering the meaning of the sentence being communicated. A good example of this is the word present. If one were to say “I am present” with an emphasis on the first syllable of the word, one is referring to one’s presence at a particular place or time. On the other hand, if one were to say “I wish to present….” Then one refers to a statement or article one wishes to announce. Another important aspect is, the proper use of English pronunciation inclines to highlight and add value to an individual speaking English. Consider the following: in a situation where a student’s grammar and vocabulary is exceptionally good, he or she may be able to write good English. But, if that same student lacks a fundamental knowledge of pronunciation despite having an excellent knowledge of grammar, etc. his or her communication in English will be severely impeded. He or she will be able to write in English, but will not be able to construct a meaningful sentence when speaking and thus fails at communicating a message. At the very least, students studying English as a second language, should give all the aspects of English an equal importance. At best, however, those who wish to excel at the English language will always have to give the knowledge of pronunciation a higher priority. They should also endeavour to learn this aspect of the English language more thoroughly if they wish to be recognised as effective communicators. Students who prefer self-learning should visit sites such as tv-english.club, which offers a myriad of programs to help students learn proper pronunciation. Programs such as “Art of Conversation” and “Speak Up” are excellent resources for those looking to improve their English pronunciation. |
Why is correct pronunciation important?
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