Centre Easy TEFL

PronunciationAccording to the dictionary definition, pronunciation is defined as ?the act of enunciating or articulating sounds, words and sentences; to utter or articulate in the accepted and correct manner.? It is indeed one of the most important concepts to teach an ESL student. The importance of proper pronunciation and accept elimination for a non native speaker will not only impact their ability to truly communicate in the English language, assure the proper comprehension of language with native speakers, but it will also ensure that the motivation for continuous learning remains present and active. The mastering of pronunciation and the elimination of an accent is progressively ameliorated by the constant practice of certain exercises. Such exercises are often neglected but can determine the success of the entire ESL immersion and are even more important than other more academic subjects, in my opinion. Proper pronunciation and accent elimination ensure the speaker a better first interaction either in social or professional scenes. It becomes extremely valuable in the professional scene when an individual is able to speak in a phonetically proper manner that everyone is able to fully understand. This sometimes, is the best introduction and first impression a person can give. It gives a certain stature and in some way lets the counterparts know the proficiency of the individual without even going into the structural details of the language. Some articles suggest culture and anxiety are some of the reasons students have a hard time with the English sounds It is not only a matter of ?sounding pretty? but also to be able to transmit the proper ideas to other while speaking; to have others comprehend what you are trying to communicate. In a world where time is money, the efficiency in communication will make everyone happy. In business and personal life, it is often as non-native speakers, that we hear ?Excuse me? Or What??. This prevents fluidity and results in frustration for both parties. Proper pronunciation is a great part of proper accent in general. Although for most people completely eliminating an accept is close to impossible, it is greatly ameliorated by practice and guided exercises. These exercises include listening of native speakers and repeating to assimilate the correct pronunciation: the listening to of dialogues, TV programs, conversations and role-play. Dictation exercises where a teacher dictates with enunciating pronunciation and the student writes and repeats at the same time. Reading out loud can also be a great tool to learn proper enunciating and accents. From personal experience, I can honestly say this time of study sessions where vital in the learning of other languages for me. While I read out loud, the instructor corrected me and asked me to repeat any words she found where not properly pronounced. At the end, I would repeat the article with enough knowledge to hit all the proper sounds needed for proper comprehension. Sometimes, an analysis of the exact sounds a student is mispronouncing is needed. Hard to pronounce sounds such L, R or S or silent letters might pose issues to ESL learners. This will also depend on the student?s native language and the differences and similarities with the English sounds and alphabet. We must also, include in this topic the invaluable help the teaching of the phonetic alphabet can bring. By doing this, we are not only able to truly teach the sound and their origin but also the parallel between the students? own language and the sounds needed. This alphabet will build a link between deeply imbedded information and the new language, English, that we wish to master. As a dual language native speaker (English and Spanish), I can honestly say that pronunciation and proper accent have open many doors in my life. I have been complemented and have surprised many people when speaking English and this in turn has not only motivated me in the learning of other languages but has social and professional proven to be very useful. I would like, as an esl teacher, to be able to give this opportunity to my future students and hope this often neglected area of ESL teaching become more prevalent with time. References: www.learnenglish.de http://www.buzzle.com/articles/teaching-english-pronunciation-using-role-playing-and-other-games.html