Problem Pronunciation

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Pronunciation Problems in Ukraine It is not a secret that pronouncing English sounds easily and correctly is a big challenge for non-native speakers. Of course, the complexity of English pronunciation consists not only of particular sounds but also of several other aspects such as intonation, stress, rhythm, and timing. I would like to analyze one of the biggest and most obvious pronunciation problems for Ukrainian speakers of English which, in my opinion, is sound differences and the way of pronouncing sounds. Table of Contents Sound System Articulation Aspiration Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Hanna H. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Vietnamese Pronunciation Problems in English Speaking like a native speaker is always expected from learners. However, they encounter many factors that prevent their success. Therefore, as an English teacher, I want to explore some common difficulties that Vietnamese students face when they learn to pronounce English so that I can teach effectively and help them communicate more confidently. Table of Contents Problem with vowels Problems with consonants Word stress, sentence stress Intonation and word connection Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Thuong L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

Wed, 29 May 2019 Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences The Problem of Pronunciation for Russians Learning English As a native Russian speaker I was worried about pronunciation from the very beginning of my English studies in primary school. It so happened that in my family my grandmother was an English teacher in high school who had worked in this position for more than 50 years. Naturally, I began my acquaintance with English much earlier than most of my peers. And the first step in the work of my grandmother in teaching me a foreign language was the formulation of pronunciation, something that most Russians have problems with. Table of Contents The Main Issues That Cause Problems for Russian Students The Problem With Vowels Looking on the Bright Side If I Can Do It, So Can Any Russian...  [Read more]

Wed, 08 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Pronunciation Problems of Students in the Philippines English has its place as the most frequently required subject of mostly Philippines' school and universities. This is because of the belief of most Filipinos that the mastery of the English language is the most important demands globally. We grew up believing that learning a second language is not an easy task, although other nationalities find that it is easy for us to imitate and practice the language. However, that is not the case. The problems of teaching and learning a foreign language, specifically English, have suggested some studies of the errors made by most Filipino students. In spite of the knowledge of English of the Filipino, there are times that most students...  [Read more]

Sun, 12 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English Pronunciation Problems of Italian Native Speakers Teaching English pronunciation to students of other languages is always a big deal. English teachers from other countries may think that it is a topic to be skipped or only briefly introduced to students, but it is one of the most important subjects and it should be an integral part of an English course. As a matter of fact, the full understanding of a language and good communication actually depend, to a certain extent, on how correctly words are pronounced. Also, it is not only a matter of pronunciation but intonation. Every language has its own intonation and stress on words, so an English learner could find it difficult to get used to a new way of pronouncing words in...  [Read more]

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences 3 Common Pronunciation Problems for Students in Peru Difficulty with pronunciation is likely something that every EFL teacher will face at one point or another in their career. Every language in the world has different ways of pronouncing different words/ letters. In addition to this, most speakers of other languages have heavy accents that can make pronouncing English words very difficult. This can be a challenge when teaching English as a foreign language. It can be especially challenging because not all learners around the world will face the same problems. Students in Vietnam will likely have different pronunciation problems than students in Kenya and students in Brazil will likely have different pronunciation problems than students...  [Read more]

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Three Typical Pronunciation Problems for Japanese ESL Students According to a study by scholars and experts in the field of linguistics, more specifically in the article of Riney & Anderson-Hsieh from International Christian University, the native language (L1) is a good predictor of pronunciation accuracy in English as researched by Suter in 1976. In the same article, it was mentioned that a subsequent study by Purcell and Suter in 1980, found that non-native speakers who are most likely to pronounce English (L2) poorly, fit the profile in Japanese ESL students. Table of Contents 1. /L/ and /R/ sound 2. /ng/ sound 3. /th/ Fricatives Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was...  [Read more]

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences 4 of the Most Common Pronunciation Problems in Egypt A learner's mother tongue has a profound influence on verbalization of the second language. The absence of some sounds in the learner's first language, and the difference in intonation, word, and syllable stress between the learner's native language and English are some of the many factors that often lead to an incorrect pronunciation of English words. In order to address these issues, a teacher needs to have a basic understanding of the student's native language. This essay will briefly explore the most common pronunciation problems for Egyptians learners of English and some suggested solutions to tackle these problems. Table of Contents Problems with the /p/ sound Confusing voiced and...  [Read more]

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The 2 Pronunciation Problems ESL Students Suffer From in Japan There are several pronunciation problems that students of English will face in Japan; however, I will focus on two. Table of Contents 1. Differences in the phonetic systems of two languages 2. Lack of exposure to authentic English resources Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brandie K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. 1. Differences in the phonetic systems of two languages The first of these problems they face is the fact that Japanese doesn't have some of the same sounds in its' alphabet as English...  [Read more]

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Pronunciation Problems for Learners Speaking Chinese as their First Language This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sheneil J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Table of Contents Problems with Consonants Problems with Vowels Problems with Rhythm and Stress Problems with intonation Minimal Pairs Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Problems with Consonants Chinese does not have either of the "th" sounds (like "that" and "this"). Most other languages do not have these sounds and they are problematic for most learners of English. The difficulty is the point of articulation- the tongue has to be between the teeth, not...  [Read more]

Thu, 07 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Most Common Pronunciation Problems for English Learners in Myanmar Assuming it has already been understood generally, I do not intend to elaborate on the reasons between Myanmar and Burma, even though it still remains unknown to many. In this essay, I will be using 'Burmese' or 'Burmese language' to refer to the language and 'Myanmar' for the country. Language acquisition can understandably present several challenges ranging from alphabets, accent, construction styles, pronunciation, etc. Depending on several factors, different language speakers will have different challenges. While one part is no less difficult than another, I reckon, in Myanmar, there is one component that most learners seem to have similar difficulty in taking...  [Read more]

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Why is Pronunciation Important in Teaching Business English? Nowadays, English is becoming popular due to advanced technology and more people receiving higher education. That Goods, capital, services, people and even knowledge travels around the world make a common and standard language necessary. English is an ideal one. However, when people do business, they still talk most. A standard or conceivable accent is the first step towards a successful deal. This passage aims at emphasizing the importance of pronunciation in teaching business English. Generally speaking, teaching pronunciation specifically is good for students learning and career development. It is also good for teachers to earn more popularity as well as the...  [Read more]

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How I Solved the Pronunciation Problem of the Voiced 'TH' with Chinese Students In my experience with teaching Chinese students, most pronounce the unvoiced 'TH' sound correctly. To account for the difference in sound between the unvoiced 'TH' and the voiced 'TH', most students seem to have developed the habit of placing their tongue either on the back of their front teeth or on the roof of the mouth immediately behind the front teeth to create a plosive 'TH' sound which sounds most closely like and' sound. Table of Contents Defining the problem Understanding physiology of the sound How to work on pronunciation online Memory games Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our...  [Read more]

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Difficulties of English Pronunciation in Vietnam Once I arrived in Vietnam to teach the English language, I realized that poor pronunciation is common in Vietnamese students as well as teachers. These mistakes are similar, as it was obvious the Vietnamese teachers passed them to the students. In this essay, I am going to deliberate on the causes of the problem and suggest a few solutions. Table of Contents Language structure How to work this out? Consonants Reading comprehension Word building Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mohammad E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT....  [Read more]

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences What is Challenging in English Pronunciation for Japanese Native Speakers? What's the most difficult part of learning a new language? Is it writing? Perhaps it's the reading or memorizing new vocabulary? Well for some it's speaking the new language, specifically when it comes to pronunciation. Every language has its unique ways or pronouncing their vowels and constants as well as how they form their sentence structure. Especially this write up will focus on Japanese English as a Second Language (ESL) students and the difficulties they face while learning English and its pronunciation. Table of Contents Japanese Writing Teaching Approach Pronunciation Differences Further Steps Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL...  [Read more]

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences The Most Common Problems Students in Russia Face When Learning English It is not a secret for anyone that native speakers of any language always easily identify "non-native" when they hear at least a few words spoken by them. Often native speakers are able to fairly accurately determine the country from which the person came, based on his pronunciation. This happens due to the fact that it is common for all of us to use the sounds of our native language in the pronunciation of words of a foreign language, as well as to use articulation models we know from childhood the position of the organs of speech (lips, tongue, etc.). Table of Contents The "Russian mistakes" Muting voiced consonants in the endings. Replacing long vowels with short...  [Read more]

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Common Pronunciation Challenges for Learners in Azerbaijan Pronunciation is an essential part of the English language. Clear and cohesive speech can create meaningful conversations, meanwhile incorrect pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings. Every, non-native English-speaking country has pronunciation problems. One of the countries which come across with pronunciation errors is my homeland Azerbaijan. It is a lovely country, with nice traditions and people. Table of Contents Multilingual Country Historical Reasons Modern Situation Digital Age Teacher Training Do you want to teach English abroad? You are one step from it! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Narmina M. Please note that this...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles What Teaching Skills Are Required in the Classroom? | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post was written by a recent TEFL graduate who shares their opinion on the teaching skills required in the classroom. Pronunciation Problems of Students in the Philippines | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL graduate who shares their experience of teaching English to Philippino native speakers. Why Grammar Shouldn't Be Scary for Both Students and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles Which Teaching Method is Best for a First-time Teacher? | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate considers different teaching methods and explains which one should work best for young TEFL teachers. Positive Alternatives to Old-Fashioned Punishment | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post was written by our TEFL graduate who shares their ideas on how to change punishment into a more positive practice. Pronunciation Problems for Learners Speaking Chinese...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles Child Development According to J. Piaget and L. Vygotsky | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares his thoughts on child development according to J. Piaget and L. Vygotsky Teacher’s Confidence in Different Types of Classrooms | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This blog post is written by our recent TEFL graduate who shares her thoughts on building teacher's confidence in the classroom. English Pronunciation Problems of Italian Native...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles 3 Changes TEFL Teachers Need to Make When They Switch Between Individual and Group Lessons | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on teaching one-to-one and groups. Common Studies of the English Language Variants | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate explains the differences between British English and American English. Why I took the ITTT TEFL course? | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles How do Japanese Students Respond to Some Common Challenges in English? | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post is devoted to some most common issues of the Japanese students in English and their attitude towards it. The Most Common Pronunciation Problems for English Learners in Myanmar | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this article, our TEFL graduate shares their experience of working with students from Myanmar. What is Motivation and How to Increase it in the ESL Class? | ITTT |...  [Read more]

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Should Chinese ESL Students Have Explicit Phonetic Instruction? During nine years of teaching English as a Second language, I have discovered how important phonetics is in learning the correct pronunciation of the English language, and in fact, in any language. Derwing and Munro (2005) emphasize, "It is essential to have an accurate understanding of the target language phonological system to enhance the quality of pronunciation". Table of Contents We should look at some of the problems that L2 learners have when trying to produce accurate L1 language patterns. We also have to take into account the students. Chinese students are very reluctant to speak in a classroom setting. So what pronunciation mistakes are most common? Do you...  [Read more]

Agency Inexpensive TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Agency Inexpensive TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: Check out ITTT's Blog Posts T.P. - Japan said: Pronunciation problems in JapanJapan has cultivated a reputation for being a country that is rich in history, culture and resources. Within the global sphere Japan has also seen the impact of English language in transforming the way in which countries relate. In an effort to avoid being on the periphery of the development enabled by globalization, the Ministry of Education, Sports, Culture and technology (also referred to as MEXT) has made providing...  [Read more]

Wed, 29 May 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The Most Common Problems Students in Turkey Face When Learning English As defined through the units of the course and through many linguistic books, pronunciation is to say a word in a language in the correct way. Although the correct pronunciation of words and even the correct intonation in sentences in English, is thought through course books all over the world and thanks to media students are exposed to the natural and correct pronunciation, numerous mistakes are observed inside the classroom and outside. The reasons for the problems in pronunciation might vary depending on the country. I have been teaching English in Turkey for a while and have witnessed many problems with the students which will be explained through this essay....  [Read more]

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The Most Common Problems Students in Nigeria Face When Learning English In recent times, it is safe to say that the English language is one of the most spoken languages and widely preferred L2s according to the Oxford dictionary. For communication to be successful, however, certain criteria need to be met. For instance, one must not only study the forms or shape of things but must also adhere to the formation of words and phrases alike in order to craft well-formed sentences, along with understanding the meaning of each word, phrase or the relationship between two words. Whether they differ or are similar in terms of phonetics and spelling before actually making use of it, it is important to note that anything contrary to this will...  [Read more]

Class Authorized TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Class Authorized TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: Check out ITTT's Blog Posts W.D. - U.S.A. said: Problems for learners in ChinaThere are two main aspects that cause problems for chinese students. The first aspect is connected with the language itself. English and Mandarin ? the common language in china belong to different language families (English belongs to Germanic and chinese to Sino-Tibetan family) that have many differences in fields of phonetics, writing system and grammar. The second aspect considers different learning style of chinese...  [Read more]

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The Most Common Problems Students in Spain Face When Learning English For non-native English student in Spain, specific difficulties may be encountered when learning English. A good English teacher will help a student address those difficulties including, but not limited to, pronunciation, listening, and grammar. Table of Contents Lack in Listening Comprehension "Unlearning" Mispronunciation Regional Dialects Create More Difficulties Grammar Patterns and Word Order Are you ready to teach English in Spain? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post A good English teacher to non-native English students requires a solid foundation in the knowledge of English as the student relies on the teacher as the main source of the...  [Read more]

Wed, 08 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Pronunciation Challenges Students Face in China Every learner of a foreign language may face pronunciation problems now and then. Languages that belong to one language group have more in common in phonics and are usually easier to learn to pronounce correctly. But such languages as English and Chinese are so different, that Chinese learners (and I bet English speaking learners of Chinese too) often have many difficulties in pronunciation. Table of Contents State of the problem Common pronunciation errors How to correct pronunciation problems Learn how to teach pronunciation effectively! Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Evgeniya S. State of the problem I have...  [Read more]

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Help Chinese Native Speaking Students in Their ESL Practice China is one of the leading countries in the world that has been in the search and quest to learn the English language. In recent years the demand to learn English has been on a rise. Every school tries to have a teacher who can teach the language to the learners. However, in this process of learning, many learners encounter a series of problems which make the language learning process not an easy task both for teachers and students. However, we are going to be looking at very common problems students learning English as a foreign language face in China. Table of Contents First Language Lack of Interest Pronunciation Difficulties Ways to Solve The Abovementioned...  [Read more]