Pronunciation Difficulties

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There are several pronunciation problems that students of English will face in Japan; however, I will focus on two. 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. 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 does. For example, Japanese does not have a hard R sound; instead, it has a sound that is a mix of R and L. So, when students from Japan go to say rice, for many...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences One of the most important problems encountered while learning a foreign language is undoubtedly pronunciation. Knowing a language fluently may not always be enough. Fluency level may be open to discussion if an accurate pronunciation is not used. Therefore as teachers, we must teach our students how to use the correct pronunciation. However, pronunciation can be a nightmare for some students, especially for young learners. Common Errors in Pronunciation /h/ Sound Ways to Fix Errors Articulation Simple Way to Overcome the Problem Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Selin K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas While most of us think of mental disabilities when we hear "learners with Difficulties" there are many other kinds of difficulties that our students may be faced with. Some of these difficulties are to some extent, within a teacher's control however most are completely out of the teacher's control. Attention Request Challenges at Home Psychological Issues Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Karissa Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Seeking attention or feeling incompetent are difficulties that we may be able to help control. These things may cause students to misbehave or act inappropriately to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas One of the greatest problems any teacher may face when instructing English is institutional. That is to say, the school the teacher is teaching at may not have the resources or the care to fully fund or supply the teacher with the necessary tools to instruct students. This can be a huge problem, as if the teacher starts from a disadvantaged position, they may feel like there is little hope for them to equip students for English learning. What do teachers truly need? Textbooks Designing activities for the study phase Personal tools School supply Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Colin R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning difficulties can found in all teaching environments, be it a classroom of mixed ability students, a one-to-one tutoring session, teaching EFL or online teaching. Learning difficulties affect all age groups, both genders, and all languages and cultures, therefore a good teacher must be able to both foresee and prepare for supporting a student's learning difficulties. This is even more important when teaching EFL students as unless these difficulties are met and coping methods are established then the student will struggle to make any progress in their learning English as a second language. My Personal Experience Real-Time Lessons Learning Challenges Lesson Procedure Other Ways to Help Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today!...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Lesson planning is not a task that should be taken lightly; it is the foundation for all EFL classes and plays a significant part in determining how successful students will be. While motivation and desire to learn are factors in each student's success, a good teacher should be able to inspire motivation through interesting and student-centered lessons. However, this can only be achieved through careful consideration of all lessons. Lessons' Format Learning Stages Choice of Activities Minimizing Anticipated Problems Record of Your Work Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Natalie M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Learning difficulties means difficulty in learning but its not globalized. most kids get cold feet in the course of learning a new thing or a new language, some become shy, while some are not motivated or have confidence. I have been around kids for years and I can say that I understand them in some cases or scenarios.when we are working with kids that are shy, less motivated or lack confidence we should use materials that will help to solve that problem, same goes for an adult. Neurological disorders Behavior Issues Are you ready to teach English to ESL students? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Chilotam O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Learning a second language is an adventure, most people find it fascinating. Some people are intimidated, they take a glimpse, and then walk back to the familiar ground; some embark on the journey, but not all of them can truly enjoy the journey that is full of difficulties, some learners quit in the middle of the adventure; thus, only a small amount of people can finally master a second language. Teachers should be able to know what types of difficulty students might face and how to help them deal with these difficulties. In this post, we shall look into two learning difficulties — poor memory and lack of concentration. Poor Memory Lack of Concentration Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post This post...  [Read more]

  This video looks at the difficulties students have when learning modal auxiliary verbs. The number of usages and the modal auxiliary verbs that can be used for various usages often bring about problems for the students. Also, the structure of sentences with modal auxiliary verbs can be confusing. Watch this video to understand all the difficulties students face with modal auxiliary verbs. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Register now & get certified...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas First and foremost I'd like to address why phonetics issues very early piqued my interest in teaching English for foreigners. Ever since childhood, I was surrounded by people with substantial articulatory and auditory phonetic problems, not so much with the acoustic ones. Natural Problems Study Issues Self-consciousness Firstly, I attended the sign language and lip-reading courses. Are my efforts worthwhile? Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Asbiorn B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Firstly, those auditory problems were inherited biologically by people around me and couldn't be helped much...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences 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. 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 necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are a number...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences 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. 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. I have been working in China as a teacher for more than six months now. When I arrived in this country, I hardly knew...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The purpose of my essay is to outline some of the most frequently occurred pronunciation mistakes made by Russian learners and share some of the teaching ideas based on a few sources and my own experience of teaching and learning English as a foreign and second language. State of the Problem Russian Phonetics vs. English Phonetics Choice of Activities Vowel Sounds Are you ready to teach English to ESL students? Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Olga R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching English phonology and pronunciation for Russian learners is always challenging as there are a great number of differences rather than similarities in the...  [Read more]

  Whereas stress is typically concerned with one individual word, intonation is generally concerned with the variation in volume and pitch throughout an entire sentence. Intonation carries the message of a sentence. It's particularly important when questioning or agreeing, disagreeing and confirming statements. It's also very important when expressing emotions and feelings. The normal pattern for intonation is the rise-fall. Few examples would be ?I haven't seen him for a week,? or a simple word as ?okay?. With the falling intonation, we?re indicating that we're finished speaking. Again, ?I haven't seen him for a week? and ?okay?. A few more examples would be ?I'll see you at six then,? or a question of information ?How do you spell rough?? These are straightforward statements that...  [Read more]

  In this video we'll be looking at the international phonemic alphabet and how it's used in the classroom. There are other phonemic alphabets but this is the most popular and the system, which is most widely used. You may have seen some of these symbols before as any good dictionary will supplement standard English spellings with the phonemic spellings to aid in pronunciation practice. Here we have a situation where we have what are called phonemes and each phoneme represents a sound within the English language. How is this helpful? Well, what it does is help students understand how to say words rather than simply relying on the often archaic English spellings. To illustrate this point let's for a moment put ourselves in the shoes of our students when trying to understand how to say...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Each student faces their difficulties when it comes to English pronunciation depending on their country of origin. This essay will focus on the pronunciation difficulties facing ESL students in France and will also propose some solutions to help students overcome these difficulties. French Sound System IPA Difficult Sounds The Dark /L/ Sound Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kerri M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The number of English vowel sounds greatly outnumbers those found in the French language. As such, French students will have to produce sounds that they have never produced before....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences 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 another language. This is true for those learners who speak Romance languages...  [Read more]

Teaching English grammar to non-native speakers can be a challenging task due to the complexity of the language rules and structures. Many TEFL students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds, which can influence their understanding and application of English grammar. It is essential to identify the specific areas where students are struggling, such as verb tenses, word order, or articles, to provide targeted support and instruction. There are several effective strategies that can help TEFL students improve their grammar skills. Providing clear explanations, using visual aids, and engaging students in interactive activities can enhance their understanding of grammar rules. Additionally, incorporating real-life examples and contexts can make grammar more relatable and easier to grasp for...  [Read more]

In these videos our grammar expert Linda demonstrates how to correctly pronounce a wide variety of common and not so common words that you might encounter in an English language classroom. Come back regularly as our Ask Linda series is frequently updated.  [Read more]

  A better way to go about imparting how to make sounds or what sounds are utilized in a word, is this international phonemic alphabet. Now we have as mentioned one symbol being used in all the words which share that same sound. Now once we get a little bit more familiar with our phonemic alphabet we can also show how different our different sounds can be as in this symbol for ?ooh?, this symbol for ?ow? and this symbol for ?uh?. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the...  [Read more]

  Connected speech is also an important element of phonology and it's involved in joining words together in an effect to make our speech more efficient. Some might say it's a product of being lazy but nonetheless it's what we all do and we want all of our non-native speakers to speak as naturally as possible, so we have to be aware of these things. Here are a few of the more common examples. We have linking, dropping, changing and extra lettering. An example of each would be with linking, we link our words together so that they almost in effect become one word. Instead of saying ?What do you want to do,? we typically will say ?Whatdoyou want to do?? Then, we can also have dropping. Rather than pronouncing each and every consonant, we can sometimes, especially in certain accents, drop...  [Read more]

  Here we have a set of five words, which all share one sound: the ?oh? sound, as in ?go?, ?show?, ?dough?, ?note? and ?boat?. They?re five different spelling patterns to tell our students so they can identify when to make the ?oh? sound. We can have a simple letter ?o?, ?ow?, ?ough?, ?o? with the magic ?e? which turns our vowel into what we knew as long sounds and the ?oa? as in ?boat?. Now, for a non-native learner, perhaps they can handle something like this. They remember that these spelling combinations help to produce the ?oh? sound and they can go about their business looking at the words and memorizing this knowing that these spelling patterns will produce the sound ?oh?. Now that?s okay until we get to a situation where we can also have words like ?to?, ?cow? and also...  [Read more]

1. Importance of Teaching Pronunciation in a TEFL Course 2. Strategies for Teaching Pronunciation Effectively 3. Incorporating Pronunciation Practice in TEFL Lessons 4. Resources for Teaching Pronunciation in a TEFL Course Teaching pronunciation in a TEFL course is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, clear pronunciation enhances communication skills, allowing students to be understood by others and to understand native speakers better. It also boosts students' confidence in speaking English, as they feel more comfortable and proficient in their language skills. Additionally, teaching pronunciation early on in a language learning journey helps prevent fossilization of errors, where incorrect pronunciation habits become ingrained and difficult to change later on. There are various...  [Read more]

Unlock Your Potential with Virtual English Pronunciation Classes 1. Why English Pronunciation is Vital 2. Benefits of Virtual English Pronunciation Classes 3. What to Expect from ITTT's Virtual Classes 4. How to Get Started with Virtual English Pronunciation Classes Mastering English pronunciation is crucial for effective communication in today's globalized world. Whether you are a non-native speaker looking to enhance your language skills or a professional aiming to improve your communication in the workplace, having a strong command of English pronunciation can significantly boost your confidence and credibility. At ITTT, we understand the importance of clear and accurate pronunciation in English, which is why we offer virtual English pronunciation classes to help you unlock your full...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences 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. 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 Speaker Are you ready to teach English pronunciation? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: ...  [Read more]

Learning a new language is a rewarding yet challenging experience, especially for Russian students trying to master the English language. As one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, English proficiency is essential for academic, professional, and personal growth. However, Russian learners face unique obstacles that can hinder their progress. In this article, we will explore the challenges encountered by Russian students when learning English and provide insights on how to overcome them effectively. One of the key challenges faced by Russian students learning English is the stark cultural differences between the two languages. Russian and English belong to different language families, which means that they have distinct grammar rules, vocabulary, and sentence structures. This...  [Read more]

  The next thing we should look at is how our consonants are arranged for the top two rows we have P and F at the left side of our chart and G and J at the right side of our chart. They're arranged this way because if we analyze the way we speak we're using the front of our mouth to use these sounds as in ?p? and ?f? and I'm using my lips and my teeth to produce those sounds and as we move to the right on the chart slowly but surely we're making those sounds it towards the back of our mouth. We can use the examples of ?g?. The sound ?g? is produced further back in our mouth than ?p?. The next thing we'll notice about our chart is that some of our symbols are shaded. Notice that none of the symbols in the vowel sections are shaded but only a few are in the consonant section. The...  [Read more]

  There are two issues that need to be stressed when working with the international phonemic alphabet. First is the fact that we are no longer concerned with how a word is traditionally spelled. Additionally we need to stress that we are only concerned with the sounds needed to correctly produce a word. So rather than numerous spellings, which can often be pronounced in different ways, we have one symbol representing one sound. Once we can isolate a sound, rather than juggling various spellings, we can work with our students on how to say that sound. Doing that successfully is related to manner and place of articulation, which will be covered shortly. To get a better understanding of the phonemic alphabet, let's take a look at our chart. In the bottom half of our chart we have our...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Chinese language is a tonal language can make learning English a real challenge for my students. The one thing I have on my side though is the fact that they are brought up to be dedicated at anything they do and hardworking. Although it's been mentioned that pronunciation is not the most important aspect of TEFL, it is to The Chinese Government. It's something we've been told we need to cover deeply along with reading and comprehension. 1. Repetition 2. Engaging activities 3. Small sentence drilling 4. Bright materials 5. New correction techniques 6. Reading to correct pronunciation Do you want to teach English abroad? You're only one step from it! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Paula S. Please note that...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information The teaching of Young Learners forms a very large part of the ESL teaching market. It is important to keep some simple strategies in mind when teaching them. Teaching YL's can be very rewarding as their progress can be quick, however, being young, they also present challenges. The following ideas have been tried and tested over many years and have proven to be effective. One: Create a Positive Learning Environment Two: Employ Language Acquisition Strategies Three: Individualized Instruction Four: Integrating all four Language Skills Five: Culturally Responsive Teaching Six: Technology Integration Conclusion Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video...  [Read more]