Teach Pronunciation

Teaching English pronunciation to total beginners can be a challenging but rewarding task. Here are some effective strategies to help you succeed: To help total beginners improve their English pronunciation skills, you can follow these effective strategies: Yes, there are various resources and tools that can be helpful for teaching English pronunciation to beginners.  [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 pronunciation in a TEFL classroom is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, clear and accurate pronunciation enhances communication skills, allowing students to be easily understood by native English speakers. It also boosts students' confidence in speaking English, as they feel more competent in their ability to communicate effectively. Additionally, proper pronunciation helps students to develop listening skills, enabling them to comprehend spoken English more easily. Overall, focusing on pronunciation in the classroom leads to more effective and efficient language learning. There are several effective strategies for teaching pronunciation in a TEFL classroom. One approach is to start with the basics, such as teaching the sounds of the English language and how they are produced....  [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]

Teaching pronunciation in a TEFL classroom is crucial as it enhances learners' communication skills, comprehension, and overall language fluency. Proper pronunciation ensures that students are understood by others and helps develop their listening skills. Additionally, accurate pronunciation can boost learners' confidence when speaking English, leading to more effective communication in real-life situations. By focusing on pronunciation, students can improve their accent, intonation, and stress patterns, making their speech sound more natural and native-like. There are various effective strategies for teaching pronunciation in a TEFL classroom. One approach is to start with individual sounds and phonemes, helping students understand the different sounds in English. This can be followed by...  [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]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Even though native speakers claim that it's always possible to understand people speaking English regardless of their accent, sometimes it might be extremely difficult. My native language is Russian and I can tell for a fact that Russian and English are very different in multiple things – but right now I'd like to focus on pronunciation. All Sounds are Pronounced in Russian Several Sounds Do not Exist in Russian Long and Short Vowels Sound the Same for The Russians Do you want to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Viktoriia Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Russian learners of English tend to...  [Read more]

Teaching pronunciation to non-native English speakers is crucial for effective communication. Clear pronunciation helps students be understood by others and boosts their confidence in speaking English. It also aids in listening comprehension, as students can better recognize words they have learned when they are pronounced accurately. Moreover, pronunciation is a key component of language fluency, making it essential for overall language proficiency. There are various strategies that TEFL teachers can use to help students improve their pronunciation. One effective approach is the use of minimal pairs, which are pairs of words that differ by only one sound (e.g., ship/sheep). By contrasting similar sounds, students can learn to distinguish between them and improve their pronunciation....  [Read more]

English pronunciation is crucial for effective communication as it helps learners to be understood clearly. Poor pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings and hinder the ability to convey ideas accurately. In many cases, correct pronunciation can also boost confidence and fluency in speaking English. As a teacher, emphasizing pronunciation can significantly enhance your students' overall language skills. There are various techniques you can use to teach English pronunciation effectively. One popular method is the use of phonetic symbols to help students understand the sounds of English. You can also incorporate activities like minimal pairs exercises, where students practice distinguishing between similar sounds that may be challenging for them. Another useful technique is modeling and...  [Read more]

Teaching English pronunciation is a crucial aspect of language learning as it enhances communication skills and comprehension. Proper pronunciation ensures that students can be understood by native speakers, leading to more effective interactions in both academic and professional settings. Furthermore, mastering pronunciation helps students gain confidence in speaking English, ultimately improving their overall language proficiency. There are several effective techniques that TEFL teachers can employ to teach English pronunciation. One popular method is the use of minimal pairs, which are pairs of words that differ by only one sound, such as "ship" and "sheep." By contrasting these words, students can practice distinguishing between similar sounds and improve their pronunciation. Another...  [Read more]

  "As mentioned before our four words here all are similar in using the ?b? and ?t? sounds at the end. So we know that those phonemes will be used in spelling each one of those words phonetically. Now what we're left to do is assign a phoneme for our vowel sounds. So if we analyze the word, it's ?e? as in bet. We look at our chart, we see the phoneme which corresponds to that sound and that happens to be the standard ?e? that we all recognize. Here, bet phonetically looks very similar to bet in the Roman script. Now let's take a look at ?i? bit. Now we look at our chart and we see that this symbol represents the ?i? sound and that resembles a capital I not a lowercase I but a capital I and so we've arrived at bit. Now with ?but? we have to find the sound and that corresponds to this...  [Read more]

  Now let's take a look at how we go from traditional spellings into the phonemic spellings. The first step in this process is identifying each unit of sound or each phoneme within a word. Let's look at bet, bit, but, and bought. The only difference in each one of these words is in the vowel sound. We have bet, bit, but and bought. Each word simply uses three sounds. Now we have photo. That's four phonemes. Wow we have taxi. That's five phonemes. We have unite with a hidden phoneme in there being the ?y? sound before anything else. Those are five phonemes as well and now we have a longer word: chemistry. Let's give that a shot. That's eight phonemes used in the word chemistry. Now once we've isolated each sound we want to assign a phoneme for each one of those sounds let's do that...  [Read more]

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]

Luciana Campos Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In today's world, it is essential for young adults to learn proper pronunciation to communicate effectively and confidently. Proper pronunciation helps others understand what we are saying. It is crucial for successful communication, especially when speaking English. Traditional methods of teaching pronunciation can be time-consuming and stressful for students. However, pronunciation is an essential component of language acquisition. So, there's no way to run! Gamification as a means for learning to pronounce Tips on Pronunciation Last Remarks Related articles Ready to teach English as a Foreign Language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! I guess you expected me to start by providing...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Explore the challenges and strategies in teaching English language sounds and pronunciation across different age groups.It's widely known that students of various age groups exhibit varying learning capacities. Despite these differences and regardless of background or origin, learners of English (referred to as L2) often struggle with speaking and listening due to the language's heavy reliance on auditory comprehension. This article delves into the importance of addressing these pronunciation challenges, especially in the context of teaching English as a second language. Understanding Age-Related Differences Young Learners: Nurturing the Phonetic Foundation Navigating the Teenage Years: 12-18 Age Group Engaging Adult Learners: The...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas 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. 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: 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 behind them. Many people say that English speakers look like they're sticking their tongues out all the time because of the "th" sounds. It...  [Read more]