Changing your pronunciation

Pronunciation is one area which nearly all learners of English agree is problematic. Many say that, although their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary is good, they feel shy when speaking because sometimes listeners don’t understand them. So how do you go about changing your pronunciation?

In this extract from English Makeover, Karen Adams gives advice to Eun, a student from Korea, on making changes to her pronunciation.

Before you read the extract Think about your own pronunciation in English.Are there any words which you find difficult to say? Write them down. Can you work out why you find them difficult?

I don’t think I’ve met any learners of English who are truly happy with their pronunciation. In part, this is because many of us aspire to sound like native speakers when we are learning a new language. And that, I’m afraid, is a very difficult thing to achieve because, unlike grammar and vocabulary, pronunciation isn’t something which is very easy to study. Not everyone can hear – let alone reproduce – the combination of sounds which make up the language they are learning. However, it is possible to make some adjustments to your pronunciation so that people understand you when you speak. One technique for this is known as ‘voice setting’. Basically, you need to forget about you learning English and think instead about a British or American person learning your language. How would they sound? Try saying ‘Hello, how are you?’ in your own language, but in the way an English-speaker would say it. Say it out loud.Think about how your mouth feels when you are imitating this English-speaker – for example, are your lips more rounded or wider than when you speak normally? By imitating an English-speaker speaking your language, you are automatically making the shapes which you need to make for English pronunciation. Now try saying something in English in this way. It’s only one technique, and it may sound funny – but it really can work!

1. Why is it difficult for learners of a language to sound like native speakers?
2. Imagine a friend has asked you to describe ‘voice setting’ to them.Try to describe this technique in your own words.

Answer

1. It is not easy to study pronunciation. Not everyone can make out the different sounds of the language they want to learn.
2. Try to imitate an English speaker speaking your language.

• Say ‘Hello, how are you?’ in your own language, but as if an English speaker were saying it. (You must speak out loud!)
• While you are saying this, notice the shape of your mouth.Are you lips more rounded than in your own language? Does the sound seem to come from a different part of your mouth?
• Try to keep your mouth in this position when speaking English. Listen to hear the difference in your pronunciation.

5 top tips for changing your pronunciation

1. Try voice-setting. Imitating an English speaker speaking your language is one way to find out how your mouth needs to be shaped to produce English sounds.
2. Identify your own problem sounds. By recognising which sounds or combination of sounds are difficult for you, you can begin to work on them. For example, many learners in China may have difficulty with the sounds /l/ and /r/ so cannot differentiate between the words light and right. If this is a problem for you, try rounding your lips when you say right.This will get you closer to the /r/ sound.
3. Make sure you identify the stress when you learn new words. In words with two or more syllables, you need to identify which syllable is stressed (e.g. SYLL-a-ble). Putting the stress in the wrong place can make it difficult to understand what is being said.
4. Don’t confuse fluency with speed. Some learners feel that, if they speak quickly, they will sound more fluent. But be careful – if you speak too quickly, the listener may not understand you.Try to slow down and stress the important words in your message.
5. Set achievable goals.When you are setting your own learning goals (see Getting out of a learning rut, page 1), think carefully about how you want to change your pronunciation. Remember, aiming to sound like a native speaker is a very ambitious – and, for most of us, not very realistic – goal. However, speaking so the listener understands what you say is important.Try to identify any aspects of your pronunciation which get in the way of understanding, and work on those first.

TASK

• Go back to the words you wrote down before you read the extract. Can you identify why they are difficult for you? For example, it may be that there is a group of sounds which you can say individually, but cause problems when they appear together.
• Now think of a conversation you have had in English. Identify any pronunciation problems which you had. For example, did the person listening to you understand you? If not, what was difficult for them to understand.
• Once you have identified your main problem areas, think about how you might address them. For example, perhaps you could ask someone you know who speaks English to help you.
• Write out one pronunciation goal for the next month. For example, this could be to improve your pronunciation of your ‘difficult words’ or it could be to try the voice setting exercise explained in the extract.
• Try to record yourself speaking now. Keep this tape, then record yourself at the end of the month. Can you hear some improvement?