设定合理的目标提高你的英语发音

Improve Your Pronunciation By Setting¹ Reasonable Goals 设定合理的目标提高你的英语发音

In the Education Tips series, education experts in the United States give you ideas about how you can improve your English skills. This week, Eli Hinkel, a professor at Seattle Pacific University, and Marla Yoshida, a Teaching² English as a Foreign Language Teacher at the University of California, Irvine, talk about accents and pronunciation.

For VOA Learning³ English, this is the Education Report.

Learning a new language is a long, difficult process.

This process can become easier if you set goals. Goals help guide language learners and give them reasons to continue studying a language.

However, if you set unreasonable⁴ goals, then you will probably become discouraged.

Many English learners set difficult, even unreasonable goals. For example, here at VOA Learning English, we often read emails with comments like: "My goal is to sound like a native speaker..." or "My goal is to lose my accent."

The problem with the goal of sounding like a native speaker is that it is not a reasonable goal for many people.

Why it is difficult to sound like a native speaker

When English learners begin studying English after a certain age, they are not able to sound exactly like a native English speaker. That is the opinion of Eli Hinkel, a professor at Seattle Pacific University.

She says that people who have not reached puberty still have enough muscle and brain plasticity to allow their brain to control their mouth muscles. Puberty is the period of life when a child becomes an adult.

After your physical growth has stopped, the brain loses some of its ability to change the way it controls the muscles of the mouth. This is what results in an accent, according to Hinkel.

In other words, having an accent is a natural part of the aging process of the brain.

It's OK to have an accent

Just because you might not sound like a native speaker does not mean that you should give up trying to improve your pronunciation.

And just because you have an accent does not mean that your language skills are poor.

Hinkel suggested that English learners should not be too disheartened about their accents.

"So, there is really no connection between the quality of one's language and the accent."

She adds that there are even benefits to having an accent.

Eli Hinkel is a native Russian speaker. But she works⁵ as a professor in a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program. She believes her accent helps her when she is teaching students.

"I teach MA TESL courses …So, my students think that I really, really know what I'm talking about…accent goes a great deal toward⁶ that."

Practical tips

Another teacher says sounding like a native speaker is not necessary.

Marla Yoshida is a Teaching English as a Foreign Language Teacher at the University of California, Irvine. She says that improving your pronunciation is definitely⁷ possible – if you choose a reasonable goal.

"You can reach a stage where your pronunciation is easy for people to understand, where it never causes a problem... you go into Starbucks and say your name, and they understand … you give your order and they understand. So, that's a reasonable goal: being understood easily. Where sounding like a native speaker is wonderful if you can do it… it's not necessary."

So, what can English learners do to improve their pronunciation?

Marla Yoshida says that, like when you decide to diet, you are more likely to have success if you set reasonable goals. She suggests working on specific areas of pronunciation that you can improve, instead of trying to sound like a native speaker.

"Work consciously, if you are an adult, to change the way you pronounce. It's kind of like a diet. If you set a more reasonable goal... then, the diet might succeed. In the same way, pronunciation … if you have a more reasonable goal, like… 'I have trouble with the r and l sounds, so first I'm going try those. And then, when I'm comfortable with those, then I'll move on to some other sound that causes problems.' It takes time, but it is possible."

Yoshida added that English learners should understand that improving their pronunciation can take a long time. She said that learners should not be tricked by people who claim to be able to help people get rid of their accents:

"It is good to realize that it [improving pronunciation] is not a fast process. Everyone has been speaking their native language for years and years and years. And it's hard to change. Habits of how you move your mouth are really hard to change. So, don't expect miracles⁸. Sometimes, people see advertisements for software or courses that say 'get rid of your accent in only five lessons'—or something... It's not going to happen! There are no miracles."

So, what can you do?

Start by setting a reasonable goal. Choose one or two sounds that are difficult for you to pronounce. Then, work to improve those sounds. When you have improved, study other sounds. Progress might be slow for you, but don't give up!

Next week, we will give you examples of exercises that you can do to start improving your pronunciation.

Words in This Story

discouraged – adj. less determined⁹, hopeful, or confident

accent – n. a way of pronouncing words that occurs among the people in a particular region¹⁰ or country

puberty – n. the period of life when a person's sexual¹¹ organs mature and he or she becomes able to have children

plasticity – n. the quality of being able to be made into different shapes

pronunciation – n. the way in which a word or name is pronounced

1 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

2 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

3 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

4 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

5 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

6 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

7 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

8 miracles   

n.奇迹( miracle的名词复数 )；奇事；令人惊奇的事；非凡的事

参考例句：

• He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers. 他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This tonic will work miracles for your depression. 这种补药对治疗你的忧郁症十分有效。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。

11 sexual   

adj.性的，两性的，性别的

参考例句：

• He was a person of gross sexual appetites.他是个性欲旺盛的人。
• It is socially irresponsible to refuse young people advice on sexual matters.拒绝向年轻人提供性方面的建议是对社会不负责任。