How Can I Improve My English Pronunciation? (Part 2)

 

Many people write to us here at VOA Learning¹ English with this question:

Question:

How can I improve my English pronunciation?

Answer:

Last week on our program, we talked about setting² realistic goals. That means, you do not have to sound exactly like a native English speaker. You can keep your accent and still communicate clearly. We also talked about learning the rhythm³ of English.

Today we will talk about three things you can do to sound more like a native speaker.

Watch and listen to yourself

A good place to start is to watch and listen to videos and other programs recorded in English.

For example, choose a story from our website. Listen to the recording⁴ while looking at the words. Make a note of any words you think may be hard to say, and then say them aloud. Play the audio⁵ again and read along. Then record yourself reading it slowly and clearly. Listen to your recording. Are you speaking loudly enough? As an English speaker, speaking more slowly than you normally⁶ do and speaking loudly with confidence can make it easier for others to understand you.

Take 'Selfie Videos'

You can also learn how to improve your pronunciation by taking selfie videos. Record a few sentences. Watch the video and ask yourself: Is my voice loud enough? Did I say all of the words clearly? Next, ask an English-speaking friend to listen, or try reading the story for a friend.

Listen to your dictionary

Our final piece of advice is to listen to recordings⁷ from an online dictionary. Try using a dictionary app, like the Merriam-Webster Learners' Dictionary, which gives you the correct pronunciation in an audio file.

Click on the small picture(it looks like a speaker) to play the sound of the word.

You can also use a website like Google Translate. Type in a word, then click on the small picture to hear the pronunciation.

If you click it a second time, it will play more slowly so you can hear each part of the word clearly.

What else do you do?

Now you have heard our suggestions for sounding more like a native English speaker. What do you tell your friends about improving your pronunciation? Write to us and tell us your own advice. Our email is [email protected]

Words in This Story

pronunciation – n. the way in which a word is said

accent – n. a way of saying words that is common among the people in an area or country

rhythm – n. a regular, repeated order of sounds or movements

confidence – n. a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something

file – n. a collection of computer data or other information stored in an electronic device⁸

click – v. to press or strike a button on a control device

type – v. to write something on a computer or typewriter

1 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。

2 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。

3 rhythm   

n.韵律；节奏

参考例句：

• He has an ear for the rhythm of Irish speech.他对爱尔兰语的节奏很敏感。
• His poem has a pleasing rhythm.他的诗有和谐的韵律。

4 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

5 audio   

n./adj.音频(响)(的)；声音(的)，听觉(的)

参考例句：

• Often,the meeting is recorded on audio or video media for later reference.通常这种会议会以视频或者音频形式记录下来，供以后查阅。
• You don't even have to pay for audio programs.你大可不必为自己听这些节目付费。

6 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

7 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

8 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。