Do you want to sound like a native speaker? Here are 5 easy ways to improve your pronunciation so people will be able to understand you more easily!
1) First, you need to decide what accent you want to have. A Canadian accent is
often considered the most neutral. Australian and British accents sound charming to North Americans. You need to decide what kind of accent you wish to have, then google Youtube pronunciation videos with that specific accent.
2) Practice in the mirror. You might feel silly doing this, but so much of how we sound comes from the shape of our mouth and the placement of our tongue and lips. Check out what the different positions look like on websites like Rachel’s English, then practice in front of the mirror for a few minutes when you have some time (and when no one else is around 😉 ).
3) Record Yourself. Download a free app like Voice Record to your phone, then record yourself practicing the words you think need improvement. If you have a friend or teacher who is a native speaker you can also record them speaking and listen to it while speaking along with the recording.
4) Ask for feedback from a teacher or native speaker. A native speaker will let you know immediately what words you are pronouncing wrong and how to correct them. You may have to repeat the word several times before it sinks in.
5) Watch movies and TV in English (no subtitles!) and listen to English music to hear how native speakers sound when they say a word. For extra help, google the lyrics (the words of the song) and read along, trying
to imitate the voice of the native speaker.
All these things can help you to improve your accent and make it easier for you to communicate.
Good luck!
Alisha Sevigny
