Part 1
Before we talk about improving your pronunciation, I have a question for you. What did English sound like before you learned English? Did it sound completely alien? Did it sound like nonsense? Maybe this video will help you remember. When you finish watching, play the next recording and let’s talk about improving your pronunciation.
Part 2
Did you understand the song? Don’t worry, I didn’t understand it either. It’s not English. He’s singing nonsense that sounds like English. Even for me, a native English speaker, it sounds like English. It’s nonsense but the tones and rhythm are close to English tones and rhythms. This guy has a natural talent for getting the pronunciation, sounds, tones and rhythms of English, without actually speaking real English. At Deep English, we believe that meaningful English is the best way to improve, but sometimes it’s good practice to try something completely different. Try stepping away from the meaning and just experience the language in a musical way. Just like music, each language has a rhythm and a melody. The speed and stress make the rhythm and the intonation makes the melody. A technique called shadowing is a good way to work on your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. Shadowing is a technique where you practice repeating after the speaker as soon as possible. This is different than a normal listen and repeat technique. Don’t wait and listen to the whole sentence and then repeat. You want to repeat as soon as possible almost at the same time as the speaker. Watch this video to see an example:
Part 3
OK, now you know the technique. You can use any English content. Try it with one of the downloads you received in our free one-week course. Remember, don’t read along. This is a listening and speaking activity. Also, YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES! This is normal. Don’t stop the recording and try to get it perfect. Just continue. Worry will only slow you down. Using the shadowing technique, you don’t worry about the pronunciation or understanding the meaning. If the content you choose is too fast, try using the slow speed sample we gave you in the free one week course. Shadowing works with any kind of English content, but the best choice is meaningful and interesting English. Check out our True Stories English Fluency Course to get the best in meaningful English learning content.
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