Improve Your English Pronunciation

IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION

It doesn't matter what English accent you have, but a clear pronunciation is very important for effective communication.

Basic sounds. The BBC has a page with pronunciation tips videos explaining
the so-called phonetic system and modelling the 44 different sounds that make up the English language in videos. You can also practice the correct pronunciation of the different letters with these EngVid pronunciation videos.

Minimal pairs. Perfect your English pronunciation with shiporsheep audios online. Select one of the 29 minimal pairs (similar sounds, like "ship" and "sheep") and start practising. You can also compare pairs with this series of EngVid pronunciation videos.

Stress and tone. Other pairs, contractions (should've), stress and tones are provided with fonetiks.org audios online in British, American, Australian and 6 other English dialects. A selection of videos to help you practice your pronunciation and word stress is also available on podcastsinenglish' YouTube channel. They have more online pronunciation videos on their site.

Improve Your English Listening with Songs

IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH LISTENING WITH SONGS

Using English songs is a fun way to expand your English vocabulary and improve your listening. Here are the steps :  

1.      Get a song first. Most of you probably already have a favourite song in English, but if you don't have one, start listening to for example Live365 or SHOUTcast online radio. These radio stations show the artist and title while a song is playing. Once you've selected your song, buy your own copy or find it on YouTube and download it with the free RealPlayer Download.

2.      Use the lyrics. Play the song a few times and try to write down the text. To check whether you heard it right you need the lyrics (song text). There are many web sites to download the lyrics, but A-Z Lyrics and Lyrics007 usually provide good quality.

3.      Find the meaning. Looking up the song meaning can help you understand the song better. Try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context ("context clue"). If you still have no idea, use a learner's or slang dictionary to find the meaning.

4.      Sing along. Now play the song again and sing along, so that you also practice the pronunciation of your song. A karaoke version of the video may be available online.