Do I even need to work on my pronunciation?
Pronunciation is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of language learning, both by students and teachers. Phonetic symbols can be intimidating, and practicing tricky sounds like the interdental /ð/ (as in “the”) and /θ/ (as in “thanks”) can completely discourage learners from continuing to study English. However, pronunciation is closely tied to speaking and listening skills (how to develop listening skills? read here). In other words, if you don’t work on your pronunciation, not only will native speakers find it difficult to understand you, but you’ll also struggle to understand them.
How Mistakes in Pronunciation Affect Comprehension
When learning English, especially in the early stages, it may seem like we’re pronouncing sounds similarly enough for people to understand us. And it’s true that some sounds overlap between English and other languages, like Spanish, and students often pronounce them quite close to native speakers. However, many sounds in English don’t exist in other languages, and learners often try to pronounce something similar from their own language. Sometimes this strategy works, but often it can change the meaning of a word drastically.
The Importance of Working on Pronunciation at Early Stages
Phonetic skills are developed at all levels of English learning, but the foundation is laid at the A1-A2 levels. From the very beginning, it’s crucial to try to imitate the sounds as native speakers pronounce them. Some sounds will be difficult to replicate at first, but it’s important to keep trying and to pronounce them as closely as you can to the correct English sounds instead of using incorrect sounds from your native language. If pronunciation mistakes aren’t corrected at the start, they can become fossilized mistakes, which are very difficult to get rid of later on. Phonetic skills are among the most resilient, which is why they’re so hard to develop and incorrect pronunciation so hard to fix.
What Else to Focus on Besides Sounds?
Phonetic skills involve more than just sounds; they also include intonation, word and sentence stress, linking, and more. Just like incorrect sounds, incorrect intonation can lead to misunderstanding. That’s why it’s important to work on intonation and other phonetic features from the very beginning.
How to Improve Pronunciation at Early Stages (A1-A2)
Using General English Textbooks
Many good English textbooks include a pronunciation practice section in each unit. These sections often consist of brief theory (which may sometimes be omitted) and practical exercises to work on specific phonetic features (sounds, stress, intonation, etc.). You can find these sections in series like English File, Outcomes, Speakout, and Cutting Edge for levels A0 (Beginner), A1 (Elementary), and A2 (Pre-Intermediate). When practicing on your own, you can listen to audio, record yourself, and then compare your speech with the speaker’s. It might feel strange at first, but with consistent practice, this approach will not only lead to better pronunciation but also significantly improve your listening and speaking skills.
Using Pronunciation-Specific Textbooks
There are also textbooks that focus solely on pronunciation. Among them are Pronunciation in Use (Elementary) by Cambridge University Press and Tree or Three? (Elementary) by Ann Baker. It’s important to note that these textbooks focus on British pronunciation.
Additional Practice: Audio and Video
Listening to simple sentences or short texts is a crucial part of pronunciation practice. Even when you don’t fully understand what you’re hearing, your brain still absorbs the pronunciation patterns of individual sounds, words, and intonation. Therefore, it’s important to listen and repeat after native speakers as much as possible. Simple videos, short dialogues from textbooks, and brief stories can help with this. Why use materials from textbooks? Because, first of all, the speakers don’t speak too fast, they don’t use complex vocabulary, and their diction is clear—something essential for understanding English at these levels.
How to Improve Pronunciation at Intermediate Levels (B1-B2)
Using Pronunciation-Specific Textbooks
At these levels, basic phonetic skills are usually fairly well developed. However, some learners still make mistakes with short and long vowels, misuse sentence stress, or haven’t yet mastered speaking with the correct intonation. In this case, it’s worth focusing on pronunciation-specific textbooks. For example, Pronunciation in Use (Intermediate) by Cambridge University Press and Ship or Sheep? (Intermediate) by Ann Baker. In some cases, these textbooks might seem difficult, especially if not enough work was done on pronunciation earlier. No worries! You can start from the Elementary level and gradually fill in the gaps.
Using Video: Shadowing
If working with textbooks doesn’t bring you joy, or you just want to mix things up, try repeating short segments from your favorite videos, movies, or TV shows in English. This technique is called “shadowing.” It’s especially fun if you choose a character or blogger you like.
How to Practice Shadowing
Choose a voice, tone, and accent you’d like to have yourself. Mimicking different accents can help develop listening skills, but you also risk ending up with a mix of accents in your own speech. Select a small fragment, listen to it several times, then listen and repeat it softly at first, and later in full voice, copying the speaker’s intonation, rhythm, and pace. This technique is most effective when you record yourself and compare it with the speaker. This way, you can hear what you’re pronouncing well and what still needs work. The downside of this technique is that you might not replicate everything exactly like the native speaker, so it’s important to combine it with textbook work.
How to Improve Pronunciation at Advanced Levels (C1-C2)
Using Pronunciation-Specific Textbooks
At these levels, working on pronunciation is just as important as at any other level. Special attention should be given to intonation and connected speech. To work on these, English Pronunciation in Use: Advanced by Martin Hewings (British English) and Pronunciation for Advanced Learners of English by David Brazil (British English) are great resources. If you’d like to refresh your theory or read something about English phonetics in simple language, Sound Foundations: Learning and Teaching Pronunciation by Adrian Underhill can be a very useful addition to your main course.
Working on Accents (Video)
If your goal is to perfect a specific accent, a textbook won’t be enough. You’ll need to listen, study the accent’s features, and actively practice it.
- For practicing the American accent, Rachel’s English YouTube channel can help. Rachel provides very detailed analyses of the American accent with clear explanations, practical exercises, and examples from the TV show Friends.
- For the British accent, check out the ETJ English channel. Elliot breaks down the features of the British accent, explaining how to pronounce certain sounds and difficult words. He also has many videos on vocabulary and grammar.
Not Just American and British
It’s worth noting that working on accents isn’t limited to the most common ones—American and British. It’s true that you should choose one accent to imitate in your speech to sound natural. However, to understand more people, you should also study other English accents and their characteristics. Even within the U.S., accents vary from state to state, just as they do across the U.K. For example, if you prefer the American accent, start by listening to people from different states. In the U.K., accents vary even more than in the U.S. Additionally, there are Scottish English, Welsh English, Australian English, and many more.
Understand and Be Understood
In conclusion, pronunciation practice may not seem like the most enjoyable activity. Endless listening and repeating might make you feel like you’re not making progress and wasting time. But that’s far from the truth. The result of such diligent work is not only clear and beautiful speech but also improved comprehension of native speakers’ fluent speech, which is one of the biggest challenges in learning English. Try to find what you enjoy about working on pronunciation, and the results will soon follow!
Sources:
- Teaching Pronunciation: A Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages by Marianne Celce-Murcia, Donna M. Brinton, and Janet M. Goodwin;
- Sound Foundations: Learning and Teaching Pronunciation, Adrian Underhill
