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The Key to Perfect Grammar: What Every Non-Native English Speaker Should Know

2/16/2017

Many non-native English speakers fall into the same trap when speaking: they try to use long, complex sentences that they have not yet mastered in terms of grammar. What happens is that they make many grammar errors, and the sentences they are trying to say become jumbled or confusing to their listeners. They might hear, "Could you repeat that?"

Try to remember this one important rule when speaking: KEEP IT SIMPLE. Speak in sentences using grammar you have mastered. If shorter, more simple sentences are what you can form well, then these sentence structures are what you should use. If you try to speak in long, complex sentences that you still have difficulty forming, you will make mistakes and confuse your listener. Always stick to what you know.

Right about now you might be saying, "If I speak in shorter, more simple sentences, people will think I don't know English or that I'm stupid". This is simply not true! In general, when you are speaking, no one will notice that your sentences are shorter; they will only notice that your grammar is correct. They will think you speak very good English! They will notice, however, when you make mistakes in grammar, or when what you say confuses them.

Remember, listeners expect to hear people speaking with correct grammar, regardless of the length or complexity of the sentences being used. Listeners do not focus necessarily on the complexity of what you say, but the accuracy of what you say.

It is important to speak in sentences using grammar you feel comfortable with and that you have mastered. Practice increasingly longer, more complex sentences as often as you can. Ask for corrections when you make mistakes, and you will learn more quickly. The more you use complex sentences, the easier it will become.

Practice makes perfect!

Correct American English Pronunciation for Ten of the Most Commonly Mispronounced Words in English

2/16/2017

Everyone makes pronunciation errors from time to time; we are all human and are not perfect. But, there are some words that, when mispronounced, are noticeable to others and send a negative signal to our listeners. These are usually common words that we use on a regular basis, so we say them often. This is why they can really have a significant impact on the quality of our speech! This article is the first in a series that will identify commonly mispronounced words and how to pronounce them correctly.

There are many common words that are often mispronounced, but this article will take a look at 10 of the most common ones, how they are usually mispronounced, and how to say them correctly. If you are currently mispronouncing any of these words, make an effort to learn how to pronounce them correctly, so can avoid making a "vocabulary faux pas!"

1. Supposedly
The correct pronunciation is "suh-POSE-id-lee"
The most common mispronunciation is"suh-POSE-ub-lee"

Remember, there is never a "b" in "supposedly."

2. Across
The correct pronunciation is "uh-CROSS"
The most common mispronunciation is "uh-CROSST"

For some reason, many people add a "t" at the end of this word, which is incorrect.

3. Pronunciation
The correct pronunciation is "pro-nun-see-YA-shin"
The most common mispronunciation is "pro-noun-see-YA-shin"

The confusion on this word, I believe, stems from the verb "pronounce" which has "noun" in it, but when it becomes the noun "pronunciation", the second syllable "noun" changes to "nun".

4. Probably
The correct pronunciation is "Praw-bub-lee"
The most common mispronunciations are "praw-lee" and "prob-lee"

The key to pronouncing this word correctly is remembering there is a "bub" in the middle, and it always has three syllables.

5. Recognize
The correct pronunciation is "RECK-ug-nize"
The most common mispronunciation is "RECK-uh-nize"

Somehow the "g" in the middle of this word is forgotten!

6. Regardless
The correct pronunciation is "ree-GARD-less". Many people confuse the word "regardless" with "irregardless" pronounced as "ear-ree-GARD-less".

There really is no such word as "irregardless" so do not fall into this mispronunciation trap.

7. Nuclear
The correct pronunciation is "NEW-klee-yer"
The most common mispronunciation is "NEW-cue-ler"
Many prominent people, including news broadcasters and politicians say this one incorrectly. There is no vowel between the "c" and "l" in the word "nuclear"... ever.

8. Especially
The correct pronunciation is "es-PESH-uh-lee"
The most common mispronunciation is "eks-PESH-uh-lee"

Please remember that there is no "k" sound in the first syllable of this word.

9. Et cetera
The correct pronunciation is "eht-SET-er-uh"
The most common mispronunciation is "ex-SET-er-uh"

In this word, the "t" is incorrectly replaced with a "k".

10. Ask
The correct pronunciation is "ask", just as it is spelled, however many people put the "k" before the "s", so it sounds like "aks".

Remember that the "s" always comes before the "k", otherwise it becomes "axe."

How to Speak More Clearly Instantly

2/16/2017

Good public speaking skills do not come naturally to everyone. Too often, we hear public speakers give presentations, and we think to ourselves, “That speaker sounds awful!” They may be described as mumbling, swallowing their words, speaking too quickly, or speaking too softly, for example. How can we become better speakers, and how do we avoid these pitfalls when we speak publicly?

In American English, we basically have two types of sounds: consonants and vowels. While it is important to take the time to pronounce all sounds clearly and completely, this article will focus on pronouncing vowel sounds, because these sounds are always syllables and affect speech most. They can have a significant impact on the quality and clarity of our speech.

Let’s take a look at two key factors in achieving speech that is easy to understand:

Open your mouth to make the space inside your mouth larger. I don’t mean that you have to open your mouth so wide that your listener can see down your throat, but you should feel that you are opening your mouth a little bit more than you are used to.
Move your lips when you form sounds. If you are someone who tends to keep their lips flat when speaking or moves their lips slightly, you will want to focus on making circles and smiles with your lips for sounds that are formed using these features.

Here are some key factors to remember about vowel sounds:
1.    Vowel sounds are always use your voice
Every time you say a vowel sound, you must use your voice. This means that your vocal cords in your throat are vibrating to create sound, and you can hear your voice as you say them. Examples of vowel sounds include: “ah”, “ee”, and “oh”.

2.    Vowel sounds are always syllables
Here we are talking about a sound, not a letter. This is very important to remember. Not only vowels in English are pronounced. Every time we say a vowel sound in English, it is a syllable. This means that our pitch will either go up or down when we say them. Each word must have at least one syllable.

3.    When a vowel is a stressed syllable, we stretch or prolong the sound.
The stressed syllable in a word is always said more slowly, and the pitch usually goes up. This makes it stand out.

4.    When a vowel is an unstressed syllable, we say it more quickly. When saying an unstressed syllable, we shorten the vowel and lower our pitch.

5.    Vowel length determines speaking rate.
The more you stretch or prolong vowels in words, the more slowly you will speak. The opposite is also true: the more quickly you say vowels in words, the more quickly you will speak.

6.    There are three types of vowel sounds in English
Vowel sounds are grouped together according to the part of the tongue that is used to form them. The “front vowels” use the front part of the tongue, the “central vowels” use the middle part of the tongue, and the “back vowels” use the back part of the tongue.

7.    There are 15 vowel sounds in English. In English, we only have five vowel letters, but we have 15 vowel sounds. The vowel letters include: a, e, i, o, u. We can also include the letter “y” as a vowel when it occurs at the end of a word, such as “happy”. Here it makes the “ee” sound.

To speak clearly, follow these guidelines:
1. Open your mouth more when you say vowels in general
The inside of your mouth is a very small space, and we need all the space we can get in order to speak clearly. A general rule of thumb is, if your teeth are so close together than you can’t fit your finger in between them, or if your teeth are edge to edge when you speak, then your mouth is not open wide enough. If you speak with your teeth too close together, then the space inside your mouth may be too small to speak clearly. You also will have a difficult time speaking loudly enough. To others, it will sound like you are mumbling and not pronouncing words clearly. Opening your mouth more when you speak will help you pronounce words more clearly, speak more loudly, and eliminate mumbling. I don’t mean that you have to open your mouth so wide that your listener can see down your throat, but you should feel that you are opening your mouth a little bit more than you are used to. Even though you may feel awkward opening

2. Move your lips more when you speak
American English is one of the languages in which you will have to move your lips more than others. We have some sounds that require us to make a big circle, some that are formed with a smile, and others that are formed by a tight circle. If you are used to keeping your lips flat when you speak, then you are most likely not pronouncing words as clearly as you could.

Both of these speaking skills are very important in creating speech that is easy to understand. While I don’t mean that you have to open your mouth so wide that your listener can see down your throat, try opening your mouth a little more than you are used to. Just remember that even though it may feel awkward to you, it won’t to anyone else. As a matter of fact, your listeners will think that you speak very well!

Speaking Rate: Why It’s Important and What It Says About Us

2/16/2017

In the business world, we are constantly being judged by what we say and how we say it; it doesn’t matter who we are or what position we hold. People listen to our speech and receive an impression of us that they take with them. When we speak to colleagues, managers, or other professionals, we all want to sound confident and convincing. Having others believe in us and trust what we are saying is very important. Believe it or not, how quickly or slowly we speak can give very definite impressions of us without us even knowing it.

There is an American saying, “Slow and steady wins the race.”  Simply put, you will have more success if you take your time and do something slowly, rather than hurrying and making mistakes.

How does the above saying relate to speech?  The slower you speak, the easier your speech will be to understand. A rapid rate of speech will make your accent sound heavier and your speech more difficult to understand.  Slower speech will help you think about the sounds and words you are saying and will allow more time for your tongue and lips to reach the proper placement for those sounds. The objective is not to speak too slowly; it is to speak as slowly as you need to in order to be able to pronounce sounds more accurately and clearly. When speaking slower, remember to keep your words connected, unless it is a natural place to pause. Speaking more slowly means prolonging vowels, not separating words.

Don’t worry about what Americans think about you when you are speaking slowly.  The goal is to make your speech understood.   Try to speak slowly as much as you can in all speaking situations, especially when speaking on the telephone. Speaking on the telephone is the most difficult speaking situation because your listener must rely only on what they hear. They don't have any visual cues to aid in understanding you, such as watching your lips and body language, or seeing your facial expressions.

There is much more to oral communication than just speaking slowly, but until you can receive accent reduction classes, this is a good place to begin, and is a very quick way to help improve your speech right away!

Five Important Rules to Remember When Speaking English

2/16/2017

If you speak English as a second language, you may be having difficulty speaking clearly and effectively.
Here are some important tips to follow to make sure that you do!

1. Open your mouth and move your lips!
When speaking American English, it is important to remember to open your mouth. This may sound funny to you, but if you think about it, many languages do not require much movement in the mouth to form sounds like American English does. This is especially true when forming vowel sounds. For example, the “ay” sound, as in the word “say” is formed by opening your mouth so that the teeth are more than an inch apart and spreading your lips in a smile. If you keep your teeth too close together and your lips relaxed and flat, the result will be a distorted sound.

2. Speak up
If you tend to speak too softly, your listeners may not hear everything that you say. Let’s add not opening your mouth wide enough and not moving your lips enough when you speak, which creates mumbling. They may need to ask you to repeat yourself several times, or even worse, they may not ask you to repeat and go away not understanding what you said. This is the worst case scenario, as your listeners may misinterpret your words.

3. Take the time to pronounce all the sounds in words
Many people tend to omit sounds in words, especially the final sound. For example, when saying the words “right now”, make sure not to omit the final “t” on “right”. While Americans do not pronounce the final “t’” in “right” completely, they hold their breath and place the tongue in position to say this sound, in effect “marking” where the sound should go. This creates a slight pause in between the two words. To completely eliminate the “t” would make this phrase sound like “rye now.”

In addition, when saying words with three or more syllables, avoid omitting an unstressed syllable. For example, the word “generally” has four syllables. The first syllable is stressed, and the last three are not, so it should sound like “GEN-er-uh-lee”. It is common for some individuals to omit the “er”, or second syllable, making the word sound like “GEN-uh-lee.” Don’t let this happen to you!

4. Speak slowly
English is not a fast language, as compared with other languages. The average speaking rate is about 150 words per minute. Whether you are a native American English speaker or speak English as a second language, speak slowly enough so that you have time to form sounds correctly and completely; however slowly that is. There is no benefit to speaking quickly. Let me repeat that: there is no benefit to speaking quickly. It does not mean that you are more fluent in the language, and it does mean that others will understand you better. The faster you speak, the more difficult it will be for others to understand your speech and to process what you say.

5. Listen to Americans speak
The best way to improve your comprehension of English and to learn how to express yourself is to listen to American television and radio shows. Sitcoms, which stand for “situation comedy” shows, are funny weekly television shows that are most representative of everyday vocabulary, common expressions, and situations.

If you want to listen to a neutral or standard American accent, watch any news channel, local or national. News broadcasters and anchors are trained to speak in the standard accent, which is considered to be the professional accent. This accent does not exist naturally, but the closest to it is said to be in the Midwestern part of the United States.

Common Differences Between American English and British English

2/16/2017

Even though American English and British English are both English, there are several differences between the two. The good news is that these differences usually do not have an impact on how well we understand each other, as long as the speaker does not speak too quickly.

This article will discuss common differences between the two languages, including the following:

Pronunciation
Grammar
Vocabulary

1. Examples of pronunciation differences between American English and British English
First of all, let me begin by saying that there are lots of different accents in both American and British English. An accent can identify the region of a country in which a person comes from, a well-educated person versus a person with limited education, and the person’s native language if they speak English as a second language, just to name a few. For the purpose of this article, we will be discussing some of the common differences between Standard American English and Received Pronunciation, which is also called The Queen’s English.

These are the accents you would hear news broadcasters use.
a. The “ae” (short a) sound as in “ask” is pronounced the “ah” in British English, making “ask” sound like “ahsk”.
b. The unstressed vowel “er” as in “sister” is pronounced like “uh” in British English, making “sister” sound like “sistuh”.
c. The stressed vowel “er” as in “person” is pronounced like “ah” in British English, making “person” sound like “pah-sun”.
d. The “aw sound” as in “talk” is pronounced more like “oh” in British English, making “talk” sound like “toke.”

2. Examples of grammar differences between American English and British English
British English speakers use some tenses differently than American speakers and also may use different words to express actions.

Let’s look at a few differences between how British speakers and American English speakers form tenses.
a. The present perfect tense versus simple present tense
British English speakers often use the present perfect tense to refer to something that happened in the recent past. American English speakers use the simple past tense to refer to something that happened in the recent past.

Let’s look at some examples:
British English: “I’ve lost my wallet”, or “I have lost my wallet.”
American English: “I lost my wallet.”

British English speakers tend to use the present perfect tense much more often than American English speakers do. Where American speakers would normally use the simple past tense to tell about a recent event, British English speakers often use the present perfect tense even when talking recent events.

For example:
American speaker: I dropped my keys.
British speakers: I have dropped my keys.

American speaker: I bought you a birthday gift.
British speaker: I have bought you a birthday gift.

b. Using “shall” and “will”
While Americans used to use “shall” when talking about the future, we now find that “will” is the norm. British speakers still use “shall” very often to talk about the future.

For example:
American speaker: I will go on vacation tomorrow.
British speaker: I shall go on vacation tomorrow.

British speakers also use “shall” when they offer help to someone. American speakers use “should”
For example:
American speaker: Should I go pick up your brother?
British speaker: Shall I go pick up your brother?

c. Expressing possession
British English speakers use “have got” to show possession, where American speakers use “have” or “have got” to refer to something in the present tense.

For example:
American speaker: I have a new coat . I’ve got a new coat.
British speaker: I have got a new coat. I’ve got a new coat.

American speaker: Do you have a new car?
British speaker: Have you got a new car?

3. Vocabulary differences between British English speakers and American English speakers
Just as speakers from different parts of a country can have different names for objects, the same is true for British and American English speakers. Let’s take a look at a few common vocabulary differences.
a.    British speakers use the word “boot” instead of “trunk”
For example:
American speaker: My groceries are in the trunk.
British speaker: My groceries are in the boot.

b.    British speakers use the word “flat” instead of “apartment”
For example
American speaker: John just moved into a beautiful apartment.
British speaker: John just moved into a beautiful flat.

c.    British speakers use the word “knickers” instead of “underwear”
For example:
American speaker: The girl’s underwear is showing through her dress.
British speaker: The girl’s knickers are showing through her dress.

d.    British speakers use the word “holiday” instead of “vacation”
For example:
American speaker: I’ll be on vacation all next week.
British speaker: I’ll be on holiday all next week.

While both British English and American English are the same language, there are many differences between them. The above examples are just a few of the differences that we hear on a regular basis. Other differences may include stressing and intonation differences, voice quality differences, mouth movement differences, as well as others.

American Idioms Using the Word Get

2/16/2017

Accent Reduction Training : Who Should Teach It, and What You Should Expect to Learn

2/16/2017

If you speak English as a second language and want to improve your American English pronunciation and speaking skills, you may be looking for an American accent training course. There are so many courses available on the market today that you may be wondering what kind of instructor to choose and which program is best. Since most of us turn to the internet for just about everything, beginning there for your American accent course is a good place to start.

The first thing you want to find out when searching for a good American accent training course is what the trainer's qualifications are: is he/she a certified speech and language pathologist, or trained as an ESL teacher? You will find both. You will want to look thoroughly for the instructor that you feel is best qualified to teach you, as well as the person with whom you feel a connection. In other words, you should really like working with your instructor, whoever it is.

Let's first begin by talking about what an ESL teacher is. ESL stands for "English as a second language", and this type of instructor is trained to teach the English language to anyone who is learning it as a second language. They should be certified to teach English by taking training courses, such as the TESOL, TEFL, or others. They do not require a college degree or master's degree to be an instructor. ESL instructors often teach individuals who have limited or no experience with English and work to develop vocabulary, oral grammar, and stressing and intonation patterns. They also instruct individuals who have a good foundation for English and focus on improving pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar skills.

A speech and language pathologist must have a master's degree and needs to be licensed and nationally certified to practice. They are trained to treat speech and language disorders of all types, although in the past ten years or so they have begun taking a much more active role in teaching accent reduction. They usually begin where ESL instruction ends and work to help individuals improve all aspects of communication, both oral and written. Please keep in mind that individuals who speak English as a second language do NOT have a speech or language disorder, but a language difference. This means that there is nothing physically wrong with them to cause the speech and language differences they have. These differences occur only as a result of not having the same sound system or grammar structure in their native language as we do in English. Because of the speech pathologist's extensive knowledge of the underlying aspects of communication, they have expertise in understanding just where the tongue is inside the mouth when forming sounds and can easily identify the changes a person needs to make to change an accented sound into the correct American English pronunciation. They also have extensive training in language development and are well-equipped to teach all aspects of grammar. There is no other professional who has this type of intensive training.

But what type of program is best when looking for an American accent training course? Look for an accent reduction program that addresses you as an individual, and your needs and choose an instructor you like! Even if you decide to choose the most well-known, established company to work with, if you don't relate well to your instructor, chances are you won't like your classes and won't learn much. Also, make sure your course is customized for you, based on your unique needs and goals. You should receive an in-depth speech assessment and have input as to what you would like to accomplish. For example, if you need to give presentations frequently at work, then delivering effective presentations should be on your list of goals, if you feel it is a weakness. Once the evaluation is completed, the instructor is ready to develop a program for you and classes can begin.

With the world at your fingertips on the internet, choosing the right accent reduction program can be tedious and time-consuming. Don't give up! Look at different websites to see what the different companies have to offer. You can tell a lot by the information they provide and you can get an idea about the methods they use to teach accent reduction. Once you have narrowed down your search, try contacting companies directly and speak to them in person. You should get a feel for which company and instructor best fits your needs and go from there.

Idioms With the Word Foot : Don't Put Your Foot in Your Mouth

2/16/2017

The Importance of Using the Correct Tone of Voice

2/16/2017

When we speak, our listeners get an impression of how we feel from our tone of voice. We can sound pleasant and friendly, angry and upset, and irritated or frustrated.

It is not enough to just say the right words, we also need to be cautious about the tone we use, so that we convey our message effectively. How do you want to be perceived? Do you let your underlying emotions interfere in your daily conversations with others? If you do, then you may be sending the wrong messages!

When we express a firm or harsher voice, we usually display the following features:

Our melody is more controlled, so that when we stress important words with less up and down pitch changes.
Our speaking volume may be louder
Facial expressions are more controlled, person may be frowning, no smile

When we express a friendly tone of voice, we usually display the following features:

Our up and down pitch when stressing words is more extreme. This means that we tend to make higher pitch changes.
Our speaking volume may be softer. It doesn’t necessarily have to be, but generally speaking, a quieter voice will signal a less aggressive tone.
When we are happy, we generally smile when we speak, and people can hear it! Use your smile as much as you can to help your speech sound more pleasing to others!

Practice the following statements. Each sentence is said twice, once in a firm or harsher tone and once in a friendly tone. See if you can hear and feel the difference between the two tones, both when you hear them and when you say imitate them.
1.    Good morning, how are you doing today?
2.    I like the idea you had in today’s meeting.
3.    You did a really good job on that project.
4.    I’d like to talk to you for a minute, if this is a good time.
5.    Would you like to go out for lunch tomorrow at noon?
6.    I think that we should go with Al’s idea for this project.
7.    You make a good point, and I will keep that in mind.
8.    Could we talk about that a little later?
9.    It’s so good to see you!
10. Thank you for the compliment.