Strategies to Improve Pronunciation

Students learning English as a second language must always find ways to improve pronunciation. It is because proper pronunciation is crucial to carrying out a conversation in English. Improper or incorrect pronunciation will always result in the listener having to ask the speaker to repeat him or selves constantly. In order to avoid this rather awkward situation, students must always focus on pronouncing their words and sentences correctly. Pronunciation is vital to such a degree that although one may have an excellent knowledge of grammar if one cannot pronounce one’s words correctly the message will almost certainly sound garbled.

There are many options open to students looking to improve pronunciation skills. Students may enrol themselves in pronunciation classes offered by recognised institutes. The classroom environment of these classes, as well as the presence of well-trained instructors, provides students with a suitable environment to practice speaking skills with other students. Students may alternatively enrol themselves in an intensive English study programme which offers pronunciation as part of its curriculum.

Another option students may try (especially those interested in self-learning) is to purchase pronunciation video lessons as part of the video learning course. These are somewhat effective as they provide a private virtual environment where students can listen and observe a trainer and imitate or mimic his actions and facial expressions till they learn the proper pronunciation of words in English. Students may also purchase a CD or DVD, pronunciation software that will illustrate the proper pronunciation of words.

The best option by far, however, for students looking to improve pronunciation by themselves, is the internet. Many websites offer excellent online learning material related to pronunciation, from theoretical aspects to practical applications. English Club TV is one of the best resources found on the internet today at tv-english.club. ECTV for short offers students a comprehensive package for learning all aspects of English under one roof, so to speak. Programmes such as “Speak Up”, “Say It Right” and the newly introduced “Perfect English” are designed to teach students proper pronunciation in the format of TV episodes. Each show being designed by a panel of expert native speakers is created with the ultimate aim of enabling international students to speak English, as well as native speakers. The success of the website is mainly due to its innovative approach to teaching where students are engaged by the TV channel format, and learning is fun and entertaining experience.