Pronunciation can affect how we communicate. Many people, who have had a go at learning a foreign language, have experienced that sinking feeling when they try a well-constructed sentence in another language only to be met with a blank face.
Why is this?
Languages are built on sounds. If I speak English and live in an English-speaking country I expect a speaker to say sounds in a particular way. In French or Spanish I would expect to hear different sounds. When we cant recognise the sound we try and adjust how we are listening, a bit like tuning a radio, but if we cant guess the sound, the chances are we wont understand what is being said.
The Blocks of Pronunciation
Pronunciation has two main aspects to it, physically producing it and the sound that is produced from it, the hearing of the sound. As we get older the ability to do both of these, i.e. physically work out how to make the sound and recognise it, can diminish. This doesnt mean we cant continue to learn new languages but we need some extra tricks to help us.
Lets look at some ideas on what we can do when we learn a new language.
How am I saying it?
Try saying the...
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