Level: B1+ | Reading time: 3-5 minutes.
In this post you will learn:
- A common definition of Pronunciation
- What teachers mean by ‘Pronunciation’.
- What is important for the EFL/ESL* student.
- How a student can get an acceptable Pronunciation.
What is Pronunciation?
Pronunciation is a very broad term to refer to that part of Speech that focuses mainly on the way or how we speak.
When we say, for example, “I like Chris Hemsworth’s pronunciation “we may refer to the way he pronounces, his regional accent.
In fact, he’s Australian. So, his vowels are pronounced in a different way than an English-born actor or an American-born actor. Just watch the first minutes of this video on YouTube:
For example:
- the word ‘great’ he may pronounce it /grait/ with diphthong /ai/ instead of the normal /ei/
- spice /spais/ instead of space /speis/? (4:21) Humm…. yes, he said that!
However, in the context of that interview we all understood what he meant!
His pronunciation, his way of articulating his vowels, his intonation, etc. all points out to his specific origin. No problem with that. Everyone loves his Australian accent, and we can understand what he says.
In this case, pronunciation refers then to a particular way of speaking. But is there a general rule?
Can we refer to ‘English Pronunciation’ as only one type of English?
Certainly not. Anybody born in the UK will have different regional accents or pronunciation, all of them valid.
What do teachers mean by Pronunciation?
When we, teachers speak of Pronunciation we basically refer to some elements such as articulation, intonation, rhythm, etc. There are many more, but these are the basic ones 😉)
What is important about Pronunciation? Should I imitate native speakers?
It’s a good idea to imitate someone you admire in the way he/she speaks.
But we shouldn’t be obsessed about that. We are unique and we should be able to develop a unique voice with an English pronunciation.
What we should aim at as *ESL or *EFL learners is to have an ‘acceptable’ range of English sounds (or ‘phonemes’).
We should also have an acceptable English rhythm (different from Spanish rhythm)
We should again have an acceptable English intonation (falling, rising, falling- rising) to convey different messages.
All in all, we should have -and master- an acceptable flow of speech with an acceptable English Pronunciation.
Is it difficult for a student to get an acceptable English Pronunciation?
As everything else in English that will depend on how much work you put in it.
I have seen students who had a quite natural talent to distinguish differences between languages and imitate sounds and intonation very well.
Yet, I have also had students who found it hard to pronounce certain sounds or intonation patterns but who were determined to overcome them and did everything they could (with my coaching) and finally ended up having an acceptable English accent.
It took me 6 years of intensive study of Phonetics and Phonology at university to reach a native-like English Pronunciation.
Anyway, English Pronunciation is something you can learn, train, get better, and even excel at.
As any good actor (like Chris H.) knows, a good Pronunciation is a skill that you can learn, train yourself at and use for your benefit.
A pronunciation course will be useful if you are thinking of:
- get a better job
- face an audition
- deliver a presentation in public
- sing as an amateur or professionally
- become a journalist
- increase your sales.
So, grab a course, focus on what you need to get there and simply do it. Who knows? You might end up on the red carpet*! The sky is the limit!
Language notes:
*ESL: English as a Second Language – EFL: English as a Foreign Language
*the red carpet: (Am.Eng.) the red carpet for the Oscar Awards.
