Do Students Really Need a Native Accent? 🤔
Ironically, the English language does not belong to the English anymore … and no, it doesn’t belong to the Americans...
- Pronunciation
Pronunciation
Featured Articles
Forget Word Stress Rules (For Now) and Prioritize These Two Principles
When we think of teaching word stress, it’s easy to think about all the rules and feel overwhelmed. Luckily, there...
- Pronunciation
How Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese Brains Perceive Word Stress
As you’ve probably noticed, many of our students have a hard time mastering word stress. Some linguists even call this...
- Curiosity
- Pronunciation
Are You Correcting These Pronunciation Mistakes? 🗣️ Part III: Nuclear Stress
It’s common knowledge that we should pause when speaking. However, if you listen closely to any conversation, you’ll notice that...
- Pronunciation
Are You Correcting These Pronunciation Mistakes? 🗣️ Part II: Chunking
Take a look at these three bars of chocolate. Which one looks easier to eat? You probably replied, “the one...
- Pronunciation
Are You Correcting These Pronunciation Mistakes? 🗣️ Part I: Vowels & Consonants
Pronunciation is the greatest cause of miscommunication, so we definitely want to help students work on it. However, there are...
- Pronunciation
Backchaining — How to Get Difficult Words to "Roll off Your Tongue"
Have you ever started singing a song and gotten stuck after the first few lines? Or maybe you can remember...
- Pronunciation
Common Pronunciation Mistakes Japanese Students Make
A student's native language can have a big impact on the things they find easy or difficult when learning a...
- Online Tutoring
- Pronunciation
English Pronunciation: Why Your Students Find It Hard And How You Can Help
Why is it that even after years of study, many English learners still struggle with pronunciation? Today, we’ll explore what...
- Pronunciation
What a Viral Tweet Can Teach Us About English Pronunciation
Last year, a tweet from Japan went viral. It featured a picture of a piece of paper that had English...
- Beginners & Kids
- Pronunciation
R or L? 3 Easy Ways to Teach Students the Difference
It’s common knowledge that many East Asian learners confuse their R’s and L’s. The usual explanation is that these sounds...
- Pronunciation
Why “Repeat After Me” Doesn't Improve Pronunciation
You’re reading out some expressions for the student to repeat after you. In your opinion, which of the following is...
- Pronunciation
Backchaining — How to Get Difficult Words to "Roll off Your Tongue"
Have you ever started singing a song and gotten stuck after the first few lines? Or maybe you can remember...
- Pronunciation
Loanwords and Romanization: Lesser-Known Culprits Behind Persistent Pronunciation Issues
When I worked as an English teacher in France, the school principal was someone called “Monsieur Lelong.” Can you guess...
- Pronunciation
Forget Word Stress Rules (For Now) and Prioritize These Two Principles
When we think of teaching word stress, it’s easy to think about all the rules and feel overwhelmed. Luckily, there...
- Pronunciation
Robotic-Sounding Student? Teach Them Some Rhythm!
Students often think “word stress” is the same as emphasis, force, or volume. However, when we stress a syllable, we...
- Pronunciation
Sloppy Pronunciations That Became Standard English
Have you ever wondered why “Wednesday” is pronounced “wensday” and “comfortable” “comfterble”? Or why Gloucester, Worcester, and Leicester (names of...
- Curiosity
- Pronunciation