We’re crazy about pronunciation

Pronunciation. The skill which gives us so many problems and so much stress. We all want to speak a foreign language as if we were spies, with no-one noticing our native accent. The 007 of languages. We have bad news for you: this is very, very difficult. That said, we’re going to give you some tips to help you improve your pronunciation and get a little closer to this goal. Who knows? One day you might become a spy after all 😉

1. Listen

To speak well, you have to listen carefully. If you can hear the difference between pero/perro, for example, it will be easier for you to reproduce these sounds.

2. Pay attention to how your lips, mouth and tongue move

All speech sounds are made by placing the lips, tongue and muscles of the mouth in specific positions. If you check you are positioning these parts of your body in the right place, you’ll see how the sounds you produce improve.

3. Accentuate

Intonation is also very important if you want to speak a language with a near-native accent. Every language has a different rise and fall. If you want to imitate these cadences accurately, you must accentuate words. We know you’re probably not a great fan of tildes and other accents, but they are essential if you are to pronounce words correctly.

4. Record yourself

Listening to yourself will allow you to hear your mistakes and help you improve. Don’t worry about making mistakes! It’s only by making mistakes that we can improve and make progress.

5. Practise

Speak, practise and copy: these are the key steps toward achieving good pronunciation and fluency.

6. Sign up for conversation classes

A native-speaking teacher is an essential guide on your learning journey.

Ask us how we can help you!