1. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN
Listening to English songs, English news, and watching English TV series (time to binge watch on Netflix, guys!) would really help you be familiar with the English sounds.
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/us-confirms-traveler-photos-stolen-in-cyberattack/4956401.html
2. MAKE A TAPE
Not like the tapes on 13 Reasons Why, okay? It would be nice to say the words (especially those that you commonly use in your lessons) aloud and record yourself, so that you can check if you were able to mimic the correct sound.
3. SAY HI TO YOUR BEST FRIEND
Check the Internet for English websites, Youtube channels, and the TQ hub of course to access a wide variety of resources to help you improve your sound.
4. CHECK THE DICTIONARY
This one is really, really important. Never guess the pronunciation of a word. Remember, you are teaching kids and most of them would just copy what their teacher said. If you are unsure, check the dictionary to get the correct pronunciation of a word.
5. LEARN THE BASICS OF IPA
You don’t need to be an expert in IPA (but if you want to, go ahead). Learning the basics would be of great help in understanding the different sounds in the English language.
6. KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF STRESS AND INTONATION
Examine a sentence and know which words should be stressed. Also, correct intonation is important to convey differences of expressive meanings.
7. PRACTICE! They say nobody’s perfect, so why bother practice? That’s true, but keep in mind that practice makes you better. Not perfect, but better. Talk with your friends, with your co-workers, or with other teachers to master the English pronunciation.
8. WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW
Lastly, here is a video to further help you sound natural when speaking in English!
Written by: Melanie Lawang
Just done reading and watching the video! Thank you so much. It helps a lot. God Bless 51talk!