Intonation Exercises: Change Your Tone of Voice to Express Emotions in English

 In order to improve your intonation when speaking English, you need to develop sensitivity to the emotions and attitudes that native English speakers express through their tone of voice. A deeper awareness of how we communicate meaning through intonation will help you become more socially and emotionally intelligent in conversations with native English speakers. Once you’re able to identify the different emotions and attitudes expressed through tone, you’ll be able to start working on … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Choosing Falling or Rising Intonation: Show You’re Done Talking or Ask a Question

 Are you done talking? Have you finished your thought? Can I answer your question now? If so, please let me know – with your voice. You’re probably really careful with your choice of words, but your intentions might be misunderstood if you use the wrong intonation pattern. Here’s why you need to confidently choose to speak with rising or falling intonation: If your pitch rises when it should fall, you may sound uncertain or … Read the article and watch the video lesson

How to Pronounce Phrasal Verbs in English with Stress and Linking

I can’t believe I’m going to talk about phrasal verbs! While I’m not going to teach you the 10 most common phrasal verbs in English, or anything like that, I am going to explain how to pronounce phrasal verbs like a native English speaker. Specifically, we’re going to talk about the stress patterns that you need to get right in order to be understood when using phrasal verbs. We’re also going to discuss how to … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Accent Mistakes: How NOT to Sound Like a Native English Speaker

Chances are you want to sound MORE like a native English speaker! After all, improving your accent can help you feel more confident when speaking because you know that the focus is going to be on your words, not the way you say them. On top of that, speaking with a more natural-sounding accent may help you fit in better with Americans or other English speakers. My clients often say that they want to reduce … Read the article and watch the video lesson

30 Words That Americans and Brits Stress Differently

 Have you noticed that Americans and Brits pronounce words quite differently? You might be able to hear that some vowel sounds are completely different. After all, vowel sounds do vary quite a lot between regional dialects. And you might notice different consonants, especially when we’re talking about the American “r” versus the British pronunciation of “r,” or the American flap “t” versus the British clear pronunciation of the “t” sound. But as far as … Read the article and watch the video lesson

How to Talk About Your English Level and Language Skills in Real Life

Before we get started, I have a couple of questions for you and I want you to think about them as we go through this article and video: How would you describe your current level of English? What are you trying to achieve next? If someone asked you to describe your language skills in an interview, would you know what to say? In this video, I’m going to explain how to sound more natural and … Read the article and watch the video lesson