Beyond You’re Welcome: More Ways to Respond to Thanks in American English

You’ve probably noticed that we Americans tend to say “thank you” a lot. Whether we’re saying thanks for something small, showing appreciation for someone’s support, or expressing gratitude for a huge favor, you want to find a way to acknowledge our feelings. Let’s talk about how. Learn how to respond to “thank you” in American English. Saying “You’re Welcome” with Natural Stress and Intonation Here in the United States, we often respond to “thanks” with … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Are You Working on Your Accent the Wrong Way? 😳 Here’s What to Do Instead

From time to time, I hear from non-native speakers who are concerned that they’re doing the wrong thing while working towards a more natural accent. As far as I’m concerned, if you, or even better, the people who are listening to you speak, can hear a difference in how you sound, then it’s not possible for you to do anything wrong. But if you feel like you’re not getting the results you want, or progress … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Beyond Thank You: How to Show Appreciation and Express Gratitude in English

Take a moment and think about how many times you’ve said “thank you” today. If you’re living in the United States or another English speaking country, you’ve probably said it more times than you can count. “Thank you” has become such a common response that we often don’t notice when we’ve said it. As a non-native speaker, you may be surprised by how much Americans say “thank you” for doing something that’s common courtesy, or … Read the article and watch the video lesson

How to Breathe When Speaking English | Get Started with Breathing, Pausing, and Thought Groups

When was the last time you thought about your breathing when speaking English? After all, breathing is an automatic process, right? When you run out of air, you breathe again. We usually don’t pay that much attention to our breathing unless we have a cold, or we’re feeling short of breath, maybe we’re nervous, or doing a sport or other activity like singing that requires breath support. That’s why I’m here to remind you that … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Find Your Voice in American English: Vocal Exercises for Non-Native Speakers (Pitch & Resonance)

Let me ask you something. How do you feel about the sound of your voice when you’re speaking English? If you’re like most people, you probably have some concerns about your voice. Maybe you feel like your pitch is too high or too low. Maybe you have trouble changing your pitch or you feel like your voice sounds a little monotone. Maybe you think your voice sounds too nasally or too high in your head, … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Contrast: Improve Your Accent and Sound More Natural and Interesting in American English 🎶

Over the past few months, I’ve been hearing from a lot of non-native speakers who are concerned that they sound monotonous, robotic, bored, or even annoyed when they’re speaking English. They’ve been working on their accent, but they feel like something is missing. When you’re trying to improve how you sound in English, you’ll find a lot of tips out there. (You can find quite a few of them right here!) But if you really … Read the article and watch the video lesson