How can I improve my pronunciation on my own?

Unfortunately, correct English pronunciation is rare even among foreign language teachers. This is due to the initially irrational choice of teaching methods. Many people still prefer the grammar-translation system, which consists in mechanically memorizing words and learning the rules. In fact, it is necessary to train English pronunciation from the very beginning of acquaintance with a foreign language. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to fix the fixed errors.

Recommendations for beginners

1. The main thing is the regularity of classes. You don't have to spend several hours every day studying phonetics and practical exercises. By giving lessons at least half an hour a day, you will soon notice positive results.

2. Do not limit yourself to textbooks and computer resources. Try to approach the task creatively. Many experts claim that even singing in a foreign language helps to improve English pronunciation.

3. Use the voice recorder. Listening to small texts recorded by native speakers, try to repeat the speech as accurately as possible. This is necessary to improve intonation, which is significantly different from Russian. Do this simple exercise at least a couple of times a week.

4. Watch movies and TV shows. Listen to how the person on the screen pronounces consonants and vowels, which syllables stand out especially in his speech. It is also worth paying attention to what form the mouth of the presenter or actor takes during a conversation or monologue.

5. Listen to the radio. The standard of high-quality English pronunciation is undoubtedly the BBC.

6. If possible, be sure to involve a family member or friend in the classes. This will allow you not only to practice your oral speech skills, but also to notice mistakes in pronunciation.

7. Practice in front of the mirror. While studying phonetics, you will realize that the pronunciation of sounds that seem to be identical in Russian and English is radically different. You will have to constantly monitor the position of the lips and tongue.

8. Use several proven sources of information. Be sure to combine textbooks and Internet resources, communication with real people and video lessons. You may also be interested in tongue twisters that will help you develop the necessary pronunciation speed without loss of quality.

9. Select only one pronunciation option. There are many variants of English: American, English, Australian and so on. From the point of view of "correctness", the English of Oxford and Cambridge can be considered the optimal solution. After studying one accent in detail, move on to the next. It is not worth studying several options at the same time.

10. Read aloud. A variety of dialogues are especially useful in this regard (they allow you to train intonation).

11. Pay attention to the stress. Note that English pronunciation may imply the presence of 2 accents in the same word at once.

12. When learning new words, memorize them immediately with the correct pronunciation and stress. In no case do not try to write down the pronunciation in Russian letters: this step will make all your efforts fruitless.

13. Learn to write transcription. Many textbooks are equipped with an audio course with phonetic dictation. Do not neglect this monotonous, but incredibly useful exercise: working on mistakes will definitely help you learn not only to talk beautifully, but also to better understand the interlocutor. You will no longer confuse words that are pronounced almost the same.