Slide show showing the most common pitfalls in English pronuciation for non native speakers and why speaking clear English is important and sometimes difficult. It provides some exercises and tips for practice. Also see my free sound files on http://soundcloud.com/yolanthesmit

1. Fuzzy Wuzzy
a Tongue Twister for you!
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a bear
Fuzzy Wuzzy Had no hair
Fuzzy Wuzzy Wasn't very fuzzy
Was he?

2. Pronunciation,
Pronunciation
• English pronunciation usually learned later
in life
• English sounds are difficult to pronounce
for non-native speakers
• Pronunciation is deeply connected to our
sense of identity and sense of Self

3. Why invest in your
English Pronunciation?
• Improves communication
• Increases status
• Brings more money

4. What keeps us?
• Shame, Embarassement & Fear!

5. The trap of right &
wrong thinking
• If I get it wrong......
• If I get it right......

6. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right.....
I am a good person
• If I get it wrong......
• I am a stupid person

7. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right... I am a competent person
• If I get it wrong... I am an incompetent
person

8. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right......I will be accepted and
respected
• If I get it wrong...I am unworthy of respect

9. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right...... I am likeable & lovable
• If I get it wrong..I am unlikeable & unloveable

10. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right......I am a cool person
• If I get it wrong...I am a klutz

11. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right......I will make money
• If I get it wrong... I will be poor

12. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right...... I am a powerful person
• If I get it wrong......I am a weakling

13. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right.....I am a succes
• If I get it wrong......I am a loser

14. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right.....I will not suffer &
die
• If I get it wrong......I will suffer and die

15. Check your Beliefs
• If I get it right......
• If I get it wrong...

16. What keeps us from investing
in refining our pronunciation?
Outdated beliefs!

17. Empty your mind

18. Letting go of Beliefs
• allow yourself to make ‘mistakes’
• adopt a playful attitude to learning and
practice
• have fun with the sounds, the mouth and
tongue & lip exercises
• enjoy the process

19. Pronunciation Challenges
• Dutch - th becomes du - de, dat, dose
• French - th becomes ze - the, that, those
• German - th becomes zie - ze, zat, zose
• Chinese - r becomes l - loom, led, lale, loal
• Spanish - v becomes b - very - berry, vivacious -
bibacious, vibrant - bibrant, valentine - ballentine
• Russian - l becomes ll lie - llie, love - llove

20. The five A’s of
Articulation & Diction
 your actions
• Awareness of the problem; how am I saying it? listen to yourself
• Acceptance of the problem; yes, I am saying it! mental switch
• Adjustments in the way you shape the sounds; study the
correct pronunciation, study and practice self study or coaching
• Attention to breathing, pacing and posture; take time to let the
sounds roll of the tongue, slow down, stand erect and ground
yourself prepare and create the right conditions each time you speak
• Application of all of the above practice - practice - practice

21. Anatomy of Speech
1
GUTTERAL — the back of the tongue
good - great - gigantic - kind -
cow
2
PALATAL — the flat of the tongue
language - light - laughter
3
CEREBRAL — the roof of the mouth
top - tickle - terrific -
4
DENTAL — the tip of the tongue
the - that - neat -
5
LABIAL — lips
http://americansanskrit.com
mom - bare - very - fuzzy - pan

22. Methods for Improving
• Analysis: record your voice; make an inventory of
the problem areas
• When unsure of correct pronunciation listen to
the word being pronounced and repeat the words
Merriam Webster Dictionary
The Visual Thesaurus
• Study words with similar sounds but subtle
differences

23. English Sounds;
Word Pairs
their - there phase - faze
neat - need ship - sheep
fade - fate walk - work
rug - rock lettuce - letters
hat - head face - faith
life - live very - weary
dead - debt bug - buck

24. How Much Wood?
A tongue twister
How much wood
would a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck
could chuck wood?
He would chuck
as much wood
as a woodchuck could chuck

25. Resources
• Starfall
• Visual Thesaurus
• Merriam Webster Dictionary
• Laat je passie spreken!
• Splendid Speaking
• Pronuncian