Pronunciation is completely different from other language skills.
While grammar and vocabulary are internal, meaning you think about them and understand them, pronunciation is external—it’s a muscular skill. Pronouncing a word correctly is like hitting a ball or playing piano. It’s active, it requires repetition, and at first, it is difficult.
Think of a hobby or a sport you have done.
- How often did you practice?
- How long did it take you to be able to do the basic skills?
If you can do a hobby well, you definitely practiced often. If you mastered it, you worked hard. It must have taken you quite a while.
Your expectations of improving your pronunciation should be similar. Daily practice is necessary for improvement. Imagine going to the gym and only spending a few minutes there. Your fitness wouldn't improve. Pronunciation is the same, you need to practice continually to see improvement. And, like sports, coaching is important. Just as young athletes watch older athletes, you should watch native English speakers. Pay attention to people better than you.
My experience
The good news is pronunciation has a massive effect on your spoken English. Unlike a high-level word that you rarely use, high-level pronunciation shapes everything you say.
When I studied Japanese, my instructor was very strict. At first, it made me frustrated. I couldn’t make the right sound no matter how hard I tried. Finally, after weeks of practice, I started to make some sounds correctly, but only when I thought about it. When I focused on anything else my good pronunciation would disappear.
Finally, I was able to say most sounds correctly. I noticed the difference immediately. People were so much more willing to talk with me.
At first, when I had greeted people with poor pronunciation, people gave me short replies. They didn't want to chat. But when I greeted people with better pronunciation, they were warmer and more friendly. I learned that good pronunciation is the key to a good first impression.
So if you take lessons with the English Farm, we will make sure you spend time in the lesson working on pronunciation. But then you have to spend time every day practicing!