Reading Aloud and Pronunciation

Recently I was asked: "when we read aloud aren't we just reinforcing bad pronunciation patterns?" What a great question, especially since students in language classes spend a lot of time reading dialogues and other exercises together. The truth is that reading aloud can be a mixed blessing.

The practice of reading aloud can help build linguistic reflexes, helping the tongue adjust to the sound combinations, and getting the brain used to word patterns, etc. This latter piece is also the case with reading silently, but reading aloud can help it "sink in" more for some people because (a) you have to pay more conscious attention to the words to have them register in your speech, and (b) speaking creates auditory input - even if it's your own voice - which is useful for auditory learners. So reading aloud can have real benefits for language development.

A drawback, however, can be the reinforcement of what the person called "bad" (presumably foreign-sounding) pronunciation. To improve the accuracy of your pronunciation, there are several steps you can take.

First, see if you can find text that also has an audio track, either from a textbook, online, or even if you can get a fluent speaker to record the excerpt for you. Then you can listen to the pronunciation while reading along, and try to imitate what you hear.

Additionally, it is very helpful to record YOURSELF as you read. You will hear things on the recording that you don't notice while you're actually speaking in the moment. When you notice something that sounds too "foreign," try to work on it until it sounds like what you think it should be.

Finally If you can get someone to give you some corrective feedback - confirming what is clear and giving suggestions for what could be improved - on not only your free speech but your voice recordings (so you can listen to them together, objectively) that would be the most helpful.

One way or another, since reading aloud won't likely change your pronunciation, but not reading aloud also won't change your pronunciation, you might as well practice reading aloud for the other benefits it can produce. And if you can follow some of the suggestions I've given above, you can then add the pronunciation benefits too. So keep practicing, and good luck!

You want feedback? Record yourself!

It's been a while since I've had a chance to post, mostly because the semester recently ended and I'm finally out from under the mountain of papers, etc. But back to language coaching tips and strategies for everyone!

A lot of people are interested in improving their overall oral (speaking) accuracy in a foreign language, and especially their pronunciation. But it's hard to get honest feedback and assistance. For this reason I offer a very simple but incredibly powerful strategy: Record yourself!

It is amazing how much you can notice (strengths and weaknesses alike) in your speech when you record yourself and then listen to the recording, compared to simply trying to be careful when you speak and catch your mistakes in the moment that they occur. Think about how you feel when you listen to yourself on voicemail for your telephone. Don't you think to yourself, "Wow, my voice sounds like that? It's so weird!" or "Oh my gosh, why did I say that? I should have said ___ instead!" The simple fact is that by recording yourself, you gain the advantage of objectivity, i.e. the chance to objectively hear and evaluate yourself as if you were listening to another person. You don't have to concentrate on making language; instead, your brain can pay attention to simply evaluating the finished product.

I have been working with student recordings for years, whether beginners, intermediate or very advanced speakers. I have had students and clients read words, sentences and paragraphs aloud, and speak freely. But the miracle occurs when I have them listen to themselves. Sometimes I leave it open and see what they notice for themselves, and they will catch grammatical, lexical (vocabulary) or phonological (pronunciation) mistakes, either asking me how to fix them, or - even better - saying something like "I said X, but I should have said Y, right?" Amazing! Completely independent self-correction! Yes, I am a native speaker as their instructor or coach, but a non-native instructor could guide students in this way just as well, and the truth is that they really didn't need my help; the recording helped them catch and correct their mistakes for themselves.

Alternatively, I may be able to direct their attention to a particular point when they are overwhelmed by too much speech. Either way, the same result occurs. For example, I might pause at part of a recording and say, "Listen to that sentence again; what do you notice about the grammar (or stress, etc.)?" Then usually after one or two more focused listening opportunities, the person will again say, "I said X, but I should have said Y, right?"

We'll come back to recordings and other ways to strategically use them for fast and successful language learning another time. But for now, try some simple recordings for yourself, and see what YOU notice. Then post a comment here and share your experiences with the rest of the community. We all look forward to hearing about your success!