Simple yet Effective Ways of Learning English Pronunciation

At Saundz, we developed a simple yet concise curriculum that may seem too simple at first. However, we know from experience that when it comes to pronunciation you need to walk before you run.

Our building block approach teaches you one sound at a time and when you have learned a few sounds (a mix of vowels and consonants) Saundz uses only those sounds to teach you simple, yet useful words. Then through minimal pairs you learn the subtle differences between certain sounds of English.

This simple yet effective approach helps you to master spoken English.

In an International Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IJOHSS) article published February 2012 there were a number of conclusions that support the Saundz approach.

In that IJOHSS article the following studies made conclusions important to learning English pronunciation.

According to the Elliot study (1995), teachers tend to view pronunciation as the least useful of the basic language skills and therefore they generally sacrifice teaching pronunciation in order to spend valuable class time on other areas of language.

Teachers just do not have the background or tools to properly teach pronunciation and therefore it is disregarded, notes the Elliot study. At Saundz we have taken this information to heart in the formulation of our curriculum and as such made it simple and achievable while providing the platform to build valuable skills.

Also referenced in the IJOHSS article was the Fraser study (2000), which stated that English as a Second Language and English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) teachers need to be provided with courses and materials to help them improve their effectiveness in teaching pronunciation.

Fraser also noted that for learners of ESL/EFL pronunciation there is a need for high quality, effective materials, especially computer-based materials with audio demonstrations.

She also concluded that research in second language education should not be concerned with the importance of teaching pronunciation, which is a given, but with the methodology of teaching pronunciation. At Saundz, we could not agree more with the Fraser study findings and we have proudly produced a basic building block curriculum which is aided by Simone, our computer-generated virtual animated pronunciation assistant that uses studio quality video to demonstrate sound articulation.

Our conclusion is that learning English pronunciation can be one of the most difficult parts of a language for ESL/EFL learners to master and one of the least favorite topics for teachers to address in the ESL/EFL classroom. All learners can do well in learning how to properly pronounce the foreign language they are learning. At Saundz we are excited to provide our students with a comprehensive yet achievable curriculum encompassed with state of the art technology. Our goal is to help you walk before you run as it pertains to pronunciation.