When learning a new language, the leap from reading and writing to speaking can feel pretty daunting. It’s hard to figure out how to communicate what you mean, especially when you’re working with a limited vocabulary.
As you’re figuring out the right words to choose, you also may be wondering if you’re pronouncing them correctly. Pronunciation can feel tricky to learn, as your tongue is used to forming words in a certain way, and it’s hard to break those habits!
Pronunciation is a core piece of the language-learning puzzle, and like anything else, it requires practice. Just like you know you’ll need to learn new words to build your vocabulary, you’ll also need to spend some time mastering how to say those words.
Ultimately, the key is to make sure you’re regularly practicing your pronunciation as you learn your new language. Here are three simple steps you can take:
The path to proper pronunciation
- Listen to native speakers
- Practice often
- Get feedback
By following these three steps consistently, you’ll learn how to speak your new language like a local.
The good news is that each of these steps is built right into Rosetta Stone’s curriculum. Within every lesson, you’ll listen to native speakers who carefully demonstrate the proper way to pronounce each word or phrase. Then, immediately after hearing it correctly, you’ll practice saying the words aloud for yourself. Finally, with Rosetta Stone TruAccent, you’ll get instant feedback to help you improve!
Another great way to follow these steps is with a language exchange partner. Finding a native speaker to practice your new language with will be extremely helpful in improving your listening and speaking skills. Just be sure to ask for frequent feedback, particularly on your pronunciation!
Ready to get started? Let’s dive in to each step:
Listen to native speakers
The first step to pronouncing a word correctly is hearing it correctly. As you learn a new language, it’s especially important to make sure that you’re listening to native speakers. When you hear the words as a local would say them, it trains your brain to articulate them that way as well.
This is why Rosetta Stone fully immerses you in the language you’re learning. Throughout the Rosetta Stone curriculum, our team of expert teachers carefully models each word and phrase for you. By constantly hearing these native speakers, you’ll develop solid core language skills.
You can also listen to podcasts, news stations, TV shows, and movies from countries where your new language is spoken. As an added benefit, this can also be a fun way to build your vocabulary and learn about the local culture!
Practice often
Listening is a great foundation, but to build your skills, you’ll need to practice for yourself. Even the simplest, smallest words—like saying “hello” in your new language—will take practice to get right.
The key is to say the word or phrase aloud for yourself directly after hearing it spoken by a native speaker. This combination of hearing and repeating is powerful—not only will it help you to pick words up more quickly, but you’ll also develop a stronger overall mastery of them in the long run.
So while you’re listening to podcasts, news stations, or TV shows in your new language, get into the habit of pausing and repeating what they’re saying. Make sure to repeat the new word or phrase until you’ve got it down!
Consistent practice is also built into Rosetta Stone’s curriculum, and you’ll be speaking your new language within your very first lesson. After hearing each word or phrase from one of our expert teachers, you’ll have a chance to say it out loud for yourself.
Get feedback
The final important step is to make sure you’re getting feedback on your pronunciation. This will help you nip bad habits in the bud and learn to say each word correctly from the very beginning.
Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent speech recognition software provides instant feedback on your pronunciation. Within each and every Rosetta Stone lesson, you’ll hear the word spoken correctly, practice it for yourself, and get immediate feedback. After saying each word aloud, you’ll see a visual indicator of how well you pronounced it, and will have a chance to try again if you didn’t get it quite right! This will help you to truly master the core aspects of your new language.
This also helps build your confidence! You can rest assured that you’ve already practiced your pronunciation with Rosetta Stone and have had a chance to improve based on real-time feedback. By the time you’re having conversations, and selecting the words you want to say, you won’t have to worry about how to articulate them—you’ll already know you’ve got it down.
Rosetta Stone can help with each of these steps, and much more! Learn more at www.rosettastone.com
