http://www.hansencommlab.com<br />http://www.speakglobalenglish.org<br /><br />Speak Global English Series with Heather Hansen<br />Part 20: Fine tuning your speech with minimal pairs<br /><br />Today I'd like to share with you another fun way to practice your pronunciation.<br />Minimal pairs are words that are identical except for the one problem sound you are focused on practicing. <br /><br />For example, if you have trouble with the sounds R and L you might practice reading a list of words like: <br />read / lead <br />road / load <br />fry / fly <br />fright / flight <br />and so on. <br /><br />Slowly say these words out loud and really focus on the sounds and the way you use your voice. Here are some helpful hints to practicing minimal pairs:<br /><br />1. Say the words in a mirror. Exaggerate your facial expressions. Watch your tongue, lips and jaw, and note the differences when you make the sounds. <br /><br />2. Record yourself saying the pairs. Listen to the recording and see if you can hear a difference between how you pronounce the words.<br /><br />3. Choose one word from each pair and say them out loud to a friend. Have your friend write down the words he/she hears. See if your friend heard the words you were trying to say.<br /><br />Don't push yourself too hard. You might notice that after 15 minutes or so your brain and tongue just can't seem to communicate. That's normal. Take a break and go back to it later!<br /><br />If you'd like to see more people in your company practicing their pronunciation, visit http://www.HansenCommLab.com for information on training opportunities. Or, come join the revolution at http://www.SpeakGlobalEnglish.org.
