The 9 Best Online Resources for ESL Pronunciation Practice
In order to gain regular and varied pronunciation practice, students should be exposed to a range of accents, speech patterns, and ideas to polish their own accents in and out of the classroom.
Deciding which pronunciation websites to showcase in the classroom can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Take a tour of these three tremendous websites and discover a new favorite to aid you in teaching pronunciation!
These 3 Websites Will Help You Teach Pronunciation
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Merriam-Webster's Learner's Page:
A favorite website of teachers around the globe who wish to inspire solid pronunciation skills is Merriam-Webster's Learner's Page. It has many uses, and could be utilized in and out of the classroom. One very useful aspect of this website is the Word of the Day feature. It provides a word with phonetic spelling, an easy-to-understand definition and an example sentence. For pronunciation refinement there is an audio file which students can listen to as many times as they need. It is suitable for pronunciation practice as well as an inherent vocabulary skill builder.
Another useful section to this website is the area for pronunciation exercises which can be found at: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pronex.htm
There are 14 sessions, and each session has 4 different exercises plus a review with sentence practice. Each of the exercises focuses on two specific sounds, homophones, or syllable stress. The exercises are presented by furnishing sentences with the focal sound in a written example. All sentences also include audio pronunciations that can be utilized repeatedly. Students learn not only pronunciation but an abundance of new vocabulary and useful English language distinctions.
To gain access to even more exercises, students and teachers can register on the website at no cost. The free registration entitles users to their own dictionary of saved words. They can then access those at any time for practice. Registrants also gain access to the 3,000 words dictionary. This online learner's dictionary has compiled 3,000 of the most commonly spoken English words. The words are found in everyday speech and are requisite for anyone learning English as a second language. Once registered you can check off words from the list and place them directly into your personal word list. The dictionary entries are organized alphabetically, are searchable, and have an audio pronunciation.
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2
Howjsay:
This free online talking dictionary has several uses for improving pronunciation. It is very simple to use and even students with little technical knowledge or experience with the internet will find it fun and user-friendly. To use it, simply type a word, phrase or sentence into the box and submit it. When you see the result, tap the mouse to access the entry. When you put your mouse over the result, the entry will be spoken in correct English. The words are pre-recorded in a human voice, with pronunciation in standard British English. World English alternatives like American English are also available.
The howjsay website offers a unique and valuable resource for non-native speakers to vocalize with confidence and fluency. There are several ways in which you could utilize this website. Bring it into the classroom as a resource for demonstrations, examples, or create your own word or phrase of the day. You could also recommend it to students for independent study. This website also offers free iPhone and Android applications that could be of interest to students on the go.
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3
Rachel's English:
Rachel's English provides a unique, practical, and distinct way to practice pronunciation. It was created by an ESL teacher who has also studied languages. These video lessons offer a range of topics which are approached very professionally. She furnishes the lessons with elements of fun and creativity, and she speaks slowly but not awkwardly. The provided explanations are easy to understand for all levels. The lessons come complete with memorable practice and are accented with a down-to-earth tone. Many of the videos show close-ups of her mouth in order to display how sounds are created and the varied subtleties of the English language. The videos are designated into 5 sections making it easy for you to find what you are looking for. The sections include everything necessary for good pronunciation and communication. The sections are: vowels, consonants, diphthongs, consonant clusters, and comparisons. She also provides pronunciation practice divided into four sections. Those sections are: stress, reduction, intonation, and practice. Within each of these sections, there are multiple topics, videos, and tests. This website is effective for in-class activities, independent study for students and teachers alike. Whether you are searching for new ways to explain the nuances of pronunciation or looking for interesting supplemental exercises, Rachel does a fantastic job of combining explanations with useful examples and challenging practice.
Take a trip to these websites and experiment with how you might incorporate them into your lessons.
Each one facilitates student-centered learning and provides real-world examples to become an expert speaker of English!
