about me, this blog and English pronunciation

Hi guys, it’s time to dive into Sigrid’s Language Treasures!

I’m ‘the new kid on the block’ as far as blogging is concerned, so I’m a little nervous to start, but there’s so much I would like to share, and language learning affects so many of us, that I feel I’ve held back long enough! So here goes:

Basically, I’ve been interested in linguistics since early childhood. As a native German speaker who has lived in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and England, I have a passion for languages, different cultures and all things international.

I have always loved languages, have learned a few myself, and love finding out how language and language learning works. From a young age I’ve been fascinated by how meaning is expressed and changes, how different languages express things differently, and how language, culture and world view affect each other. On finishing school I started ‘collecting linguistic treasures’ more formally as a translator, then as a private language teacher for the past nearly 10 years, but some of the best gems I found during my studies for a Masters in Applied Linguistics.

These days, my passion is not only to teach languages, but to help people find effective ways of learning them. Foreign language skills can affect so many aspects of our lives, and many times hold us back from fulfilling our potential. I hope that with my background and experience I can make a small contribution towards helping people overcome those restrictions. That’s why I’ve decided it’s time I shared some of what I’ve picked up along the way. In this blog I hope to talk about language learning and teaching, including practical tips as well as more theoretical and philosophical thoughts about how it works and doesn’t work and how language affects every-day life and vice-versa. Teachers, language learners, linguists and anyone who is interested in languages and different cultures, please read, share and comment!

Another thing I am passionate about is teaching English Pronunciation, i.e. helping non-native English speakers to learn a more native-like accent. I first discovered my love for this field during the Pronunciation module of my MA studies, and then developed my skills further by attending a Pronunciation Teaching Course a few years ago, and teaching private pronunciation classes.

I want to dedicate the first post of this blog to this topic, and I will no doubt come back to it regularly.

Speaking to English language learners on a regular basis, I am amazed how many will say ‘my English isn’t very good’, when actually there are no major problems with their grammar, vocabulary, comprehension or fluency. Many people are aware of having a strong foreign accent, which in many cases also means that others find it hard to understand what they say. What they struggle with is simply their English pronunciation, yet it feels to them as though all of their English is ‘bad’. There is no doubt that pronunciation affects a speaker’s confidence and prospects like nothing else. However, it is also, I believe, an area of language learning that is easier to ‘fix’ compared to other areas like vocabulary and fluency.

If this describes you or someone you know, I have good news: better English pronunciation or a more native-like accent is achievable! You don’t have to have a ‘natural’ language talent – although of course it helps if you do. There are some simple rules and techniques which will make a big difference to your pronunciation. Just simply by becoming aware of the English sounds and intonation and learning how to produce them, you can achieve a change, and with careful, regular practice, changing your accent is no more complicated than learning to use correct grammar.

Sadly, too often pronunciation is neglected in language teaching, and unhelpful teaching techniques such as introducing writing too early, result in learners having to first unlearn wrong pronunciation in order to improve their accent. However, the good news is that even small changes can make a big difference.

Take for instance the English sound known as the ‘schwa’. It is the most common vowel sound of the English language, produced with a completely neutral, relaxed mouth and tongue position, the one you would use in the English word ‘a’ as in ‘a table’. Often, speakers of other languages are not aware that, in so many English words, the English vowel letters – a, e, i, o and u – are pronounced as ‘schwa’ rather than as the distinct vowel sounds you might expect. Learning how to pronounce the ‘schwa’ and where to use it therefore makes a big difference to a person’s accent. A great example is the word ‘photographer’. In Southern British English (SBE, sometimes considered ‘standard English’), all the vowels in this word, except the ‘o’ in ‘-to’, are pronounced with the neutral ‘schwa’ sound! (To find out more about schwa try this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPsr58dFkNw)

There is of course not room in this blog to teach you English pronunciation systematically. Rather, I want to use it to discuss pronunciation-related issues more generally, e.g. questions like “Why do some people achieve a native-like accent quickly whereas others struggle for years?’’ – see my next post. (This question was just one of many fascinating discussion topics at the last International Coffee Morning – a monthly event in St Albans, England, which is an opportunity for people from around the world to meet informally to share and compare experiences.

That’s it for today. Watch this space for more about pronunciation, language learning and teaching, different cultures, linguistics and other fascinating things! Do please share and like the posts, and please add your own comments, thoughts and experiences. I look forward to your contributions!

Also, if you live in or near St Albans, England and want to find out more about my English Pronunciation classes, the International Coffee Morning, or Language for Fun (French conversation classes for adults www.languageforfun.org), please get in touch. Thanks for reading!

Sigrid