The dangers of pronunciation training

And how not to lose confidence in your speaking skills You need to improve your pronunciation, so you start pronunciation training. Of course, you want to improve but you must know there are dangers. It’s often true that the more you know you feel like the less you know. The problem is that the more … Continue reading The dangers of pronunciation training

Do I have to learn how to say the “th”?

The “th” or /ð/ and /θ/ sounds don’t exist in German or many other languages. Notoriously difficult to produce, to make them you have to find the right spot with your tongue on your front teeth. It takes a lot of practice and can take many months or even years to perfect. The question is: … Continue reading Do I have to learn how to say the “th”?

How good is your English really?

Zen master Thích Nhất Hạnh, who died in January this year, had some advice: You should write “Are you sure?” and tape it to your wall. This will remind you that, although you may believe something is true, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is. In order to make good progress in any area of life, … Continue reading How good is your English really?

A New Start or Back to Work

Last week the schools started again after the summer holidays. Some kids are going back to what they know but others are starting in new classes or even new schools. There are new challenges, with maybe even a whole new location, new teachers, and classmates. For us adults, this time of year usually means getting … Continue reading A New Start or Back to Work