So you want to sound like a native English speaker and you have been trying to do this for years, right?
You have been working hard, taking English classes, and studying at home but you still can't quite get the right pronunciation or intonation.
Does this sound like you?
What if I told you that it's easier than you think it is.
There are certain habits that you can easily develop that will put you well on your way to sounding like a native speaker.
When I was learning Spanish in Latin America, I figured out that there was one simple way to pick up the native accent quickly and repeat it back naturally. A few months after I began my trip, native speakers started telling me that my Spanish sounded natural!
I want you to have the same success with your English.
In today's article I will show you how to do it.
Here is the simple trick:
- Repeat what you hear in your mind when a native speaker talks to you. You can easily shadow what you hear from a native by repeating what they silently, to yourself, using the same pronunciation and intonation. Mirror the person. Mimic them, just like a child might do when he is making fun of a friend (but it's in your head of course)
- Repeat what you hear in your mind when two native speakers are talking to each other. On the train, keep one ear open and mimic what they say in your own head. Again, try to use the same rhythm and intonation.
But what if you don't interact with native speakers every day?
Maybe you are living in your home country and you never have a chance to see or listen to native speakers.
No problem!
Turn on the TV. Turn on the radio. Check out my podcast!
The key is, you want to find something to listen to that you love and get addicted to it!
Learning should not feel like a task or a chore.
It should be a natural part of your life.
Find listening material that you love and use it to mimic what you hear in your mind.
It's simple but it's a habit that you must build:
This is quite easy to do, but it's not easy to REMEMBER to do it.
Just like anything else, you need to make this a habit.
To build a habit you should do this action consciously, 3 times per day, every day for about 20 days.
If you do keep it up, you will see yourself starting to do this naturally, without thinking about it.
So go ahead and put this tip into practice today.
I know you can start to sound more natural and reach your English goals so give it a try!
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ter-burg/14858405524/in/faves-95934042@N00/
