June 16, 2018 Pronunciation Tips

クラスありますよー。

Pronunciation

In yesterday's basic 入門 class, I taught a lesson on pronunciation. I think English is more difficult than Japanese because it has more sounds. Here are some tips if you want to sound like a native speaker:

1. DON'T use katakana when you take notes!  There are many sounds which cannot be written with katakana.  If you use katakana, you are training your brain to think with Japanese sounds. Pronunciation is more important than your spelling. Don't worry about spelling for now.

2. Copy copy copy. まねして。Listen and repeat. Don't think. This is one reason children can learn so quickly. They are really good at doing this.

3. Pay attention to the movement of your mouth.  You must move your mouth differently when you speak English.

Here is a great video I found on YouTube to help with your pronunciation. Check it out!