About the book
The purpose of this book is to focus on the difficulties learners have in speaking English and understanding the spoken language. Speaking and listening skills both go hand in hand so in order to speak well, the learner has first of all to improve his/her listening skills by becoming phonetically aware of how words are pronounced. The fact is, there are many difficulties due to English not being a phonetic language. It is thereby important to recognise the English sound system patterns. The book focuses on high frequency mispronounced words among Italian learners.
By improving your oral and listening skills you can become more communicative and, what’s more, you can begin to speak with less of a foreign accent.
Pronunciation errors are rampant among Italian speakers of English. If you mispronounce a word by reading it the way you would in Italian, then it could seriously impede understanding. Italian is read the way it is written but not English. Unlike Italian, English is not a phonetic language. For this reason the book is dedicated to pronunciation and the study of the phonemic script and how to use it. If you are unfamiliar with phonemes then it is a good idea to begin to become aware of how important they are to achieving accuracy in the spoken language. This phonetic “language” has been devised for non natives to aid with pronunciation.
One of the most fascinating and elusive aspects in learning English is the phonetics. "To speak like a native speaker" is a skill that many would like to develop, but few manage to achieve.
Why should I improve my accent?
For several reasons.
We live in a society where we are judged not only by appearance but also by the way we speak.
Improving your pronunciation will give you a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment from a cultural point of view.
Uno degli aspetti più affascinanti e sfuggenti nell'apprendimento di inglese è la fonetica. “Parlare come un madrelingua” è un’abilità che molti vorrebbero sviluppare, ma pochi riescono a raggiungere.
Perché dovrei migliorare il mio accento?
Per diversi motivi.
Viviamo in una società in cui siamo giudicati non solo per l'aspetto, ma anche dal modo in cui parliamo.
Migliorando la tua pronuncia ti darà un senso di appagamento e di realizzazione da un punto di vista culturale.
About the author
Jacqueline Melvin is a qualified English language instructor - certified with Cambridge RSA DELTA since 1997. She has been awarded certificates for phonological and phonemic awareness and is an expert on articulatory phonetics.