Can you relate to this experience? You see a word all the time in writing. You know what it means and how to use it. But then when you go to say it, you realize that you actually don’t feel confident pronouncing it out loud. You stumble over the word, hoping that you got it close enough so that the other person understands you. Don’t worry – we’ve all been there! That’s why I’m going ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post Clearly Say New, Unfamiliar, and Tricky Words with Word Stress and Contrast appeared first on English with Kim ..read more

Have you noticed how we say “comfterble,” even though the word is spelled com-for-ta-ble? Have you ever heard anyone say “ax” when talking about asking questions? Or have you wondered why people often call the second month of the year “Febyuary,” even though there’s technically an “r” in the middle? In this video, we’re going to talk about fast speech, and the interesting things native English speakers do in order to speak the language more ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post Fast Speech – Shortcuts English Speakers Use to Speak Quickly and Efficiently appeared first on En ..read more

You can say the same question in several different ways: What are you doing? (falling intonation) What are YOU doing? WHAT are you doing? What are you doing? (steep fall in pitch) What are you doing? (wavy pitch) What are you doing? (flat pitch) Even though the words are the same, the feeling you get from them is totally different. In this video, you’re going to learn three ways to change your meaning with your ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post Change Your Meaning with Your Voice – Intonation, Inflection, & Tone of Voice appeared first on English with Kim ..read more

Have you noticed how English speakers may finish a statement or a question with their pitch higher at the end? Other times, you can hear that their pitch falls steeply at the end. Or perhaps you’ve noticed how slight rises in pitch throughout the sentence help you follow along with their thoughts. These subtle changes in pitch help us communicate our meaning through intonation. In this video, we’re going to talk all about pitch and ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post Pitch and Intonation When Speaking English – Intonation for Statements, Questions & Thought Groups appe ..read more

Ever wanted to acknowledge something that’s happening during a conversation, or describe a specific moment during a discussion? Then this video will help! In this video, you’re going to learn 10 expressions that we use to describe what’s going on, or what happened, during a conversation, discussion or interaction. These phrases will help you transition or explain what’s coming next. Or they’ll help you describe what happened during the conversation. Let’s get started! Having a ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post 10 Transition Phrases and Expressions for Conversations in Am ..read more

Ever noticed how native English speakers use their voices to emphasize important words and help you follow what they’re saying? The rise and fall of their pitch, and the contrast between the words that matter, and those that don’t, create the natural rhythm and melody of American English. If you’re wondering how to find your own flow when speaking English, then this video is for you. In this video, you’ll learn how to use stress, ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post Find Your Flow When Speaking English – Stress, Rhythm, Melody, Contrast and Thought Groups appeared first on ..read more

Chances are you’ve been in a conversation with a native English speaker when they used a few expressions that were pretty new to you. You probably got the gist of what they were saying, but you still wanted to make sure that both of you were on the same page. In fact, we use a lot of expressions to transition between ideas, move on to another point or change the subject, or even to refer ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post 11 Super Common Conversation Expressions in American English appeared first on English with Kim ..read more

Do you happen to know what time it is? I was wondering if you’d help me move next week. Could you tell me where the nearest station is? Notice anything interesting about these sentences? That’s right – they’re questions hiding within other questions or statements. If you’ve ever missed answering a question because the question was actually hidden within a statement or another question, then this video will help. In this video, you’ll learn how ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post Indirect Questions – Make Requests and Offer Subtle Suggestions appeared first on English with ..read more

Have you ever wanted to give a clear, strong suggestion to a friend, relative, or coworker, while still sounding tactful and polite? At times, we need to encourage or even urge other people to take action, but we don’t want to sound bossy, demanding, or like we’re ordering people around. I recommend that you keep watching to find out how to offer clear suggestions and make strong recommendations in American English. In this video, you’ll ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post How to Give Clear Suggestions and Strong Recommendations Using Polite Language appeared first on Engl ..read more

If you’ve spent any time working on your accent, pronunciation, or voice in English, then you’ve come across a ton of advice. Go to just about any corner of the internet, and you’ll find videos, podcasts, articles, and message board discussions telling you exactly what you need to do to achieve your accent goals. If you’re like most people, you’re probably feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the information out there. How do you ... Read the article and watch the video lesson The post Don’t Let This Outdated Accent Advice Keep You From Speaking English – Your Ideas Matter! appeared first on ..read more