Why English Pronunciation is Important for English Second Language Learners (ESL)

By: Yana Bostongirl

My student used to work at a company in Woburn, Massachusetts prior to setting up her small business. In one of our sessions, she related her frustration when people weren’t able to understand her pronunciation of Woburn which sounded like ‘oobun.’

As a result, she had to repeat the word over and again but to no avail. Suffice to say, it wasn’t a pleasant experience for all the involved parties.

Even though my student has a good vocabulary, she often struggles with pronouncing certain words. I can see that it makes her feel insecure about her conversational skills and anxious about talking with native English speakers.

Since using the correct English pronunciation is important not only to be understood clearly but also to avoid miscommunications when speaking, I have incorporated pronunciation practice into our lessons along with English speaking practice.

Pronunciation practice and speaking practice are two separate but equally important subjects for an English Second Language (ESL) learner as this excerpt explains: “Speaking practice helps you learn how to make natural sentences in real conversations. Pronunciation is all about making sure you sound clear and are easy to understand. By using the correct sounds when you speak, others can quickly understand what you’re trying to say. If you are great at grammar and know many different words, good pronunciation will help others hear and understand you even more clearly.”

Do you or someone you know need help with English speaking and pronunciation? Then read below to see how Tutoria, a nonprofit, can help you achieve your goals!

Tutoria is a free community-based online platform that connects volunteer tutors with clients who need help with learning English, preparing for their citizenship test, and legal aid.

Founded in 2017 by Alex Sulyevich, it is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is run by an all-volunteer team. This is an entirely free service where both the clients and volunteer tutors decide how they want to meet once a connection has been established on the platform.

If you would like to know more about Tutoria or are interested in supporting them, you can do so by visiting their website and by checking out this video.