| If you want to improve your spoken English, you | | | | well. |
| know you need to practice. The more you listen | | | | If you focus on your pronunciation, you will |
| and speak, the more you improve. But you've got | | | | improve your spoken English. If hearing an alarm |
| to remember to use your new pronunciation skills | | | | or beep reminds you to focus on your speech, |
| when carrying on conversations every day. | | | | you will improve if you hear the alarm often |
| Google calendar can help. And so can your watch. | | | | enough. |
| You can use your sense of hearing as a reminder | | | | I want you to try an experiment to see if this |
| to speak more clearly. How can that help, you | | | | technique is helpful to you. |
| wonder? | | | | Choose one sound that you are trying to learn |
| Just look at these examples: | | | | really well. Make a list of 10-20 words that include |
| Beep! Beep! Beep! You reach over and turn off | | | | that sound and keep it with you. Find a watch |
| the alarm that has just awakened you, and you | | | | with an alarm or a timer, or use Google calendar |
| get out of bed. You've just used your sense of | | | | reminders if you are at your desk all day. Set |
| hearing to help you accomplish the task of waking | | | | your timer to ring or beep at 30 minute intervals |
| up at a certain time. | | | | during the day. Don't forget to plan around |
| Ding! Ding! The oven timer goes off, reminding | | | | meetings, as you don't want your alarm |
| you to take your dinner out of the oven before it | | | | interrupting your boss's presentation! |
| burns. Your sense of hearing has helped you get | | | | Each time the alarm sounds, practice 5-10 words |
| dinner cooked correctly, before your sense of | | | | from your list, out loud but quietly if you work in |
| smell had the chance to tell you that it had | | | | a cubicle. Even if you can't practice aloud, think |
| already burnt. | | | | about the words and the correct pronunciation of |
| Buzzers, timers, and alarms are part of our | | | | the sound. This activity brings this new sound to |
| everyday life these days, but have you ever | | | | the forefront of your brain, so when you are |
| thought about using your sense of hearing as a | | | | conversing with co-workers or family and that |
| reminder to help you improve your spoken | | | | sound appears in a word, you are much more |
| English? | | | | aware of it and more likely to produce it |
| Of course, you use your hearing to listen to other | | | | correctly. |
| speakers of English and to listen to yourself as | | | | Experiment with different sounds and different |
| you practice sounds and words. But, how could | | | | intervals of time between alarms. Within a very |
| listening to the beep, buzz, or ring of alarms and | | | | short time, you should see a significant |
| timers be helpful? | | | | improvement in your ability to remember to use |
| Because what your mind dwells on is what it does | | | | your new pronunciation skills. |