Filed Under: English learning, Speaking English
How can I avoid sounding monotonous in English?
August 25, 2021 , by Dr Julian Northbrook
- First, learn to chunk your English properly (this is the number one big thing; native speakers don't speak in words and rules - they speak in chunks and pronounce language in chunks. Until you learn to articulate your English in the same way, you'll always sound flat and monotonous — if you’re not sure what “chunking” is or how to do it, have a look at the free training I created here).
- Learn to vary the speed of your voice for effect (it's not true native speakers speaker "fast" - we speed up and slow down all the time.
- Practise extremes: one of my favourite is reading aloud in an exaggerated, extreme way. You wouldn't speak like this in an actual conversation, but by exaggerating in your practise, displaying emotion, anger, excitement, drama etc. in your speech will feel more comfortable.
Subscribe to Dr Julian Northbrook's Daily Emails for Speaking Better English & get FREE access to the Doing English App, packed with free lessons:
More Shizzle on the Blog:
What pilots can teach you about fixing your mistakes in English
Here’s a random Airline fact for you: The number of plane crashes are constantly going down. Compare 41 crashes in 1972 with just 3 in 2015. Bearing in mind that around 100,000 flights go out every day now (far more than 46 years ago). That’s a tiny number. Why are they going down? Because every
Read MoreYour English Grammar and Spoken Skills: A Beginner’s Guide
Do you struggle with English grammar while speaking? This beginner’s guide will help you improve your spoken English skills with ease. Understand Your Challenges: Improving grammar in spoken English starts by understanding your specific difficulties and reasons behind them (and they’re not normally what you think). Focus on Spoken English: To speak fluently, shift your
Read More