Structure and Content (TOEIC)

Of the four major language skill areas (listening comprehension, reading comprehension, speaking, and writing), TOEIC only evaluates two: reading and listening comprehension.

Section	Parts	Númber of Questions	Time
Listening Comprehension	Scene-sentence matching	10	45 minutes (100 questions)
	Questions-Response	30
	Short Conversations	30
	Short Talks	30
Reading Comprehension	Sentence Completion	40	75 minutes (100 questions)
	Text Completion	12
	Comprehension Textos	48

Score descriptors

TOEIC Listening and Reading test questions are based on a variety of real-world settings and situations:

• Corporate Development — research, product development
• Dining Out — business lunches, banquets, receptions, reservations
• Entertainment — cinema, theater, music, art, exhibitions, museums, media
• Finance and Budgeting — banking, investments, taxes, accounting, billing
• General Business — contracts, negotiations, mergers, marketing, sales, warranties, business planning, conferences, labor relations
• Health Care — medical insurance, visits to doctors, dentists, clinics and hospitals
• Housing/Corporate Property — construction, specifications, buying and renting, electric and gas services
• Human Resources — recruiting, hiring, retiring, promoting, job applications, job advertisements, salaries, pensions, awards
• Manufacturing — assembly lines, plant management, quality control
• The Office — procedures, board meetings, committees, letters, memos, telephone, fax and email messages, equipment
• Purchasing — shopping, ordering supplies, shipping, invoicing
• Technical Areas — electronics, technology, computers, laboratories and related equipment, technical specifications
• Travel — trains, airplanes, taxis, buses, ships, ferries, tickets, schedules, station and airport announcements, car rentals, hotels, reservations, delays and cancellations

Source: http://gmatbarcelona.com/en/toeic-test-center/structure-and-content/

Common reference levels (Wikipedia)

The Common European Framework divides learners into three broad divisions that can be divided into six levels:

A Basic User

A1 Breakthrough or beginner

A2 Waystage or elementary

B Independent User

B1 Threshold or intermediate

B2 Vantage or upper intermediate

C Proficient User

C1 Effective Operational Proficiency or advanced

C2 Mastery or proficiency

The CEFR describes what a learner is supposed to be able to do in reading, listening, speaking and writing at each level.

level group	A
level group name	Basic User
level	A1	A2
level name	Breakthrough or beginner	Waystage or elementary
description	Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.	Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.

B
Independent User
B1	B2
Threshold or intermediate	Vantage or upper intermediate
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.	Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

C
Proficient User
C1
Effective Operational Proficiency or advanced
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

C2
Mastery or proficiency
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations.

These descriptors can apply to any of the languages spoken in Europe, and there are translations in many languages.

Deutsche Welle suggests A1 is reached with about 75 hours of German tuition, A2.1 with about 150 hours, A2.2 with about 225 hours, B1.1 with about 300 hours, and B1.2 with about 400 hours.^[5]

Cambridge ESOL said that each level is reached with the following guided learning hours: A2, 180–200; B1, 350–400; B2, 500–600; C1, 700–800, and C2, 1,000–1,200.^[6]

Alliance Française has stated students can expect to reach CEFR levels after the following cumulative hours of instruction: A1 60–100, A2 160–200, B1 360–400, B2 560–650, C1 810–950, C2 1060–1200.^[7]

^{Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages}

Biology - Brain: Brain Waves

When you drop a small stone in water, you see waves. Similarly our heart and our brain have wave patterns. The wave pattern of the heart is measured by ECG (electro cardiograph). The brain waves are measured by EEG (electro encephalograph).

Using the brain wave studies, scientists have discovered that our brain waves are of four types.

The brain waves also have peaks that are similar to the peaks we see in water waves. The number of times the peak appears in one second is called "cycles per second ". For example, the electricity in India is of 50 cycles per second.

• Beta (13 to 25 cycles per second)
  This brain wave indicates that your conscious mind is in control. It indicates a mental state of logical thought, analysis, and action. You are alert and awake talking, speaking, doing, solving problems, etc.
   
• Alpha (8 to 12 cycles per second)
  This brain wave indicates relaxation and meditation. It is a state of relaxed alertness good for inspiration, learning facts fast.
   
• Theta (4 to 8 cycles per second)
  Deep meditation. This is associated with life-like imagination. This is best for suggestibility and inspiration. This brain wave is dominant in children of age 2 to 5.
   
• Delta (0.5 to 4 cycles per second)
  Deep dreamless sleep. Deep relaxation.

Left brain and right brain working together

Usually the left brain and the right brain waves are independent. They reach peaks independent of each other. During meditation and deep relaxation, the left brain waves and the right brain waves happen together.

 

For both, the peaks are reached together. This is called synchronization. Scientists now believe that synchronization makes much greater mind power available. This is associated with learning large amounts of information very quickly as well as with creativity. Brain self-control

Scientists had long believed that brain activity such as brain waves and secretion of brain chemicals were beyond conscious control. But, experiments on Swami Rama of the Himalayas and on biofeedback have now changed that belief. Now it is proven that some people can control their brain waves, etc. 

Link: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_brain01.htm

Tips Preparación TOEFL

Reading

Para tu preparación en el área de Reading del examen TOEFL, Seeking English te recomienda:

Lee textos en inglés como un buen hábito. Lee revistas, noticias en línea, y también textos de educación. Tienes una amplia variedad de temas como ciencias, historia, tecnología, finanzas, etc. Leer muchos temas, te ayudará a alimentar tu vocabulario.

Practica encontrar la idea principal del texto, qué es lo que se quiere comunicar en esta lectura. Generalmente, puedes encontrarla en el párrafo de introducción, que es el más importante de todo el contenido.

Mientras lees, vas a encontrar palabras que no te sean familiares. Crea una lista de vocabulario, para referencia. Organiza tu lista por temas para un mejor resultado.

Leer sobre temas variados permitirá que crees una lista más nutrida. Un consejo, elabora tarjetas para ayudarte a aprender estas palabras.

En el momento del examen, es probable que te encuentres con alguna palabra que no conozcas. Si praticas leer textos en Inglés, desarrollarás la habilidad de entender el significado de una palabra, por el contexto. Esto lo lograrás con mucha práctica y sin hacer trampa. Saca tus inferencias y luego verifica con el diccionario.

Writing

La sección de Writing del examen TOEFL iBT demanda mucha práctica, Seeking English te sugiere:

Practica tu escritura utilizando un teclado de computadora, ya que para rendir el TOEFL iBT deberás usar este dispositivo. Si no eres muy hábil con el teclado debes practicar para poder desarrollar tu examen sin problemas.

Utiliza un amplio vocabulario y estructuras gramaticales, no temas usar palabras y patrones gramaticales nuevos, ésa es una excelente manera de aprenderlos y de utilizarlos apropiadamente.

En el examen TOEFL iBT se te solicitará escribir un ensayo. Sigue la estructura meticulosamente durante tus prácticas y durante el test real. El ensayo tiene 3 componentes: introducción, cuerpo y conclusión. Cada componente tiene sus aspectos de importancia.

Organiza tu escritura. Antes de empezar tu respuesta escrita, utiliza de 2 a 5 minutos para hacer un resumen de tu ensayo. No te preocupes por el tiempo que está transcurriendo, un buen resumen te ahorrará muchos problemas al momento de escribir. El resumen del ensayo debería incluir las ideas importantes para los párrafos en 2 ó 3 frases importantes por párrafos, así como también ejemplos y detalles que respalden lo aseverado.

Speaking

Speaking es una de las secciones más complicadas para la mayoría de los estudiantes, para que realices una práctica efectiva previa a tu examen, Seeking English te recomienda:

Actualiza tu vocabulario. Elabora una lista de palabras nuevas y dedica tiempo a aprenderlas e inclúyelas en tus conversaciones y en tu escritura. Eso nutrirá tu vocabulario de manera que cuando tengas una conversación en Inglés, no te quedes sin qué decir.

Practica. Habla y no temas a los errores durante tu práctica, solo trata de corregirlos la próxima vez que hables. Pensar en voz alta también es una buena estrategia, dale una voz a tus pensamientos y reprodúcelos en inglés.

Repite en voz alta contenido académico. Toma unos audífonos y repite, así desarrolarás tu fluidez y la correcta entonación que debes emplear durante un diálogo en Inglés.

Estudia las expresiones idiomáticas, en su significado y cuándo se emplean. Usar las expresiones idiomáticas en inglés es signo de fluidez, pero si no lo haces correctamente, tendrás el efecto contrario.

Advanced Level - Confident Communicative Skills

Speaking

Advanced level English learners feel comfortable participating in most everyday conversations and can express themselves with ease and provide detail. They may feel challenged in situations where they are called upon to speak in public, but feel capable of doing so. At work, they can easily participate in every aspect of meetings, conference calls, etc. Their pronunciation only rarely gets in the way of comprehension.

Writing

English leaners at this level feel comfortable writing extended letters and e-mails, as well as writing business reports and shorter essays. They may still need proof-reading help from time to time, but are capable of complex structures and use a wide range of linking language.

Reading

Learners at the advanced level enjoy reading extensively in their own interests areas, and will sometimes read books in English for their own pleasure. When they come across challenging vocabulary, they have little problem in understanding the contextual meaning.

Listening

Learners can comprehend almost any conversation or entertainment format. They only rarely have problems when listening to very topic specific areas in which have little competence. They have no problem understanding others in both one to one conversations, and in more complex situations such as dinner with a number of friends, or business meetings.

Source:  http://esl.about.com/od/teachingenglish/a/ESL-Level-Rubric_4.htm

Upper Intermediate Level - Increased Understanding and Communicative Competence

Speaking

Upper intermediate level English learners have gained more confidence and can deal with a wide range of speaking situations. They generally have begun to become extremely proficient in expressing their opinions on topics they find interesting, or when speaking about their work. They can generally express their opinions on most topics, and ask more detailed questions when engaged in conversation. At work, they feel confident in their abilities to contribute to the conversation. Pronunciation only occasionally causes comprehension difficulties for others.

Writing

English learners at this level can perform most basic tasks with confidence. They have begun to use more complex structures and appropriate linking language in more extended passages. In academic and work situations, they are able to write more extended passages such as short essays, or one page memos.

Reading

Learners at the upper intermediate level begin to explore their own interests in more extended reading passages, or even in short stories and novels. They still need to use a dictionary from time to time, but can increasingly learn new vocabulary through context. They are proficient at skimming and scanning, and perform well in most comprehension activities.

Listening

Learners feel more comfortable with longer listening periods, even if they do not understand every word or phrase. Their grasp of the gist of most conversations help them understand longer formats such as movies, longer interviews etc. They have very few difficulties understanding and participating in one to one conversations.

Source:  http://esl.about.com/od/teachingenglish/a/ESL-Level-Rubric_3.htm

Lower Intermediate Level - Increasing Communicative Skills

Speaking

Lower intermediate level learners can use their English to complete most simple daily tasks such as asking for more information in shops, asking for recommendations in restaurants, asking for assistance in a hotel, etc. At work, English learners can provide basic information about tasks as well as ask for clarification. Learners still have difficulties in expressing extended opinions or using a wide range of vocabulary and structures to dig further into specifics. Pronunciation does not cause incomprehension, but can still provide difficult for interlocutors.

Writing

Learners at this level can write simple letters and e-mails explaining their current situations, as well as describe past events. Tense usage, while still not fluent, is generally clear in terms of past, present and future. Lower intermediate level learners can write some more extended passages, for example asking details about a certain topic, but will use only basic linking language in their written communications.

Reading

Learners at this level can read simple texts, understand gist of newspaper or magazine articles, but still have difficulties with detail. They can understand most service sector texts such as menus, bus and train schedules, brochures, etc. without much difficulty. They have begun to read more extended materials, but still have difficulties with vocabulary and deeper comprehension.

Listening

English learners at this level can deal with most basic situations such as asking for directions, responding to simple questions at work, etc. without having to ask for much repetition. In these common situations, they expect certain vocabulary and phrases and are familiar with usage. They still experience difficulties when listening to the radio or watching TV, but generally can understand the gist of the topics discussed in these formats. 

Source:  http://esl.about.com/od/teachingenglish/a/ESL-Level-Rubric_2.htm

Beginning Level Basic Communicative Skills

Speaking

English learners at this level can performs simple tasks in English such as ordering food in a restaurant with the help of visual aids, as well as complete simple transactions in shops. Learners can also provide basic explanations about themselves such as stating where they are from, their marital status, their current employment status, etc. Learners at this level can respond in many basic situations, but find difficulty in expressing and / or inquiring about further detail. Learners have noticeable pronunciation difficulties that can at times hinder their ability to be understood by others.

Writing

Learners at this level can fill in basic forms and complete simple written tasks such as writing a description of their daily routines, or completing a simple e-mail requesting or providing basic information such as meeting place, time, etc. Learners at this level tend to use simple sentences that lack complex structures such as clauses, generally with a lack of linking language. They also tend to make basic mistakes in tense usage even in basic narrations.

Reading

Learners at this level can scan for specific information such as TV schedule times, use bus schedules, etc. Learners have difficulties reading extended texts, but can generally understand the gist of very simple reading tasks.

Listening

English learners at this level still have great difficulty in understanding anything more than specific information such as time, location and topic. They can understand simple conversations and listening selections after multiple repetition to complete in-class tasks. 

Source:  http://esl.about.com/od/teachingenglish/a/ESL-Level-Rubric.htm

How to think in a foreign language (it does NOT “just happen”)

This is a guest post by the author of Life by Experimentation, Zane, who quantifies the path to self-improvement.  He creates real-life experiments to assess everything from sleeping less to traveling cheaply in order to live a more productive and skillful life. He speaks Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French and Arabic with varying degrees of fluency.

Recently a friend asked me how long it would take before she started thinking in French.  My response was “a week or so.”  She was shocked (and understandably so).  We worked on it together and within a week we were both thinking in the language despite it still being quite new to us.

Thinking in a foreign language is an important goal that brings you one giant step closer to becoming fluent.  There is also the fact that language and culture are intertwined, and thinking in your target language is an essential part of being able to connect with the people you are trying to get to know.

It is not necessarily easy to think in a new language (especially if you’ve never done it before) but it is still simple – there is no magic here.  First time language learners often believe that if they study long enough and hard enough they will eventually just start thinking in the target language, as if a switch had been flipped.  This is how I approached it the first time around and it did work… eventually… kind of.

Now I know better.  There are two essential parts of thinking in a language: context and conditioning.  If you’re learning your first foreign language you may want to consider learning Esperanto first, as Benny suggests, in order to become accustomed to thinking in a foreign language.  Once you decide to take the plunge, here are some things to keep in mind:

Context

Where you are mentally makes an enormous difference.  Just a few hours ago I was having a conversation in French and the famous surrealist painter Salvador Dalí came up.  I began to talk about the Dalí museum in northern Spain and before I even realized it I was halfway though a sentence in Spanish.  The act of thinking about that place even for a moment, with all the signs and people communicating in Spanish, was enough to shift my mental context.

There are countless examples like this, and not just in foreign languages.  In this video in the Economist a man reverts to the accent of his youth when thinking about his childhood without even realizing it.  Our brains are pattern-matching machines and one of the major cues they draw upon is that of context.  If you interrupt me while I am doing my Mandarin flashcards, no matter what language you speak to me in my brain’s first reaction will be to reach for Chinese – at least until it shifts contexts.

This is exactly why polyglots associate gestures and other cultural emblems with their language learning. The more context that is associated with the knowledge the stronger your recollection will be. One of my hobbies is following the field of neuroscience, but instead of boring you with all the data let me simply refer to the Wikipedia page on context-based learning and cite two important bits.

1) Context-based memory is the reason retracing your steps is useful when you lose something.

2) From the scientific literature it is concluded, “when a person is studying, he/she should match the context as best as possible to the testing context.”

The first and foremost way we can leverage context is to create a language bubble (even if you’re learning from home where nobody speaks your language).  The goal is to be surrounded by the language as much as possible so it actually becomes inconvenient to think in your native language.  Reading news and listening to music in this way allows you to begin to develop a contextual world to live in where everything is tied to your target language.  A language is much more than words, after all.

Conditioning

Thinking in a new language is a decision you can make.  If you know even a few dozen key grammar words you can begin to think in your target language thanks largely to the 80/20 rule in language learning.  It is easier than speaking in the language because you will not be embarrassed (unless you have a malicious alter-ego).  It requires less confidence but more motivation than speaking.

During the early stages you may be using more of your native language than your target language, and that is fine.  You will also probably be translating at first rather than “thinking fluently,” and that is fine, too.  What is important is that you make a conscious effort to use the target language in your thoughts, not just in your conversations.

To keep up motivation, I highly suggest a journal (digital or analog) that you keep with you at all times.  When you don’t know how to say (ahem, think) a key word just write it down.  At the end of the day look up the words, or even better, ask a native.  You now have a list of practical vocabulary to learn (instead of studying “shoelaces” and “aardvark” from a book)!  For extra credit, date each entry – you’ll begin to notice how much smaller your daily lists get (and how much more esoteric).  That’s progress you can see!

If you are ready to put aside your shame (and have understanding roommates or family members) it is also quite useful to talk to yourself. Aside from being quite liberating and useful in organizing your thoughts, it also allows you to practice pronunciation. Sometimes I even have conversations with myself, acting out different personas which each speak a different language, in order to practice switching between languages. I may get strange looks in the street, but this habit has also been the start of some interesting conversations.

I can promise one thing: if you make a conscious and continuous effort to think everything you can in your target language, you will begin to surprise yourself.  One day you will hear yourself think “a mi me encanta” instead of “I like,” and you will not even know where it came from.  The context of thinking in the language will also mean that you pick up new words that you are exposed to without even realizing it.  A couple times a week now I use a word in a sentence that I don’t remember studying, yet I am sure I have heard other people say.

Thinking Fluently

The biggest challenge with thinking in the language is the frustration that comes with not being able to fully express yourself inside your own head.  As I’ve said, it is fine to substitute your native language where needed at first – but the key to thinking fluently is your frame of mind.  You can choose to become frustrated, succumbing to perfection paralysis, or you can choose to see each unknown word as one more key piece in the fluency puzzle.  One day you will wake up from a dream and not even register that it was not in your native language.

Visualization

Thinking in a foreign language is essentially a form of visualization or rehearsal that prepares you for the real deal (an actual conversation). With visualization we can go through the steps of making an attempt, to identifying a mistake, to correcting it in a very short period of time. In other words, the feedback loop is very tight. As researcher Kathryn Schulz points out in this TED video, being wrong is quite normal and perhaps even good – as long as you become aware of your mistakes and correct them when possible.

I love discussing all the benefits of visualization. The most astonishing thing is that the brain cannot fundamentally tell the difference between real and imagined action. One study has shown that the brain sends identical impulses to the legs when imagining running. In another study, participants who imagined playing the piano showed nearly identical development in the motor cortex of the brain as those who actually played the piano. In short, the brain treats visualization like the real deal.

What does all this mean for us? Well, for one, it means that thinking in a language is much more relevant than we may have previously believed. Every thought that passes though your brain has the potential to act as a mini-exercise in your target language, not just as passive rehearsal but also as an active exercise. When you add up all the thoughts you have in a day, the potential for change is quite impressive.

Have you managed to think in a foreign language?  Was your process similar?  Let us know below.

Source: http://www.fluentin3months.com/thinking/

Pronunciación en inglés – 10 tips para mejorar

Aquí 10 consejos que no puedes perderte para mejorar tu pronunciación en inglés

No te gustaría…

• Que te entiendan cuando hablas por teléfono en inglés
• Tener mas confianza en tu manejo del idioma al reunirte con personas de habla inglesa
• Mejorar tu pronunciación en general
• Eliminar por completo la desesperante pregunta “Can you repeat it please?” (Por favor, me lo puedes repetir?)
• Lograr presentaciones de negocios más efectivas

Si contestaste “SI” a por lo menos una de estas preguntas, ¡te conviene seguir leyendo!

Antes que nada, déjame decirte que es completamente NORMAL que no tengas una buena pronunciación en inglés. Los sonidos en nuestro idioma son muy diferentes y no estamos “entrenados” para poder emitir los sonidos particulares del inglés y de otros idiomas.

Por consiguiente, los problemas de pronunciación que tu puedas tener son probablemente muy similares a los problemas que tienen otros estudiantes de habla hispana.

Por ejemplo: el 70% de las personas que hablan español como su primera lengua tienen problemas pronunciando la “st” o “th” – sonidos adheridos -. Algunos ejemplos de palabras en inglés que contienen estos sonidos son: first, third, thirsty, stand, etc.

En otro ejemplo, varias investigaciones muestran que el sonido “l” al final de la palabra (ejemplo: retrial, patrol, appeal, mail , etc.) se omite en un 70% por los que hablan mandarín como lengua natal, pero solo un 20% de los que hablan español omiten ese sonido.

Como ya habrás notado, tu lengua nativa puede proporcionar mucha información acerca de los problemas de pronunciación que pudieras tener al hablar inglés. Muy interesante, no?

Ahora bien, los siguientes 10 consejos te ayudaran a reducir la influencia de tu primera lengua para lograr una mejor pronunciación en inglés:

1.- Observa los movimientos de la boca de una persona nativa en inglés y trata de imitarlos. Esto lo puedes practicar cuando estes viendo algún programa de TV en inglés. Fíjate en el movimiento de la boca, repite lo que están diciendo, imita la entonación y el ritmo de la conversación.

2.- Mientras que aprendes la correcta entonación y el ritmo del idioma, disminuye la velocidad de tu conversación al hablar en inglés. Si tu hablas muy rápido y sin la correcta entonación y ritmo, la persona a la que te estás dirigiendo pasará un momento difícil para entenderte. No te preocupes si la persona que te esta escuchando se impacienta un poco. A fin de cuentas es más importante que se entienda claramente lo que estás diciendo, ¿no crees?

3.- Escucha música en inglés. Cada lenguaje tiene su propia manera de “cantarse”. Trata de seguir el ritmo, la entonación e imitar el sonido de las palabras para que mejore tu pronunciación.

4.- Utiliza un diccionario. Familiarízate con los símbolos fonéticos que aparecen en tu diccionario, ejemplo: “delete” [di´lit]. Observa que lo que viene dentro de los corchetes es cómo pronuncias la palabra en español. Se separa en sílabas para que tu le des la entonación a cada una y generes una mejor pronunciación del vocablo. Cada vez que puedas revisa tu diccionario y busca la correcta pronunciación de las palabras que te causan problemas al utilizarlas en inglés.

5.- Elabora una lista de palabras que se te dificulta pronunciar en inglés y que usas frecuentemente en el trabajo, en tus presentaciones, en la escuela, etc. Seguramente conoces a alguna persona que tenga acento nativo en inglés o mejor aún, que sea de procedencia extranjera; pídele que te pronuncie correctamente todas y cada una de las palabras de tu lista y grábalas. Después escúchalas y repítelas tal cual. Practícalas en voz alta una y otra vez.

6.- Compra libros con casettes o CD’s de audio integrados. Leélos al mismo tiempo que escuchas el audio. Después lee alguna sección del libro en voz alta y graba tu voz. Compara el sonido de tu inglés con la del narrador poniendo atención e identificando las palabras que pronunciaste incorrectamente. ¡Toma notas y sigue practicando!

7.- Pronuncia el final de cada palabra correctamente. Presta especial atención a las terminaciones del plural y a la 3ª persona del verbo singular “-s”. (dogs,tables, telephones, plays, runs, swims, etc.) y de los verbos regulares en pasado “-ed” (opened, mentioned, writed, studied, etc.).

8.- Lee en voz alta en inglés de 15 a 20 minutos cada día. Esto te ayudará a ejercitar los músculos de la lengua y boca cuando hablas en inglés. Varias investigaciones demuestran que toma cerca de 3 meses de práctica diaria adquirir músculos fuertes para hablar otro idioma.

9.- Graba tu propia voz y escucha los errores de pronunciación. Mucha gente odia escuchar el sonido de su propia voz y evita escucharse hablar. Sin embargo, este es un ejercicio MUY IMPORTANTE, y si me permites EL MAS EFECTIVO, porque te ayudará a estar conciente de los errores que cometes.

10.- Se paciente. Tú puedes cambiar tu forma de hablar pero no será de la noche a la mañana. Las personas muy a menudo esperan resultados instantáneos y se dan por vencidas rápidamente. Tú puedes cambiar la forma en la que suenas si realmente lo deseas y pones esfuerzo en ello.

Si necesitas ayuda adicional para lograr una mejor pronunciación en inglés, te sugiero le eches un ojo al programa Accent Reduction de TestDEN que viene siendo una de las mejores herramientas disponibles en el mercado para este fin.

Fuente:  http://www.englishcom.com.mx/aprender-ingles/hablar/pronunciacion-en-ingles/