Top 3 Reasons
Why You Should Not Neglect Pronunciation
Learning a new language could help you in many ways, but learning a language is easier said than done. And where to start: Vocabulary, grammar, practice or pronunciation? While everything needs to be a part of your learning process, there are good reasons why you should not neglect pronunciation (as it is often done).
Ensure Conversational Flow
Every time your conversation partner has to guess or piece together the meaning of what you are saying, it might interrupt the conversational flow. They might ask you to repeat or for clarification. But they might also try to figure it out by themselves, while you continue talking. In any case, the conversation will be interrupted at some point.
Now, imagine you’re at a networking event (this can be business or personal related): You want to be remembered as a potential partner, employee or friend. Instead, people will spend time and patience on trying to understand you. On the other hand, if you have good pronunciation skills, you will be more confident and able to participate in conversations and debates in a much better way.
Helps Improve Conversation Continuity
Learning clear pronunciation helps the speakers to continue the conversation in the target language – German. Many Germans will switch to another language – mainly English – when they feel that the conversation will benefit from doing so.
Although pronunciation is not the only factor, being able to easily understand you will encourage people to help you with other problems such as not knowing a specific word or mixing up the sentence order.
Prevents Misunderstanding
Improper use of pronunciation creates misunderstandings. There are many words with similar sounds. There is the chance of ambiguity when you will not pronounce them properly. And although many words will be understood in context – others might not.
Misunderstandings are especially bad if the wrong meaning provokes a negative feeling and reaction and, however easily the misunderstanding can be cleared up, there is no second chance for a good impression.
Final Thoughts
Effective communication helps in developing social relations and delivering messages to others. But it is only possible when you are easily understood. Good and clear pronunciation is a key part in being understood.