Pronunciation is defined as the manner in which someone utters a word or the way a language is usually spoken. It is a known fact that the English language is spoken and pronounced differently by people all over the world, even if it's their first language. However, there are countries that have internationally recognized standards of the English language. It includes the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

English is deemed as "the international language" in business, entertainment, science and diplomacy. In countries where English is the second or third language, learning its pronunciation can be difficult. I speak three languages: Visayan, Tagalog and English. I learned the first two languages from my native country and the last from my school. More often than not, we tend to mispronounce English words because of the difference in our dialect, vowel sounds and consonants. The pronunciation of our alphabet sounds like this: ah, bah, kah, dah, iii, gah, hah, lah, mah, nah, nang. That's a, b, k, d, e, g, h, l, m, n ( in English) and ng.

It is a good thing that there are aids available to help and improve pronunciation. One way is reading poetry. Choose poetry you appreciate so that you'll have fun while reading it. You need to have a reading partner or join a poetry reading club. Stanzas or a group of stanzas may be assigned to one of the members of the club or recited together. There is great value in this because other people can make corrections while you're reading words aloud.

You will come to learn that poems have a rhyme scheme or pattern and require emphasis on certain stanzas that convey the emotions of the poet. This can elicit more discussions and spark more enthusiasm in the group that loves poetry. Ultimately, you will gain confidence with your pronunciation as you actively participate, listen and give comment s during these sessions.

Of course, there are other ways to improve your pronunciation. The important thing is selecting one enjoyable to you. It is always important to brush up your skills because pronunciation is the foundation of good communication.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org

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