The InFluency Podcast

Is being a basic speaker so bad? This week I interviewed the head of my content team, Christina Hilton. In this episode, we’ll get to know her better as we discuss what pisses her off in English content , the misleading videos you might be watching, and what mistakes really mean for learners! Watch the video version of the interview here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/basic-vs-advanced-english/ Subscribe to my newsletter to get weekly updates and good stuff for free! https://hadarshemesh.com/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all around the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/  

My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, Szilvia will tell you how she has overcome her fear of speaking and improved her fluency, and eventually started making meaningful connections and taking initiative in English. Watch the video version of the interview here: https://bit.ly/3EUbwrk Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

English words with silent letters – like them or not, they’re here to stay and you just have to get to know them. But more than that, you have to practice them if you want to get their pronunciation right and use them confidently. Download a FREE practice PDF to practice these words with me: https://hadarshemesh.com/silent-letters-281-freebie/ In this episode I share some of the most confusing examples out there of words with silent letters. Let me know in the comments below which one bugs you the most and come up with a sentence to practice it! How to remember vocabulary: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/how-to-learn-new-vocabulary/

English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the word ‘opportunity’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Opportunity: aa-p’r-TUW-nuh-dee [IPA: ˌɑːpəɹˈtuːnəɾi] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/opportunity/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-accent-course/ You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://hadarshemesh.com/50-most-mispronounced-words/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/  

Is English really for everyone? Not according to a YouTube channel named… English for Everyone. The creators of this channel have published a series of critical videos targeting the mistakes of another YouTube creator with millions of followers – Marina Mogilko. Marina, a non-native speaker, immigrant, and a very successful creator and entrepreneur is an example of what’s possible when you use English to reach your dreams, and you don’t let your mistakes hold you back. But apparently, this seems to really bother the ’English for Everyone’ duo, who are on a mission to ‘expose’ Marina and portray her as a fraud, DESPITE the immense value she brings to her audience. (The numbers speak for themselves, yo!) But it’s not just Marina that they are targeting. It affects every non-native speaker who may one day dare to speak publicly. It’s validating the worst thoughts almost every non-native speaker has. It’s sending a message to non-native speakers that mistakes will cost them their dignity. In this video I want to share how problematic this approach is, the negative impact it has on the mindset of learners, and why we need to call people out on such behaviors so we can foster an environment that allows everyone to thrive. I also want to use this opportunity to show solidarity to my fellow non-native speaking teachers and say – WE NEED MORE OF YOU! WE NEED MORE NON-STANDARD ENGLISH VOICES IN THE ENGLISH TEACHING INDUSTRY. Don’t let the grammar police and those who think that English belongs to them stop you from reaching your dreams, making an impact, motivating people, and driving students to take action in a positive way. Because at the end of the day, what REALLY counts, is that you dare to speak. And say what you think and want. And how you make others feel. And what DOESN’T count – is if you used ‘at’ instead of ‘on’. I also want to use this opportunity to give a shoutout to my fellow non-native English-speaking creators teaching in English. You ROCK and you’re making a difference! Lingua Marina: https://www.youtube.com/@linguamarina More episodes on this topic:  Speak English Like A Native Speaker – THE MYTH https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/speak-english-like-a-native-speaker-myth/ Feel Stuck in English? Here’s Why (The Illusion of Learning) https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/the-illusion-of-learning-english/ What Do You Do When Someone Criticizes Your English? https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/how-to-handle-criticism-of-your-english/ This person criticized my English… This is my response https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/a-native-english-speaker-criticized-my-english/

English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the word ‘sorry’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Sorry: saa-ree [IPA: ˈsɑːɹi] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/sorry/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-accent-course/ You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://hadarshemesh.com/50-most-mispronounced-words/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/  

In this episode, I’ll teach you how to pronounce all 12 months in the year, plus, I added a few bonus tips about knowing which prepositions to use when we talk about months and dates (yes, those tricky little prepositions in, on, and at)! What month is the most challenging for YOU to pronounce? Want to keep practicing? Use my pronunciation confidence method! Tune in here: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/42/

English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the words ‘martyr’ and ‘murder’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Martyr: maar-d’r [IPA: ˈmɑːɹɾəɹ] Murder: m’r-d’r [IPA: ˈmɜːɹdəɹ] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/murder-martyr/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-accent-course/ You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://hadarshemesh.com/50-most-mispronounced-words/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/  

This October, I was in my beloved New York City, where I had the most incredible meetup with over 50 New Sound and Beyond community members. When I first got the idea for this meetup, I had no clue that it would turn out to be so big, with several students flying from all around the world to come and meet each other! In this episode, tune in to learn about the behind-the-scenes of the meetup, the importance of community, and part of the speech I gave during the meetup. Join the InFluency Community today! https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about words and phrases with a V or W sound. Here’s a loose transcription of the words and phrases as explained in the episode: Vet: vet [IPA: vɛt] Wet: wet [IPA: wɛt] Why: wai [IPA: waɪ] We: wee [IPA: wi] When: wen [IPA: wɛn] While: wail [IPA: waɪl] Vile: vail [IPA: vaɪl] West: west [IPA: wɛst] Vest: vest [IPA: vɛst] Wine: wain [IPA: waɪn] Vine: vain [IPA: vaɪn] Very well: ve-ree wel [IPA: ˈvɛɹi wɛl] White windows: wait win-dowz [IPA: waɪt ˈwɪndoʊz] Vicious wedding: vi-sh’s we-ding [IPA: ˈvɪʃəs ˈwɛdɪŋ] Viking warriors: vai-king wo-ri-uhrz [IPA: ˈvaɪkɪŋ ˈwɔːɹiəɹz] Save the world: seiv thuh w’rld [IPA: seɪv ðə wɜɹld] Of which: uhv wich [IPA: əv wɪtʃ] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/v-w/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-accent-course/ You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://hadarshemesh.com/50-most-mispronounced-words/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/