

The InFluency Podcast
Hadar Shemesh
The InFluency podcast is your go-to resource for learning, speaking and teaching English.
Hadar Shemesh is a pronunciation expert and fluency coach with thousands of students around the world, though she herself was an intermediate speaker of English once.
In this podcast she will share her best strategies for learning English, speaking English with confidence and mastering the American accent.
Discover how becoming fluent has everything to do with acquiring the right mindset, setting goals and learning how to overcome challenges.
Hadar will also share her teaching philosophy and techniques to support English teachers looking to help their students become fluent.
Hadar Shemesh is a pronunciation expert and fluency coach with thousands of students around the world, though she herself was an intermediate speaker of English once.
In this podcast she will share her best strategies for learning English, speaking English with confidence and mastering the American accent.
Discover how becoming fluent has everything to do with acquiring the right mindset, setting goals and learning how to overcome challenges.
Hadar will also share her teaching philosophy and techniques to support English teachers looking to help their students become fluent.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 14, 2022 • 6min
187. How to pronounce GIRL
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 'girl'. Here's a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: girl – g'rl [IPA: ɡɜːrl] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/girl/ 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://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

Jan 11, 2022 • 14min
186. 10 min English Pronunciation Practice for the New Year
Do this English pronunciation practice every day, and improve your clarity, intonation, pronunciation, and confidence. Ready to kick off the New Year with a healthy habit? This episode will help! You can do it in the morning, in the evening, before an important meeting, or whenever you feel it's right. Set yourself up for success using these articulation and speech exercises and you'll feel how your English becomes effortless with time! Watch the video version of the practice here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/english-practice/ Click here for the Morning Pronunciation Routine. Want more practice? Try these super effective drills: A List of Short & Sweet daily pronunciation exercises https://bit.ly/3pQPvAV Sprint #1 https://hadarshemesh.com/spr1 Sprint #2 https://hadarshemesh.com/spr2 Sprint #3 https://hadarshemesh.com/spr3

Jan 4, 2022 • 6min
185. How to pronounce CAP, COP, and CUP
English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes, I'll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we're going to talk about the minimal triplet, 'cap', 'cop', and 'cup'. You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/cap-cup-cop/ Here's a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: cap: kap [IPA: kæp] cop: kaap [IPA: kɑːp] cup: kuhp [IPA: kʌp] cat: kat [IPA: kæt] hat: hat [IPA: hæt] last: last [IPA: læst] stack: stak [IPA: stæk] backs: baks [IPA: bæks] father: faath'r [IPA: fɑːðər] lost: laast [IPA: lɑːst] hot: haat [IPA: hɑːt] stock: staak [IPA: stɑːk] box: baaks [IPA: bɑːks] love: luhv [IPA: lʌv] hut: huht [IPA: hʌt] fun: fuhn [IPA: fʌn] lust: luhst [IPA: lʌst] month: muhnth [IPA: mʌnθ] country: kuhn-chri [IPA: kʌntʃri] stuck: stuhk [IPA: stʌk] bucks: buhks [IPA: bʌks] 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://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

Dec 29, 2021 • 25min
184. 10 AMAZING TIPS that'll SKYROCKET your English fluency
Download FREEBIE – A list of the 10 tips, PLUS links to videos and resources to go deeper: https://bit.ly/3Eysic2 Ready to make a change in 2022? ??? The end of the year is always a good time to set goals for the new year. And if improving your English is on that list, you'll definitely need the right strategy for it! So I got you covered! In this episode, I collected for you 10 of my best tips to help you understand how to reach your English goals THIS YEAR! ? You'll learn about what you should focus on, and what you should let go of ? Watch the video version of the episode here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/english-fluency/ 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://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

Dec 24, 2021 • 28min
183. Real Stories About What's Possible | Interview with Vladimir
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, Vladimir will tell you how he got the job of his dreams that allows him to travel around the world, simply by being prepared when the opportunity came. Watch the video version of the interview here. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when we open doors to New Sound (Hadar's signature program): https://hadarshemesh.com/join/ Download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

Dec 21, 2021 • 8min
182. The Immigrant Experience | Saying goodbye & learning to belong again
Every immigrant has their own story to tell: a story about the circumstances that led them to move to another country, a story about the life they're building in that new country; The things they left behind, the things they brought with them, the things that they left behind and brought with them. And in their story, you would often find English. One of the things I would like to focus on this year is exactly that, the place where English intersects with the immigrant experience. Many of my students are immigrants, I was an immigrant myself. There are commonalities, for sure, but each story is unique, a story worth telling and listening to. And English had – and for some of us still has – a big part in our story. If you'd like to share your English story as an immigrant, I'd be happy to hear from you (click here – https://bit.ly/3GSp6d4). During the next months I'll share some of your stories, answer questions you might have, and host immigrants as well as people whose work involves English and the immigrant experience. For now, you can watch these videos where I discussed the experience of being an immigrant with guests and students: The Power of Storytelling with Sun Yi A conversation About Culture, Identity and Language Success Stories of My Students

Dec 17, 2021 • 42min
181. Real Stories About What's Possible | Interview with Tomasz
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, Tomasz will share with us how consistent practice (15 min a day) has helped him do business in English, broadcast live in English for 60 consecutive days, and entertain international diplomats at weddings. Watch the video version of the interview here. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when we open doors to New Sound (Hadar's signature program): https://hadarshemesh.com/join/ Download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

Dec 14, 2021 • 17min
180. Go From EXHAUSTED To EFFORTLESS When Speaking English With This One Simple Tip
Do you feel exhausted after speaking in English? Do you feel fake? Almost like – it's not really YOU who's doing the talking? The reason for that could be simpler than you think. In this episode I share with you one thing my students do that makes them feel incredibly uncomfortable and self-conscious in English, and they don't even know they're doing it! Best part – it's super easy to fix! If you often feel tired after speaking in English…maybe you're doing it too? Check out today's episode for this one simple tip that can change how you communicate in English forever! Watch the video version here: https://bit.ly/3IRj1PG Here are more videos to skyrocket your speaking and communication skills: Speak English Like A Native Speaker – THE MYTH https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/speak-english-like-a-native-speaker-myth/ Improve Your Speaking Voice in ENGLISH with These Vocal Exercises https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/improve-your-speaking-voice-in-english/ This will skyrocket your English communication skills [with only 2 minutes a day] https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/how-to-speak-english/

Dec 10, 2021 • 3min
179. How to pronounce Law and Low
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 'low' and 'law' and focus on other words that are spelled with AW. Here's a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: law: laa [IPA: lɑː] or law [IPA: lɔː] low: low [IPA: loʊ] awful: aa-f'l [IPA: ɑːfəl ] or aw-f'l [IPA: ɔːfəl] awesome: aa-s'm [IPA: ɑːsəm] or aw-s'm [IPA: ɔːsəm] draw: draa [IPA: drɑː] or draw [IPA: drɔː] dawn: daan [IPA: dɑːn] or dawn [IPA: dɔːn] crawl: kraal [IPA: krɑːl] or krawl [IPA: krɔːl] lawn: laan [IPA: lɑːn] or lawn [IPA: lɔːn] 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://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

Dec 7, 2021 • 39min
178. English Consonants Masterclass | IPA Consonant Table Explained [+FREE DOWNLOAD]
Free Download: Clear&Easy English consonants chart https://bit.ly/3lLC2Jy English consonants can be confusing! Whether it's understanding the difference between the different consonants, or producing them. In this consonant masterclass, I'll teach you the three elements that you need to take into consideration when pronouncing consonants (hint: it's all about place of articulation, manner of articulation, and voicing), and how the consonant chart represents all of that. It's easier than you think! I will also teach you how to read the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) and discuss some tricky cases that you should look out for when it comes to the pronunciation of consonants. Do you merge B and P in English? Or maybe you confuse W and V? Do you struggle with the TH or the R? Or do you simply want to understand the IPA consonant chart? This episode is for you! Watch the video version to get the most of the lesson here. Liked this episode? Don't miss out on my vowel masterclass – understanding the vowel sounds of English: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/english-vowels/


