

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

Apr 9, 2021 • 5min
117. How to pronounce Cafe vs. Coffee
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. This week we're going to talk about how to pronounce the words "coffee" and "cafe". Here's a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Coffee: kaa-fee [IPA: ˈkɑːfi] or kaw-fee [IPA: ˈkɔːfi] Cafe: ka-fei [IPA: kæˈfeɪ] Did you know we're working on a new and exciting transformational program? Get on the list to find out when we open doors! https://hadarshemesh.com/join/ 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://theaccentsway.com/influency-community/

Apr 6, 2021 • 18min
116. Want to master the pronunciation of English words? Listen to the rhythm
Did you know that words have… RHYTHM? Maybe not like a pop song or jazz, but words have rhythm as a result of the stressed and unstressed parts in the word. Rhythm can help you significantly with your pronunciation and with understanding other people better. In this episode, I share with you why. To watch the video version and practice what you've learned in a list I created for you, head over to my website: https://theaccentsway.com/improve-pronunciation-english-words For more on primary stress: https://theaccentsway.com/how-to-find-the-primary-stress-in-words/ Learn everything you need to know about the schwa: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/09/ And if you struggle with long words, watch this video: https://theaccentsway.com/long-words/ Here's the whole list to practice with speeches: How to sound like Reese Witherspoon https://theaccentsway.com/rhythm/ Simon Sinek Speech Analysis https://theaccentsway.com/speech-sinek/ American Intonation with Shonda Rhimes https://theaccentsway.com/shonda-rhimes-speech/

Apr 2, 2021 • 44min
115. How the universal laws work with language learning
Speaking a second language can create insecurities, fears, and frustrations. These feelings sometimes pop up when we hear ourselves speaking, and we feel that we're far from the ideal we have in our mind. We listen to our English and determine if we're powerful or not. We allow these thoughts to define our identity and self-worth. But what if we looked at it from a different perspective? What if we realized that our thoughts, visualizations, and energy regarding the way we see ourselves are MORE important than the language itself? In this episode you'll hear my conversation with Kisma, who's a prosperity code mentor, about how this approach can support you on your English journey, and in life – and how you can step into your inner power. Check out Kisma's website and YouTube channel Listen to her Illumination podcast Follow her on Instagram Did you know we're working on a new and exciting transformational program? Get on the list to find out when we open doors! https://hadarshemesh.com/join/ 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://theaccentsway.com/influency-community/

Mar 30, 2021 • 11min
114. What I learned about English fluency from… DANCE CLASSES ??
If you've learned to dance, I assume it included moving your body and not just watching other people move, right? Same goes if you learned how to ride a bicycle or play the piano. Well, you know what? The same goes for learning English! If you want to become fluent – so fluent that you sometimes can't tell the difference between speaking in English or your native language because they both feel so natural – you have to put what you learn into practice, which means – SPEAKING! This is how you acquire a new habit. Eventually you won't think much about a new word or sound because it will become automatic. In this episode I'll share some memories from my days in dance class (and what I learned from that experience). Because it's not just about dancing, it's about learning any new thing, including English. Become a Sprint Master: https://hadarshemesh.com/sprint-master/ Join Beyond – our English practice community: https://hadarshemesh.com/join-beyond/ Here are videos that will help to establish your pronunciation routine: Sprint # 1 PRONUNCIATION, GRAMMAR and VOCABULARY | 10-min daily exercise: https://theaccentsway.com/sprint-with-hadar/ Sprint #2 Boost your English with this Effective Pronunciation Practice! https://theaccentsway.com/sprint2/ Effective Exercises: https://theaccentsway.com/english-pronunciation-exercises/ 15 Minute Morning Pronunciation Routine: https://theaccentsway.com/pronunciation-practice-english/ Download FREE pronunciation audio course https://theaccentsway.com/audio-accent-course/

Mar 26, 2021 • 6min
113. How to pronounce Days of the Week
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. This week we're going to talk about how to pronounce the days of the week. Here's a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: Day: dei [IPA: deɪ] Sunday suhn-dei [IPA: ˈsʌndeɪ] Monday: muhn-dei [IPA: ˈmʌndeɪ] Tuesday: tyuwz-dei [IPA: ˈtjuːzdeɪ] or tuwz-dei [IPA: ˈtuːzdeɪ] Wednesday: wenz-dei [IPA: ˈwenzdeɪ] Thursday: th'rz-dei [IPA: ˈθɜːrzdeɪ] Friday: frai-dei [IPA: ˈfraɪdeɪ ] Saturday: sa-d'r-dei [IPA: ˈsæɾərdeɪ] Check out the episode about Tuesday vs.Thursday: https://theaccentsway.com/tuesday-thursday/ Did you know we're working on a new and exciting transformational program? Get on the list to find out when we open doors! https://hadarshemesh.com/join/ 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://theaccentsway.com/influency-community/

Mar 23, 2021 • 13min
112. The most searched 'HOW TO PRONOUNCE' words on Google (and how to pronounce them)
What are the words people struggle to pronounce the most? In this episode, I'll share with you the most searched 'how to pronounce' words on Google and talk about how to pronounce them. Since they appeared in the top searches, it seems that people – native and non-native speakers – are unsure of their pronunciation. And for a good reason – many of them have two different pronunciations! Here are the words people are most curious about: Shein, Nike, Worcestershire, entrepreneur, GIF, water, often, doge, route. Watch the video version and check the phonetic spelling and IPA here: https://bit.ly/3d0Uf0p How to pronounce 'entrepreneur': https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/111/ How to pronounce 'water': https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/61/ 5 Words You're (probably) Pronouncing Wrong: https://theaccentsway.com/five-mispronounce/ 6 FOOD NAMES you're (probably) pronouncing WRONG: https://theaccentsway.com/six-food-names/

Mar 19, 2021 • 4min
111. How to pronounce 'entrepreneur'
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. This week we're going to talk about how to pronounce the word "entrepreneur". Here's a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Entrepreneur: aan-truh-pruh-n'r [IPA: ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɜːr] or aan-truh-pruh-nur [IPA: ˌɑːntrəprəˈnʊr] Did you know we're working on a new and exciting transformational program? Get on the list to find out when we open doors! https://hadarshemesh.com/join/ 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://theaccentsway.com/influency-community/

Mar 16, 2021 • 22min
110. How to find the primary stress in words
One of the most challenging, and sometimes frustrating, aspects of English is predicting where the primary stress should be in a word. Primary stress is the one syllable in a word that sticks out the most: it's longer, louder, and higher in pitch. In this episode, we'll dive deep into the world of primary stress and I'll teach you, first, how to identify it, and then – how to predict it in some cases. And if you know me, you know that effective practice is my THING. So I'll show you my 3-step system for identifying and practicing the primary stress. Use it to see results and feel more confident and clear when communicating. And to make it fun, you'll also find a short quiz in the end. To see the answers (and watch the video version) go here: https://bit.ly/3cxvkS2 Episodes about the schwa sound and words with suffixes: The Schwa: How One TINY Sound Can Make a HUGE Difference https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/09/ The Schwa | The secret of American Speakers | vowels https://youtu.be/1MrftJ1bGlA How to find the stress in long words (words with suffixes) https://theaccentsway.com/long-words/

Mar 12, 2021 • 8min
109. Do we change our personality when we speak English? | ASK HADAR
In this episode I answer a question from Juan Andres from Colombia who wants to understand why he feels different when he speaks English than when he speaks Spanish. In these Ask Hadar episodes I'm gonna answer, or at least share my perspective on some of your questions. Want me to answer your question on the podcast or IG? Send me your audio or video question here: https://hadarshemesh.com/ask-hadar/ Did you know we're working on a new and exciting transformational program? Get on the list to find out when we open doors! https://hadarshemesh.com/join/ 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://theaccentsway.com/influency-community/

Mar 8, 2021 • 32min
108. Being a NON-NATIVE speaker is an ADVANTAGE | Interview with an OSCAR winning producer
Should you let your English stop you? Rotem Alima, an Academy Award-winning film and television producer, thinks that's the last thing you should do. She also didn't let the fact that she's a brown, immigrant woman stop her from succeeding in the demanding Hollywood film and TV industry. For International Women's day, Rotem shares with us her story of how she moved from being insecure and ready to give up on her dream of becoming a Hollywood producer, to finding her voice and her power. And that's a great reminder of how everything's possible. She will also share incredible insights on how to find the advantages of being a non-native speaker. Continue celebrating #InternationalWomensDay with us in a week of live interviews on my Instagram account @hadar.accentsway https://bit.ly/3v5BIs7 Rotem Alima is an Academy Award-winning film and television producer and a Forbes '30 Under 30′ Honoree from Israel, based in Los Angeles. During her career she has worked with large international brands, popular TV channels, as well as the highest government offices in Israel. Follow Rotem on Instagram @rotem.alima https://bit.ly/3qv0aj4 Rotem's Website: https://www.rotemalima.com/ Did you know we're working on a new and exciting transformational program? Get on the list to find out when we open doors! https://hadarshemesh.com/join/ 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://theaccentsway.com/influency-community/


