How does the Impostor Syndrome affect us when speaking English as a second language? And why do we feel that even when we do a good job in English – we, in fact, failed and we can’t seem to understand how others haven’t noticed just how bad our English is. Thinking that our English is a lot worse than what other people perceive it to be makes us feel like impostors. The Impostor Syndrome is a universal psychological pattern where you may doubt your accomplishments and have this fear of being discovered as a fraud. So even when people think highly of you, your mind basically tells you they’re missing out on something and that sooner or later the “real You” will be revealed and they’ll be disappointed. Do you feel that too sometimes? About 70% of us suffer from impostor syndrome: you can find it across genders, occupations and races. However, you’d probably find it more in underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, such as immigrants, minorities, people from the lgbtq community, women, people of color, and of course – non-native speakers. From my experience, as an accent teacher as well as an English learner, it has to do with the way we learned or learn English and how we consume it. We always compare ourselves to native speakers, and it makes us feel we’re not enough when it comes to communicating in English. And on top of that, we constantly hear this saying, “Speak like a native”, which only accentuates the gap between us and them – between how we are expected to perform, and how we really are. Even though we ALL make mistakes. Even native speakers make mistakes! Also, since our schools usually use conventional methods, you get a strong message that there’s RIGHT and WRONG, and when you’re wrong, you’re criticized for your mistakes (and sometimes even not encouraged to persist), and then you get used to that feeling of being judged. But you can overcome this self-doubt. Realize that you’re not alone in this and share your experience with others. If you want to find out more, this episode is a must for you. You’ll get to hear about the experience of some of my students and how the Impostor Syndrome held them back in life. And not just my students’ experiences, but mine as well. In this episode, you’ll understand how this syndrome manifests itself when communicating in English, why it happens, and how to deal with it. After listening to my episode, let me know in the comments on my website how the impostor syndrome has affected your life and what you’re going to do about it? : https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/11/ Download 30 affirmations: https://hadarshemesh.com/freebie-30-affirmations/ Listen to the podcast where I talk about the 13 lessons I’ve learned as a teacher: hadarshemesh.com/podcast/07/ How To Get Over The Fear Of Being Judged By Native English Speakers: https://youtu.be/lEG4jn4Zfj4 Find out more about the Impostor Syndrome: The Impostor Syndrome, by The School of Life: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqhUHyVpAwE What is impostor syndrome and how can you combat it?, by Elizabeth Cox: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQUxL4Jm1Lo How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome and Stop Feeling Like a Fraud, by Marie Forleo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVfG7Q9Twqk If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-

In this episode, you’ll learn the 10 most common mistakes Brazilian Portuguese speakers make, and understand why these sounds are difficult for you, but more than that – you’ll learn how to improve your American English pronunciation. Download the FREE English pronunciation guide for Brazilian Portuguese speakers: https://theaccentsway.com/brazil-freebie/ Not a Brazilian Portuguese speaker? I bet that as a non-native speaker of English you can find at least THREE mistakes that are relevant to you Let me know what they are in the comments! Listen to my previous episode all about the Schwa sound If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash 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. You want to improve but you need to practice? Join our community on Facebook – the best place to practice English online for free.

I mention the schwa almost every time I speak about American English. That’s because this vowel is all over the place, and once you hear it, you never stop hearing it The schwa is a very short and “relaxed” kind of vowel. It’s a pretty tricky vowel for non-native speakers but if you get it, you get the secret to American English pronunciation and you become SO much clearer. Also, you will find yourself investing much less energy in speaking, which is also important Tune in and learn more about this special vowel and how to use it. And let me know what you think in the comments below. Check out a new episode about the schwa here: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/157/ You can also watch my older video about the schwa: https://goo.gl/tvDJ6o And you’ll also find my video on American Intonation helpful. If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash 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.  You want to improve but you need to practice? Join our community on Facebook – the best place to practice English online for free.

Learning to speak a new language can be challenging, no doubt about that. Especially English. All those funky words like knight, laugh, paradigm and psychology that have all these letters that are not pronounced. And what about the confusing pairs like celery-salary, back-buck, pool-pull that if we confuse them, we may sound unclear? Or words like beach, focus, spreadsheet and fox that if we mispronounce them, we might get a face-palm moment ?‍ Even when you know how certain words should sound like, you don’t necessarily know what to do in order to pronounce them correctly. And this uncertainty leads to insecurity. But what if I told you Google has come up with a brand new feature just for that? Pronto is a tool I helped Google develop, and it’s based on the experience and detailed feedback I give to my own students. How to use it: Open Google on your mobile phone and make sure you’re logged in to your Google account (use Safari on iPhone) Type “how to pronounce” and add any word you’re not sure how to pronounce. The Google search tool would spell the word for you as it should be pronounced. The transcription is plain and pretty straightforward Listen to the pronunciation of the word, and pay attention to the sounds that are most challenging to you Push the “practice” button Record yourself saying the word Pronto would detect the specific sounds that you mispronounced and let you know what you need to do in order to improve, as well as offer you more words to practice with.  So you don’t need to be confused anymore about whether you pronounce words correctly or not. Listen to the episode and find out how you can use Google’s Pronto yourself. If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash 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.  You want to improve but you need to practice? Join our community on Facebook – the best place to practice English online for free.

I’ve been an accent and fluency coach for over 10 years. It hasn’t always been easy but it was always gratifying. I’ve learned new things about English and about my teaching, and I want to share these things with you. Learn more about my English teaching training.  00:00 – My teaching journey in the past decade 06:30 – Being flexible – there is more than one way to explain something. Follow your student’s needs 12:46 – Be open – your students are your best teachers so look for what’s working and what’s not 17:27 – Clear is better than accurate – it doesn’t have to be perfect, as long as the result is clear and the student feels confident and accomplished in English 27:15 – Students don’t need to know everything. There’s a lot of important information out there, but not everything is relevant. Use what they need to know in order to transform. 30:02 – Be honest and vulnerable – Don’t expect yourself to know everything. If you’re uncertain about something, let them know and use it as an opportunity to learn 31:54 – Speak less – Being passionate is great but it’s not a lecture and they need the actual practice 33:33 – Be a coach, not a teacher – understand your role as a teacher, that it’s about getting them to take action. You need to communicate the lesson and the obstacles, to push them forward and to hold them accountable 36:00 – It’s never just about pronunciation or grammar, it’s about feeling comfortable in their own skin in English and accomplish what they want 37:18 – Even if you can’t make it, you can still teach it. You don’t need to have a native accent. As long as you know what they need to do, you can teach and coach them 40:28 – Be a translator of knowledge – simplify and translate complicated ideas into something the student will understand 41:40 – You are enough. Don’t let your accent and your knowledge and your background hold you back 44:00 – Know your worth. As you grow as a teacher, you should definitely get paid more for your services and your time 45:42 – Be organized and give clear practice instructions – review what you’ve done in the lesson and explain how to revisit it themselves If you want to hear more about some of the sounds I mentioned in this episode, check the following videos: American R, flap T, aspirated consonants If you want to improve your accent and understand

FREE PDF Download: Download my 8 P’s pronunciation teaching framework: https://theaccentsway.com/freebie-8ps/  Whether you’re an English teacher (native or non-native) or an English learner, my pronunciation teaching and learning framework will help you understand what are the steps you need to take in order to teach and learn pronunciation in the simplest, most effective way.  This framework has served me in over 10 years of being an accent and fluency coach and has helped thousands of students around the world reach incredible results.  Download the full framework here No matter what your goals in life are, if they have to do with English, learning English pronunciation is key. When you understand other English speakers better and when other speakers understand you better, you will feel more confident and things will run smoother for you. If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash 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.  You want to improve but you need to practice? Join our community on Facebook – the best place to practice English online for free.

Like any other challenge or thing we need to work on, improving your fluency is first and foremost about developing the right mindset. In this video, I’ll discuss some of the things that hold you back and that you really need to let go of if you want to achieve a breakthrough in English in 2020.  04:25 – Stop judging other speakers – appreciate what they have to say and that they’re doing their best, just like you do 06:18 – Stop waiting for the right opportunity to come – Focus on your English now and  07:26 – Stop avoiding opportunities that DO come your way. You are ready so jump on that Carpe Diem.  09:02 – Stop with those ridiculous expectations – you’re not an English native speaker. Set realistic goals and get a sense of accomplishment that will lead you to being an even better speaker 10:20 – Stop procrastinating – make English a priority and don’t let other things get in your way 11:25 – Stop with the negative self-talk – turn each negative thought into a positive one 13:18 – Stop consuming too much content – feeling like you don’t know enough is natural but you need to practice what you learn. Put yourself out there, apply what you already know and make mistakes 15:38 – Stop making native speakers your north star – communicating with speakers of English as a second language is as good as speaking with native speakers. Sometimes it’s even better.  17:40 – Stop with the lists – Speak, interact, as much as possible if you want to really become fluent 18:45 – Stop comparing yourself to others – you have your own way to carve out for yourself. If you must compare, do it in a way that will motivate you and acknowledge your personal growth Download 30 English affirmations that will help you reach a breakthrough in 2020. Videos about limiting beliefs and speaking with confidence: How to stop translating in your head: 5-steps to get stuck LESS and speak FASTER in English Afraid to make mistakes in English? WATCH THIS How the 80/20 principle will help you improve your English The fluent mindset (how changing your thoughts can improve your fluency) If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash 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.  You want to improve but you need to practice? Join our community on Facebook – the best place to practice English online for free. 

Pronunciation is the door to understanding and mastering spoken English. It’s the secret of speaking with confidence and communicating clearly. In this episode, I pinpoint the reasons why learning pronunciation is crucial if you want to make an impact and not compromise your message. Because this is really what it’s all about. It’s not about you sounding more American and losing your identity. It’s about you feeling amazing in your own skin when you communicate in English. Link to Podcast episode 2 Link to the magazine If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash 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.  You want to improve but you need to practice? Join our community on Facebook – the best place to practice English online for free. 

Learning English can easily get boring, and soon you may find yourself doing something else and beating yourself up for not keeping up with your studies. If this scenario rings a bell, this episode is for you so tune in and give yourself a motivation boost! 00:00 – Introduction – comfort zones are great until they’re not 03:50 – Remember your WHY – what do you wish for yourself that requires speaking English? 05:30 – Make it interesting – some ideas for creating your own practice exercises  07:50 – Stay focused and keep the flow – what you need to do in order to see results 11:00 – Set clear and specific goals – you don’t want your learning process to be overwhelming 13:10 – Make it sustainable – start small and keep it small, you’re in it for the long haul 14:30 – Friendly advice If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash 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. You want to improve but you need to practice? Join our community on Facebook – the best place to practice English online for free.

When I was 21 I moved to NYC dreaming to become a working actress. But I had one BIG obstacle. My English. I had a thick accent and I wasn’t fluent. In this episode, I share with you how I transformed from being a timid speaker of English to a pronunciation expert and fluency coach who runs a thriving online business, and how I get to do what I love teaching students from all around the world who inspire me every day. This is my story. Links to resources mentioned in the video:    My story (why I do what I do) The schwa (the key to American Pronunciation) If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash 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.  You want to improve but you need to practice? Join our community on Facebook - the best place to practice English online for free.