Monday 12 August 2013

Pronunciation problems? Try these apps!

Do you want to improve your English pronunciation? And you need help? Mobile phone apps for improving English pronunciation are an easier way to do it!


-     Hello, Can you help me?
-     Hello, Yes, of course.
-     I am looking for a buffet /ˈbʌfɪt/.
-     What? Buffet /ˈbʌfɪt/? You want to fight? Or you are looking for a buffet /ˈbʊfeɪ/?
-     I am looking for a place where I can eat.
-     Yes, you are looking for a buffet /ˈbʊfeɪ/ or not for buffet /ˈbʌfɪt/.


Has a similar misunderstanding happened to you? If so, you probably need to practise your English pronunciation some more!


We are going to review some mobile phone apps which could help you to improve your English pronunciation. 



First, here are some free apps for Android OS devices:


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  • MultiLing Pronunciation Checker - this App is very easy to use.  With this program you can enter words and switch between British and American Accents. The biggest advantage is that you can say a word and then the program says the correct pronunciation. The main futures of this App are: you can enter words, and have your speech tested in 5 languages. Of course it is important to mention that this program was written by Eltsoft, who are specialists in language learning apps.
  • Full version cost: £1.49
  • Overall score is 9/10.



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  • English Pronunciation Testing - this App is also easy to use. You can test your pronunciation. The biggest advantage is that you can study by playing a game: during the game you hear a sentence and then you must repeat this sentence and the program rates your performance. So this program is interesting and helpful, but on the other hand you can’t enter your own words, which makes it just a game without other functions.The main futures of this App are: the App provide different level (Junior or Senior) to challenge your; you can play the standard pronunciation as a virtual teacher. This program was written by Ruiyu Team, who have also produced a similar app for learning Chinese, as well as a voice activated alarm clock.
  • No paid-for version
  • Overall score is 8/10.


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  • Pronunciation King (UK English) – another App that is very easy to use. This App supports just UK English. The biggest advantage is that you can enter your own words or even sentences and the program says the correct pronunciation. The main features of this App are: it support offline pronunciation; suitable for students to learn and practice pronunciation.  This App was created by Clumb software. 
  • No paid-for version
  • After testing it was rated 9/10.


Secondly, here is a free app for iPhone devices:


  • Say It Right - This App by Singapore Press Holding is aimed primarily at Singaporean learners of English, but is worth a look for anyone. Again, it's easy to use. The main disadvantage is that the App has just a set word list and you can’t enter your own words. Of course, the App has some advantages too: you can hear a word, find the definition and even an example sentence. Also, if you like to communicate with people, you can use the chat function to ask questions or find help, or chat about a word’s pronunciation. 
  • No paid-for version.
  • Overall score is 7/10.


Last but not least, here's an app for both Android OS and iPhone devices:


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  • Sounds: Pronunciation App Free – this App is very easy to use. This App works with British or American English. It is interesting to use, because you can learn by playing games, which is the main advantage.  Other advantages are: you can hear sounds from the phonemic chart, take practice tests or play quiz games.  However, the games are very short, which is a slight disadvantage. Also, you can’t enter your own words. This App was created by Macmillan Publishers. 
  • If you want a full version you need to pay  £3.99. Full App features are: vocabulary word list with over 650 words; introduction to the Chart; three downloadable lesson plants for teaching with the Sounds App and other features witch are include in Free App version . 
  • Overall score this App is 7/10.


2 comments:

  1. Thank you very much for sharing this valuable information.

    Undoubtedly, one of the fields where we have to do an extra effort is in the correct pronunciation of words. That will help us to avoid possible misunderstandings.

    We can get a great help from resources like these.

    Thank you again.

    Cheers.

    Carlos :)

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  2. Wow, what a wide range of apps! There is something for every need in what you've posted. Maybe the more useful are the ones in which there are games related to pronounciation, but this is simply a personal opinion, since the methods to learn pronounciation could vary very much among different people.

    Thank you for posting this links, we will definitely take advantage of them.

    Stefano

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