This episode, I’m chatting with Jochen.  Jochen was born in Romania and raised in Austria.   We met in a café, socially distanced, so you will hear some café sounds… actually, louder sounds than anticipated, so this is a real test of your listening skills!  

We chatted about building and giving presentations, the problems with direct translations, and using your emotions when speaking, but I started by asking Jochen to tell me a little about himself… 

INTERVIEW

Great advice from Jochen – stop watching TV in your original language and just use English!  It’s also useful to think about language, as Jochen said, as a piece of the presentation puzzle. 

So – this episode’s pronunciation tip is about intonation.  

The best thing about speaking English is that it’s not just about the vocabulary you learn… it’s an expressive language – so it’s not a flat language where your ability to use wonderfully exaggerated phrases, impress with intricate nuances and exquisite eloquence shows you are good at English.   It’s an up and down language, an energetic language, so a lot of meaning is lost if your tone is expressionless!   

When speaking, it’s best to identify the important words in each sentence and give them as much energy as possible!  

A good way to practice this is with the following sentence:

I didn’t say now! 

= 4 words (as didn’t is a contraction of did and not)… but how many different meanings can we hear if we stress the words differently? 

The answer is 4!

First – I didn’t say now!  = meaning ‘it wasn’t me!’

Second – I didn’t say now! = meaning ‘I said something else’

Third – I didn’t say now! = meaning ‘I only suggested now’

Finally – I didn’t say now! = meaning ‘I meant later!’

So – find the most important words in each sentence and give that word more energy!  Try saying “I didn’t say now!” and change which word you stress to practice!

Over to you to practice!

So there we are!  The transcript of this episode is available to read on the podcast’s webpage, so take a look!  

Join me next time for more pronunciation tips, more advice and, most importantly, more chatting!

My thanks again to Jochen and, for her music, a massive thanks to the wonderful Mara Carlyle.   Bye for now!