The InFluency Podcast - podcast cover

The InFluency Podcast

Hadar Shemeshhadarshemesh.com
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.

Episodes

458. The best tongue twisters for clear pronunciation

Practice 12 of the best tongue twisters in English to improve your pronunciation! Tongue twisters are some of the best ways to warm up your articulation muscles, get you ready for speaking, and you know what, they’re just fun! For more tongue twisters, click here https://bit.ly/41U4Epj

Mar 11, 202510 minEp. 458

457. Pronunciation Q&A | You ask, I answer

Today, I’m answering questions from my New Sound students! We go into pronunciation questions to specific words, practice strategies, and details about incorporating breathwork into speech. Got a question you want me to answer on the podcast next? Ask it here! https://bit.ly/3L71bu8

Mar 07, 202518 minEp. 457

456. The difference between color vs. collar, wonder vs. wonder, and more

Cup or cop? Today we’re practicing the differences between the /ʌ/ vowel and the /ɑ/ vowel in American English pronunciation. Words like wonder vs. wonder, color vs. collar, and cup vs. cop are what we’re practicing today! Follow along with me and repeat these words out loud. Keep practicing your pronunciation with me inside the FREE 14-day pronunciation plan! https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5...

Feb 25, 202511 minEp. 456

455. Real-life Success Stories in English

If you’ve ever felt like fluency in English is just out of reach, this episode is for you. Meet Lisando, Alex, Orsi, Anne, and Alain: My New Sound students who once felt stuck but found a way to transform their confidence, pronunciation, and fluency. In this episode, they share exactly how they did it. If you’ve ever hesitated in conversations, struggled to be understood, or doubted whether you’ll ever feel truly comfortable speaking English, their stories will show you what’s possible. Watch no...

Feb 18, 20251 hr 23 minEp. 455

454. The English You Want vs. The English You Have – How to Close the Gap!

Your mindset and emotions play a huge role in your confidence and clarity when speaking English. In this video, I want to remind you that transformation is possible—you just need the right tools and mindset. Whether you're working on your pronunciation, fluency, or self-expression, know that you are capable of growth, and I'm here to support you every step of the way! Want to take your English to the next level? My program New Sound is finally OPEN! Click here to learn more https://bit.ly/3CXnP8...

Feb 13, 202527 minEp. 454

453. Watching TV won't make you fluent. Debunking Popular English Advice

Join my free masterclass and transform the way you speak English: https://bit.ly/4jJUSNA If you're learning English and feel like you're not making progress, you might be following advice that simply doesn’t work. In this video, I’m breaking down the most popular but not-so-great English tips, and what to do instead to actually improve your fluency, pronunciation, and confidence! If you're tired of outdated methods that don’t work and want real, lasting results, this video is for you! 📌 My best...

Feb 07, 202510 minEp. 453

452. Taking Radical Responsibility

Join my FREE 7-day pronunciation bootcamp: https://bit.ly/40CcyCd What is radical responsibility, and how subscribing to this idea can change your English (and your life)? In this episode, I’m going to share my experience being part of a mastermind with 20 incredible businesswomen from across the U.S. and the valuable lessons I’ve learned about taking ownership of both life and business. I’ll also dive into some philosophical reflections on how these insights connect to our language-learning jou...

Jan 31, 202516 minEp. 452

451. Why you should work on pronunciation

Sign up for my FREE Pronunciation Bootcamp! We start on February 5! https://bit.ly/40CcyCd Have you ever wondered WHY you should work on your pronunciation, and what is the best way to do it? In this episode, I’m going to share with you tips on why you should work on your pronunciation, and explain how it can help you improve so many different elements of your English! I also shared that my FREE Pronunciation Bootcamp is coming up, we start on February 5! In the bootcamp, you’ll get… 🔥 Live tra...

Jan 28, 202516 minEp. 451

450. Intonation in English: How to sound more engaging and expressive [Free practice]

Intonation in English is the secret to sounding clearer, more expressive, engaging and interesting! In today’s video, I’m going to share with you what intonation is and the key elements you need to know to start using even more intonation in your own speech. Get the free practice guide to follow along with! https://bit.ly/4hkq18n Get on the waitlist to join my signature program, New Sound! https://bit.ly/49q8RDB...

Jan 21, 202518 minEp. 450

449. Read out loud with me and practice your English | Harry Potter

Improve your vocabulary, pronunciation and pace while reading a story out loud with me! We’re reading a scene from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Download the PDF to read along with me and learn the vocabulary from the video! https://bit.ly/4jfVHgG

Jan 14, 202524 minEp. 449

448. Finding your voice in English | You ask, I answer.

In today’s episode, I’m answering questions from my students inside my membership, Beyond. Today you’ll get to hear questions like… [1:42] How can I find my natural voice in English? [13:12] How to improve similar vowel pairs like sheep/ship and pool/pull? [16:05] I feel like everyone speaks better English than me. How can I overcome this? And more! Do you have a question for me? You can ask it here! https://bit.ly/3L71bu8 These questions came from members of my Beyond membership. Get on the wai...

Jan 10, 202527 minEp. 448

447. 4 reasons why 2025 is the BEST year to finally get FLUENT

It’s always a good time to get fluent in English, but this year is one of the BEST times to take advantage of everything that’s happening in the world and in the language learning industry and make progress in your English! In this week’s episode, I’m going to share with you four different reasons for why I think 2025 is going to be a GREAT year to finally reach your fluency goals in English. Get on my newsletter for weekly lessons: https://bit.ly/3DK1jzE Join my free online community! https://b...

Jan 07, 202514 minEp. 447

446. Concluding 1 year of Relocation | My Relocation Diaries

How do you even begin to talk about a full year of living in a new country? After relocating to Barcelona on January 4th, 2024, I’ll share the top challenges I faced and the lessons I learned during my first year of relocation in this episode. Join me for a behind-the-scenes look at my relocation journey to Barcelona ✈️ ☀️

Jan 02, 202543 minEp. 446

444. Practice English with ‘Popular’ from Wicked | Shadowing practice

Shadowing is one of the best ways you can practice your pronunciation, connected speech and rhythm in English, and today, we’re going to do it with the song ‘Popular’ from the new Wicked movie! I also prepared for you a free PDF with the shadowing analysis and notes so you can practice this song on your own. Here’s the PDF with analysis https://bit.ly/4ikUh4l 👉 Join the list for my program New Sound where you will transform your English and learn more about shadowing, pronunciation, mindset, an...

Dec 10, 202416 minEp. 444

442. Act in English: Practice a scene with me

Are you ready to act in English? In this podcast, I’ll guide you through a scene from the play The Rabbit Hole, where you’ll get to practice key elements of English like pronunciation, emotion, and flow by reading along with me. Watch the video version with the script here: https://bit.ly/4eDz9mJ Download the PDF of the script here https://bit.ly/48TSuPo or read along with me below: BECCA: Ridiculous, right? Nine weeks pregnant. In a bar. Drinking. HOWIE: You said she wasn’t drinking. BECCA: No,...

Nov 19, 202418 minEp. 442

441. How can I build confidence in English? You ask, I answer.

Join me for a special bonus episode from a Q&A inside my membership, Beyond. Today you’ll get to hear questions like… How can I find my voice in English? How can I lead a meeting with confidence? How can I become more confident? Why do we improve through speaking? Who are good role models for effective communication? And more! Got a question for me? Ask it here! https://bit.ly/3L71bu8 Episodes about finding your voice in English: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/38/ https://hadarshemesh.com/maga...

Nov 15, 202420 minEp. 441

440. Why you CAN’T understand people on Zoom (and what to do about it)

Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams or whatever meeting platform you use… if you have found yourself in an online meeting where everyone has their camera off, understanding your colleagues might be a challenge. In this episode, I’ll share some tips with you about how to understand others better, ask for what you need, and set yourself up for success online! More episodes on how to improve your listening in English: How to Improve Your Listening Skills in English – 9 Tips Strategies to Improve you...

Nov 12, 202411 minEp. 440

439. AI for English: Can it replace your teacher?

Have you used AI to practice your English? What has your experience been? In this episode, I’m going to share with you the truth about practicing with AI, the pros and cons, and my personal opinion about using AI to practice a language. (it may surprise you!) Want to practice with real humans? We’re here! Join my free community on Facebook, The InFluency Community https://bit.ly/47tinnp

Nov 05, 202411 minEp. 439

438. English Pronunciation Plan | Improve your pronunciation in 14 days

👉 DOWNLOAD THE 14-DAY ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION PLAN https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5 What’s the best way to study pronunciation? What sounds should you start with? How do you really get results? I’m going to share all of that with you here with the 14-day plan I’ve created!

Oct 22, 20247 minEp. 438

437. How to Reach a Breakthrough in English Without Learning Anything New [Revisiting favorite episodes]

We’re revisiting some of our most popular and favorite episodes on the podcast. As an English learner, you must have wondered – what are the things that are preventing me from reaching a breakthrough in English? You may think it’s just more vocabulary or phrasal verbs, and maybe all those fancy tenses that people use… When in fact, it’s something a lot more basic and primal. It’s not what ELSE you need to learn, but instead – it’s how YOU think about yourself when speaking English. Yes, how we t...

Oct 11, 202459 minEp. 437

436. No more levels – what’s your Speaker Stage in English?

Take the free quiz and determine your speaker stage in English https://bit.ly/3YaFq4e If you think that progress is only about going from A1 to C2 – think again! Your progress as a non-native speaker goes beyond your proficiency level. In a person’s language journey, there are 5 typical speaker types, each characterized by a certain behavior and mindset. And guess what – no one has tried to identify those types before – UNTIL NOW!! In my BRAND NEW QUIZ, I’ll tell you your speaker type … And shar...

Oct 08, 202412 minEp. 436

435. Beyond the books: English learning for curious minds

In this episode, I spoke with Alastair, the host of the podcast, English Learning for Curious Minds. Alastair is originally from the UK but now lives in Sweden. We talked about his experiences moving from London to Malta and then to Sweden, and what’s exciting and challenging about relocating. Alistair also talks about his podcast, English Learning for Curious Minds, where he combines cool stories and history with language learning. He shares how he makes difficult ideas easier to understand and...

Oct 04, 202433 minEp. 435

434. Why you still make grammar mistakes in English even when you know the rule

Have you ever wondered why your grammar is nearly perfect when you write, but when you start speaking, you can’t use any of it? In this episode, I’ll dive into why this happens and share tips on how to change it. We’ll explore why you struggle to apply grammar rules in real-time, the difference between writing and speaking, and how you can train your brain to make grammar automatic when you speak. For more grammar exercises, check out my program, Sprint Master, where you will improve your gramma...

Oct 01, 20248 minEp. 434

433. What to Do When You Hit a Plateau in English? [Revisiting favorite episodes]

We’re revisiting some of our most popular and favorite episodes on the podcast. What happens when you make great progress in something, but then… You’re stuck. You no longer move forward. It happens in so many different areas in life; losing weight, working out, in relationships… but also in English. You learn new words, build your confidence, improve your pronunciation… but after a while… you feel like nothing else is changing and again you find yourself on that silly hamster wheel. How can you...

Sep 27, 202426 minEp. 433

432. He taught at the British Council for 25+ years – here are his tips for learners

I had the chance to interview Craig Wealand, the host of InglesPodcast, and an English teacher for more than 20 years! He shared his experiences as a teacher, Spanish learner, podcaster and more. I really enjoyed this episode, and I hope you will too! Listen to Craig’s podcast: https://inglespodcast.com/ Learn with Craig: https://www.englishcraig.com/...

Sep 24, 202439 minEp. 432

431. 13 Things I’ve Learned as a Teacher [Revisiting favorite episodes]

We’re revisiting some of our most popular and favorite episodes on the podcast. 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. Full transcript and more information is here: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/07/

Sep 20, 202451 minEp. 431

430. Scheduling meetings: Essential phrases and how to say them

Can we schedule a meeting for Monday at 9 AM? I’m sorry, I’m going to have to cancel our meeting. Whether you’re scheduling, confirming a meeting, or canceling a meeting, today we’re going to talk about essential phrases you can use in everyday English – with a focus on pronunciation and connected speech! Download the FREE practice sheet with even more useful phrases to practice along with: https://bit.ly/3MOxYp4

Sep 17, 202415 minEp. 430

429. It’s not too late to achieve your 2024 goals. Here’s how.

The end of 2024 is near – maybe you set some goals for yourself back in January, and even though you’d really love to achieve them, you’re not sure HOW exactly to do that. The good news is…we still have a quarter left in the year! If you’re wondering how to turn around your practice and get inspired, motivated and determined to achieve your goals, there is a way. 💪 My membership, Beyond, is now open until Tuesday, September 17! We’ve been keeping it a secret for a while now, because we’ve been ...

Sep 13, 202413 minEp. 429