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

308. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Ibrahim

My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, Ibrahim, a New Sound student of mine, shares his story of how he transformed his experience and started developing a new method for learning with us in New Sound Ibrahim’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ibrahim.um...

Apr 07, 202328 minEp. 308

307. How to pronounce the days of the week in English

Welcome to another Tuesday episode By the way, do you say TYOOZ-day or TOOZ-day? If you’re not sure how to pronounce it, this episode is for you. Join me as I go over the pronunciation of the days of the week and learn how you can practice so you feel natural when saying them. Learn how to pronounce the months of the year: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/266/...

Apr 04, 202312 minEp. 307

306. Student special: Differently Abled by Vanessa and Soraya

This Friday is a bit different from what I normally post on the InFluency Podcast. In this episode, I have the absolute privilege of sharing with you something very special from my students, Vanessa Castillo and Soraya Carvajal, members of my Beyond Community. Today, you will hear from Vanessa and Soraya, as Vanessa shares her journey of overcoming limiting beliefs, sharing awareness about her condition, symbrachydactyly, and celebrating differences. April 1 is the beginning of International Lim...

Mar 31, 202336 minEp. 306

305. How to pronounce NG | American English Pronunciation

Want to know how to pronounce the NG sound in English, and common exceptions for this sound? Join me in today’s episode! To practice with more words and sentences, read the full blogpost here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/ng-sound-in-english/

Mar 28, 202314 minEp. 305

304. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Jacqueline

My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, Jacqueline, a New Sound student of mine, shares her story of transformation from feeling stuck in English for many years to becoming a fearless speaker of English! Click the link to learn more about New Sound and get on...

Mar 24, 202351 minEp. 304

303. 6 New Sound Students Share Their Before & After Stories

What does it look like to transform from feeling insecure to feeling expressive and confident in English? In today’s episode, I’m interviewing 6 of my New Sound students as they share their experience inside New Sound, and what has become possible for them during and after New Sound. They’ll share what are the things that they needed to learn, and the things they needed to let go of to speak English powerfully, clearly and fluently. They will also share the values of what New Sound is all about:...

Mar 17, 20232 hr 52 minEp. 303

302. My English Program ‘New Sound’ is Now Open!

New Sound is the ONLY program for speakers of English as a second language that focuses on EVERYTHING you really need to own your voice in English and find the freedom you deserve. New Sound offers a holistic approach to teaching pronunciation and prosody that will help you overcome your limitations and find your unique, powerful voice. I’ve integrated elements from my theater training (I bet you didn’t know I was once destined for Hollywood), including voice work, body language, speech analysis...

Mar 15, 202314 minEp. 302

301. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Tram

My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, Tram, a student of mine, shares how she completed her 90-day goal she set at the beginning of the course, and is now feeling confident to communicate, and above all, she has a clear strategy and learning method for what...

Mar 10, 202326 minEp. 301

300. The hardest things I had to overcome (in English and business)

In this episode, I’m taking things in a bit of a different direction than normal! This week, I wanted to share the things I’ve had to overcome in English, and what that has allowed me to do in my personal life and business. As I mentioned, here are some of my old original YouTube videos: And my videos after I made the decision to start showing up authentically:

Mar 07, 202330 minEp. 300

299. How to pronounce Were, Work, and World

In this episode, I’ll teach you how to pronounce the words Were, Work, and World. I call this sound the STIR sound. There are a LOT of words in English with this sound, and once you master it, these words are going to feel so much easier! Practice along with me in this episode today.

Mar 05, 202310 minEp. 299

298. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Renata

My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, my inspiring student Renata shares her journey from an immigrant struggling to express herself in English to a confident speaker hosting English classes for new immigrants in Canada. Watch the video version of the inter...

Mar 03, 202327 minEp. 298

297. 6 signs to know if it’s time to work on your pronunciation

How can you know when it’s time to work on your pronunciation in English? In this episode, I explain 6 different signs for you to know if or when it’s time to work on your pronunciation, and how you can practice it! Want a more in-depth pronunciation course? Get on the waitlist to know when doors open next time for my 3-month program New Sound where you will transform your English and learn more about shadowing, pronunciation, mindset, and so much more! https://hadarshemesh.com/newsound/...

Feb 28, 202313 minEp. 297

296. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Osiris

My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, my phenomenal student Osiris shares how taking my signature New Sound has helped her become more confident giving public speeches in English and finding a job as an associate banker. Watch the video version of the inter...

Feb 24, 202330 minEp. 296

295. Shadowing Intonation, Rhythm and Tone of Voice with THE WHITE LOTUS

Download my shadowing analysis from the hit show on HBO The White Lotus: https://hadarshemesh.com/jennifer-coolidge-shadowing-freebie/ Shadowing is a great way to practice your pronunciation, prosody, grammar and so much more, and in this episode, we’ll focus on the intonation and rhythm from one of my favorite actresses, Jennifer Coolidge from the show The White Lotus, Season 1 and 2! Today, I’m going to walk you through practicing your intonation and rhythm, using scenes with Tanya McQuoid (Je...

Feb 21, 202315 minEp. 295

294. Advanced accent coaching | How I coach an actress on her American accent

Maera Daniel Hagage is one of my students who recently came to my studio for a 1:1 coaching session. In this episode, see how I work with Maera on advanced pronunciation feedback, where we focus on her vowels, voice quality, and rhythm. Maera was a previous private student of mine, and she joined my course New Sound, where she practiced the foundations of pronunciation and accent. In this coaching session, you’ll get the chance to see how I work with my students and give them feedback that allow...

Feb 17, 202337 minEp. 294

293. Letting go of tension when you speak

Do you ever feel tired after speaking? Maybe you’ve felt tension, discomfort or even pain when you speak in English. We can hold a lot of tension in our muscles and in our voice, especially if we feel stressed, nervous, or we’re using English sounds in a way that doesn’t serve us. In today’s episode, I’ll talk about why that happens, and what to do to release that tension and feel more free, less exhausted, and more energetic when speaking English. Watch the video of my 5-minute pronunciation ro...

Feb 15, 202311 minEp. 293

292. Reinventing Yourself: An Actress’s Accent Journey to Freedom and Confidence

Maera Daniel Hagage is one of my students and I had the privilege of interviewing her in person at my studio! In the first episode of this two-part series, Maera shares her story of moving to the US, working on her accent, and the freedom and confidence she has developed over the past few years which has opened so many opportunities for her. Maera’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maera_d_ha/ Join us next week for part two where I’ll do a pronunciation coaching session with Maera! Check out...

Feb 10, 202336 minEp. 292

291. Disappearing sounds in English | Make pronunciation easier with this hack

Download your FREE PDF to get more words to practice and make your pronunciation easier with these disappearing sounds in English: https://hadarshemesh.com/syllable-deletion-freebie/ Make your life easier with this hack! You don’t always have to pronounce all the syllables in a word! In some cases in English, if the syllable is unstressed in a word, you can completely drop it. In this episode I share with you when you can eliminate an entire syllable from a word, and make your life so much easie...

Feb 07, 20237 minEp. 291

290. Conversations with a Polyglot: What does it take to learn a language effectively?

Steve Kaufmann is a Canadian polyglot who speaks around 12 languages and knows around 8 more. And in this interview, he’s going to share valuable advice on language learning, and joins me for a conversation about the different aspects of learning and speaking a second language. Watch our interview on Steve’s channel: https://youtu.be/S7WpN34YQjk Steve’s learning platform – LingQ: https://www.lingq.com/ Check out these other videos! Will reading books help you get fluent? https://hadarshemesh.com...

Feb 02, 202340 minEp. 290

289. 5 pronunciation challenges for Japanese speakers

Get the top 10 pronunciation challenges for Japanese speakers here: https://bit.ly/3Y7N0tE In this episode, I’m going to talk about 5 English pronunciation challenges for Japanese speakers – all broken down and explained. Download the practice guide here for 5 MORE challenges that aren’t mentioned in the episode! https://bit.ly/3Y7N0tE You’ll learn what those main challenges are, why they are difficult, but more than that – you’ll learn how to overcome them and become a more confident and clear ...

Jan 31, 202316 minEp. 289

288. ChatGPT Tutorial – How to use Chat GPT for Learning and Practicing English

ChatGPT is a FREE computer program that will change the way you practice English forever. In today’s episode, I’ll walk you through how to use OpenAI ChatGPT to enhance your vocabulary, grammar, conversation, exam prep and so much more. It will completely transform the way you practice in ways you wouldn’t believe are possible! Read my ULTIMATE guide for using Chat GPT for English Learning: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/chatgpt-for-learning-english/ Download my list of prompts for practicing...

Jan 24, 202316 minEp. 288

287. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Piotr

My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, Piotr, an amazing student of mine, shares how joining my program New Sound has helped him to like his voice in English and to take action and really get on his English journey with joy and confidence. Now, he forms frie...

Jan 20, 202323 minEp. 287

286. Why is speaking English with people so freakin’ hard?!

Join my 30-day mindset training and transform the way you feel about your English: hadarshemesh.com/mindset If you lack confidence, feel anxious or nervous, or you’re just ready to feel more CONFIDENT when you speak English, this is for you! Confidence and mindset are something we have to practice if we want to feel better about our English. It’s just like with grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, and sometimes, it’s even more essential. In this video, I talk about 5 different aspects you can...

Jan 17, 202319 minEp. 286

285. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Brenda

Join my new mindset training! 30 days of audio trainings designed to transform your confidence and mindset in English hadarshemesh.com/mindset My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, Brenda, a scholar and a professor in the field of Physics, shares how changi...

Jan 13, 202335 minEp. 285

284. Practice English with Wednesday Addams | Shadowing Sounds & Intonation

Join my new mindset training! 30 days of audio trainings designed to transform your confidence and mindset in English hadarshemesh.com/mindset Download my shadowing analysis from the hit Netflix show Wednesday: https://hadarshemesh.com/shadowing-with-wednesday-freebie/ Shadowing is a great way to practice your pronunciation, prosody, grammar and so much more, but the key is knowing what to focus on. When you focus on EVERYTHING, you focus on NOTHING! Today, I’m going to teach you how to shadow i...

Jan 10, 202323 minEp. 284

283. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Ekaterina

Join my new mindset training! 30 days of audio trainings designed to transform your confidence and mindset in English hadarshemesh.com/mindset My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, Ekaterina, a student of mine and an ambassador in my signature program New S...

Jan 06, 202330 minEp. 283

282. When you’re not where you want to be in English

Join my new mindset training! 30 days of audio trainings designed to transform your confidence and mindset in English https://bit.ly/47wXuYD What can you do when you’re not where you want to be in your fluency? As we go into a new year, you might be looking back at last year and feeling like you didn’t accomplish what you wanted to in English. No doubt, this is a discouraging feeling! But have you ever stopped to ask yourself what exactly is holding you back from achieving your goals and being w...

Jan 03, 202314 minEp. 282

281. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Gabriel

Join my new mindset training! 30 days of audio trainings designed to transform your confidence and mindset in English hadarshemesh.com/mindset My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, my student Gabriel shares his journey in English, from feeling not good enou...

Dec 30, 202222 minEp. 281

280. How did you do in 2022? | A Year in Review

Join my new mindset training! 30 days of audio trainings designed to transform your confidence and mindset in English hadarshemesh.com/mindset How was your 2022? What are you wishing for yourself in 2023? In this episode I’m going to ask you 5 questions to reflect on to review 2022 and set the right intention for 2023. I’ll also share with you my review and reflections! I invite you to share with me your wins, regrets, hopes, dreams, and resolutions in the comments or on my Instagram: https://ww...

Dec 27, 202214 minEp. 280

279. Real Stories About What’s Possible | Interview with Dharshini

My students and community members are truly inspiring. In these What’s Possible episodes, I’ll have a conversation with them about their journey, and in particular what has worked for them and led them to change the circumstances in their lives (for the better!). In this episode, Dharshini, a student of mine, shares about the shift she has made in her life. Dharshini used to avoid speaking in English because she didn’t want to make any mistakes. But having gone through New Sound, she realized th...

Dec 23, 202223 minEp. 279