Sometimes it’s HARD to understand the lyrics of songs when you’re listening to it for the first time. There’s so much information coming your way – the melody, rhythm, stress, and of course words. Yet, I think it’s such a great tool to use when practicing English. It strengthens not only our vocabulary but also our listening skills and pronunciation – especially when it comes to rhythm and connected speech. In this episode I’ll use a huge hit by Lizzo, About Damn Time, and really break it down a...
May 17, 2022•17 min•Ep 218•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the words ‘analysis’, ‘analyses’, and ‘analyze’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: analysis: uh-NA-luh-sis [IPA: əˈnæləsɪs] or uh-NA-luh-s’s [IPA: əˈnæləsəs] analyses: uh-NA-luh-seez [IPA: əˈnæləsi:z] analyze: A-nuh-laiz [IPA: ˈænəlaɪz] You can wa...
May 13, 2022•7 min•Ep 217•Transcript available on Metacast As a speaker of English as a 2nd language, you simply CANNOT approach important speaking opportunities the same way you approach them when they’re in your first language. You just can’t. You don’t want to survive in English. You want to thrive. In this episode I share 5 tips on how to prepare for any speaking opportunity in English so it’ll set you up for success (and not failure). Get the 5 steps to succeed toolkit and step up your performance in English: https://hadarshemesh.com/prepare-meetin...
May 10, 2022•8 min•Ep 216•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about words with the NG sound. That’s right, it’s not a sequence of an N and a G sound. It’s just one sound. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: sing: sing [IPA: sɪŋ] long: long [IPA: ˈlɔːŋ] or laang [IPA: lɑːŋ] ping: ping [IPA: pɪŋ] rang: rang [IPA: ɹæŋ]...
May 06, 2022•5 min•Ep 215•Transcript available on Metacast Do you like learning phrasal verbs in English? But how often do you USE phrasal verbs in English? One of the best ways to internalize phrasal verbs and use them more often when speaking is to practice them in context and attach some emotion to them – just like with any other vocabulary words in English! In this episode I share SIX of my favorite phrasal verbs that relate to when I get angry. I talk about when to use them, what they mean, and how to pronounce them. Here they are: come on – disbel...
May 03, 2022•7 min•Ep 214•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the word ‘question’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: question: KWES-ch’n [IPA: ˈkwestʃən] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/question/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, ...
Apr 29, 2022•3 min•Ep 213•Transcript available on Metacast Want to improve your pronunciation fast? Join our 14-day ‘How to Pronounce’ Marathon! The marathon is going to happen on my INSTAGRAM page @hadar.accentsway where I’ll be sharing a short explanation of how to pronounce tricky and challenging words. Why working on the pronunciation of single words is so useful: ? It helps you become more aware of the actual sounds in words (and not how you THINK they should sound) ? You develop an awareness of your articulation organs and how to control them ? Yo...
Apr 26, 2022•8 min•Ep 212•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the words ‘serious’ and ‘series’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: serious: si-ɹee-uhs [IPA:], or si-ɹee-y’s in connected speech series: si-ɹeez [IPA:] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/serious-series/ If you...
Apr 22, 2022•3 min•Ep 211•Transcript available on Metacast Do you find it hard to let go of control? In life? In your relationships? In your work? You might feel like it has nothing to do with your English but it does. Because we carry this need to be in control when we speak English. What does that look like? – Not speaking before knowing exactly what you’re going to say – Not pronouncing words you’re uncertain of their pronunciation – Not using words you’re unsure of how to use them – Not speaking much to people you don’t know And more… But in order t...
Apr 19, 2022•17 min•Ep 210•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the word ‘chocolate’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: chocolate: chaak-l’t [IPA: ˈtʃɑːklət] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/chocolate/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better...
Apr 15, 2022•3 min•Ep 209•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the words with the H sound as well as words with a silent H. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: hello: huh-low [IPA: həˈloʊ] hi/high: hai [IPA: haɪ] here: heer [IPA: hɪəɹ] home: howm [IPA: hoʊm] house: haws [IPA: haʊs] hair: her [IPA: heəɹ] hate: h...
Apr 08, 2022•8 min•Ep 208•Transcript available on Metacast What does it take to feel safe and supported in your workplace or when immigrating to a new country? What is the right way to respond when you feel judged? Or criticized by others? What happens internally (and ultimately, how does it affect your communication abilities) when you feel stereotyped – only because English is not your first language? And why does it bother people when they’re constantly asked “where are you from”? In my Immigrant Experience series, I’ve been sharing stories of studen...
Apr 05, 2022•34 min•Ep 207•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the word ‘pretty’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: pretty: pri-dee [IPA: ˈprɪɾi] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/pretty/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my ...
Apr 01, 2022•3 min•Ep 206•Transcript available on Metacast If English is not your native language, does that mean you have to compromise on the things you want to achieve in your life? Listening to the stories in this episode, you’ll see that the answer is absolutely not. For my students who you will meet in this episode, English used to be a huge obstacle that was impossible to overcome. But with the right strategy, practice technique, and mindset, they were able to make an incredible transformation in their English that led to making incredible change...
Mar 29, 2022•2 hr 49 min•Ep 205•Transcript available on Metacast Does a native accent guarantee ultimate confidence and freedom? Recently I’ve been getting a bunch of questions from people who want to speak with a native accent because they don’t feel confident in English. But is that the solution? In this video, I’ll answer that! I’ll also share with you what has REALLY helped me and thousands of my students reach limitless fluency (Hint: YES it’s about pronunciation, and NO, it’s not about sounding native!) You’ll get to hear some of my students too, who wi...
Mar 22, 2022•14 min•Ep 204•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words, common names, and expressions. This week we’re going to talk about the words ‘eventually’ and ‘actually’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: eventually: uh-ven-shuh-lee [IPA: əˈvenʃəli] or uh-ven-chuh-lee [IPA: əˈventʃəli] actually: ak-chuw-uh-lee [IPA: ˈæktʃuəli] or ak-shuh-lee [IPA: ˈækʃəli] You ca...
Mar 18, 2022•3 min•Ep 203•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words, common names, and expressions. This week we’re going to talk about the saying ‘figure it out’. Here’s a loose transcription of the saying as explained in the episode: Figure it out: fig-yuh-ruh-dawt [IPA: ˈfɪɡjər əɾ aʊt] or [IPA: ˈfɪɡjər əɾ æʊt] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/figure-it-out/ If y...
Mar 11, 2022•5 min•Ep 202•Transcript available on Metacast How do you feel about yourself when you speak English? How do you handle criticism about your English? The way you experience your English is key to your communication, confidence, and growth as a speaker. In this episode I’ll discuss two types of mindsets: fixed mindset and growth mindset, and how you can shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset in specific situations, so you can achieve more freedom in your English. Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck https://youtu.be/hiiEeMN7vb...
Mar 08, 2022•28 min•Ep 201•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 200! Woo-hoo! In this podcast-convo, I’ll share with you what I loved most about making the previous 200 episodes and what I’m hoping to do more in the next 200 episodes! I’ll also share with you a list of the 10 most downloaded episodes of the InFluency podcast, and what I think about them! And here they are!! The Schwa: How One TINY Sound Can Make a HUGE Difference How to effectively practice your intonation in English Why I Quit Acting and Became an Accent Coach | My story 10 Things Y...
Mar 04, 2022•26 min•Ep 200•Transcript available on Metacast In this Immigrant Experience interview, we’ll hear the story of Marcelo Silveira, who moved from Brazil to the U.S. for work. In this interview Marcelo openly talks about his experience as an immigrant and the rough start he had when he first moved to the U.S. He talks about the loss of identity as an immigrant and the need to reinvent himself. He also talks about what it was like to be facing small incidents of discrimination, that affected his self-worth and confidence. But most importantly he...
Mar 01, 2022•44 min•Ep 199•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the words ‘her’ and ‘hair’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: hair: her [IPA: heəɹ] her: h’r [IPA: hɜːɹ] or h’r [IPA: həɹ] hurt: h’rt [IPA: hɜːɹt] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/her-hair/ If you want to impr...
Feb 25, 2022•3 min•Ep 198•Transcript available on Metacast Do you use shadowing when practicing English? Shadowing is one of the best ways to improve your English speaking skills as it helps improve pronunciation, intonation, and vocabulary. It can also help you improve *unconsciously* things like rhythm, stress, grammar, and more. Sounds like fun, no? But, it can also be a WASTE OF TIME! Without proper guidance, it’s easy to fall into the trap of practicing it in an ineffective way! And then you won’t be seeing the results you COULD be seeing. ? If you...
Feb 22, 2022•21 min•Ep 197•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the word ‘particularly’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: particularly: p’r-ti-kyuh-l’r-lee [IPA: pərˈtɪkjələrli] or puh-ti-kyuh-l’r-lee [IPA: pəˈtɪkjələrli] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/particularly/ If ...
Feb 18, 2022•3 min•Ep 196•Transcript available on Metacast Tongue twisters can be a pain in the b**t in ANY LANGUAGE! They can be frustrating, discouraging, and you may even think they’re pointless. So why am I obsessed with tongue twisters?!? Listen to this episode to find out, as I try to make a case for tongue twisters. Maybe I’ll even convince you Once you’re convinced, go to my website to access my tongue-twister playlist! Something fun to add to your daily practice routine ?? https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/tongue-twisters-in-english/ Join the I...
Feb 15, 2022•15 min•Ep 195•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the minimal pair, ‘pool’ and ‘pull’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: pool: puwl [IPA: puːl] food: fuwd [IPA: fuːd] you: yuw [IPA: yuː] who’d: huwd [IPA: huːd] kook: kuwk [IPA: kuːk] Luke: luwk [IPA: luːk] fruit juice: fruwt djuws [IPA: fruːt dʒu...
Feb 11, 2022•8 min•Ep 194•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the word ‘luxury’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: luxury: luhg-juh-ree [IPA: ˈlʌɡʒəri] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/luxury/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, downl...
Feb 04, 2022•4 min•Ep 193•Transcript available on Metacast Every immigrant has a story. A story about their journey and the place of English in it. Many of my students are immigrants, I was an immigrant myself. There are commonalities, for sure, but each story is unique, a story worth telling and listening to. In this episode, I’ll be interviewing Rita Ramirez. Rita is a real estate salesperson, originally from Colombia, now residing in the US. Rita was a student in my program Accent Makeover and is a member of our practice group Beyond. As a real estat...
Feb 01, 2022•42 min•Ep 192•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the minimal pair, ‘bed’ and ‘bad’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: bed: bed [IPA: bɛd] red: red [IPA: rɛd] head: head [IPA: hɛd] set: set [IPA: sɛt] left: left [IPA: lɛft] send: send [IPA: sɛnd] bad: bad [IPA: bæd] cat: cat [IPA: kæt] happy: ha-...
Jan 28, 2022•4 min•Ep 191•Transcript available on Metacast Download Free English Pronunciation Guide + audio practice here: https://hadarshemesh.com/english-for-arabic-speakers-pdf/ In this episode, I’m going to talk about the biggest English pronunciation challenges for speakers of Modern Standard Arabic – all broken down and explained. 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 speaker of English. Not an Arabic speaker? I bet that as ...
Jan 25, 2022•23 min•Ep 190•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about the word ‘months’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Months: muhnths [IPA: mʌnθs] or muhns [IPA: mʌns] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/months/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English ...
Jan 21, 2022•3 min•Ep 189•Transcript available on Metacast 
