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 ‘spontaneous’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Spontaneous: spaan-tei-nee-y’s [IPA: spɑnˈteɪniəs] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/spontaneous/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken Engli...
Sep 02, 2022•3 min•Ep 248•Transcript available on Metacast We hear a lot of false promises in English like “Get Fluent in 30 days!” or “Learn 1000 words in a month!”. While we know that those are unrealistic, we still want fast solutions in English, because we are all busy people. We all know that language and fluency require time and work to really master. But, what if there was a way to see improvement in under 30 days? In this week’s episode I’ll share with you a way to build habits, gain momentum, and build strategy in English – in 7 days!...
Aug 30, 2022•7 min•Ep 247•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 ‘staff’ and ‘stuff’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: Staff: staf [IPA: stæf] (but in British English: staaf [IPA: stɑːf] Stuff: stuhf [IPA: stʌf] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/stuff-staff/ If you want ...
Aug 26, 2022•4 min•Ep 246•Transcript available on Metacast Do you HAVE to live in an English-speaking country to achieve fluency? Do you think the best way to truly learn English is to move to a different country? Many people believe that unless they live in an English-speaking country, they’ll never be fluent! This is a very common belief – that’s not always true. In this episode, I’ll share with you why you DON’T need to move to another country in order to improve your English, along with my personal experience and the experience of my students who ha...
Aug 23, 2022•17 min•Ep 245•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 ‘xenophobia’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Xenophobia: ze-nuh-fow-bee-yuh [IPA: ˌzɛn.əˈfoʊ.bi.jə] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/xenophobia/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken Eng...
Aug 19, 2022•3 min•Ep 244•Transcript available on Metacast What does it take to feel like you belong in a new place? In this episode I interview Alma Vivero, who immigrated to the US nine years ago. We talk about immigration, the feeling of belonging, and speaking habits that strengthened her English. Alma is a student of mine and is now an ambassador in my signature program, New Sound. #immigrant_experience If you like this episode, you’d love to meet Rita and Marcelo , who shared with me their immigrant experience. – Battling Discrimination and Discov...
Aug 16, 2022•52 min•Ep 243•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 ‘21th century’ and ‘20th century’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: 21th century: twe-nee-f’rs(t) sen-chree [IPA: ‘tweni fɜːɹst sentʃɹi] 20th century: twe-nee-uhth sen-chree [IPA: ‘tweniəθ sentʃɹi] Watch the video version here: https://...
Aug 12, 2022•7 min•Ep 242•Transcript available on Metacast Does your mouth hurt when you speak English? Does your tongue feel too heavy, or your jaw too tight? These symptoms are quite common for speakers of English as a second language, but why? In this episode I discuss why that happens and what you can do to start speaking English effortlessly. I’ll share some of the best exercises that worked for me and my students. We’re opening doors for my NEW SOUND program on September 12th. Join the waitlist to get more info: https://hadarshemesh.com/join/ To l...
Aug 09, 2022•14 min•Ep 241•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 ‘advice’ and ‘advise’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: Advice: uhd-vais [IPA: ədˈvaɪs] Advise: uhd-vaiz [IPA: ədˈvaɪz] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/advice-advise/ If you want to improve your accent an...
Aug 05, 2022•3 min•Ep 240•Transcript available on Metacast Download free presentation-prep checklist: https://hadarshemesh.com/presentation-freebie/ Do you avoid giving a talk or a presentation in English? Does it feel the same when it comes to presentations in your first language as well? Many people find it hard to deliver a presentation, let alone a presentation in English. But in just a few steps, you can turn this experience upside down and no longer be afraid of presentations in English. Through my own experience giving presentations, and my exper...
Aug 02, 2022•15 min•Ep 239•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 ‘symbol’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Symbol: sim-b’l [IPA: ˈsɪmbəl] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/how-to-pronounce-symbol/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, do...
Jul 29, 2022•3 min•Ep 238•Transcript available on Metacast I’m used to interviewing other people, whether it’s colleagues or students, so it was refreshing to be interviewed by Orsi, an amazing student of mine and one of the ambassadors in my signature program, New Sound! In this interview, we discuss fluency, motivation, language, and identity. Are you ready to join the conversation? Watch the video version of the interview here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/interview-with-orsi/ Want to know more about how you can be a part of my programs just lik...
Jul 26, 2022•47 min•Ep 237•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 ‘lunch’ and ‘launch’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: Lunch: luhnch [IPA: ˈlʌntʃ] Launch: laanch [IPA: lɑːntʃ] or lawnch [IPA: lɔːntʃ] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/lunch-launch/ If you want to improve...
Jul 22, 2022•3 min•Ep 236•Transcript available on Metacast Have you heard of Binomial pairs in English? They are fun expressions in English that have a very special rhythm ? To see a list of some of the most popular binomial pairs and expressions go here: https://bit.ly/3OhlPqX Practicing the different rhythms of different types of expressions (and their meaning, of course) can really contribute to your fluency and comprehension in English. It’s also FUN ? In this episode I dive into the world of Binomial Pairs. If you want to learn more about the meani...
Jul 19, 2022•9 min•Ep 235•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really challenging sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of challenging words and common names. This week we’re going to talk about words with the P or B sound. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: Pay: pei [IPA: pʰeɪ] People: pee-p’l [IPA: ˈpʰiːpəl] Picture: pik-ch’r [IPA: ˈpʰɪktʃəɹ] Pack: pak [IPA: pʰæk] Back: bak [IPA: bæk] Bay: bei [IPA: beɪ] Watch the video version here:...
Jul 15, 2022•6 min•Ep 234•Transcript available on Metacast Do you feel present in your day-to-day life? How about in English conversations – are you easily distracted, too focused on how YOU sound or worrying that you won’t understand the other person? As speakers of English as a second language, we are often consumed with the fear of not being able to finish our thought, being misunderstood, or not understanding the other person. These fears have a huge impact on how we show up in conversations, and can cause us to not be fully present in English. Join...
Jul 12, 2022•22 min•Ep 233•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 ‘colonel’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: colonel: k’r -n’l [IPA: ˈkɜːɹnəl] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/colonel/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my fr...
Jul 08, 2022•3 min•Ep 232•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 ‘vulnerable’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Vulnerable: vuhl-nuh-ruh-b’l [IPA: ˈvʌlnəɹəbəl] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/vulnerable/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English be...
Jul 01, 2022•4 min•Ep 231•Transcript available on Metacast This month we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride and call for the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of LGBTQ+ people. In this episode I explain some English terms that refer to the different minorities that make up the LGBTQ+ communities, so hopefully we can all be more informed when we use or come across these terms. Want to learn the meaning of the ‘plus’ in LGBTQ+ ? Visit my blog post at https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/lgbtq-meaning/ For more information about LGBTQ+ pride: ...
Jun 28, 2022•7 min•Ep 230•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 ‘equality’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Equality: i-kwaa-luh-tee [IPA: ɪˈkwɑləti] or i-kwaa-luh-dee [ɪˈkwɑləɾi] or uh-kwaa-luh-dee [IPA: əˈkwɑləɾi] Equal: ee-kw’l [IPA: ˈiːkwəl] Watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/...
Jun 24, 2022•4 min•Ep 229•Transcript available on Metacast How productive are you when it comes to your English practice? Is it easy for you to stay focused, or do you get distracted often? Even if you practice English daily (and I hope you do!) – if you’re not productive, you won’t see the results you’re after! In this episode, I share productivity tips that will help you see real progress, and sooner than you think! Want to learn more? Check out this: Three habits to learn a language: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/how-to-learn-a-language/ Stay mot...
Jun 21, 2022•20 min•Ep 228•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 ‘acknowledge’. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: Know: now [IPA: noʊ] Knowledge: naa -l’dj [IPA: ˈnɑːlədʒ] Acknowledge: uhk- naa -l’dj [IPA: əkˈnɑːlədʒ] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/acknowledge/ ...
Jun 17, 2022•4 min•Ep 227•Transcript available on Metacast We grow up learning that to get what we want we have to work hard, behave well and do what other people want us to do. And because of that, sometimes we feel like we need to work really really hard to be worthy of the things we want. And you can BET this affects your experience speaking English. In this episode, I make the connection between feeling unworthy and why you’re not seeing the results you want in your English. You can watch the video version with subtitles here: https://youtu.be/xUgS6...
Jun 14, 2022•17 min•Ep 226•Transcript available on Metacast English words can be really challenging sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I’ll help you with the pronunciation of confusing or challenging words. This week we’re going to talk about words with TH+R clusters. Here’s a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: Three: three [IPA: θɹiː] Thrill: thril [IPA: θɹɪl] Through: thruw [IPA: θɹuː] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/th-r/ If you want to improve your acc...
Jun 10, 2022•5 min•Ep 225•Transcript available on Metacast Join the Beyond Waitlist: https://hadarshemesh.com/wait-beyond/ What is the best way to become fluent? Practice! But not every practice is equally effective. In this episode, I’m sharing with you my top 5 fluency practice strategies that my coaches and I have been using with our students for years, and that have gotten great results! Here’s a short recap of my 5 fluency practice strategies: 1. Speaking with feedback (even when you don’t have anyone to give you feedback) 2. Daily speaking practic...
Jun 07, 2022•15 min•Ep 224•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 ‘focus’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Focus: fow -k’s [IPA: ˈfoʊkəs] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/focus/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my f...
Jun 03, 2022•2 min•Ep 223•Transcript available on Metacast Download my Analysis of Taylor Swift’s Speech: https://hadarshemesh.com/taylor-swift-speech-analyses-pdf/ Listen to this episode to learn new phrasal verbs, understand connected speech, and ask the question with me – What makes a good speech a good speech? Because it’s not just the words, it’s how we say the words, as well. The words we choose to emphasize, the melody we use to tie it all together. And listening to and watching speeches can teach us a lot about reductions, stress, connected spee...
May 31, 2022•16 min•Ep 222•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 ‘interpretation’ and ‘interpret’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Interpretation: in-t’r-pruh-tei-sh’n [IPA: ɪntəɹpɹəˈteɪʃən] Interpret: in-t’r-pr’t [IPA: ɪnˈtɜːɹpɹət] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magaz...
May 27, 2022•3 min•Ep 221•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever thought about the expectations you have of yourself when speaking English? And while there’s a common belief that high expectations lead to great results – is that really true? In this podcast episode, I discuss how your expectations may affect your speaking experience, and may do more harm than good. More episodes on this topic: Why do I feel like a fraud every time I speak English? https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/11/ 10 Things You Should Stop Doing if you Want to Speak English F...
May 24, 2022•19 min•Ep 220•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 ‘quarter’. Here’s a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: Quarter: kor-d’r [IPA: ˈkɔːɹɾəɹ] or kwor-d’r [IPA: ˈkwɔːɹɾəɹ] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/quarter/ If you want to improve your accent and understand s...
May 20, 2022•2 min•Ep 219•Transcript available on Metacast 
