We’re revisiting some of our most popular and favorite episodes on the podcast. Taking small actions every day leads to great results. Author Darren Hardy calls it “The Compound Effect”, and it holds for a lot of things in life. In this episode, I’ll discuss how I’ve realized it’s deeply relevant to English learning and speaking. I experienced it in acting school, in the accent training courses I took, and in the past decade in teaching and building my business. I see it in my students as well, ...
Sep 06, 2024•45 min•Ep 428•Transcript available on Metacast What exactly is a syllable? You may have heard this term a lot, but were never sure how to identify it on your own. Understanding syllables is essential to building a foundation for your pronunciation practice. So today, I’ll explain what a syllable is in English, how to divide a word into syllables, and how it will help your English practice. Get your FREE syllables practice sheet here! https://bit.ly/3Z9DauZ For more syllable practice, check out these videos: Schwa – the BEST vowel sound in En...
Sep 03, 2024•10 min•Ep 427•Transcript available on Metacast I’m hosting a FREE 5-day challenge from September 2 - 6. Join us here! https://bit.ly/4dYqfjC We’re revisiting some of our most popular and favorite episodes on the podcast. Like any other challenge or thing we need to work on, improving your fluency is first and foremost about developing the right mindset. In this video, I’ll discuss some of the things that hold you back and that you really need to let go of if you want to achieve a breakthrough in English. Download 30 English affirmations that...
Aug 30, 2024•24 min•Ep 426•Transcript available on Metacast We’re revisiting some of our most popular and favorite episodes on the podcast. I mention the schwa almost every time I speak about American English. That’s because this vowel is all over the place, and once you hear it, you never stop hearing it 🙂 The schwa is a very short and “relaxed” kind of vowel. It’s a pretty tricky vowel for non-native speakers but if you get it, you get the secret to American English pronunciation and you become SO much clearer. Also, you will find yourself investing m...
Aug 23, 2024•40 min•Ep 425•Transcript available on Metacast We’re revisiting some of our most popular and favorite episodes on the podcast. In this podcast episode I elaborate on how to practice it effectively and integrate it into your day-to-day speech. Because forming a sentence is not enough. And making the right sounds isn’t enough. It’s the intonation that determines the meaning of the sentence: is it a question or a statement? Is it a joke and you’re just being sarcastic? This is also where culture and your inner feelings are thrown into the mix. ...
Aug 16, 2024•43 min•Ep 424•Transcript available on Metacast The R sound is NOT an easy sound to pronounce. Even if you’ve been practicing it for a while, you may feel frustrated that you STILL can’t use it as consistently as you would like. So today, instead of telling you how to pronounce the sound, I’m giving you the best strategies to practice the R sound and make it STICK! Download the free R sound PDF to practice with me: https://bit.ly/3Alq9Eq More episodes about pronouncing the R: 👇🏽 R in English - make it easy with this 10-min daily practice ht...
Aug 13, 2024•12 min•Ep 423•Transcript available on Metacast Are you watching the Olympics? Today you’ll learn how to pronounce 10 of the most popular sports in the Olympics, so you can say them like a pro.
Aug 06, 2024•10 min•Ep 422•Transcript available on Metacast Over the summer, we’re revisiting some of my FAVORITE episodes and stories that I’ve shared with you over the past several years on the podcast! Pronunciation is the door to understanding and mastering spoken English. It’s the secret of speaking with confidence and communicating clearly. In this episode, I pinpoint the reasons why learning pronunciation is crucial if you want to make an impact and not compromise your message. Because this is really what it’s all about. It’s not about you soundin...
Aug 02, 2024•27 min•Ep 421•Transcript available on Metacast Are you curious about how you can improve your writing in English? In this interview, I speak to teacher, author and non-native speaker, Fabio Cerpelloni as he shares tips for writing, expressing yourself in a second language, and the contradicting rules he writes about in his book, Any Language You Want. Read more about Fabio’s work here: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/about/...
Jul 30, 2024•38 min•Ep 420•Transcript available on Metacast Over the summer, we’re revisiting some of my FAVORITE episodes and stories that I’ve shared with you over the past several years on the podcast! In this episode, I’m re-sharing with you how I transformed from being a timid speaker of English to a pronunciation expert and fluency coach who runs a thriving online business, and how I get to do what I love teaching students from all around the world who inspire me every day. This is my story. Full transcript: https://hadarshemesh.com/transcript/podc...
Jul 26, 2024•33 min•Ep 419•Transcript available on Metacast Summertime is in full swing, and it has been busy! Summer camp, road trips, weddings and family visits are on the calendar over the next few months. Today I’ll talk about navigating it all, the definition of ‘feeling at home’ and the idea of homesickness.
Jul 19, 2024•20 min•Ep 418•Transcript available on Metacast When you read out loud, do you feel monotonous, like everything you say sounds the same, and there’s no emotion or expression? Whether you’re practicing for a presentation, reading to your kids, or you just want to have more expression when reading, this video is for you. We’ll walk through different ways you can unlock more expression in your voice to sound more engaging when reading out loud.
Jul 16, 2024•19 min•Ep 417•Transcript available on Metacast This week my sister and her children gave us a surprise visit in Barcelona so I sat down with my niece Gaya to talk about our relocation, feelings and plans.
Jul 12, 2024•26 min•Ep 416•Transcript available on Metacast Do you pronounce it day-duh or daa-duh? Or should you pronounce ‘route’ as root or rowt? Today we’re talking about words that have 2 (and sometimes more!) different pronunciations in English. You’ll learn the different pronunciations of words including data, pecan, adult, envelope, often, and more! Let’s go
Jul 09, 2024•9 min•Ep 415•Transcript available on Metacast This week, I asked on social media if you had any questions for me about what relocation has been like. I got a lot of questions, so we’re splitting it into 2 parts! You ask, I answer. Part 1 Enjoy!
Jun 28, 2024•33 min•Ep 414•Transcript available on Metacast What is a limiting belief in English? Do you have one, or maybe even several? Today, I’m talking all about what those beliefs might sound like, and most importantly, how you can overcome them to step into your full potential and reach limitless fluency in English. (free!) 30 powerful English affirmations to change your limiting beliefs for good https://bit.ly/41UMrpr Learn more about my 30-day audio course, My English Mindset https://bit.ly/47wXuYD...
Jun 25, 2024•17 min•Ep 413•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been 6 months since we’ve relocated to Spain – I can barely believe it! I’m spending some time today reflecting back on the past few months, comparing my own progress, the progress of my daughters, and sharing how DIFFERENT things look and feel since we arrived in January.
Jun 21, 2024•24 min•Ep 412•Transcript available on Metacast I’m interviewing Jennifer from JForrestEnglish on the show today. Jennifer shares how her own experience as a “failed language learner” inspired her to begin teaching English and helping others improve their listening skills, confidence and mindset. I enjoyed this talk with Jennifer, and I hope you will too! Watch my interview on Jennifer’s channel here: https://youtu.be/0ntWvSE8cDI Check out Jennifer’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@JForrestEnglish Join my InFluency Community to...
Jun 18, 2024•35 min•Ep 411•Transcript available on Metacast Getting away from the city, reconnecting with family and nature…I had a chance to do all of that this week and let me tell you, it was much needed!
Jun 14, 2024•16 min•Ep 410•Transcript available on Metacast Hmm, a-ha, eww! Huh…chances are that you’ve come across interjections in English before when reading, but you may not know how to pronounce all of them! In this episode, I’ll share some of the most common interjections in English.
Jun 11, 2024•11 min•Ep 409•Transcript available on Metacast I’ve been teasing it for the past few weeks, but on June 1, we finally had our student meetup! We had 80 students come from all around the world to meet each other – most of us meeting for the very first time in person! It was so incredible, emotional, and special to connect with the students that I’ve known over the screen (some of them for more than 5 years!) and finally hug them in real life. If you want to join the magic of this community, what are you waiting for? Join our free InFluency Co...
Jun 07, 2024•30 min•Ep 408•Transcript available on Metacast Easily distracted when studying English? Learn how to tune out distractions and laser in on your English to get the results you’re after.
Jun 04, 2024•20 min•Ep 407•Transcript available on Metacast This week I’m talking about all the things that I’m currently planning. The thing is, since the moment I arrived in Spain, I haven’t stopped PLANNING! And even though it seems like a simple thing, I feel it’s one of the most energy consuming things we do! From planning a holiday, to a birthday party for Amalia, a community meetup, team activities, play dates, it’s so. much. planning. In today’s episode I’ll also share with you my tips for how to plan well, and other exciting updates about my com...
May 31, 2024•15 min•Ep 406•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode I talk about the impostor syndrome, what it is, and how it affects non-native speakers of English. This is an episode I published 3 years ago, and I wanted to bring it back for all the new people who joined my world recently! Full transcript: https://hadarshemesh.com/transcript/impostor-syndrome/
May 28, 2024•40 min•Ep 405•Transcript available on Metacast We all know that speaking a language fluently has tons of advantages. Better communication! New friendships! Less misunderstandings! Life is easier when you understand everyone around you, no doubt. But today, I wanted to think of it from a COMPLETELY different perspective. What are the advantages of NOT being fluent in a language? I’ve noticed quite a few things that I’ve experienced since moving to Spain where I can’t understand everything that’s being spoken around me…and that’s what I want t...
May 24, 2024•18 min•Ep 404•Transcript available on Metacast Can I get that to go? Can I get the dressing on the side? There are tons of useful expressions to know when you go to a restaurant. Today, we’re going to practice 20 of them focusing on pronunciation, rhythm and intonation so the next time you go out to eat in English, you can ask for the specials with confidence and clarity. Download the free PDF to practice the phrases here! https://bit.ly/4bzjJib...
May 21, 2024•12 min•Ep 403•Transcript available on Metacast This week, I started taking Spanish classes, and as you can imagine, I have a LOT of thoughts. It’s been a while since I was a student, and being on the receiving end of a class has taught me so much about how important pronunciation, mindset, and strategy are when learning a second language. Here’s the vocabulary method I developed and am now using to learn and remember new words and grammar structures: https://bit.ly/4ammPFf...
May 17, 2024•29 min•Ep 402•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been about 4 months since I’ve moved, and now I’m starting to feel like I’ve “settled in”. Today I’ll share updates about my Spanish, and some funny miscommunications that I’m sure you can relate to
May 10, 2024•17 min•Ep 401•Transcript available on Metacast Oh, the horror of pronouncing the word horror!! Today, I’m teaching you how to pronounce words that end in -RROR. Words like error, horror, mirror and more. Join me for this fun practice.
May 07, 2024•10 min•Ep 400•Transcript available on Metacast Last week, we visited our family and friends back home. Today, I’ll share about how it was to return home, the way I tried to maximize our time there, and what it felt like returning back to Barcelona.
May 03, 2024•26 min•Ep 399•Transcript available on Metacast 
