The Year of Living Creatively

February 2, 2018 Tony Frobisher2 Comments

2018 is a month in. February has arrived and what does this year hold in store?

A year that began with hope and optimism, and to a large extent has carried that optimism still.

My New Year resolution was made with the best of intentions. And unlike so many broken resolutions of previous years, I have stuck this one out.

My intention is to ensure that by the time I reach my 50th birthday in July, I will be ‘Fit and Fifty’..not fat and fifty. So far so good. A vegan diet, a reduction in sugar and quitting snacking, together with cycling regularly has already resulted in losing 5kg or 11lbs.

Long may it continue and I plan to keep it up.

But how to approach the year. Do I plough into the job market and look to immerse myself in full time employment? I am currently trying to make an online teaching business a viable proposition. Which means a lot of time at home, a lot of time on the computer and the opportunity to explore other interests during what I am calling my

‘Year of Living Creatively’.

In summary I am persuing various artistic objectives and interests. The year may not see me rich in financial terms, but instead emotionally, creatively and mentally rewarded by fulfilling long held ambitions.

In no particular order my creative challenges are:

1. Have a poem published in a literary magazine or journal. My poetry portfolio has grown to around 250 poems and feature on instagram @ajfrobisherpoetry or my website http://www.frobipoetry.com

2. Research, plan and write a novel. I have already begun my book and am enjoying playing with the written word, crafting prose and dialogue, developing characters and storylines.

3. Attend an opera. I have long enjoyed the operatic genre, yet have never had the opportunity to do so. There is nothing more powerful and affecting than stirring, emotive music played and sung live. Which opera? I love Italian opera, particularly Verdi and Puccini. La Traviata, Aida, Turandot or Tosca…we will see.

4. Develop my online blog. Having been a vegetarian for 4 years and recently adopted a vegan diet, I am intrigued by how veganism has gone mainstream – Veganuary was embraced by 160,000 new vegans this year and a host of celebrities. I will combine my love of cooking with my love of cycling. I will be cycling to local cafes and restaurants to sample their vegetarian/vegan dishes. And to write up interviews and reviews. Plus a range of delicious home cooked vegan recipes to inspire and get you cooking.

5. Continue to raise money for charities close to my family’s hearts. Make A Wish and Acorns Children’s Hospice. One or two challenges possibly involving walking and maybe cycling.

6. Increase my breadth of knowledge through a wider reading selection. Read at least one book a month on a range of different subjects.

7. Learn another language. As a language teacher, I know the joy of learning a new language. And how hard it can be. Which language? There are three vying for my attention. Arabic, Italian or Spanish.

8. Develop my Spanish / Flamenco guitar skills. I have played guitar for around almost 40 years. I am competent, but limited in my playing. Flamenco is the most beautiful guitar style – a wide repertoire of styles, techniques, rhythms and sounds. To be adept in some more advanced techniques would be wonderful

9. To explore my voice. My voice is clear with a neutral English accent, correct diction and it would be interesting to see whether it could be employed in audio book readings or other platforms that require a good speaker.

10. Finally, to explore my singing voice. I am no Pavarotti, but for my 50th year I would love to see what a singing teacher makes of my own tenor singing voice…from the shower to Covent Garden? Maybe not, but it would be great to see how I sound and whether my voice had potential.

So, a year of living creatively. An opportunity to explore different artistic areas. Let’s see how far I can progress with each ambition.

But of course alongside these 10 dreams, the reality of making a living.

Back to the blog. Back to teaching English and hopefully enabling others to achieve their goals in improving their own English language skills.

Best wishes

Tony Frobisher

Poetry and Writing

A Poet Writes

February 1, 2018February 1, 2018 Tony FrobisherLeave a comment

Over the last year or so, I have begun to read and write more and more poetry. From classic poems hundreds of years old, to modern day contemporary poetry; that speaks in language familiar and often raw, about every facet of life. From the social fabric of our communities, to the difficulties and stresses we face; the burden of work and stress, the desire to travel and to escape, the yearning quest for love and the heartbreak of love unrequited or relationships that end. And every other aspect in between.

My own personal development as a writer of poetry has seen me channel my ideas into reflecting nature and the beauty of the environment; celebrating our diverse landscapes and weather, the changing seasons and the miracle of nature. From the tree that appears lifeless and dead in winter, stripped of leaf, that suddenly bursts forward with new life in buds and blossom every spring. The snowdrops and daffodils that remain tall and proud despite being buffeted by gales and caught in torrential downpours. I also explore the experiences of travel; from the position of being able to reflect upon travelling for many years to 45 countries on 4 continents. But also considering the impact of travel upon those visited; those people who through circumstances welcome the traveller, but will seldom if ever have the opportunity to travel themselves.

Indeed, this passion for travel has afforded me some of the most memorable experiences of my life. An example was eating in Urumqi in North West China – in a small shack for a restaurant, where no one spoke a word of English, everyone stared in amazement at myself and my friend Simon, incredulous we had patronised their small eatery. But we were served the most delicious meal – though had not a clue what was in it. Or to have been been taken to the top of one of the minarets of the Jameh Mosque in Isfahan, Iran. A lofty position where the muezzin call the faithful to prayer. A privilege to stand there and survey one of the most beautiful cities in the Middle East.

But my poetry also reflects the sadder sides to life. The plight of the refugees, forced to leave war torn, corrupt or economically poverty stricken countries in search of peace, security, stability, a future. But endure many hardships and perilous journeys and for some, tragically lose their lives, drowned at sea crossing the Mediterranean in overcrowded dinghies.

But also many of my poems have been written in response to my own personal tragedy. My wife and I had twin daughters. Sadly, Milla passed away in December 2016 aged 10. We remain devastated by her loss. It is incomprehensible and painful – and will always be. Yet, poetry, the written verse, has provided comfort and solace. It has reached out to my heart and it has helped soothe and ease the pain. It has allowed me to express my emotions, my thoughts and my fears. Without bottling them up. It has been cathartic and I am grateful to have discovered a love for poetry and an ability to write poetically.

If you would like to read any of my poetry, please look at my website; http://www.frobipoetry.com or on Instagram @ajfrobisherpoetry Let me know if you enjoyed any of the poems and of course I am grateful for feedback.

Before I finish I will share a couple of poems with you.

The first is called The Orchard. It is a poem for a refugee, who lived a happy life until the war came and they were forced to flee; leaving everything they held precious behind.

The second is called The Traveller and is written following experiences I had travelling in the Middle East many years ago.

The third poem is called Winter Walks. It reflects this most interesting time of year; when the weather is fickle and fierce, cold and chilling…and spring seems a long way off.

The final poem is one written in memory of my daughter, Milla. It is called The View

Best wishes,

Tony

The Orchard

A face forlorn, resigned, but a flicker of hope
Refugee seeking refuge from winter’s cold
And searing summer heat
Set adrift on unknown streets
Cast into a future unseen unwanted
Far from those orchards of memory

Closed eyes to memories that stay
Torn from a land where childhood dreams played
In the warmth of a spring morning
Where the smell of orchards ripe mixed
With spice and laughter
Spilling from every kitchen…
And joy, love and happiness perfumed the air

Until
Torn from a land of beauty and trust
Thrust into violence that broke homes and bones
Discarded and thrown from their whole world
Destruction writ in every hate filled scream and face
That erased the grace and tranquillity
Of those sun kissed orchards of memory

And now
The orchards lay split splintered
The fruit of man’s toil rotten soiled
Replaced by the fruits of man’s hatred and greed
Power that replaced the seed
Seed that no longer grows orange, lemon or pomegranate
Seed that is blown and scattered with bomb and grenade
Far from those orchards that burst with life

And now…and now
Torn from a home wrapped in love
An unknown fate awaited
In unstable boat, wrapped against the cold
Wrapped up against the world
And all they have and all they have lost
Fatalistic accepting yet uncertain
If they should ever set foot to dry land again
And whether in those northern lands
The orchards grow too

A flicker of a smile
Sunken eyes and wearied lines of a face
That has seen too much
And wants nothing more
Than to be at home
But home has gone
Perhaps the chance those seeds blown
Will one day grow again
Far from those orchards of memory

The Traveller
(Of endless tea & timeless scenes)

Set adrift in a shock of culture
Of endless tea & timeless scenes
Immured in labyrinthine streets
Lost to a morass of sound and sights
And aromas that please and repulse
Drowning in a rising tide of tongues
That spill mellifluous and rhythmic
From corners of mouths
And corners of ancient courtyards
That absorb every word and guard jealous every secret

Where the sea of believers
Handshake and embrace as if meeting for the first time or last time
Aging wizened and wise, respected
A country’s history contained behind opaque eyes
These wisdomed few sit around smoke stained tables
Obscured by pungent clouds
Draining endless cups of lip scolding tea
Cafes more home than the places
They daily discard from morning til nightfall

And between each furtive sip
They berate and bemoan in toothless whispering angered tones
The loss of those pleasures of youth
And the politics and pain
Which constant intertwines and pervades life’s rhythm
An unwelcome interruption and inconvenience
As ubiquitous as the dust that rises and settles
From the clouds created by the crowds of wearied feet
That tread the worn streets of millenia

The crackle of static shatters the humid hum and sultry reverie
As the soporific mosque wakes and shakes
To the discordant cry of the ancient muezzin that decries and beseeches
Those who believe not to ignore
This call to prayer that is carried in pious air
Which secretes through cracked windows and splintered door frames
And swirls in time with creaking ceiling fans

And now the flies gleeful flit and dance from glass to glass
As the cafe deserts and the tea still steams undrunk
And the anger and ire cools
For now the faithful stream beckoned to the shadows of the minarets
That play in dusk’s gently fading light
To await the promise and purity of prayer
They shuffle with resolute purpose
Passing shadows that smile unseen
Behind veiled faces and sparkling eyes
Which gentle fade too in darkening passageways

The narrow pavements slowly empty
Leaving only the flies that gather
To sip the sweetened tea
That sits ignored by the lone traveller
Sat silent impassive in the narrowing night
Closing his eyes in fervent desire
To ensure those thousand images
Are forever recalled
And the muezzin’s call silent fades
Absorbed by those dutiful souls
And crumbling walls

Winter Walks
I walked in light
That dazzled and dulled
Through a tunnel of boughs
All stripped of leaf
And stripped of thoughts
The only sounds
The gentle crack of fallen twig
And the exhalation of breath and branch
That disappeared as memories
Of summer gone and autumn chill
I walked on
Further into winter
And the light changed to snow
Memories were once more
Covered and muffled and mute
Dormant until spring again to emerge
And tree buds to life
Where new thoughts breathe
The air of future memories

The View

She didn’t move
Her memory present still
Where once we stared to hilltopped horizon
In shared space and time
To timeless hills coppice and cloud

She didn’t move
While I returned to views
Darkened in sadness
Dulled to pain and loss
Wanting to again gaze in togetherness

She didn’t move
I sensed her in the wind
And heard her in the bird song
I saw her vivid yet translucent
A memory that smiled with me
At such splendid view

She didn’t move
And why would she?
This view of verdancy
Unchanged a constant calm
And peace and presence in memory forever held

She didn’t move…
The view remained
And so did she

Motivation and Change

Resolution – That New Year Promise

December 21, 2017 Tony FrobisherLeave a comment

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resolution (noun) /rɛzəˈluːʃ(ə)n/

i) A firm decision to do or not to do something.

ii) The quality of being determined or resolute.

iii) The action of solving a problem or contentious matter.

In just over a week 2017 will come to an end and a new year will start. 2018 will arrive to fireworks, jollity and a promise – or two.

New Year’s resolutions. Those promises we make to ourselves silently, in thought – yes, this year I am going to (lose weight, get fit, run a marathon, change my job, be a better person, volunteer, stop smoking, stop eating all the biscuits, learn the piano, learn a language…etc).

The braver ones among us will announce with some fanfare to our loved ones and friends and work colleagues…’My New Year’s resolution is….” As if stating it publicly will create an implicit guarantee, rather than a tacit agreement by you alone, resulting in a more focussed, determined you to stick to your promise, to follow your resolution through.

So that is the 1st of January sorted. The resolution made. You sit back and feel satisfied that you have done something positive. Until. Until…. A week later and you still haven’t been for that run, you are still gorging on the Christmas chocolates, the biscuit tin is empty (again) and you are still sat at your desk doing the same thing that you wish to change, but don’t feel as motivated to start looking, applying, going for interviews etc etc.

It is all too easy to state what you want to do, or to think it. But to effect that change takes determination, will power, motivation, desire…or put it another way – resolution. To undertake life changes, some minor, but others significant and enormous, is to apply mind and body to the task. To create an achievable goal, to apply resolution in order to achieve your resolution.

The saying ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ is very apt. No one expects you to stop smoking overnight. Or go for a 1km jog on Monday and run the marathon on Wednesday, or sign up for English language lessons in January and be reading the entire works of Shakespeare (unabridged) in February. A resolution needs perspective and clarity. It needs planning and timescales. It requires a sensible, achievable goal oriented programme. Step by step, each step walking towards an initially distant objective, but one that comes closer with each step – even if at the beginning we are unable to see it.

The reason we fail to follow through our resolutions and feel deflated at having failed so soon, is a lack of planning and setting goals.

A few years ago I ran the London Marathon. Something I had long wished to do, had previously signed up for and had to withdraw after knee surgery and wished to attempt at least once in my life. I resolved to do it. Although my training commenced seriously in October (the marathon takes place in April), every run from 5km to 8km to 10km 15, 20 etc felt painful, slow, frustrating. At times I felt I would never be able to run 26.2 miles or 42.1km. But I followed a marathon runners training programme for beginners (and I am not built for running…too many biscuits – another failed resolution).

The long dark evenings or cold freezing mornings 2 or 3 times a week, sometimes only at the weekend, saw me pounding the streets alone, kilometre after kilometre, miles after mile. It was hard…wind, rain, cold, dark. April and the marathon seemed so far off. But as each run passed by, the days and weeks of training turned into months and as the new year arrived, I could sense the objective – the destination, coming into view.

By April I was ready and focussed. It was the hardest and most painful, but most enjoyable event I have taken part in. Joining 35,000 other runners around the streets of London, cheered on by hundreds of thousands of spectators. Many times I had thought about giving up during training, but I resolved to do it. And because I had a clear plan, a timescale and achievable steps, I was able to complete my challenge.

What time? Sorry…what time did I do it in? Oh..well, let’s say I did’t break any records. I finished in a respectable (for me) 5 hours 22 minutes. But the time was never my goal. Sure, I had hoped to run around 4hrs 45mins, but found the actual marathon harder than I anticipated. But it did not matter. My resolution was to run the marathon and to complete it. That is what motivated me. The fact I raised around £8,000 for the Make A Wish charity was of course another hugely motivating factor.

So; ‘Resolution’. It is a goal, a promise to do something ( or not do something…no one has ever said ‘My new year resolution is to start smoking!). Or it can be strength and determination, focus. But it is also solving a problem. Or resolving a difficult issue.

We are all conflicted at different moments in our lives. We all have problems to face, whether personal problems or issues at work. Stresses and frustrations, confusion and choices and dilemmas. But resolution can only come through communication.

Communication internally, our conscience speaking to us, a debate with ourselves, weighing up the pros and cons, making our our decision as to what we believe is the best course of action. The hardest aspect is to carry out the decision we have made, to have the courage of our convictions. That issue you fundamentally disagree on at work…the easiest thing is to let your colleague or boss carry on doing it ‘their way’ – let them take the fall when it goes wrong. But to resolve to challenge them and to try to persuade them that their way is wrong and yours is right takes more courage. To engage in conflict rather than avoid is not an easy thing to do, even if you are in the right.

But communication extends beyond our own thought process. A problem shared is a problem halved. Again another truism. How often do people sit and wrestle with problems in their heads, unable to sleep through worry, working themselves into a state of stress, making themselves ill undecided what to do for the best. When what is needed is someone who can sit, listen, not judge, offer impartial advice, suggestions and encouragement. Again, the hardest part can be finding that person you trust and taking that first step of saying, ‘Can I talk to you about something….?’

But once you have committed to resolve the problem, to find a resolution by actively thinking through your problems or seeking out someone to discuss with, resolution will come far more smoothly and satisfactorily.

So this coming new year my resolution is to create resolutions that are positive, life changing and realistic. Achievable and with a planned approach that has a clear timescale. I will continue to apply resolution to everything I do. It is far better to try and fail, than never having tried at all. Maybe my goals and resolutions will fail. But I won’t know unless I try.

And finally, I will be far more proactive and mindful in tackling problems. I will have that rational, sensible debate with myself and I will ensure I discuss problems and seek out advice from family, friends and colleagues when I need to. And not assume I can resolve every problem myself.

Whatever your New Year’s Resolutions, I hope they are successful and life changing for the better.

Just stay off the biscuits….it is easier said than done. But if you want to run that marathon, a chocolate hobnob or 6 is not going to help.

Best wishes

Tony

Uncategorized

The Value of Language

December 15, 2017December 15, 2017 Tony FrobisherLeave a comment

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…. or to put it another way;

Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda …. Feliz navidad y próspero año nuevo…. buon Natale e Felice Anno nuovo…. joyeux Noel et bonne année…. Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr…. Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku …. Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus un laimīgu Jauno gadu …. häid jõule ja head uut aastat …. веселого Рождества и счастливого Нового года …. Selamat Natal dan Tahun Baru…. mutlu Noeller ve mutlu yıllar …. መልካም ገና እና መልካም አዲስ ዓመት …. क्रिसमस और नया साल मुबारक हो …. ميلاد مجيدا وسنه جديده سعيده …. 聖誕快樂和新年快樂 …. ප්රීතිමත් නත්තලක් …. สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาสและสวัสดีปีใหม่ …. រីករាយបុណ្យណូអែលនិងរីករាយឆ្នាំថ្មី …. メリークリスマス、そしてハッピーニューイヤー

You get the idea. Merry Christmas and happy new year…written in 20 different languages. How many would you know without the use of a translation service? You may think I am very clever knowing Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Khmer, Arabic, Hindi, Estonian, Welsh and Indonesian. But, I’ll be honest. I don’t. I used that old friend, Google Translate.

So many languages and different alphabets, scripts, pronunciation, intonation, accents etc etc.

But what is the value of language? What is the point of so many languages? Why on earth (an indeed it is really why on Earth) do we make things so complicated and have so many languages to communicate in? Why not do away with all these languages and have one. For example English? (Hey…so much work for me then).
But wait a moment. Wasn’t this an idea floated about back in the pre google era? Actually, well before the Google era, before the Internet, email, Skype, Whatsapp, Facebook and in fact before you could hold a small rectangular object called a ‘mobile phone’ that pretty much can do everything in your life except make a cup of tea (though I am sure there is an app that can do that somewhere).

Before Google and the Internet?

Try 1887. Yes, as long ago as 1887, before the First World War, the Russian Revolution, before manned flight and the motor car crowded our streets there was Esperanto. Created by L L Zamenhof, a Polish national, Esperanto was an attempt to create a language that would unite the world in language and facilitate communication, understanding and tolerance amongst nations. It would remove language as a way of separating people and creating division, reinforcing mistrust and hatred and instead developing friendships and not enemies. This is a quote attributed to L L Zamenhof and sums up his idea behind Esperanto;

“The place where I was born and spent my childhood gave direction to all my future struggles. In Białystok the inhabitants were divided into four distinct elements: Russians, Poles, Germans and Jews; each of these spoke their own language and looked on all the others as enemies. In such a town a sensitive nature feels more acutely than elsewhere the misery caused by language division and sees at every step that the diversity of languages is the first, or at least the most influential, basis for the separation of the human family into groups of enemies.”

But, despite the noble and genuine intentions Zamenhof had, Esperanto failed. It failed to be taken seriously as a world language. It failed to establish itself as a language apart from an attempt to teach it in Hungary and China as a second language. There have been various attempts to utilise Esperanto in different areas, the military for one and within some religious groups. But although there are claimed to be currently 10,000 fluent Esperanto speakers and something approximating 100,000 speakers with a good understanding, Esperanto never reached the status of world domination or impact that English has.

Furthermore, Esperanto failed to eliminate hatred and division, it sadly failed to unify people as Zamenhof had intended and failed to stop suspicion and the feeling that those who spoke another language were different, superior or inferior or enemies.

Would Esperanto have stopped the world descending into two World Wars? Probably not. Language is power…but sadly not as powerful as the desire to exert power, be that through democratic government or the imposition of fascist or communist ideology and dictatorships; exerted through force, state control and war.

The Value of Language

Esperanto’s failure was not as a result of the intention of its creator. Every intelligent person would appreciate the benefits of a language everyone could speak. A language that in its range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, was a simplified and relatively straightforward one to learn. Unlike English with its vast vocabulary and grammatical rules, exceptions and frustrations every learner faces.

The failure comes down to one simple but irrefutable fact. Language is identity. Language is who you are. It is part of your personality and is central to you as a person. It creates belonging, kinship, pride and passion. Language has long been used as a method of repression and a method of resistance. The imposition of a state language to be taught in schools, imposed upon a population that did not want or need it, has long been the cause of political division and societal unrest. Take a look at the world and note those regions seeking autonomy and independence and language is more than often a central aspect in the struggle. The Catalans and Basques of Spain, the Bretons of France, the Kurds in Northern Iraq, Syria and Turkey, the Tibetans and Uighurs and even here in the UK, Welsh and Cornish speakers.

Even in places where the teaching of certain languages was outlawed, as with religious practices, the languages survived…taught and spoken in whispers between family members, in secret schools or in proud defiance of and against language persecution and discrimination.

Language is the key element to our sense of identity. It is intrinsic and the first thing we hear when we are born and the last thing we think before we take our final breath.

English in a Global Language Environment

So what of English? How does English fit in with a world that remains resolutely multi-lingual and will probably never see a single world language, nor even one that will be adopted and taught in every single country in the world as a second ‘unifiying’ language.

English will continue to be seen as the most useful language to learn in an increasingly global environment. The overwhelming majority of business interaction internationally is done in English. Any employer that operates internationally now has a requirement for an excellent level of English as a priority. New English language schools open continuously in more and more places. Many overseas universities are introducing degrees that are taught partially, or entirely in English. China has an estimated 300 million learners of English alone. English is still the language people desire to learn more than any other. The demand remains incredibly high and at the moment shows no sign of declining.

English has done what Esperanto failed to do in many respects. It has created a way to communicate amongst people of different nations and allowed them to develop friendships, or business partnerships, or political alliances and to spread tolerance and understanding but without the need to remove the ‘mother tongue’ – their first language which remains their identity.

English has never stopped a war or deposed a dictator and has not brought peace and harmony to the world. No language could ever achieve the lofty idealistic hopes of L L Zamenhof. But English breaks down so many barriers, opens doors to cultures different to our own and helps us appreciate people and places we meet and visit.

Is English the Esperanto of today? In a way yes.

The value of language will always be that personal, unique feeling of identity and belonging it gives you. Whether you are Russian, Italian, Japanese or Mongolian. Language is identity, it is who you are and that can never be taken away from you.

But the value of English, as a learner of English is equally significant. It extends you world beyond your linguistic border. It helps you reach out and embrace this diverse and rich world we all inhabit. It breaks down barriers and allows possibilities and opportunities to flourish. English helps develop better understanding amongst people who would never otherwise meet or communicate. It opens doors that would otherwise remain shut.

So, as we approach the end of 2017 and a new year on the horizon, value your own language. It is a unique and incredible thing. Respect the heritage and history of your language; nurture, develop and employ it to better you as a person and in your society. But do the same with English. Promise yourself that you will value learning English the same as your own language. Let English take you beyond and help further your achievements. Language is identity and it is power. And in the hands of people with the best of intentions, it is a powerful force for good and for change, understanding and tolerance.

Let those hands be yours.

As they say in Esperanto; “Feliĉan Kristnaskon kaj Bonan Novjaron”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Tony Frobisher

December 2017, Worcester, UK

Pronunciation · Uncategorized

Pronunciation – The Route to Better Communication

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017 Tony FrobisherLeave a comment

What is the one area of English that the vast majority of English language schools and English language teachers shy away from and rarely teach?

Pronunciation

Really? Yes, it is true. Even if pronunciation is covered in class, it is often an afterthought, or quickly glossed over.

Pronunciation is perhaps THE most important element in effective spoken communication. Yet it is much maligned and frequently overlooked in favour of vocabulary, grammar and reading etc. Even poor old writing which is often seen as the poor cousin in English teaching receives more attention than pronunciation.

But why is this? There are many reasons most teachers and schools do not teach pronunciation.

Teachers who train for their Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) generally do not get taught the importance of pronunciation during the course. The focus is on lesson planning and structure, group dynamics and lesson management, ‘how to teach’…rather than ‘what to teach’.
Most English language teachers embark on a career in EFL without having learnt or studied pronunciation or linguistics
Most schools do not include pronunciation in their curriculum and consequently even if the teacher has previously learnt about phonetics, intonation, syllable stress etc, they quickly forget it through non use
If you teach overseas most of your classes are monolingual groups. I used to teach groups of around 15 Indonesian students. All had the same pronunciation difficulties which could be easily attended to. But when a Japanese or Korean student joined the class, the problems in communication between students (and the teacher too) became very apparent and problematic – because their pronunciation was so different
Students don’t feel the need to learn pronunciation…’It’s boring/ unnecessary/irrelevant’ They want vocabulary and grammar instead. That is until they try speaking with a native speaker or other English language learner, perhaps over the phone, in a meeting etc and while the student has excellent vocabulary and grammar and speaks very well, the reaction they receive is ‘Huh? Sorry, I don’t understand….”
There has been a global shift towards a generic ‘American’ accent amongst learners. Many of my students in Indonesia and Malaysia spoke English with an American inflection…or a ‘twang’ They sounded quite American and I was impressed. When I asked if they had an American father or mother or if they had spent time living in the States or Canada very often the answer was no. They had never left their country. Really?….Yes, a constant diet of MTV, American films and television series had seen them develop an accent more in line with Los Angeles than Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur.
The globalisation of accent in learners does not however account for the vast majority of learners from a huge variety of linguistic backgrounds. All of whom present particular problems with learning how to formulate correct vowel and consonant sounds, effective stress and rhythm and nuanced, communicative intonation. Take a learner (one of the over 1 billion people learning English currently) from Russia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Mexico and Algeria and you will discover a huge difference in how their English sounds…a complex pattern of sounds, dropped consonant endings, flat monotones, exaggerated intonation, confused consonant sounds, flattened vowels, unusual word stress etc etc. It is a linguistic minefield

This way to better English….help your English take off with pronunciation

Luckily I have worked in a school where pronunciation was given equal importance as reading, listening, speaking, writing, grammar and vocabulary. Two lessons per week were devoted to improving pronunciation. When you have a class of 6 students comprising a Swiss, Spaniard, Russian, Brazilian, Kuwaiti and Japanese you can understand why pronunciation was so necessary.

Many of the students experienced exactly the same problems in their first few days at the school. Based in the West Midlands of England, the students were immediately exposed to native English speakers in every situation. From interacting with a host family, taking a bus to school, buying lunch or train tickets, asking the way, buying a pint in a pub or ordering their fish and chips….

This is a summary of what they found

“I can understand the teacher and the staff in the school, but I can’t understand people in the city….Why?!” The reason is simple. As teachers we speak with a clearer, more careful pronunciation dependent on the level of the student. In the ‘real world’ outside of class the students were faced with ‘fast native speech’. I explained that actually they did understand. They knew all the individual words…But it was the speed and the way native speakers link or connect words together that was the problem.

One student panicked in a shop when the assistant asked her..”Wudyalikabag?”…Say it quickly and it is one very fast utterance.. a noise. But we are used to hearing it in context, regularly. The student looked to me for help. “Would..you..like..a..bag?” Ah, I understand she said. She knew the words, the sentence. Easy. But it was understanding fast speech that caused all her problems

They expected most people to speak English with a standard English accent; ‘Received Pronunciation’. The English they would most probably have heard via course book listening exercises, the BBC radio and online…’Oxford English’ as it is sometimes known. What they discovered was a variety of English accents which often changed in a very short geographical distance. Within 120 miles / 200km of our school the accents of Birmingham, Wales, Oxford, Bristol, London, Manchester and Liverpool were as diverse and different as you could find.
Added to the accents the students experienced a range of dialect….vocabulary and expressions, idiomatic language that caused them more problems in following native speaker pronunciation.
When they spoke to native speakers, although most people tried to help and were patient in listening, some would get frustrated and a few would walk off or say ‘no, sorry, can’t help you’. Not very nice. But the root cause was not bad grammar or poor vocabulary. It was how the student asked the question. The use of pronunciation. Take an example of a pleasant, friendly Russian man. Let’s call him Vladimir. He approached a person and asked ‘Can you tell me way to station?’ However his natural tendency as a Russian speaker is to speak with a very low monotone. A flat ___________________________ sentence. No up and down, rise and fall.

“can….you…tell…me…way…to…station?” – Of course there a couple of articles (the) missing; typical of Russian speakers. And can would be better as ‘could’…and don’t forget…’Excuse me….please?’ People would not answer. People would walk away. Why? Grammar, vocabulary…missed article?

No. A low, monotone sounds angry, sad, fed up, bored, aggressive, annoyed, tired, direct, impolite etc etc….. Vladimir soon learnt the importance of rise and fall in intonation to create the correct feeling and to get the appropriate response from the listener.

With a few structured lessons looking at individual aspects of pronunciation such as shifting syllable stress (I want to reCORD a new REcord….We would like to preSENT you with a leaving PRESent), word stress – SUpermarket…not (French speakers) suPER marKEET , intonation and understanding common fast expressions (gonna wanna gotta d’ya (do / did you?)) students very quickly adapted to their new environment and began to understand and communicate more comfortably both in and outside of school.
Once students had studied pronunciation, almost every one said how important they felt it to be in helping them improve. And they could understand why their meetings, presentations, conversations, phone calls etc, were unsuccessful and frustrating previously.

As some students quickly realised, there is a very big difference between these sentences; (say them quickly)

“This is Mr Peter Smith, my boss. He is a very IMportant man”

“This is Mr peter Smith, my boss. He is a very imPORTant man”

No matter your nationality or language, improving your pronunciation is essential to communication and confidence in English

So, in summary, what is the value of learning pronunciation, or in teaching it?

Students are able to make progress more quickly, by developing more effective spoken skills. Their pronunciation supports their development of the other key skills and allows them to be more successful in all conversational and speaking situations.
Students lose the fear of speaking publicly, the worry that ‘no one will understand me’. They quickly gain confidence in the knowledge that native speakers and other language learners of all linguistic backgrounds can understand what they say.
Students develop a more natural and fluent way of speaking. They begin to eliminate errors that cause confusion or a poor, unexpected reaction (e.g losing their monotone speech or overly exaggerated sentences).
Teachers are able to create a more harmonious and collective learning environment within their classes as everyone understands everyone else!
Teachers can introduce realistic role plays, authentic listening materials and ideas that can be immediately put to use outside of the classroom environment (whether in a native English speaking country or even in watching native level English video, Skype calls, meetings with expatriate native speakers etc).
While vocabulary and grammar are essential, without effective pronunciation, a breakdown in communication is inevitable.
Pronunciation lessons do not have to be boring, uninspiring and irrelevant. They can be exciting and varied. They can be pitched at every level from beginner to advanced. Even beginners need to understand ‘Wasyaname?’ ‘Whereyafrum?’and ‘D’yahav’nyquestions?’
Pronunciation is often neglected in EFL, but if you incorporate pronunciation into your lessons and curriculum, you will be gaining a significant advantage over teachers and schools who ignore pronunciation.
The improvement in student confidence, ability to be understood and to understand other speakers of English is often very rapid. Pronunciation can be the catalyst to accelerated learning and overall improvement in their English level.

As part of my online English teaching, I am happy to focus on aspects of pronunciation that students find problematic. This could include voice coaching for presentations, conversational techniques, intonation or individual phonetic sound problems. All you need to do is ask …although when speaking to you, I may be able to advise you immediately which aspect of pronunciation you would benefit from working on.

Good luck!

Tony Frobisher

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