|Language courses often explain pronunciation by comparing
sounds in the language you’re learning with those in your native
language. This can be misleading as the sounds are rarely
exactly the same, and some of the sounds may not be used in your
language and you may find them difficult to distinguish.| You
need to listen to a language as much as possible to tune your
ears to the sounds, intonation patterns and rhythms. You can do
this by listening to radio broadcasts, watching TV programmes
and films, listening to songs and so on. Try to mimic what you
hear, and also pay attention to the gestures and facial
expressions people use, and the ways they interact. If you’re
having particular difficult with certain sounds, it might be
useful to ask a native speaker to pronounce them in an
exaggerated way. Try to copy the sounds and also the movements
of their mouth. Some people believe that it is best to spend
quite a long time – perhaps several months or longer – listening
to a language before you try to speak it.