{"id":16276,"date":"2024-02-20T16:56:07","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T07:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/?p=16276"},"modified":"2026-02-05T12:23:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T03:23:10","slug":"6-unconventional-strategies-for-public-speaking-and-pronunciation-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/6-unconventional-strategies-for-public-speaking-and-pronunciation-success\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Unconventional Strategies For Public Speaking And Pronunciation Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overcoming nerves and improving public speaking\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Improving English pronunciation<\/strong> as a native Japanese speaker\u2026<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in either of these topics, I have some surprising \u201cless effort, more impact\u201d ways that you can improve, so read on.<\/p>\n

American English pronunciation expert Aiko Hemingway asked me to watch her fabulous TEDx Talk..<\/p>\n

Then she interviewed me and asked me 3 questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. How do you recognize that I\u2019m not a native English speaker?<\/li>\n
  2. What can I do next to keep improving my pronunciation?<\/li>\n
  3. How can I improve my public speaking?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I love Aiko\u2019s attitude of staying curious and continuing to learn even when she\u2019s already achieved an AMAZING level of mastery in her field of expertise.<\/p>\n

    Whenever clients ask me for pronunciation advice or I notice a need, I refer them to Aiko. Because she\u2019s experienced the challenges of learning English as a non-native speaker and studied linguistics and the mechanics of how the mouth and breath work, she can support them much better than I ever could.<\/p>\n

    So are you curious to know how I answered her questions?<\/p>\n

    How do you recognize that I\u2019m not a native English speaker?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It\u2019s difficult to pinpoint (because Aiko\u2019s English is excellent), but I would say<\/p>\n

    1. Minor mispronunciations<\/b><\/b><\/h5>\n

    One example from Aiko\u2019s TEDx Talk is that she said \u201cvivration\u201d instead of \u201cvibration.\u201d But the mispronunciations are minor in Aiko\u2019s case and it\u2019s still easy to understand what she\u2019s saying. So I would say that\u2019s not the top area to focus on.<\/p>\n

    However, if your pronunciation is leading to frequent misunderstandings, that\u2019s when you want to focus on it – ideally with an expert like Aiko!<\/p>\n

    2. Neutral or \u201cperfect\u201d English<\/b><\/b><\/h5>\n

    People expect to hear an accent or dialect that gives an indication of where you\u2019re from. That means that neutral English or sounding perfect is a sign that you\u2019re not a native English speaker.<\/p>\n

    The day after we recorded the interview, I was speaking with an American friend who said he\u2019d met a Japanese businessman in New York. The businessman told him he\u2019d been to acting school to learn how to talk with an accent, so that he sounded more natural!<\/p>\n

    3. Unnatural intonation<\/b><\/b><\/h5>\n

    Sometimes Aiko emphasized a word in the sentence and it didn\u2019t sound natural. Or her voice went up or down in the wrong place. This wasn\u2019t so much the case when talking normally with Aiko.<\/p>\n

    Our conclusion was that because Aiko was nervous (which is absolutely normal for TEDx Talks and public speaking), her intonation became more unnatural.<\/p>\n

    What can I do next to keep improving my pronunciation?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Aiko realized that she can be more intentional about pronouncing certain words, like \u201cthe.\u201d She can also consider practicing a specific English accent. And she can continue to focus on public speaking skills and confidence to improve her intonation.<\/p>\n

    How can I improve my public speaking?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    1. Wear high heels<\/strong><\/h5>\n

    This may be a surprising \u201cless effort, more impact\u201d tip. High heels elevate your whole presence and are great for posture. Of course, this is a tip and not a requirement – do what works for you!<\/p>\n

    2. Move with intention<\/strong><\/h5>\n

    It\u2019s easy to fidget when you\u2019re nervous. When you move your body and use hand gestures in a way that matches your message, it helps to burn nervous energy and is more engaging for the audience.<\/p>\n

    3. Emphasize important words<\/strong><\/h5>\n

    In the same way that movement is engaging, vocal variety also helps to get your message across and keep your audience\u2019s attention. The reason for this is that changes in what we see and hear trigger the oldest part of our brain. And that\u2019s because these changes could have been signs of danger in primitive times, such as rustling grass hiding a life-threatening animal.<\/p>\n

    In summary, the 6 unconventional strategies for pronunciation and public speaking success are<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Get help with pronunciation if you need it<\/li>\n
    2. Practice speaking with an accent<\/li>\n
    3. Learn public speaking skills to reduce nerves and improve intonation<\/li>\n
    4. Wear high heels<\/li>\n
    5. Move with intention<\/li>\n
    6. Emphasize important words<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      But there\u2019s more! In the interview, we also talked about<\/p>\n