The U.S is one of the most popular destinations for education. More than 1,000,000 international students come to the U.S. in order to broaden their horizons, educate themselves and improve their living standards.
This is especially the case with higher education as nearly 5% of the population of the university enrollment in the USA consists of international students.
Studying in the U.S. is a dream of every student. However, English language proficiency is required to apply for a student visa.
Score sheets of proficiency exams such as TOEFL or IELTS are needed to apply for visa and studying in the U.S. as most of the schools use these tests to measure a non-native English speaker’s ability to understand the language.
English exams like TOEFL or IELTS will test your English level based on your reading, listening, writing, and also speaking skills. Therefore, if you want a good Score on these exams, it’s really important that you be able to speak English fluently.
Becoming a fluent English speaker is very important if you have such goals in the U.S., yet it isn’t everything. You also need to have good pronunciation in an American Accent to show off your excellent speaking skills.
Speaking English like a native speaker has many benefits, and in this post, we discuss why international students should improve their English pronunciation.
1. To be better understood
Languages exist for communicating, and you need to have a rich vocabulary for an effective conversation. However, vocabulary alone is not enough for effective communication.
Clear American English pronunciation is the key to being understood by native speakers. It also helps you to avoid any misunderstandings while in a conversation.
Any mispronunciation of a word may put you in a difficult position; for instance, you may mispronounce the word “bachelor” without even realizing your mistake and as a result, your listeners may be left feeling confused and eventually it may lead to miscommunication.
2. Possibility of Future Careers
If you are an international student in the U.S., you may be hoping that someday you live and work in the US. If you have career goals in the U.S., it is strongly recommended that you improve your pronunciation of English.
Communication is a crucial part of almost every profession. Since this is the case, you will need to improve your American English accent because the first thing your employers check will be your communication skills in the job interview.
Effective communication is the key for many careers, especially if your major field is medicine or education. This is because you need to be in touch with your patients, students, parents, or colleagues and it is crucial to build healthy communication for a better understanding.
3. Boost Your Academic Performance
Most of the classes in the U.S. colleges include interactive sessions. That is, students are expected to participate in the discussions that are held in their classes, including international students. Most of the time, your participation in the class will be a part of your final grade in the course.
So, if you want to have the confidence to be a part of your classroom discussions, you need to speak English fluently and with perfect pronunciation.
When you have the ability to pronounce the terms used in your classes clearly, you will be able to express your opinions better and boost your confidence to speak.
When you are hesitant about your pronunciation of the English terms, you tend to become silent during discussion sessions, and at the end, you will lose your interest in the class as well as participation points.
However, when you speak with perfect American English pronunciation, you will start to better enjoy and benefit from your classes because at the same time you create an excellent environment for communication.
Should International Students take English Pronunciation Courses?
If you’ve been studying in the U.S. for a while, you may already be fluent in English. However, you may have problems with your pronunciation of American English. If this is the case, you are not alone; many other international students also have similar problems.
Pronunciation is not the same as fluency. You may become a fluent English speaker if you live in the U.S. for a couple of years, but if you don’t b work on accent reduction, it will be hard for you to improve your pronunciation skills.
Clear American English pronunciation is needed for international students in the U.S. because it helps them be more successful in their academic life and avoid any misunderstandings.
In conclusion, English pronunciation courses help students to get rid of their native accent and improve their pronunciation of English so that they can better express themselves while talking with their classmates, professors, and colleagues.