Do you have a hard time pronouncing certain sounds in English? Do you believe that it’s nearly impossible to improve your accent? I´m here to tell you that you can drastically improve your pronunciation in a short amount of time.

　　你在准备托福的时候发现英语某些发音上有困难吗?你相信要提高你的口音几乎是不可能的吗?我在这里告诉你，你可以在很短的时间内飞速提升你的口语。

　　It´s going to take an open mind, consistent effort, and experimentation with new strategies, but it’s not as hard as you may believe. With pronunciation, a little effort goes a long way.

　　这需要一个开放的心境，持续性的努力，有着新策略的实验摸索，但它并没有你想象的那么难。有了好的发音，一点点努力就会大有帮助。

　　Lifestyle English: Listen to Podcasts Every Day

　　生活方式英语化：每天听播客

　　Podcasts Teaching Pronunciation: There are some phenomenal podcasts dealing with pronunciation. Podcasts are free, downloadable audio programs that you can put on your mp3 player. If you’re new to podcasts, you can learn more about podcasts here, or check out our very own podcast, RealLife Radio. They are an excellent option because you can listen in your car or on the bus while you’re stuck in traffic, or whenever is most convenient for you.

　　播客教学发音:有一些了不起的播客会处理发音。播客是免费的，可下载的音频节目，你可以把它放在你的mp3播放器上。如果你是播客的新手，你可以在这里学到更多关于播客的知识，或者看看我们自己的播客，RealLife Radio。他们是一个很好的选择，因为你可以在堵车或任何时候方便的时候，在车里或公共汽车上听。

　　Intonation: Focus on the Music Behind the Words

　　语调：专注于歌词背后的音乐

　　Whether you pay attention to it or not, the musical element of a language is essential to good pronunciation. You don’t need to become a musician or listen to more music in English (although both of these could help), but you should pay attention to the intonation of native speakers. It is the melodic pattern of the language that is so fundamental to communication and human connection.

　　无论你是否注意听，语言的音乐元素对于良好的发音都是必不可少的。你不需要成为一名音乐家，也不需要用英语听更多的音乐(尽管这两种方法都有帮助)，但你应该注意母语人士的语调。它是语言的旋律模式，是沟通和人际关系的基础。

　　Practice: Read Out Loud Every Day

　　练习：每天出声大声朗读

　　I would reserve this one more specifically for people who have already learned some degree of correct pronunciation, because reading without correct pronunciation, or a teacher helping you, you’re just reinforcing poor pronunciation. Before you start, you should at least have some idea of what it feels like to pronounce things correctly.

　　我要特别为那些已经学了一定程度正确发音的人保留这点，因为阅读没有正确的发音，也没有老师帮助你，你只是在强化糟糕的发音。在开始之前，你至少应该知道正确发音的感觉。

　　If your pronunciation level has not been stabilized, I don’t recommend reading for more than 10 or 15 minutes, because people tend to lose their concentration, and go back to their vices (which is to reinforce them). Remember, pronunciation can be improved quite quickly with small, concentrated doses even only a few times per week.

　　如果你的发音水平没有稳定下来，我不推荐阅读超过10到15分钟，因为人们倾向于失去注意力，回到他们的恶习(这是加强他们)。记住，发音可以用小而集中的量来快速地提高，即使每周只有几次。

　　Self-Awareness: Record Yourself Speaking

　　自我意识：记录自己说话

　　Record yourself reading out loud on a tape recorder or a computer. At first, it will be really difficult to listen to your own voice. Relax, as you will get used it to pretty quickly.

　　把自己大声朗读的声音录在录音机或电脑上。一开始，听你自己的声音真的很难。放松点，因为你很快就会习惯的。

　　Most people hate their voice, even in their own native language, so the combination of your voice and hearing yourself speak a foreign language for the first time will be painful, but it’s a necessary step in developing the self-awareness to improve. You could even record yourself reading the same reading passage every day or every week as you implement these techniques.

　　大多数人都讨厌他们的声音，即使是母语，所以你的声音和听到自己第一次说外语的声音会很痛苦，但这是发展自我意识的必要步骤。当你实施这些技巧的时候，你甚至可以每天或每周都录下相同的阅读文章。

　　Imitation, Shadowing, and Role Models

　　模仿，实地学习和榜样

　　I'm going to break this one up into two categories: (a) language learning role models, and (b) role models to imitate. Both of them can help you become a better speaker, but in different ways.

　　我将把它分为两类:(a)语言学习角色模型;(b)角色模型模仿。这两种方法都可以帮助你成为一个更好的演讲者，但方式不同。

　　Even if they don't have perfect pronunciation, they can help you understand the process and what it takes to improve your pronunciation. Naturally gifted people rarely fall into this category unless they are very aware of the processes that help them speak well, so they would usually be “accent role models to imitate.”

　　即使发音不完美，他们也能帮助你理解这个过程以及如何提高你的发音。天生有天赋的人很少会属于这一类，除非他们非常清楚帮助他们说话的过程，所以他们通常是“模仿的口音榜样"。

　　As you watch TV and movies, choose somebody who has your type of voice, communication style, and who you would like to emulate. If you don't know, ask your friends to recommend somebody. You could even memorize parts of movies you like, imitating the actors.

　　当你看电视和电影的时候，选择一个和你的声音类型、沟通方式相似，你想要模仿的人。如果你不知道，可以让你的朋友推荐一个人。你甚至可以记住你喜欢的电影片段，去模仿演员。