What about pronunciation?

English pronunciation is a difficult subject. It's difficult because when you're learning to speak, you'll be influenced by your teacher, by the listening materials you have, and by the radio, films, etc. You may have noticed that pronunciation is very different in England, India, Australia, and the United States, and even within all of those countries!

Wherever you learn to speak, and from whom, you may have difficulties making yourself understood by people with different accents. Accents affect vowel sounds especially, but they also affect intonation. The same sentence said by people from around the world will sound different every time.

So what should you do? I think the best way to work on your pronunciation is to practice the sounds a lot, and to work on words or sounds that are difficult for you, and try to make them as clearly as you can. Then, if you usually listen to British English, try listening to American English and practice pronouncing words and sentences that way. If you become familiar with both, or with the acccents of the people you'll be speaking to, it will be easier to recognize words, and to make yourself understood.

The most important thing, if someone doesn't understand you, is not to let it bring your confidence down. When I've traveled in the UK, sometimes people haven't understood me, and I've had to repeat my sentence or question. As English is my native language, I didn't let these little problems affect me very much! Just remember that communication is the most important thing, be patient, smile, and repeat your words.

The BBC has a nice online resource for pronunciation which you can access here.