525. The "ping pong" trick that makes English small talk feel natural

This conversation is a very special one for me. Danielle and I met many years ago when we were both studying acting in New York, long before either of us knew where life would take us. We were young, ambitious, certain about some things, completely lost about others, and both trying to figure out who we were going to become. And now, all these years later, I got to sit down with her and talk about her first adult novel, a story she has been carrying with her, in one form or another, for about 16 years. Danielle also shares a beautiful exercise for getting started with writing. This is a conversation about books, yes. But really, it's about friendship, identity, dreams, reinvention, and all the unexpected ways our lives unfold. Get the book "This Changes Everything" here: https://www.amazon.com/This-Changes-Everything-Danielle-McKechnie/dp/0063519399

Want a quick, effective TH practice? Do this every day for 2 weeks and I promise, you'll feel the difference! Practice words, phrases, sentences and minimal pairs.

Want to sound less monotone, more powerful and more expressive when you speak English? Then come shadow this scene! In this week's episode, we're practicing with a scene from The Morning Show, featuring Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy. We'll break it down together and play with prosody, reductions and focus on how to use your voice to sound more powerful and expressive I'll walk you through it line by line, and then we'll shadow the scene together. Close the door, press play and have some fun with your voice! Get out of your comfort zone! By the end, you might not only sound more powerful in English. You might actually FEEL more powerful, too. Download the script to follow along with me: https://bit.ly/4wKi6Zl  Check out my other shadowing videos here: https://bit.ly/4fx9j4t

How many things have you NOT done because you felt like your English wasn't ready yet? Applied for that job. Started creating content. Spoke up more. Started a business. There were three big things I postponed because I kept telling myself I wasn't ready: teaching in English, starting my YouTube channel, and starting my podcast. And looking back, I wish I hadn't waited. Because waiting didn't make me more ready, taking action did. In this episode, I'm sharing these three stories and what they taught me about confidence, fear, perfectionism, and the idea of being "ready." If there's something you've been waiting to do because of your English, I hope this episode gives you the push to start before you feel ready! ♥️

In this episode, let's practice common irregular verbs according to sounds! When you organize irregular verbs by how they sound instead of how they're spelled, everything starts to click. And saying them out loud, in groups, in sentences is how pronunciation actually sticks. This episode is the intersection between pronunciation and grammar, and I hope you enjoy it! Want to keep going? My free Pronunciation Masterclass will show you exactly which sounds to focus on and how to use rhythm, stress, and intonation to sound clear and expressive in English 👇 https://bit.ly/4gv9Iqe Other resources mentioned: Watch the full video on how to pronounce the T before N: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/t-sound-in-kitten-button-manhattan/  Practice irregular verbs with the rap from Fluency MC: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/interview-with-jason-levine/ 

What does it take to become fluent in English when there is no one around you who speaks English? Meet my student, Gilbert. He's from Guinea, living in Morocco, studying engineering in French, and one of my New Sound Scholarship winners.  In this conversation, Gilbert shares how he went from silent, afraid and unable to open his mouth to someone who speaks English with confidence, teaches others, and is now building a public speaking club in his own community. I hope you enjoy this interview!

You can spend hours practicing pronunciation and still feel like you're not making progress. And sometimes, it's not because you're not practicing enough. It's because of how you're practicing. There are things musicians know about practice that most English learners have never been taught, but they still apply to language learning just the same! In this episode, I'm sharing 3 of them with you. 🎹 Get it in your body (repetition is not optional) 🐢 Go slower to go faster (yes, really) 🧠 Manage your brain when people are actually listening Want to keep going? My free Pronunciation Masterclass will teach you everything you're not getting in conventional English classes, such as rhythm, stress, intonation and more. 👉 https://bit.ly/4cJVbGf  I'll see you there.

Do you find it hard to pronounce BIG NUMBERS in English? You're not alone! I'm not talking about our basic 1-100! As soon as we get to hundreds, thousands, or millions - things get a little messy. In this Sprint, we're drilling big numbers together out loud, in real sentences, so they actually stick.  We'll practice:  ✔️ Three-digit numbers (like 304 and 989) ✔️ Four-digit numbers the natural way (2,462 → "twenty-four sixty-two") ✔️ Numbers with zeros in tricky spots (2,052) ✔️ Five, six, and seven-digit numbers, including millions ✔️ Real sentences you'll actually use such as prices, stats, dates, and more 🔁 Want more sprints like this one? Check out this playlist! https://bit.ly/sprints-playlist 🎯 Want daily Sprints delivered inside my practice community? Join my community Beyond and get a new Sprint each day. https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N

Sometimes the best conversations are like a ping-pong match. 🏓 No awkward silences, no gaps, just fast flowing conversations. Today, we're taking a scene from the TV show, First Dates to practice exactly that. We'll go sentence by sentence: you listen and test your comprehension, then we'll break it down, and shadow it together, paying attention to intonation, rhythm, stress, and pronunciation the whole way through. This is a great exercise for shadowing, but also, if you wanna practice your flirty side in English ;) Watch the full clip here: https://youtu.be/2i5l33TxIpI Join my pronunciation masterclass to learn more: https://bit.ly/3SXWZop 

In this episode, I'm breaking down the real difference between three things people often confuse: 1: Reducing an accent 2: Acquiring a new accent 3: Speaking with clear, predictable pronunciation. I'll share my story, why "accent reduction" is actually a myth, and what really matters, depending on your personal goals. If you want to work on your pronunciation with me, join my FREE Pronunciation Masterclass, where I teach you the elements they don't cover in conventional English studies. The ones that actually make your speech clear, expressive, and confident: https://bit.ly/4gBnjg5