New Books Network Teaching English Pronunciation
Mar 31, 2026
Lindsay McMahon, founder of All Ears English and veteran ESL teacher, shares her approach to pronunciation teaching. She discusses prioritizing connection over perfection. Short, authentic conversations and shadowing shape clear speech and rhythm. She also explores preparing learners for diverse accents and the role of AI tools in pronunciation practice.
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Connection Not Perfection Is The Goal
- Connection not perfection should be the core goal of pronunciation teaching, shifting focus from accent mimicry to human interaction.
- Lindsay McMahon used her own language-learning isolation on a beach to build a curriculum centered on connection and confidence.
Teach Clear Speech Over Native Accent
- Teach clear speech and intelligibility rather than a specific native accent to serve global English users.
- Emphasize English as a stress-timed language and teach rhythm (the 'heartbeat' of English) before mimicking accents.
Use Natural Conversations For Practice
- Use natural, unscripted interviews and shadowing to practice pronunciation in real contexts.
- Target B2–C1 learners with raw conversations to observe rhythm differences and reduce pressure to 'sound native.'