When a student can reproduce the natural flow of living speech he will certainly feel an artist's satisfaction. To achieve it three things are necessary: (1) to practise intelligently; (2) to understand the phonetic structure of English and its relation to meaning; (3) to listen to and hear native speakers of English and follow the model.
There is always a danger of wrong practice when the student works alone; so this book tries to give clear instructions about
what to do when you practise. Try not to work when you are too tired. Think analytically about the articulation of each single sound and when you find a difficult phrase, tackle the obstacles one at a time, practising sequences of sounds. combinations of words, intonation groups and phrases in turn, and work on it until it is mastered. The repetition may be as slow as you like, but firm and even. First, say the parts separately, then put them together. Never be in a hurry but let your utterance be controlled and deliberate. Increasing speed to normal should be the last stage of each exercise.
Finally, remember, that whatever you pronounce, you should be aware of the particular speech situation. We never talk in the same way to our teachers as to intimate friends; we never read in the same manner as we speak on the subject, etc. So whatever we say must be stylistically adequate.
The authors
Part One