Yes!! From Day 1, even as a beginner! Not just the kind of English where your teacher or app carefully articulates and isolates every single word, ‘to help you’!
Teaching a slowed-down version of any language is a crime, and even a bigger crime when it comes to English! Why?

Well, because English is a stress-timed language, it's all about rhythm! The constant interaction of stressed and unstressed, and fast and slow! So it’s essential to be introduced to its real-life version very early, ideally from the very start!
For beginners, it takes the same amount of effort to learn to say ‘’It’s a box’ or ‘It is a box’. Which version you learn, is up to your teacher or app - and, don’t forget, even you, the student! You might think that as a beginner you need to listen to slowly-spoken English, however, real-life English is always at natural speed, whatever your level! So the sooner you are exposed to it, the better!
Just think how quick children are at picking up languages in a new country! It is mainly because right from the start they are exposed to the real language at its natural speed. Complete with its sentence stresses, intonation patterns and linking sounds. How would you be able to understand anything if all you ever knew was the pronunciation of words in isolation?
So, beware of slow-talking language apps! Or teachers! Or course-books with ‘extra-clear’ audio material!
But don't get me wrong! Of course, teachers do need to speak slowly at times! Sentences need to be broken down, and the pronunciation of individual words highlighted and practised - yes, at a slow pace too! However, whenever possible, teachers should talk at a natural speed and also expect you, the student, to produce natural-sounding sentences, right from the very start!
Listen to fast speech if you want to progress fast! Perhaps time to change your learning habits? Change them fast:)
Link to the video:
Comments