Oxford University Press develops English File Pronunciation app; can you see has the Oxford name carved on it? The more reason for you to try this app out. Great thing is, you can choose American English or British English, and it can be changed later on so no worries if you want to learn them all. This app features an interactive sounds chart with pictures and examples of words and sentences. Phonology is not something you can master in one day or two, so with the help from this app, you can see and listen to how each sound sounds (short vowels, long vowels, voiced, unvoiced,…) and then record and playback their own voices.
I have to say that compared to the other app I tried before, this app has a rather more “textbook” style. It is simple, straightforward and easy to understand. There is not a lot of game to play and the design is very ordinary. It lacks interesting features that can capture learners’ attention and curiosity so I personally find English File Pronunciation a bit unsatisfying. The excitement element is out of the question here.
Other than that, even though I know that the app focuses on pronunciation only so there is nothing else here to explore, once you are a serious learner who wants to master your pronunciation, there are many sounds to study, over 200 sample words for you to repeat yourself over and over to get the pronunciation right and a game to test your skill. But do bear in mind; real life pronunciation together with the existence of accent is a killer combination: British and American accents are not the only accents in this world and computerized voice will get you nowhere.
Although I cannot say much about this app (this is everything already) it is still useful, especially for teaching children and those who have minimal knowledge about pronunciation. Buying this app for convenience, as it available on both IOS and Android devices, is not a bad option if you really wish to, but as there are many other online pronunciation programs and websites (there are instructions on Youtube), chances are even I doubt myself I would spend $6 on English File Pronunciation app. The decision is for you to choose, but do try out the demo version to experience and get a general view of this app. It’s not a bad program by Oxford University Press - it serves its purpose, but it is not that impressive either.
Other than that, even though I know that the app focuses on pronunciation only so there is nothing else here to explore, once you are a serious learner who wants to master your pronunciation, there are many sounds to study, over 200 sample words for you to repeat yourself over and over to get the pronunciation right and a game to test your skill. But do bear in mind; real life pronunciation together with the existence of accent is a killer combination: British and American accents are not the only accents in this world and computerized voice will get you nowhere.
Although I cannot say much about this app (this is everything already) it is still useful, especially for teaching children and those who have minimal knowledge about pronunciation. Buying this app for convenience, as it available on both IOS and Android devices, is not a bad option if you really wish to, but as there are many other online pronunciation programs and websites (there are instructions on Youtube), chances are even I doubt myself I would spend $6 on English File Pronunciation app. The decision is for you to choose, but do try out the demo version to experience and get a general view of this app. It’s not a bad program by Oxford University Press - it serves its purpose, but it is not that impressive either.
There is another section which is, well you guess it, a pronunciation game. You can switch between the without sound game, where you have to say it (be it in your mind or loudly) to get the correct pronunciation, or the with sound game where you listen to a word and tap the sound you hear. Well you can listen to the word as many times as you wish to so do take advantage of this feature and distinguish similar sounds from each other.