English for lawyers - Episode 2تقوية النطق

The tip of this video: Pronunciation, not accent

The tip of the previous video was to not hit hard on Legal English, rather to focus on building your general English in the context of law. From there, you can improve gradually towards mastering Legal English. That is what I call English for Lawyers. Take it easy and establish a solid foundational ground you can stand on. At this stage, focus on vocabulary, sentence structure, pronunciation and grammar -in the context of law. The Tip of this video is to improve your pronunciation, not your accent: seeking to acquire a native accent of other nations - American, Australian, or British would not sound natural whatsoever, unless you mastered the language and have lived in the said country for years.

The Lesson: Pronunciation

1. Make sure to pronounce the letters (ed), which usually come at the end of an English word, as a (t - ت), not as (ايد)

• Authorized (Pronounce it = Authorizd)

• Worked ((Pronounce it = Workt)

• learned (Pronounce it = Learnt)

• Advanced (Pronounce it = Advancd)

• Affirmed (Pronounce it = Affirmd)

2. The letter R in the English language is not the same as (ر) in Arabic, make sure not to roll it.

• Legal Rules

• Decree

• Order

• Accord

• Jury

• Retainer

• Warrant

• Argument

• Reason

3. Pronounce the letters (Th) as (ثا), as shown in the below examples

• Authorized

• Oath

• Legal theory

• Legal thought

• Third party

• Threat

• Fifth amendment

• Thief

4. The letters (Th) as (زا), as shown in the below examples

• The law

• That rule

• Other

• They

5. The letters B and P - there is a huge difference between the letters B and P. It takes time, but you must improve towards get that one right.

• Speedy Trail

• Plaintiff

• Pleadings

• plea

• Capital punishment

• Appeal

• Proof

Pace

Other than pronunciation, pace is a really important factor in expressing the language right -orally. My tip is speak very slowly, you do not have to speak fast to prove that you've mastered the English language. Slow or fast, do not maintain a steady monotonic pace, measuring out every word evenly. Arabic, especially its Egyptian version, is very quick. Make sure to recognize that difference right at the start. Slow it a bit down when you speak English. The combination of slow, fast, and medium speed makes your speech more engaging. Watch more movies and listen to more songs, news reports and audio books, and analyze, repeat (over and over again)!!

Intonation

Intonation is a yet another aspect that not so many of us know of. Even when we do it is not easy to master -it requires years of practice or active involvement in the English language. Intonation is the way the pitch of your voice goes up and down as you talk. For example it is the way your voice raises in pitch at the end of a question, or the emphasize on one part (word) of the sentence. Intonation helps the listener understands you easily, even when they do not hear or comprehend your full sentence. Intonations possess (customary) meaning. Practice makes perfect. The Legalist