Teacher Blessing Nmesomachi

WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO SPEAK FLUENTLY?

Let me say this gently fluency is not about speaking fast or sounding like a foreigner.
It’s not about big grammar. It’s not even about being perfect.

Fluency is being able to express yourself clearly, confidently, and without unnecessary struggle.
It’s about saying what you feel, even if your accent shows up or a word doesn’t come out perfectly.

Let me share this with you...

I once knew someone who felt small every time she spoke English. She had the ideas, but not the “speed”. She said PRONOUNCIATION instead of pronunciation, and it made her scared to speak again.

Until someone told her,
“You’re not broken. You’re learning and that’s enough.”

That stayed with her. And maybe you need to hear that today too.

✔️ If you pause but finish your sentence, that’s fluency.
✔️ If you speak slowly but clearly, that’s fluency.
✔️ If you make mistakes but keep going, that’s fluency.

Even native speakers don’t get it perfect every time.

So, speak up.
Make mistakes.
Learn out loud.

Your voice matters and fluency is finding the courage to use it.

WHY YOU SHOULD PRACTICE /r/ AND /l/ EVERY DAY

1. To Avoid Miscommunication
These two sounds often show up in words that are close in spelling but completely different in meaning. Mispronouncing them can confuse your listener or even change the message you're trying to pass.

2. To Build Muscle Memory

Your tongue is a muscle. Just like going to the gym, repetition strengthens the “muscle memory” of where your tongue should go. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes.

3. To Improve Listening and Speaking

When you train yourself to pronounce /r/ and /l/ correctly, you also sharpen your ears to hear the difference better. This improves both your listening and speaking skills.

4. It Boosts Confidence

Nothing feels better than being understood clearly. Once you master these sounds, you’ll feel more confident speaking in public, on stage, or in professional conversations.

Daily Practice Activities:

✅ Mirror Practice
Say words like “light, late, long, love” in front of a mirror. Watch your tongue placement.
Then say “right, rate, wrong, run” and observe how the tongue pulls back slightly without touching the top.

✅ Minimal Pairs Practice
Practice word pairs that contrast /r/ and /l/:
- Light – Right
- Lime – Rhyme

Also practice this tongue twister

Red lorry, yellow lorry.

MASTERING THE /r/ AND /l/ SOUNDS.

When it comes to clear English pronunciation, two of the trickiest and most commonly confused sounds, especially for non-native speakers are /r/ and /l/.

If you’ve ever said “lice” instead of “rice”, or “road” instead of “load”, you know how embarrassing or confusing that moment can be. But don’t worry, you’re not alone, and more importantly, you can improve it.

So, what’s the big deal with /r/ and /l/?

These two sounds are both approximants, meaning your tongue doesn’t fully touch any part of your mouth when producing them. But they require different tongue placements, and if you don’t master that, you could end up switching one sound for the other and change the meaning of your words without realizing it.

- /l/ is made by touching the tip of your tongue to the alveolar ridge (just behind your upper front teeth).
- /r/ is produced with your tongue slightly curved back but not touching the roof of your mouth.

Now imagine trying to say “really lucky” and ending up with “leally rucky” 😅 confusing, right? That’s why daily practice is essential.

Check the next post!

ACCEPT MISTAKES AS PART OF GROWTH, ESPECIALLY IN YOUR FLUENCY JOURNEY

When I started my journey to speak fluently and pronounce English words correctly, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. What I didn’t expect, though, was how often I would be corrected and how much I would have to learn from those corrections.

I remember a time I made a confident pronunciation in front of someone I looked up to, only for him to gently correct me. It stung a little. Not because I hated correction, but because I had been practicing so hard. However, I took the correction. I went back, re-learned it, practiced it again, and moved on. Days later, I made another mistake and again, someone corrected me. Still, I didn’t quit. I kept going.

That is growth.

Many people want to improve their fluency and pronunciation but run away the moment someone corrects them. Some even stop practicing because they feel embarrassed or ashamed of making mistakes. But the truth is this: you can’t grow if you don’t make mistakes.

What Happens When You Don’t Accept Corrections?

1. You Stay Stuck
Every time you ignore a correction, you build a wall between where you are and where you should be. You keep repeating the same errors and wonder why your fluency isn’t improving.

2. You Become Self-conscious
When you treat mistakes like failures, you start avoiding speaking altogether. You fear being corrected, so you say less and the less you speak, the slower your improvement.

3. You Miss Learning Moments
Every mistake is an opportunity to learn something new. When you reject corrections, you miss out on new tips, insights, and clearer understanding of English sounds, rhythm, and pronunciation.

Here’s the Truth:
Even the most fluent speakers once made mistakes. You will be corrected and that’s okay. It means you’re learning. It means someone is listening. It means you’re growing.

So, dear speaker in progress, don’t quit because of correction. Embrace it. Study it. Apply it. Let it shape you.

Change to passive voice

The principal is calling you.

The word "quay" is pronounced as KEEE.

Same pronunciation as "Key".

Either the cats or the dog _____ in the house.

a. Are b. Is

My mother or _____ will be coming.

a. Her b. She

Which of the options is used in formal conversations?

How do you pronounce "SENATOR"?

It's not See-ne-tor ❌

Check the comment section. 👇

IDIOM

"To hit the books".

This means to study hard.

"WHINE"

In Nigeria, many people say "stop whining me" when they mean "stop joking/kidding with me."
Others even use "whine" to describe dancing or shaking waist. 💃🏽

But guess what?

In standard English, "whine" means to complain in a high-pitched or annoying voice, like when someone keeps grumbling or nagging.
It can also refer to a long, weak cry (like a dog whining).

✅ Correct: "He kept whining about the heat."
❌ Not quite: "Why are you whining me?"

So next time you want to joke with someone, say:
"Are you kidding me?" or "Are you pulling my leg?"
And if it’s about dancing… just say "she's whining her waist", but know it's informal/slang. 😉

Have you ever used “whine” the Nigerian way? Let’s hear you in the comments!

HOW A MONKEY RUINED MR. PETER'S JACKET

Mr. Peter got this item in the photo and kept calling it a "monkey jacket."

One day, a monkey attacked him and tore it into pieces, saying,
"Since you call it a monkey jacket, you humans shouldn't wear it!"

Mr. Peter went home angry and explained to his friend what had happened. His friend laughed out loud and told him the monkey was angry because the clothing isn’t called a "monkey jacket."

He went further to explain that in American English, it's called a vest, while in British English, it's called a waistcoat.

Mr. Peter, who was still confused, told him that his father’s friend—who was a sailor when he was alive—had one and used to call it a "monkey jacket."

John, Mr. Peter’s friend, explained further that it was an old-fashioned clothing item sailors wore, but not the same as a waistcoat. A waistcoat (or vest) is sleeveless, while a monkey jacket is a sleeved garment.

Mr. Peter thanked his friend and went home. He was still sad because he had only worn the waistcoat twice.

I hope you've learnt the proper name for this? 👇
American English: Vest
British English: Waistcoat