The Magic of Cards

Few techniques for improving the way you speak are better than the Magic Cards. Magic cards work because they help you improve the words and phrases that you use all the time but know you have difficulty with.

What’s great is that they’re easy to use too.

All you need is a deck of index cards.

Generate a list of words and phrases by asking your teacher, friends, family, etc to tell you words you’re mispronouncing. The words should not be new vocabulary words—they’re pronunciation words.

Next write the word or phrase two times on your card. On the first line, write it normally. On the second line, write the way it is pronounced. Be sure to indicate which syllable is stressed. Use any method that works for you.

Finally, use the word or phrase in a sentence. Try to create a sentence that you would actually say. You may want to create several sentences.

Here’s an example:

Service
SIR vis
The service here is terrible.

Now you can use the deck of cards to train yourself to say these words correctly.

Carry the cards around with you and go through them several times a day. Read the words slowly, enunciating each sound very carefully. Pretend that you’re speaking in slow motion. Then, like a train leaving the station, say the word faster and faster until you’re able to say it at a natural rate yet correctly.

It’s also a good idea to look at yourself in a mirror as you say the words to make sure you’re using your mouth, tongue, lips, and jaw correctly.

Once you feel confident with the individual words, use them in the sentences. Soon the words will roll out of your mouth naturally every time.

It’s like magic!