Checklist for producing good sounds

Go over the checklist each time to assess myself and check what needs to be
practiced/enhanced.
For practice, focus on one area at a time to get the maximum result.

Pronunciation
full lips and tongue positions to pronounce _content words_ FULLY (去除乡音)
exercise lips and tongue
do not rush, and proper pauses
mentally drag syllables to continue a _flow_
stress, and unstress (flows better. for example, move _their_ ratings)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FStyKn4V8cE
linking
emotion

Voice projection
fill the room (mindset, aid in pronouncing content words fully)
提打挺松（找明亮、温暖的共鸣）
https://www.sohu.com/a/373621251_738947
air flow from diaphragm
声带闭合（声音坚实，没有气音）
声带低沉振动模式

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Exercises

开嗓
sing, or read
with better resonance in mind
and slow enough to pronounce sounds properly

放松声带周围的肌肉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFo7EbJCv0k

for each podcast transcript from [ https://pronuncian.com/podcast-archives,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU
0.75x
金山词霸 ]
for each sentence
read myself
play podcast for comparison of stresses, intonation, and linking

listen to songs and study the lyrics

songs are short, digestable
colloquial speach

popular idoms
good to know and good to read to warm up my voice/lips
https://www.topcorrect.com/blog/50-popular-idioms-to-sound-like-a-native-
speaker/

focus on these for now:

Actions speak louder than words
step up someone's game
jump through hoops
A good catch
 Blow someone away

Add fuel to the fire

cut someone some slack
get someone's head around something
couldn't care less
crunch time
cut corners
get out of hand
go down in flames

run on fumes
sit on the fence
cry over spilt milk
than i care to admit..
bank on something

someone's guess is as good as mine

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combined daily tasks with voice projection

- exercise mouth and tongue
- TDTS https://www.sohu.com/a/373621251_738947
提颧肌，打牙关，挺软额，松下巴，说白了就是面带微笑，张开嘴，说话时候保持打哈欠打一半的
状态
- practice with speaking to others with PFS{pause, fill-the-room {diaphragm 气
息, resonance 共鸣}, stress} in mind
make sure to stress or LENGTHEN main content words, with *variation* in
speed, aim for flow
- listen for pauses, stresses, intonation, and linking (this is how I can 培养语
感 and naturally imitate)
- read tv series summaries for unfamiliar phrases and sentence structures

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[pronunciation] areas to improve

- slow down speaking, pause between thought groups
- syllable flow
instead of treating words as individual chop chop chop
okay to drag one syllable to another
this will make it appear more fluent
- stress (louder, higher pitch, longer) vs. unstress (reduced (often to schwa),
_fast_)
- pay attention to others speech for pauses and stresses. Notice them, then
imitate them.
- break a sentence into thought groups, each with a focus word.
- unstress plural s - this should fix a lot of s sound in my speech
- unstress for, of, or, but and move on fast to the words that follows
- pronounce w, o, ae, watch mouth muscles to pronounce fully (for stressed)

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stress

adjective *noun*
*noun* noun noun

places or names: first second *last*

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linking

page 117
linking with article an
linking ing with vowel
page 122
vowel to vowel with y or w inserted
page 125
contractions like he's, he'd, Mary'll
page 130
Conditional Tense and Contractions like would have - woulda, would not have -
wouldna