I have realized in working with several of my students over the past few months how valuable it is to follow the ‘path of sound’ through the mouth. It’s most helpful when you get a tricky combination of sounds or words put together. I sometimes like to call it Route 66.
Break the sounds down-‐ VISUALISE where the Girst one begins in your mouth. Now feel where the next comes in. This is a great way to get through R’s without over attacking them, for example, because you’re no longer focusing on getting to that one sound. Instead you are simply moving through the sound and on to the next.
Another reason to follow the path is it also really helps solidify that muscle memory in your mouth. Without that you will constantly be Gloundering around searching for the right sounds. Really take the time to visualize the inside of your mouth, make sure you use every space, from the back of the throat all up along the roof of the mouth and down to the teeth and lips.
Take your time when you begin this process. It will, no doubt, feel as foreign in the initial stages as some of the sounds you’re trying to create but it WILL make a huge difference in your comprehension and execution of the accent.
