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The InFluency Podcast

Hadar Shemesh

The InFluency podcast is your go-to resource for learning, speaking and teaching English.
Hadar Shemesh is a pronunciation expert and fluency coach with thousands of students around the world, though she herself was an intermediate speaker of English once.
In this podcast she will share her best strategies for learning English, speaking English with confidence and mastering the American accent.

Discover how becoming fluent has everything to do with acquiring the right mindset, setting goals and learning how to overcome challenges.
Hadar will also share her teaching philosophy and techniques to support English teachers looking to help their students become fluent.

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  • 31 episodes
  • a few times a week
  • Avg 24 min
  • English

Episodes 31

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  • #536
    Tuesday · 10 min

    536. The 3 Ways to Pronounce -ED in English

    How do you pronounce the -ED ending in English? In this pronunciation lesson, I'll break down the 3 ways to pronounce -ED endings in English and show you how to know which pronunciation to use. We'll practice words like: 👉 needed, ended, decided, waited 👉 played, enjoyed, called, loved, cleaned 👉 worked, watched, washed, laughed, asked You'll also learn what happens to these sounds in connected speech, how to pronounce difficult consonant clusters, and why dropping the final sound can sometimes make it sound like you're using the wrong tense

  • #535
    September 25 · 36 min

    535. Relocation Diaries: 3 Years Later

    It's been nearly two years since I last shared a Relocation Diaries episode. In January of 2024, I relocated to Barcelona, Spain with my family. A few months later, my content-marketing director, Christina, moved to Spain, too! In this video, we share our experiences about how life has been now that we are more settled in the country, what it feels like to integrate into a new country, the challenges we've overcome, and the challenges we're still facing, and of course…updates about my language journey 😉 Check out more Relocation Diaries episodes here: https://bit.ly/relocation-diaries

  • September 22 · 49 min

    How to Think FAST and get to the POINT without OVERTHINKING [LIMITED TIME]

    Have you ever been asked a question in English and suddenly realized you have NO idea how to organize what you want to say? You know you have thoughts. You know you have opinions. But when it's time to speak, you start thinking about your grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, whether you sound smart enough, whether people understand you… and suddenly your point disappears. In this training, I'll show you how to think faster, organize your ideas, and get to the point when speaking English. If you tend to overthink, ramble, go on tangents, freeze when someone asks for your opinion, or feel like only a small part of YOU comes out when you speak English, this training is for you. At the end, I also invite you to join my NEW Challenge: Show Up & Speak Up from October 1 - 7. Sign up TODAY! 🔥 https://bit.ly/4Aj7Qu3

  • September 18 · 11 min

    [Bonus] You Speak English. But Are You Actually Showing Up? | JOIN THE CHALLENGE

    Sign up for the Show Up and Speak Up 7-day Challenge, here! https://bit.ly/4Aj7Qu3 You know English. Maybe you even use it every day. But when you speak English, how much of YOU actually shows up? Because there's a big difference between speaking English and speaking UP in English. If you're ready to stop waiting until you feel ready, join me for SHOW UP & SPEAK UP, my 7-Day Speaking-Power Challenge. For seven days, we're going to get you out of your head and get you SPEAKING. The challenge starts October 1st. 👉 Join here: https://bit.ly/4Aj7Qu3 It's time to stop showing up as 20% of yourself in English. Come show us what 100% of you sounds like.

  • #533
    September 11 · 52 min

    533. 20 Years Later: My Friend From Acting School Wrote the Book I Didn't Know I Needed

    This conversation is a very special one for me. Danielle and I met many years ago when we were both studying acting in New York, long before either of us knew where life would take us. We were young, ambitious, certain about some things, completely lost about others, and both trying to figure out who we were going to become. And now, all these years later, I got to sit down with her and talk about her first adult novel, a story she has been carrying with her, in one form or another, for about 16 years. Danielle also shares a beautiful exercise for getting started with writing. This is a conversation about books, yes. But really, it's about friendship, identity, dreams, reinvention, and all the unexpected ways our lives unfold. Get the book "This Changes Everything" here: https://www.amazon.com/This-Changes-Everything-Danielle-McKechnie/dp/0063519399

  • #531
    September 1 · 20 min

    531. How to sound powerful in English (shadowing Jennifer Aniston)

    Want to sound less monotone, more powerful and more expressive when you speak English? Then come shadow this scene! In this week's episode, we're practicing with a scene from The Morning Show, featuring Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy. We'll break it down together and play with prosody, reductions and focus on how to use your voice to sound more powerful and expressive I'll walk you through it line by line, and then we'll shadow the scene together. Close the door, press play and have some fun with your voice! Get out of your comfort zone! By the end, you might not only sound more powerful in English. You might actually FEEL more powerful, too. Download the script to follow along with me: https://bit.ly/4wKi6Zl Check out my other shadowing videos here: https://bit.ly/4fx9j4t

  • #530
    August 25 · 12 min

    530. The 3 things I regret not starting sooner (this is one of them!)

    How many things have you NOT done because you felt like your English wasn't ready yet? Applied for that job. Started creating content. Spoke up more. Started a business. There were three big things I postponed because I kept telling myself I wasn't ready: teaching in English, starting my YouTube channel, and starting my podcast. And looking back, I wish I hadn't waited. Because waiting didn't make me more ready, taking action did. In this episode, I'm sharing these three stories and what they taught me about confidence, fear, perfectionism, and the idea of being "ready." If there's something you've been waiting to do because of your English, I hope this episode gives you the push to start before you feel ready! ♥️

  • #529
    August 18 · 8 min

    529. Pronounce Irregular Verbs the Easy Way (Grouped by Sound)

    In this episode, let's practice common irregular verbs according to sounds! When you organize irregular verbs by how they sound instead of how they're spelled, everything starts to click. And saying them out loud, in groups, in sentences is how pronunciation actually sticks. This episode is the intersection between pronunciation and grammar, and I hope you enjoy it! Want to keep going? My free Pronunciation Masterclass will show you exactly which sounds to focus on and how to use rhythm, stress, and intonation to sound clear and expressive in English 👇 https://bit.ly/4gv9Iqe Other resources mentioned: Watch the full video on how to pronounce the T before N: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/t-sound-in-kitten-button-manhattan/ Practice irregular verbs with the rap from Fluency MC: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/interview-with-jason-levine/

  • #528
    August 14 · 42 min

    528. How to get fluent when you're on your own | Gilbert's story

    What does it take to become fluent in English when there is no one around you who speaks English? Meet my student, Gilbert. He's from Guinea, living in Morocco, studying engineering in French, and one of my New Sound Scholarship winners. In this conversation, Gilbert shares how he went from silent, afraid and unable to open his mouth to someone who speaks English with confidence, teaches others, and is now building a public speaking club in his own community. I hope you enjoy this interview!

  • #527
    August 4 · 11 min

    527. 3 Things Musicians Know About Pronunciation Practice That English Learners Don't

    You can spend hours practicing pronunciation and still feel like you're not making progress. And sometimes, it's not because you're not practicing enough. It's because of how you're practicing. There are things musicians know about practice that most English learners have never been taught, but they still apply to language learning just the same! In this episode, I'm sharing 3 of them with you. 🎹 Get it in your body (repetition is not optional) 🐢 Go slower to go faster (yes, really) 🧠 Manage your brain when people are actually listening Want to keep going? My free Pronunciation Masterclass will teach you everything you're not getting in conventional English classes, such as rhythm, stress, intonation and more. 👉 https://bit.ly/4cJVbGf I'll see you there.

  • #526
    July 28 · 13 min

    526. How to say big numbers in English | 10-min Pronunciation Sprint

    Do you find it hard to pronounce BIG NUMBERS in English? You're not alone! I'm not talking about our basic 1-100! As soon as we get to hundreds, thousands, or millions - things get a little messy. In this Sprint, we're drilling big numbers together out loud, in real sentences, so they actually stick. We'll practice: ✔️ Three-digit numbers (like 304 and 989) ✔️ Four-digit numbers the natural way (2,462 → "twenty-four sixty-two") ✔️ Numbers with zeros in tricky spots (2,052) ✔️ Five, six, and seven-digit numbers, including millions ✔️ Real sentences you'll actually use such as prices, stats, dates, and more 🔁 Want more sprints like this one? Check out this playlist! https://bit.ly/sprints-playlist 🎯 Want daily Sprints delivered inside my practice community? Join my community Beyond and get a new Sprint each day. https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N

  • #525
    July 21 · 23 min

    525. The "ping pong" trick that makes English small talk feel natural

    Sometimes the best conversations are like a ping-pong match. 🏓 No awkward silences, no gaps, just fast flowing conversations. Today, we're taking a scene from the TV show, First Dates to practice exactly that. We'll go sentence by sentence: you listen and test your comprehension, then we'll break it down, and shadow it together, paying attention to intonation, rhythm, stress, and pronunciation the whole way through. This is a great exercise for shadowing, but also, if you wanna practice your flirty side in English ;) Watch the full clip here: https://youtu.be/2i5l33TxIpI Join my pronunciation masterclass to learn more: https://bit.ly/3SXWZop

  • #524
    July 14 · 13 min

    524. Do you need to reduce your accent? What that really means

    In this episode, I'm breaking down the real difference between three things people often confuse: 1: Reducing an accent 2: Acquiring a new accent 3: Speaking with clear, predictable pronunciation. I'll share my story, why "accent reduction" is actually a myth, and what really matters, depending on your personal goals. If you want to work on your pronunciation with me, join my FREE Pronunciation Masterclass, where I teach you the elements they don't cover in conventional English studies. The ones that actually make your speech clear, expressive, and confident: https://bit.ly/4gBnjg5

  • #522
    July 7 · 54 min

    523. She could barely speak English. Now she runs her own business

    Who am I? That was the question Glenda kept asking herself when she first moved from Costa Rica to the US. She was not able to communicate and felt terrified to even answer the phone or turn on her camera in a video call. In this conversation, my student Glenda shares her journey from feeling powerless and dependent on her husband for everything, to building her own dog training business, hosting conversation groups and book clubs, and now raising her daughter… all in English :) I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did ♥️ 👉 Join our Beyond community for English learners (Glenda is there too!): https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N

  • #522
    June 30 · 12 min

    522. Daily 10-minute pronunciation exercise (Sprint)

    These Sprints are designed to set yourself up for success using daily articulation and speech exercises to make your pronunciation effortless and to be more clear in English! Do this 10-minute pronunciation practice every morning before you start your day, or before an important meeting, and you'll feel the difference. And if you want 30 daily Sprints just like this, get full access in my course, Sprint Master: https://bit.ly/419T61z

  • #521
    June 23 · 25 min

    521. Read out loud with me! Atomic Habits PART 2 – Vocabulary, pronunciation and intonation

    Get ready to read Atomic Habits Chapter 2 by James Clear out loud with me! Follow along and improve your vocabulary and pronunciation with an excerpt from Atomic Habits! Personally, I love this book. It's such a great book all about building habits that last (and these tips are great for language learning too!) Check out Chapter 1 here: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/464/ Get a 30-day Audible free trial using my referral code and get Atomic Habits for FREE: https://adbl.co/2ESq3ro

  • #520
    June 16 · 24 min

    520. The 5 R vowels of English

    The R is one of the hardest sounds in English…but it doesn't have to be after this episode ;) In American English, there are two R sounds: the strong R (red, around, crazy) and the soft R, or R vowels. That's when the R appears AFTER a vowel (car, here, first). In this focused practice session, we're working through the 5 key R vowel sounds together. For each sound, I'll give you words and example sentences to follow along with. By the end, these tricky words like world, work, word, girl and first won't feel so scary anymore. Want to go deeper into pronunciation? Join my FREE Pronunciation Masterclass! A full hour of everything I know about sounds, prosody, intonation, rhythm, and stress, so you can stop putting so much effort into speaking English. It's completely free, and it's going to be fun. → https://bit.ly/4xZGyqv Check out these other R videos to keep practicing: https://bit.ly/4vMcltM

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