Dialogues are a common way to practise pronunciation. Although you don’t need a partner for this, it can be helpful.  

The most important aspect to focus on is the exchange. What exactly are the people in the dialogue trying to communicate

Dialogues are much more than just the words and sentences. They are about the intonation, the stress, the rhythm and connected speech.  

You can also change how a dialogue is delivered. For example, saying it: 

  • slowly 
  • happily 
  • loudly. 

Here’s an example of a simple dialogue: 

A: Hi! What’s your name? 

B: I’m Babou. What’s your name? 

A: I’m Ndeye. Where are you from? 

B: I’m from Dakar. What about you? 

A: I’m from Dakar, too. 

Glossary

Communicate: To share information with others. 

Connected speech: In connected speech, the pronunciation of a word will change depending on the words around it. 

Intonation: The way the pitch of a speaker’s voice goes up or down as they speak. Intonation can be rising, falling or flat and is used to communicate how a speaker feels. 

Stress: Emphasis given to certain syllables in words. In English, stress is produced with a longer, louder and higher pitched sound than unstressed sounds.  

Rhythm: A strong pattern of sounds and words.