Speaking and listening to English are very different from reading and writing in the language. A typical problem for non-native speakers is reading a word aloud and being able to say it correctly. One of the most difficult of letter clusters for learners to master is ‘ough’ which can be pronounced in many, many different ways.
Task 1
Try to say the following words:
slough1 slough2 lough hough sough chough
ought though through hiccough dough enough
The chances are that you have seen some of these words before and know how to pronounce them, but not all of them. The only way to know each word’s pronunciation is to learn it, but how?
This is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) which has been edited to include all of the sounds in the English alphabet.
The top three rows are vowel sounds, the ‘pure’ vowel sounds occupying the first four columns of the top three rows, the rest being ‘blended’ vowel sounds. The next two rows are coupled up into ‘unvoiced’ consonant sounds and ‘voiced’ consonant sounds. The bottom row makes up the remaining consonant sounds.
‘Pure’ Vowel Sounds- vowels are sounds made with an open mouth. The phonemes with two dots after them are longer vowel sounds. Pay special attention to ‘Schwa’ – the phoneme which looks like an upside-down letter ‘e’ –this is the most common sound in the English language.
‘Blended’ Vowel Sounds- these are the next step toward word-building. We simply take two of the ‘pure’ vowel sounds and mix them together.
‘Unvoiced’ Consonant Sounds- put your hand on your throat, breath out- can you feel your throat vibrating? If the answer is ‘no’ then you are making an ‘unvoiced’ sound.
‘Voiced’ Consonant Sounds- put your hand on your throat, breath out and say “Aah”- can you feel your throat vibrating? If the answer is ‘yes’, then you are making a ‘voiced’ sound i.e. you are using your voice.
The two types of phonemes in these rows follow the pattern ‘unvoiced/voiced/unvoiced/voiced’ etc. so that /p/ is related to /b/ - /p/ being unvoiced and /b/ being voiced, /t/ is unvoiced and /d/ is voiced and so on.
The remaining consonant sounds- These are straightforward apart from the third from the left which is a nasal sound (it comes through your nose). /r/ and /l/ can present problems for some learners. /r/ is best practiced with a wrinkled up nose – try to look like a tiger when you say it. /l/ is said by dropping your tongue from your top lip to the inside of your mouth. /j/ is pronounced as the letter ‘y’ in the word ‘you’
These symbols can be found in any good dictionary (usually near the front or back) and when word definitions are found you will see the phonetic transcription next to the word.
All types of consonant are formed by closing the mouth is some way, thus they are different from vowel sounds.
Task 2
Try this with your own dictionary; find the exact pronunciation of the words given in task 1. If you do not have a dictionary – shame on you! You can find phonetic transcriptions with the definitions at http://dictionary.reference.com
Finally, if you want to speak with a good English accent, stretch your chest as if you are yawning, as you are breathing out say something – you will sound very British!
Have You Ever...? - Would you ever...?
The International Phonetic Alphabet - The International Phonetic Alphabet (Presentation) - Ballon Debate - Crimewave! - How Rude! - Speaking Marathon
|
Free English Vocabulary Lessons Within the vocabulary section of EVOLVE there are lessons based on the academic word list which was compiled in order of frequency by LALS, Victoria University of Wellington. The lessons ensure that the student becomes familiar with the new vocabulary and can really use it in their own text. Also under this section you will find advice on learning and retaining vocabulary and some short cuts to understanding new words using word roots. |
Free English Grammar Lessons Grammar is the first part of a language that can cause us confusion. Many natvie speakers don't know the finer points of grammar so it can be a difficult task to try to learn the grammar of another language. Our grammar section takes you through all the main grammar points and offers exercises to check understanding throughout. There are lessons on parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives...) right through to lessons on reported speech and relative clauses at the more advanced levels. Just remember that grammar is a set of rules that have been developed as a guide to the language, the language is not based on the rules. |
|
Free English Reading Lessons The reading section is divided into two main sections, the holiday lesson plan section where you can find lessons based on British festivities for every month of the year, and then there is the current affairs section where new lessons are constantly added. All lessons focus on vocabulary, understanding of a text and a discussion session, which can bring about lively debate in any classroom. |
Free English Writing Lessons Our writing advice guides students from the alphabet up. There is advice on spelling rules, punctuation and oration. Another feature of the writing section includes lesson plans based on sentence structure, which can be used in conjunction with the lesson plans on grammar. At the advanced level there is advice on how to fulfil academic writng tasks. Finally there are many IELTS style writing topics to inspire students to write. |
|
Free English Speaking Lessons One of the most vital things to learn in good speech and pronunciation is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) - armed with this and a good dictionary, students will never mispronounce a word again. To practice speech there are conversation prompts in this section and also featured are some debates and enjoyable exercises to conduct in a group. |
Free English Listening Lessons The listening section focuses on our currnet affairs podcasts which are unique to EVOLVE and can be accompanied by the lesson plans that focus on both listening and understanding and also feature elements of vocabulary and grammar to give a well rounded listening session. Apart from this there is advice on listening to lectures and gap fill exercises for famous songs which have been selected to relate to grammar points. |
| Free English Forum | Free English Games |
| In the EVOLVE Forum we offer students and teachers the chance to get together. Whether you are an ESL teacher looking for a job, or a confused student looking for some help, the EVOLVE forum can offer you support. It costs nothing to post on the forum and can introduce you to the ESL community at large. Why not share some helpful advice or make new friends in our penpal network? | Games can lighten the tone of an otherwise boring session, as well as having a genuine didactic place as a part of a class. All of the games in this session have been carefully considered and included for their educational merit. |