Words That Start With R
If your first language makes a tongue flick or tap on the roof of your mouth for the R sound, then you are going to be working on the sound of R in English. If you already follow my lessons, Read More …
Category: American English pronunciation
Phonics & Phonetics, Which is Better?
Is it possible to learn phonetics without having learned phonics first? My son has problem with pronouncing English words. I wanna teach him English pronunciation from scratch. Is teaching him phonetics useful? Answer: Yes, it is possible to learn phonetics Read More …
The Difference Between /d/ in Day + /ð/ in They?
These two sounds, D and TH, differ in location—where they’re made, and in manner—how they’re made. /d/ is created by pressing the blade (front top part) of the tongue up firmly against the roof of your mouth, behind your upper teeth where the alveolar bumps are. Read More …
How much English vocabulary is still Germanic?
How much English vocabulary is still Germanic? Answer by Peggy Tharpe: Found this on the internet…so it must be true. The study, published in 1973, offered this breakdown of sources: Latin, 28.34 percent; French, 28.3 percent; Old and Middle English, Read More …
How do stressed and unstressed syllables differ?
Here are the ways stressed and unstressed syllables differ in American speech. Duration: stressed syllables are longer; unstressed are shorter. This forms a contrast in duration that is fundamental to native speaking Energy: stressed syllables have more energy or power Read More …
Should you use a student’s native language when teaching English?
Occasions when I incorporated home language into ESL teaching: I was teaching elementary school children and used English solely in class. My educational assistant spoke Thai, Lao, and English. I often asked her to use Lao if the Laotian kindergarten Read More …
How can I figure out the pronunciation rules in US English?
English pronunciation is governed by patterns, not rules. I’ll start with the smallest pieces of sound and work up to larger ones. Vowels and consonants: you can find resources to hear the way they sound and learn symbols to represent Read More …
What is the best way to learn English for kids?
I taught English as a Second Language to children for many years…decades, in fact. Children’s brains are programmed to learn language. Begin exposing them to a second language as early as possible in childhood, during those years when language learning Read More …
I speak too quietly and don’t pronounce words clearly. How do I improve my diction? This happens both in English and in Russian.
Use your whole body to speak, not just your mouth. Put your reading material on a shelf at eye level so you can read it while you are standing. Pull air into your lungs, and then push it out using Read More …