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Home »2017

Year: 2017

Phonics & Phonetics, Which is Better?

Posted onOctober 31, 2017October 31, 2017

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 …

CategoriesAmerican English pronunciation, home page

The Difference Between /d/ in Day + /ð/ in They?

Posted onSeptember 26, 2017October 31, 2017

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 …

CategoriesAmerican English pronunciation, home page

Switching Between Languages Pays Off for Bilingual Toddlers

Posted onSeptember 5, 2017

Proficient bilingual toddlers enjoy greater cognitive benefits that their monolingual peers, a new study reports. Read more here: Switching Between Languages Pays Off for Bilingual Toddlers

CategoriesAmerican English pronunciation, home page

How much English vocabulary is still Germanic?

Posted onJune 8, 2017September 5, 2017

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 …

CategoriesAmerican English pronunciation

How do stressed and unstressed syllables differ?

Posted onMay 22, 2017September 5, 2017

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 …

CategoriesAmerican English pronunciation, home page

Should you use a student’s native language when teaching English?

Posted onMay 11, 2017September 5, 2017

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 …

CategoriesAmerican English pronunciation, home page

How can I figure out the pronunciation rules in US English?

Posted onMay 5, 2017September 5, 2017

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 …

CategoriesAmerican English pronunciation, home page

What is the best way to learn English for kids?

Posted onMay 2, 2017September 5, 2017

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 …

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I speak too quietly and don’t pronounce words clearly. How do I improve my diction? This happens both in English and in Russian.

Posted onMay 1, 2017September 5, 2017

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 …

CategoriesAmerican English pronunciation, home page

If a person can pronounce every word accurately, can he be fluent in connected speech?

Posted onMay 1, 2017September 5, 2017

Connected speech is a skill that is learned once you can pronounce words accurately. It decreases the accuracy of some sounds you make (is he becomes izzee), and moves some final sounds from one word to the next (his pan Read More …

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  • HOME & Posts
    • Why Do We Have Different Accents?
  • Teaching: Both Art and Science
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  • Overview & About
    • About Peggy
    • Peggy’s Bio Details
  • What’s A Pronunciation Coach?
  • Private Lessons
    • It’s Possible to Change Your Sound in English
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  • What Is Causing Your Accent?
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