Anticipate Pronunciation

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences It is not a secret that pronouncing English sounds easily and correctly is a big challenge for non-native speakers. Of course, the complexity of English pronunciation consists not only of particular sounds but also of several other aspects such as intonation, stress, rhythm, and timing. I would like to analyze one of the biggest and most obvious pronunciation problems for Ukrainian speakers of English which, in my opinion, is sound differences and the way of pronouncing sounds. Sound System Articulation Aspiration Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Hanna H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are a number...  [Read more]

In the heart of the vibrant state of Chiapas, Mexico, football enthusiasts eagerly await the arrival of Celta Vigo for their upcoming matches. Known for their dynamic gameplay and passionate fanbase, Celta Vigo is set to showcase their skills on the pitch in this picturesque region. Let's delve into the excitement surrounding their upcoming games and what fans can expect from these thrilling encounters. As Celta Vigo gears up for their matches in Chiapas, anticipation runs high as they prepare to face off against formidable opponents. The intensity of the rivalry between Celta Vigo and their challengers is sure to make for an electrifying atmosphere on the field. Fans can expect nothing short of a fierce battle as both teams vie for victory, adding an extra layer of excitement to the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Every learner of a foreign language may face pronunciation problems now and then. Languages that belong to one language group have more in common in phonics and are usually easier to learn to pronounce correctly. But such languages as English and Chinese are so different, that Chinese learners (and I bet English speaking learners of Chinese too) often have many difficulties in pronunciation. State of the problem Common pronunciation errors How to correct pronunciation problems Learn how to teach pronunciation effectively! Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Evgeniya S. I have been working in China as a teacher for more than six months now. When I arrived in this country, I hardly knew...  [Read more]

  Whereas stress is typically concerned with one individual word, intonation is generally concerned with the variation in volume and pitch throughout an entire sentence. Intonation carries the message of a sentence. It's particularly important when questioning or agreeing, disagreeing and confirming statements. It's also very important when expressing emotions and feelings. The normal pattern for intonation is the rise-fall. Few examples would be ?I haven't seen him for a week,? or a simple word as ?okay?. With the falling intonation, we?re indicating that we're finished speaking. Again, ?I haven't seen him for a week? and ?okay?. A few more examples would be ?I'll see you at six then,? or a question of information ?How do you spell rough?? These are straightforward statements that...  [Read more]

  In this video we'll be looking at the international phonemic alphabet and how it's used in the classroom. There are other phonemic alphabets but this is the most popular and the system, which is most widely used. You may have seen some of these symbols before as any good dictionary will supplement standard English spellings with the phonemic spellings to aid in pronunciation practice. Here we have a situation where we have what are called phonemes and each phoneme represents a sound within the English language. How is this helpful? Well, what it does is help students understand how to say words rather than simply relying on the often archaic English spellings. To illustrate this point let's for a moment put ourselves in the shoes of our students when trying to understand how to say...  [Read more]

In these videos our grammar expert Linda demonstrates how to correctly pronounce a wide variety of common and not so common words that you might encounter in an English language classroom. Come back regularly as our Ask Linda series is frequently updated.  [Read more]

  A better way to go about imparting how to make sounds or what sounds are utilized in a word, is this international phonemic alphabet. Now we have as mentioned one symbol being used in all the words which share that same sound. Now once we get a little bit more familiar with our phonemic alphabet we can also show how different our different sounds can be as in this symbol for ?ooh?, this symbol for ?ow? and this symbol for ?uh?. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the...  [Read more]

  Connected speech is also an important element of phonology and it's involved in joining words together in an effect to make our speech more efficient. Some might say it's a product of being lazy but nonetheless it's what we all do and we want all of our non-native speakers to speak as naturally as possible, so we have to be aware of these things. Here are a few of the more common examples. We have linking, dropping, changing and extra lettering. An example of each would be with linking, we link our words together so that they almost in effect become one word. Instead of saying ?What do you want to do,? we typically will say ?Whatdoyou want to do?? Then, we can also have dropping. Rather than pronouncing each and every consonant, we can sometimes, especially in certain accents, drop...  [Read more]

  Here we have a set of five words, which all share one sound: the ?oh? sound, as in ?go?, ?show?, ?dough?, ?note? and ?boat?. They?re five different spelling patterns to tell our students so they can identify when to make the ?oh? sound. We can have a simple letter ?o?, ?ow?, ?ough?, ?o? with the magic ?e? which turns our vowel into what we knew as long sounds and the ?oa? as in ?boat?. Now, for a non-native learner, perhaps they can handle something like this. They remember that these spelling combinations help to produce the ?oh? sound and they can go about their business looking at the words and memorizing this knowing that these spelling patterns will produce the sound ?oh?. Now that?s okay until we get to a situation where we can also have words like ?to?, ?cow? and also...  [Read more]

  The next thing we should look at is how our consonants are arranged for the top two rows we have P and F at the left side of our chart and G and J at the right side of our chart. They're arranged this way because if we analyze the way we speak we're using the front of our mouth to use these sounds as in ?p? and ?f? and I'm using my lips and my teeth to produce those sounds and as we move to the right on the chart slowly but surely we're making those sounds it towards the back of our mouth. We can use the examples of ?g?. The sound ?g? is produced further back in our mouth than ?p?. The next thing we'll notice about our chart is that some of our symbols are shaded. Notice that none of the symbols in the vowel sections are shaded but only a few are in the consonant section. The...  [Read more]

  There are two issues that need to be stressed when working with the international phonemic alphabet. First is the fact that we are no longer concerned with how a word is traditionally spelled. Additionally we need to stress that we are only concerned with the sounds needed to correctly produce a word. So rather than numerous spellings, which can often be pronounced in different ways, we have one symbol representing one sound. Once we can isolate a sound, rather than juggling various spellings, we can work with our students on how to say that sound. Doing that successfully is related to manner and place of articulation, which will be covered shortly. To get a better understanding of the phonemic alphabet, let's take a look at our chart. In the bottom half of our chart we have our...  [Read more]

  "As mentioned before our four words here all are similar in using the ?b? and ?t? sounds at the end. So we know that those phonemes will be used in spelling each one of those words phonetically. Now what we're left to do is assign a phoneme for our vowel sounds. So if we analyze the word, it's ?e? as in bet. We look at our chart, we see the phoneme which corresponds to that sound and that happens to be the standard ?e? that we all recognize. Here, bet phonetically looks very similar to bet in the Roman script. Now let's take a look at ?i? bit. Now we look at our chart and we see that this symbol represents the ?i? sound and that resembles a capital I not a lowercase I but a capital I and so we've arrived at bit. Now with ?but? we have to find the sound and that corresponds to this...  [Read more]

  Now let's take a look at how we go from traditional spellings into the phonemic spellings. The first step in this process is identifying each unit of sound or each phoneme within a word. Let's look at bet, bit, but, and bought. The only difference in each one of these words is in the vowel sound. We have bet, bit, but and bought. Each word simply uses three sounds. Now we have photo. That's four phonemes. Wow we have taxi. That's five phonemes. We have unite with a hidden phoneme in there being the ?y? sound before anything else. Those are five phonemes as well and now we have a longer word: chemistry. Let's give that a shot. That's eight phonemes used in the word chemistry. Now once we've isolated each sound we want to assign a phoneme for each one of those sounds let's do that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There are several pronunciation problems that students of English will face in Japan; however, I will focus on two. 1. Differences in the phonetic systems of two languages 2. Lack of exposure to authentic English resources Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brandie K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first of these problems they face is the fact that Japanese doesn't have some of the same sounds in its' alphabet as English does. For example, Japanese does not have a hard R sound; instead, it has a sound that is a mix of R and L. So, when students from Japan go to say rice, for many...  [Read more]

Luciana Campos Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In today's world, it is essential for young adults to learn proper pronunciation to communicate effectively and confidently. Proper pronunciation helps others understand what we are saying. It is crucial for successful communication, especially when speaking English. Traditional methods of teaching pronunciation can be time-consuming and stressful for students. However, pronunciation is an essential component of language acquisition. So, there's no way to run! Gamification as a means for learning to pronounce Tips on Pronunciation Last Remarks Related articles Ready to teach English as a Foreign Language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! I guess you expected me to start by providing...  [Read more]

  Alveolar sounds get their name from the fact that the alveolar ridge is being used. Again, that ridge is just behind the front top row of teeth. Here the tongue is on or very very near the alveolar ridge. It's typically the tip of the tongue or what's just behind the tip of the tongue, called the blade of the tongue. Here, we're talking about sounds such as ?t? and ?d?. If you say them at home, you can tell the tip of your tongue is on that alveolar ridge. Again, that's ?t? and ?d?, as well as sounds such as ?s? and ?z?. Again, the blade of the tongue is just near that alveolar ridge but it is very near nonetheless. The two other sounds that make it into this category is the ?l? sound, where the tip of the tongue is very clearly touching that alveolar ridge, as well as ?r? or the R...  [Read more]

  Place of articulation deals with the placement of the vocal organs when producing a sound. Before we can cover the particulars of places of articulation, we'll need to take a look at the various vocal organs and their locations. Moving from the front to the back we'd begin with our lips. We can use both lips in order to create a sound or we can use one of our lips with one of our rows of teeth, usually the top, in order to produce another sound. We also have other sounds, which use both of the rows of teeth. Further back we have what's called the alveolar ridge. That's the bit of the mouth that may get burnt when we're eating a pizza that's a bit too hot and the cheese burns just behind there our top two teeth. That again is the hard bit just behind our top teeth, called the...  [Read more]

  When it comes to manner of articulation, we have six different ways in which our breath is produced in order to make our sounds. We have our plosives, our affricates, fricatives, the nasal sounds, our lateral sound and the approximants. Let's take a look at each individually and see how they differ from one another. First we have our plosive sounds. As the word might indicate we have basically a little explosion of sound with our breath. The plosive sounds are made through a three-step process. First there's a closure somewhere in the vocal tract. Second there's a buildup of air and finally there's a sudden release of that air like a little explosion. If we look at some of the sounds that are made this way we might better understand why they are called plosives. Examples are the...  [Read more]

  And now we have our nasal sounds. There are three nasal sounds and basically the pattern of air that's moving out of our vocal tract has to do with two big instances and that is a closure in the vocal tract. Except aside from the plosives and affricates, what we have is air escaping through our nasal cavity. These sounds include ?m?, ?n? and ?ng?. We're moving from the front of the mouth to the back of the mouth. First with the M sound or the ?m?, we're closing both lips and the air is escaping through the nasal passage ?m?. Next we have our N sound or our ?n? sound. There, the closure is inside the mouth but our tongue is closing up near our alveolar ridge and the air is escaping through the nose. Again that's ?n?. Finally we have our NG sound and the closure there is happening...  [Read more]

Teaching English pronunciation to total beginners can be a challenging but rewarding task. Here are some effective strategies to help you succeed: To help total beginners improve their English pronunciation skills, you can follow these effective strategies: Yes, there are various resources and tools that can be helpful for teaching English pronunciation to beginners.  [Read more]

Teaching English pronunciation to ESL students is crucial for effective communication. Clear pronunciation helps students be understood by native speakers and boosts their confidence in using the language. Proper pronunciation also aids in comprehension and reduces the chances of miscommunication. Additionally, mastering pronunciation early on can prevent students from developing bad habits that are difficult to correct later. There are several effective strategies for teaching English pronunciation to ESL students. One key approach is to focus on individual sounds and phonemes in isolation before practicing them in words and sentences. Another effective method is using minimal pairs, which are pairs of words that only differ in one sound, to help students distinguish between similar...  [Read more]

Teaching English pronunciation to non-native speakers is crucial in a TEFL classroom as it helps students communicate effectively and be understood by others. Clear pronunciation enhances overall language comprehension and fluency, enabling students to engage in meaningful conversations and interactions. Moreover, accurate pronunciation can boost students' confidence in speaking English, leading to improved performance in both academic and real-world settings. There are several effective strategies that TEFL teachers can use to help students improve their English pronunciation. One approach is to focus on individual sounds and phonetic patterns, breaking down words into syllables and practicing pronunciation through repetition and drills. Teachers can also utilize visual aids, such as...  [Read more]

English pronunciation plays a crucial role in effective communication and language comprehension. In a TEFL classroom, clear pronunciation enhances students' ability to be understood by native speakers and boosts their confidence in using English in real-life situations. Poor pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings and hinder students' overall language development. Therefore, focusing on pronunciation from the beginning stages of learning is essential for building a strong foundation in English language skills. When teaching English pronunciation to non-native speakers in a TEFL classroom, it is important to incorporate a variety of strategies to cater to different learning styles and abilities. Some effective strategies include focusing on individual sounds, stress patterns,...  [Read more]

Pronunciation and intonation play a crucial role in effective communication in the English language. Clear pronunciation helps learners be understood by others, while intonation conveys meaning, emotions, and attitudes in a sentence. Without mastering these aspects, language learners may face difficulties in expressing themselves and understanding others. Therefore, focusing on pronunciation and intonation is essential in English language teaching. When teaching English pronunciation, it's important to start with the basics such as individual sounds and phonetic symbols. Encouraging students to listen and practice these sounds repeatedly can help them improve their pronunciation skills. Using techniques like minimal pairs, where words differ by only one sound, can be beneficial in...  [Read more]

English pronunciation is crucial for effective communication as it impacts how well a non-native speaker is understood. Poor pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings and hinder fluency. It also affects confidence levels and overall language proficiency. Teaching pronunciation from the beginning helps students develop a strong foundation for their language skills. 1. Phonetic Alphabet: Introducing the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) helps students understand the specific sounds of English and how to produce them accurately. 2. Minimal Pairs: Using minimal pairs (words that differ by only one sound) can help students distinguish between similar sounds that may not exist in their native language. 3. Intonation and Stress: Teaching the rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns of...  [Read more]

Teaching pronunciation to English language learners is crucial for effective communication. Pronunciation impacts how well a learner is understood and how confident they feel when speaking. It also plays a significant role in listening comprehension. Without clear pronunciation, miscommunication can occur, leading to frustration and misunderstanding. Therefore, focusing on pronunciation from the beginning stages of language learning is essential. When teaching pronunciation, it is important to incorporate a variety of techniques to cater to different learning styles. Some effective methods include: - Minimal pairs: Contrasting words that differ by only one sound can help learners distinguish between similar sounds that may not exist in their native language. - Stress and intonation:...  [Read more]

Teaching English pronunciation to non-native speakers in a TEFL setting is crucial for effective communication. Clear pronunciation helps students be understood and build confidence in speaking English. It also aids in comprehension and overall language fluency. By focusing on pronunciation, students can enhance their listening skills, improve their speaking abilities, and feel more comfortable engaging in conversations with native speakers. There are several effective strategies for teaching English pronunciation to non-native speakers. One approach is to focus on individual sounds and phonemes, helping students understand the differences between similar sounds in English. Another strategy is to incorporate activities that practice stress, intonation, and rhythm, as these elements are...  [Read more]

  Then, we have a set of objectives and aims. Here, the learner objectives relate to what we're hoping the students are going to be able to do by the end of your lesson and quite often, that can be a useful way of writing out what the objectives are. So, we would start the sentence "By the end of the lesson, students should be able to?" and then a list of two, three or four items that we're expecting the students to be able to do by completing this lesson. The learner objectives are different to the teacher aims the teacher aims are what you are expecting from that lesson itself. Now, when you first start teaching, quite a normal aim might be to complete the lesson successfully, to get through the whole thing without having any problems. As time goes on and you become more...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences It is not a secret for anyone that native speakers of any language always easily identify "non-native" when they hear at least a few words spoken by them. Often native speakers are able to fairly accurately determine the country from which the person came, based on his pronunciation. This happens due to the fact that it is common for all of us to use the sounds of our native language in the pronunciation of words of a foreign language, as well as to use articulation models we know from childhood the position of the organs of speech (lips, tongue, etc.). The "Russian mistakes" Muting voiced consonants in the endings. Replacing long vowels with short vowels. Replacment of different English sounds Using Russian intonation models instead of English ones. Learn...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Phonology is the system of sounds that exist within a particular language, while phonetics is the study of how speech sounds are produced. One difficulty for all learners of a second language is learning how to produce new sounds by moving the mouth, lips, and tongue in new ways. Several other languages also share the Roman alphabet with English but do not pronounce letters and combinations of letters the same way. These learners need to learn the English phonology so that when they read English, they will know how to pronounce the words they read correctly, and so that they speak English with a more native-sounding accent. English in Vietnam Language Structure Differences Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: ...  [Read more]