Speaking Activity 3

English Pronunciation Exercises - A Diphthongs

The following series of pronunciation exercises combines words beginning with the same dipthong sound followed by similar diphthong sounds. Voiced and voiceless consonants are paired (b - voiced / p - voiceless, d - voiced / t - voiceless, etc.) to help students compare and contrast similar consonant formation.

1. Repeat each line slowly, listen for the minor differences between the vowel and consonant sounds.
2. Repeat each line three times. Each time repeat more quickly trying to keep the sounds distinct.
3. Find a partner and listen to each other repeat the lines.
4. Try to invent sentences using each sound at least once. For example: We ate cake and flew a kite on my birthday. - Don't worry too much about the sentence making much sense!

'ay' as in 'day'	'ai' as in 'die'
bay	buy
pay	pie
day	die
table	tie
gay	guy
cake	kite
say	sigh
zany	Zaire
shape	shy
Jake	jive
chase	child
hey!	hi

Vowel Sounds

'eh' - as in 'let', 'ih' - as in 'hit', 'ee' - as in 'see', and 'ae'- as in 'cat'
'long ah' - as in 'car', 'short ah' - as in 'got'
'long uh' - as in 'put', 'short uh' - as in 'up', 'oo' - as in 'through'

Diphthong Sounds

'ay' - as in 'day', 'ai' - as in 'sky'
'ou' - as in 'home', 'ow' - as in 'mouse', 'oi' - as in 'boy'
'ieh(r)' - as in 'near', 'ehi(r)' - as in 'hair'

English Pronunciation Exercises - E Diphthongs

The following series of pronunciation exercises combines words beginning with the same diphthong sound followed by similar diphthong sounds. Voiced and voiceless consonants are paired (b - voiced / p - voiceless, d - voiced / t - voiceless, etc.) to help students compare and contrast similar consonant formation.

1. Repeat each line slowly, listen for the minor differences between the vowel and consonant sounds.
2. Repeat each line three times. Each time repeat more quickly trying to keep the sounds distinct.
3. Find a partner and listen to each other repeat the lines.
4. Try to invent sentences using each sound at least once. For example: The bear went into the bar and had a beer. - Don't worry too much about the sentence making much sense!

Note: The following diphthongs are pronounced differently in British and American English. British English drops the 'r' sound and pronounces a slight 'uh' - 'hair' becomes 'hehuh'. In American English the 'r' is strongly pronounced - 'hair' becomes 'hehrrr'.

'ieh(r)' as in 'near'	'ehi(r)' as in 'hair'
beer	bear
peer	pear
dear	dare
tear (drop of water)	tear (rip)
gear	garish
clear	Claire
seer	snare
sheer	share
jeer	Jerry
cheer	chair
here	hair

Vowel Sounds

'eh' - as in 'let', 'ih' - as in 'hit', 'ee' - as in 'see', and 'ae'- as in 'cat'
'long ah' - as in 'car', 'short ah' - as in 'got'
'long uh' - as in 'put', 'short uh' - as in 'up', 'oo' - as in 'through'

Diphthong Sounds

'ay' - as in 'day', 'ai' - as in 'sky'
'ou' - as in 'home', 'ow' - as in 'mouse', 'oi' - as in 'boy'
'ieh(r)' - as in 'near', 'ehi(r)' - as in 'hair'

English Pronunciation Exercises - O Diphthongs

The following series of pronunciation exercises combines words beginning with the same diphthong sound followed by similar diphthong sounds. Voiced and voiceless consonants are paired (b - voiced / p - voiceless, d - voiced / t - voiceless, etc.) to help students compare and contrast similar consonant formation.

1. Repeat each line slowly, listen for the minor differences between the vowel and consonant sounds.
2. Repeat each line three times. Each time repeat more quickly trying to keep the sounds distinct.
3. Find a partner and listen to each other repeat the lines.
4. Try to invent sentences using each sound at least once. For example: The Pope went to the pow-wow and was very poised. - Don't worry too much about the sentence making much sense!

'ou' as in 'home'	'ow' as in 'house'	'oi' as in 'boy'
bowl	bow	boy
Pope	pow-wow	poise
don't	Dow	doily
toe	towel	toy
go	gouge	goiter
cope	cow	coy
soap	sour	soy sauce
zone	zowie!	(none)
show	shower	(none)
Jones	jowl	join
chose	ciao!	choice
home	howl	hoist

Vowel Sounds

'eh' - as in 'let', 'ih' - as in 'hit', 'ee' - as in 'see', and 'ae'- as in 'cat'
'long ah' - as in 'car', 'short ah' - as in 'got'
'long uh' - as in 'put', 'short uh' - as in 'up', 'oo' - as in 'through'

Diphthong Sounds

'ay' - as in 'day', 'ai' - as in 'sky'
'ou' - as in 'home', 'ow' - as in 'mouse', 'oi' - as in 'boy'
'ieh(r)' - as in 'near', 'ehi(r)' - as in 'hair'

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Reading Activity 3

Directions:  Read the following sentences about the letter. Choose True or False for each sentence.

1.       Susan wrote a note to Scott to ask him for a present.

a.       True

b.      False

2.       Scott sent Susan a set of painting supplies.

a.       True

b.      False

3.       Scott usually gets Susan good presents.

a.       True

b.      False

4.       Susan is going to use the book to help her in her art class.

a.       True

b.      False

5.       Susan is going to turn in a photograph to her teacher.

a.       True

b.      False

6.       Susan wants advice from her teacher about her paiting.

a.       True

b.      False

7.       Susan wants to paint something for Scott.

a.       True

b.      False

8.       Susan’s art teacher will teach painting in two weeks.

a.       True

b.      False

9.       Scott is probably Susan’s father.

a.       True

b.      False

10.   Scott is probably going to send Susan another email soon.

a.       True

b.      False 

Listening Activity 3

This lesson is about Madame Tussauds, the famous London wax museum. You are going to watch a video and practise listening for specific information. You will also learn some new words and revise using superlative adjectives to compare things.

Task 1 : Dictionary Skills Activity

Here are some words and phrases used in this lesson.

How many of these words and expressions do you know?

Check the meaning of any words and phrases that you don’t know in the dictionary.

• Wax
• Waxworks
• Dubbed
• To ‘rub shoulders’
• Historic
• Icon
• Pretend
• Kingpin
• Fast-paced
• Star-studded

Task 2 : First Listening

Watch the video and listen to see if you can find the answers to the following questions :

1.       Where is Madame Tussauds located?

2.       When did it hold its first exhibition?

3.       How many times has it moved to a new location?

Task 3 : Listening Comprehension

Read through the quiz questions below and then watch the video for a second time to see if you can find the answers. Choose the answer you think is correct for each question. There is only one correct answer for each question.

1.       Which is the nearest tube station to Madame Tussauds?

a.       Baker Street

b.      The video doesn’t say

c.       Marylebone Road

2.       True, false or we don’t know? Madame Tussauds held its first exhibition in 1835.

a.       The video doesnt say

b.      True

c.       False

3.       True, false or we don’t know? Madame Tussauds was originally housed in the Lyceum theatre.

a.       The video doesn’t say

b.      True

c.       False

4.       Which of these things can’t you do at Madame Tussauds?

a.       Perform alongside your favourite pop stars.

b.      Create a waxork of your favourite celebrity.

c.       Challenge your favoourite sports personality at their own game.

5.       At Madame Tussauds, you can _____  _____ with celebrities.

a.       Link arms

b.      Rub shoulders

c.       Shake hands

6.       True, false or we don’t know? Entry to Madame Tussauds is free.

a.       True

b.      False

c.       We don’t know

Language Point : Superlative

We use superlative adjectives to show that something is bigger, better or more important than other things. Examples :

England has lots of big cities. Some cities are bigger than others.

London is England’s biggest city.

London has lots of famous tourist attractions. Some attractions are more famous than others.

Madame Tussauds is the most famous one.

Writing Activity 2

Writing Activity 1

Food: Describe and Write 3 Things
Describe three of your favorite foods and write about each of them.

Speaking Activity 2

Ready to have some fun?

Tongue twisters are expressions that are difficult to articulate or say.Tongue twisters are a way that you can learn and practice pronunciation and sounds of the English language. Tongue twisters can help improve your English fluency. See if you can say the tongue twisters faster than the native speaker did without making any mistakes!

Speaking Activity 1

Vocal Warm-Ups -Tongue Twisters

Singers often consider their tone to be the one of the most important parts of their voice.   Stage presence, confidence, vocal range and agility also feature as important areas.

Often singers do not consider the need for crisp, clear and precise articulation to complement and add to their vocal delivery.

Know Your Articulators

These are:

• Tongue,
• Teeth,
• Lips
• Jaw.

Try to use your articulators when forming consonant to help form your vowels This will give your words more clarity.

Try this exercise to help you be aware of where these sounds are formed in within your facial mask. What sounds good and what doesn’t? Eg if you dropped your jaw, or moved the position of your tongue, does it change the sound for better or worse?

Both lips  (P, B, M, W and WH)’s

Tongue Tip and hard palate (D,L,N,R,S and Z)’s

Lower lip and upper teeth (F and V)’s

Back of tongue and soft palate (K, G and NG)’s

Jaw, tongue and lips (A, E, I, O and U)

Try some of these tongue twisters to help your pronounciation:

A synonym for cinnamon is a cinnamon synonym.

• I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop.

• Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits.

• Seth at Sainsbury’s sells thick socks.

• Send toast to ten tense stout saints’ ten tall tents.

• Sheena leads, Sheila needs.

• Stupid superstition!

• Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.

• A proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot.

• If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose the shoes he chews?

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
  A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
  If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
  Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

• Imagine, imagining imagining, an imaginary imaginary imaginary menagerie manager, imagining imagining imagining an imaginary imaginary imaginary managerie.

• Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses.

• If Pickford’s packers packed a packet of crisps would the packet of crisps that Pickford’s packers packed survive for two and a half years?

• Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards

• How many cookies could a good cook cook If a good cook could cook cookies? A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.

• How much wood could Chuck Woods’ woodchuck chuck, if Chuck Woods’ woodchuck could and would chuck wood? If Chuck Woods’ woodchuck could and would chuck wood, how much wood could and would Chuck Woods’ woodchuck chuck? Chuck Woods’ woodchuck would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood as any woodchuck would, if a woodchuck could and would chuck wood.

• Four furious friends fought for the phone.

• Black background, brown background.

• Five frantic frogs fled from fifty fierce fishes.

• East Fife Four, Forfar Five

• It’s not the cough that carries you off,
  it’s the coffin they carry you off in!

• She stood on the balcony, inexplicably mimicking him hiccuping, and amicably welcoming him in.

• A tree toad loved a she-toad,
  Who lived up in a tree.
  He was a three-toed tree toad,
  But a two-toed toad was she.
  The three-toed tree toad tried to win,
  The two-toed she-toad’s heart,
  For the three-toed tree toad loved the ground,
  That the two-toed tree toad trod.
  But the three-toed tree toad tried in vain.
  He couldn’t please her whim.
  From her tree toad bower,
  With her two-toed power,
  The she-toad vetoed him.

• What a to do to die today
  At a quarter or two to two.
• 
  A terrible difficult thing to say
  But a harder thing still to do.
  The dragon will come at the beat of the drum
  With a rat-a-tat-tat a-tat-tat a-tat-to
  At a quarter or two to two today,
  At a quarter or two to two.

• I am not a pheasant plucker,
  I’m a pheasant plucker’s son
  but I’ll be plucking pheasants
  When the pheasant plucker’s gone.

• When a doctor doctors a doctor,
  does the doctor doing the doctoring
  doctor as the doctor being doctored wants to be doctored or
  does the doctor doing the doctoring doctor as he wants to doctor?

• If two witches would watch two watches, which witch would watch which watch?

• The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.

• Something in a thirty-acre thermal thicket of thorns and thistles thumped and thundered threatening the three-D thoughts of Matthew the thug – although, theatrically, it was only the thirteen-thousand thistles and thorns through the underneath of his thigh that the thirty year old thug thought of that morning.

• Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.

• To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock,
  In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock,
  Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock,
  From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!
  To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock,
  In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock,
  Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock,
  From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!
  A dull, dark dock, a life-long lock,
  A short, sharp shock, a big black block!
  To sit in solemn silence in a pestilential prison,
  And awaiting the sensation
  From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!

by W.S. Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan from The Mikado

• The Final Fixing of the Foolish Fugitive

Feeling footloose, fancy-free and frisky, this feather-brained fellow finagled his fond father into forking over his fortune. Forthwith, he fled for foreign fields and frittered his farthings feasting fabulously with fair-weather friends. Finally, fleeced by those folly filled fellows and facing famine, he found him-self a feed flinger in a filthy farm-lot. He fain would have filled his frame with foraged food from fodder fragments.

“Fooey! My father’s flunkies fare far fancier,” the frazzled fugitive fumed feverishly, frankly facing fact.

Frustrated from failure and filled with forebodings, he fled for his family. Falling at his father’s feet, he floundered forlornly. “Father, I have flunked and fruitlessly forfeited further family favors . . .”

But the faithful father, forestalling further flinching, frantically flagged his flunkies to fetch forth the finest fatling and fix a feast.

But the fugitive’s fault finding frater, faithfully farming his father’s fields for free, frowned at this fickle forgiveness of former falderal. His fury flashed, but fussing was futile.

His foresighted father figured, “Such filial fidelity is fine, but what forbids fervent festivities? The fugitive is found! Unfurl the flags! With fanfare flaring, let fun, frolic and frivolity flow freely, former failures forgotten and folly forsaken.”

Forgiveness forms a firm foundation for future fortitude.

Tongue twisters to help your pronounciation