Pronunciation

Pronunciation

One of the most difficult problems facing non-native speakers of English is pronunciation. It is usually the largest obstacle to overcome when trying to achieve fluency. We might have studied grammar for many years but  we are unable to speak like native speakers. 

Pronunciation is the most important thing native speakers notice during a conversation. Knowing grammar and vocabulary is important but, if you are unable to pronounce those  words correctly. is difficult for them to understand you, even if you make grammatical mistakes rather than if you make mistakes in pronunciation. Below you will find some videos to practice. 

A (ei), E (i:= ii), I (ai), O (ou), U (iu).

B (bi:), C (si:), D (di:), F (ef), G (dzi:), H (eits),J (dzei), K (kei), L (el), M (em), N (en), P (pi:), Q (kju), R (ar), S (es), T (ti:),V (vi:), X (eks), Z (zed) – (zi)

Videos to practice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLE23gtmh2k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT6_zi6CXzY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IExd2fyZ310

Future Possibility and Probability Modals

   Future Possibility and Probability Modals

• Will have to, have to and must convey the idea that an action is going to be necessary in the near future.  The negative forms are will not and do not have to. 

Example

The party doesn’t start until 10:00, and it’s only 8:45. We do not have to leave for a while yet.

• Should and ought to convey the idea that something is expected in the future.

Example

Let’s stop by the restaurant on the way home. They ought to be at school by the time we get there.

• Could, may or might convey the idea of future possibility. Of these, may expresses a stronger degree of certainty that an event will occur.

Example

The temperature is dropping. It could snow during the night.


PRACTICE:  http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/ELC/STUDYZONE/410/grammar/410-future-possibility-and-probability-modals1.htm


                                                                                                         Taken from University of Victoria

                                   Homonyms

Are words that are both spelled and pronounced the same, but have different meanings(they are both spelled and pronounced the same).Knowing about homophones is important because it can confuse other people if the wrong word is used.

                 Here is a list of some common homophones and their meanings

bare - bear
bare= naked body
bear= the animal

blew - blue
Iblewa bubble
blue= the colour


bye - buy - by
bye= to say goodbye
tobuysomething from a shop
I'll see youbythe car


cheap - cheep
cheap= not expensive
cheep= the noise a chick makes


dye - die
Idyemy hair
todie= to stop living


fir - fur
fir= fir tree
fur= on an animal


flower - flour
flowerin the garden
flourin the kitchen


hair - hare
hair= on your head
hare= animal like a rabbit


hear - here
Ihearyou (with myears)
herewe are


hour - our
hour= time on a clock
our= it isourhouse


leek - leak
leek= vegetable
leakfrom a pipe


male - mail
maleand female
you gotmail


meet - meat
meetme at the church
meat= from an animal (youeatmeat)

none - nun
noneleft
nun= member of a female religious community


piece - peace
pieceofpie
givepeacea chance


pour - pore
pourthe gravy
pore= tiny holes in the skin


sail - sale
sailthe boat
sale= it is for sale

see - sea
see= to look at something
sea= area of water

sole - soul
solesof your feet
heart andsoul


some - sum
we havesomesweets for sale
thesumof 2 and 2 is 4


son - sun
mysonis 21 today
thesunis shining

there - their - they're
thereis a bag of sweets
it istheirbag (it belongs to them)
they'regoing to enjoy their sweets (they're = they are)


weak - week
weak= not strong
7 days in aweek


which - witch
whichway?
thewitchhas a big hat (think of a little hat on top of the t in witch)


whole - hole
wholething
holein the garden


would - wood
Iwouldlike to stay
wood= from a tree


write - right
writea letter
rightand left

Taken from http://www.spelling-help-online.com/homophones.html#ixzz3BAbCKLa6

Common Idioms

A:ace (verb)
all right (3)
and then some
antsy
as easy as pie
at the eleventh hour

B:bad-mouth (verb)
be a piece of cake
be all ears
be broke
be fed up with
be in and out
be on the go
be on the road
be over
be up and running
be used to
beat (adj.)
beat around the bush
beat one's brains out
Beats me.
bent out of shape
before long
bite off more than one can chew
blabbermouth
blow one's top
boom box
the bottom line
blow one's top
Break a leg!
break someone's heart
broke
bug (verb)
bull-headed
buck(s)
a bundle
burn the midnight oil
bushed
by one's self
by the skin of one's teeth

C:call it a day
catch one's eye
catch some Zs
can't make heads or tails of something
change one's mind
chicken
chow
chow down
a cinch
cool (adj.)
cost (someone) an arm and a leg
couch potato
cram
crash course
Cut it out!
Cool it!

D:dicey
ditch class
Don't count your chickens until (before) they hatch (they're hatched).
do a bang-up job
down in the dumps
drag one's feet
drop someone a line

E:an eager beaver
Easy does it!
an egghead
elbow grease
every other _____

F:far-fetched
feel blue
feel puny
fender-bender
fire someone
for ages

G:get going
get it
get a kick out of something
get on one's nerves
get one's wires crossed
get out of hand
get up and go
give someone a hand (2)
go with the flow
grab a bite

H:
had ('d) better
have (has) got
hard feelings
hassle
have one's hands full
have something down pat
head honcho
hit the books
hit the hay
hit the sack
How come?

I:
if I had my druthers
in over one's head
inside out
in stock
in the black
in the red
in time

J:
jump all over someone
jump the gun
jump to conclusion
junk mail

K:
keep an eye on
keep an eye out for
keep one's chin up
keep one's fingers crossed
keep one's nose to the grindstone
keep (stay) in touch
kid (2)
kind of
a klutz
a know-it-all
know something backwards and forward
know something inside out

L:
let-down
lend someone a hand
leave well enough alone
Let sleeping dogs lie.
live from hand to mouth
Live and let live.
lose track of
a low blow
lousy

M:
macho
make a mountain out of a mole hill
can't make heads or tails of
make up one's mind

N:
No way!
nosh
Not on your life!
now and then
nuke
nuts

O:
OK (4)
on the cutting edge
on the dot
on time
once in a while
over one's head

P:
pay the piper
plastic
pop quiz
pooped (adj.)
pretty (adv.)
pull an all-nighter
pull someone's leg

Q:
quite a few
a quick study

R:

R and R
rain or shine
rain cats and dogs
read someone's mind
rub someone the wrong way
run-down (2)

S:
savvy
schmooze
sleep on it
sooner or later
shoot the breeze
a snap
so-so
Someone's made his/her bed; now let her/him lie in it.
sort of
state of the art
stay (keep) in touch
Step on it!

T:
take it easy
tell a white lie
There, there.
tight-fisted
a tightwad
tough
toss something
tricky
two-faced

U:
under the weather
until hell freezes over
until you're blue in the face
update
upside down
up-to-date
used to

W:
Was my face red!
wear out one's welcome
wet behind the ears
What for?
What's up?
wishy-washy
with bells on
would just as soon

Y:
a yes-man
You don't say!
You've got to be kidding!
yucky
yummy

Z:zilch
Zip your lip!

Taken from ESL page http://www.eslcafe.com/idioms/id-list.html

Tips for practicing pronunciation

                         Tips for practicing pronunciation

• It’s not so important to spend a lot of time practicing; it’s more important to do it regularly. In my experience, instead of practicing for three hours, it is better to practice for 10 minutes and then start again the next day after a good night’s sleep.

• When doing a practice with pronunciation software or a website,don’t spend too much time practicing one sound. When you find that you are no longer making any progress on a particular sound, move on to the next one, or end your practice session.

• In the beginning, speak slowly, make pauses between words, and exaggerate the sounds. 

PRACTICE   http://diccionario.reverso.net/espanol-ingles/pronunciar

How to increase your vocabulary in English

Steps

1 READ    

• Try reading one new book a week, or reading the newspaper every morning.
• Try to read at least one book and several magazines every week.

2 READ HIGH LITERATURE

• Read poetry
• Read national, international and business newspapers and magazines

3 READ ONLINE SOURCES

• Read online magazines, essays, and blogs of different  subjects.

4 LOOK UP WORDS YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE

• Keep a notebook nearby to write down does words you dond know, to looked them up later.

Pollution

Pollution

Pollution is the addition to the ecosystem of someting which has a detrimental effect on it. One of the most important causes of pollution is the high rate of energy usage by modern, growing populations.

Different kinds of pollution :

• Air Pollution.
• Water Pollution.
• Land Pollution.

Control Measures

• anti-litter campaigns can educate people against littering
• organic waste can be dumped in places far from residential areas
• inorganic materials such as metals, glass and plastic, but also paper, can be reclaimed and recycle

PRACTICE HOW TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT IN ENGLISH

http://www.epa.gov/students/games.html

                                                                                                                      Taken from USA EPA

Clauses

              

  Clause

A clause is a group of words that contains a verb .It  may form part of a sentence or it may be a complete sentence in itself.

Example

He was eating a taco.

Main clause

A main clause may form part of a compound sentence or acomplex sentence, but it also makes sense on its own. They are linked by a conjunction such as and, but, or so.

Example

I love sports	and	I’m captain of the local soccer team.
[main clause]	[conjunction]	[main clause]

Non-restrictive relative clause

Provides extra information that could be left out without affecting the meaning or structure of the sentence. They are normally introduced by which, whose, who, or whom, but never by that. You should place a comma in front of them.

Example

She held out her hand,	which Rob shook.
[main clause]	[non-restrictive relative clause]

                                                                                                                    Taken Oxford

Present perfect

Affirmative Sentences

Subject+have or has+past participle

• We use have when the subject is I, you, we or they.

          Example They have known for a fornight.

• We use has when the subject is it,she or he.

          Example She has worked since May.

Negative Sentences

Subject+have or has+not + past participle


          Example He hasn't eaten.

Questions Sentences

have or has+subject+not + past participle


          Example Have you seen that?

Present continous progressive

Affirmative Sentences

subject+am+verb+ing
              is
              are

Example I am eating

Negative Sentences

subject+am not +verb+ing
              is not
              are not

Example You are not eating

Questions Sentences

am+verb+ing
              is
              are
Example Am I doing my homework?

(WH) am+ subject+verb+ing

Example What are you doing?