Monday, July 27, 2015

[PronunciationWorkshop] Intonation

Have you ever tried one of Diane’s Donuts?  They are so delicious.  I have eaten
many different kinds of donuts, from all over the country; however, I have
never tasted anything, quite like Donuts made by Diane.  I have been told that
she uses the finest and freshest ingredients that money can buy.  The best flour,
the best eggs and the best milk.  I am sure, that once you taste these incredible
donuts, you will run and tell all of your friends.

Syllable Stress
Generally, two-syllable words have stress on the first syllable

Two-Syllable Words (stress 1st syllable)
Sofa Oven After Finger Station Second Enter Often
Uncle Carpet Father Children Walking  Jacket Lucky Comment

Two-Syllable Words (stress 2nd syllable)

Delete Decline Survive Protect Adopt Advance Below Resolve
Advice Acquit Control Arrive Involve Massage Disease Relate

Generally, three-syllable words have stress on the second syllable

Three-Syllable Words (stress 2nd syllable)

Reduction Arrangement
Audition Companion Detective  Ambitious Companion Appliance
Discover  Unlawful Conclusion Assemble Adjustment Affected Acceptance Ferocious

Syllable Stress Practice

  The pictures are fantastic.
  He needs permission to find a solution.
  The party is in honor of his retirement.
  Her son exhibited bad behavior on their vacation.

Comparative Sentences

Joe drinks cheap wine.
Sue only drinks expensive wine.
Don’t forget his birthday.
We would never forget his birthday.
She’s planning to leave tomorrow.
He made plans to leave a month ago

The Teacher’s meeting is at 9:00.
The students announced that they will never have a meeting.
My telephone isn’t working.
The telephone needs to work by lunchtime.
He’s painting his house blue and green.
Your house would look terrible if it were green.

[PronunciationWorkshop] Phrase Reductions

1. (Going to try) becomes ‘gunna try
I’m gunna try to finish this book.

2. (Want to eat) becomes ‘wanna eat
  Do you wanna eat at seven o’clock?

3. (Have to start) becomes ‘hafta start
I hafta start a diet tomorrow.

4. (Has to try) becomes ‘hasta try
  He hasta try harder.

5. (Got to leave) becomes ‘gotta leave
I gotta leave in fifteen minutes.

6. (Ought to believe) becomes ‘oughta believe
She oughta believe what he is saying.

7. (Out of bed) becomes ‘outa bed
  I got outa bed when I heard the alarm clock.

8. (Did you go?) becomes ‘Didja go
  Didja go to the store?

9. (Would he help?) becomes ‘Woody help
  Woody help me move the furniture?

10. (Won’t you play?) becomes ‘Wo n c h a play
Woncha play one more song on the piano?

11. (Didn’t you know ?) becomes ‘Didincha know
  Didincha know that she was coming home tomorrow ?

12. (Is he?) becomes ‘Izzy
  Izzy the one that called?

13. (What do you want?) becomes ‘Whadaya_want

14. (Give it to me.) becomes ‘GividaMe
  Gividame right away

Sunday, July 26, 2015

[PronunciationWorkshop] The 10 Keys towards Improvement

Number 1. Practice and listen.

Number 2. Do not leave off the endings of words.

Number 3. Make a list of frequently used words.

Number 4. Open your mouth more when you speak English.

Number 5. Don’t be afraid to speak.

Number 6. Read aloud in English for ten to 15 minutes every day.

Number 7. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation errors.

Number 8. Watch the mouth movements of native speakers and imitate them.

Number 9. Buy books on tape. Read along with the tape - out loud.

Number 10. Be patient.

[PronunciationWorkshop] Reading 1

Photo album
Keeping a family photograph album is a good way to save family memories for yourself and future generations of your family. Very old pictures can be taken to a photo shop and reprinted so that they can be placed in an album. Be sure to write on the back of the picture any information you remember about the people in it. Also, write the date if you remember it. Looking at photo albums is a relaxing way to spend the day and it is a fun activity to share with family and friends. Your children, grandchildren and their children will appreciate your efforts too.

The Public Library
Your library card can be your ticket to entertainment, current events and new ideas. Almost every city has a public library and there is no charge for a library card. Libraries have books about many subjects, but there are also other things at the library. These include books on cassette tape, videotapes, large print books, CD’s, DVD’s and magazines. Many have free programs in the afternoon or evening about travel, hobbies or other topics of interest. Some cities also have a bookmobile or traveling library, which brings the library right into your neighborhood.

John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller did three amazing things. First, he acquired probably the greatest fortune in all history. He started out in life digging potatoes under the hot sun for four cents an hour. In those days, there were not half a dozen men in all the United States who were worth even one million dollars. Eventually, John D. managed to collect a fortune said to be anywhere from one to two billion dollars. And yet, the first girl he fell in love with refused to marry him.The reason given was because her mother refused to allow her daughter to “throw herself away” on a man who had such poor prospects.

Stars
How many stars can you see on a dark, clear night? You can see about 3,000 stars with your eyes alone. But keep in mind that you are viewing only part of the sky. If the whole sky were visible, you could count about 5,000 stars. If you look through a small telescope you might see as many as 600,000 stars. Through the most powerful telescopes, astronomers can spot millions of stars. No one is sure exactly how many stars there are altogether, but astronomers believe there are at least 200 billion, billion stars out in space.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

[PronunciationWorkshop] The 50 Most Mispronounced Words in English


  1. accounting
  2. argue
  3. actually
  4. available
  5. arrangements
  6. basically
  7. business
  8. calls
  9. complete
  10. continue
  11. contribute
  12. corporation
  13. differences
  14. directly
  15. exactly
  16. educational
  17. every
  18. exceptional
  19. familiar
  20. financial
  21. frustrating
  22. general
  23. immediately
  24. inconvenience
  25. introduce
  26. irrational
  27. justice
  28. likeable
  29. loosen
  30. measurements
  31. middle
  32. multiple
  33. national
  34. original
  35. outrageous
  36. particular
  37. partnership
  38. problem
  39. prohibit
  40. quality
  41. question
  42. referring
  43. regardless
  44. request
  45. similar
  46. specific
  47. value
  48. visualize
  49. vulnerable
  50. working