So, you have just found out that there are 2 possible pronunciations for "THE". Now, let´s make it more interesting: THE EXCEPTIONS!
In fact, it´s not really "exception", it´s just pay attention to the initial (oh, thiiiiii initial!) sound of the word.
Examples:
THE (thããã) universe
(thããã) uniform
(thããã) European
So, you can see that in these examples, we do not say "thi", because even though these words start with a vowel LETTER, they do not start with a vowel SOUND. LEt´s remember that we say "A" university, not AN university, because the "U" starts with a consonant SOUND. The same occurs when we see words starting with consonant letters, but not consonant sounds, like:
THE (thiii) honest man
(thiii) hours
(thiii) heir
Another point here. Sometimes, native speakers like to play with the word "THE" to give emphasis. For those of you who like to watch "FRIENDS", Ross always says stuff like:
"This is not the (thã course). This is the (thiiii) course!"
So, he´s emphasizing the word COURSE my changing the usual pronunciation of "THE", got it?
I´m going to try ton find some episode when he says that, I can´t think of any right now.
When I do find this video, it will be "Pronounce the word "THE" correctly 3".
quinta-feira, 27 de maio de 2010
segunda-feira, 24 de maio de 2010
Pronounce the word "THE" correctly 1
The word "THE" is one of the most mispronounced words by foreigners and it is one of the most important and most common words too.
What´s the deal about "the", then? Most people will never realize that they are mispronouncing "the", even fluent speakers of English.
Let´s remember something first, something that might help.
We use "AN" before vowel SOUNDS (not vowel letters) and "A" before consonant SOUNDS, isn´t that right? It´s the same thing about THE: There´s also an difference in pronunciation, although there is no writing difference.
WHAT?!?!?!!?!?
Examples:
you say THE (THiiiiiiiiiii) apple
THE (THiiiiiiiiiii) other
THE (THiiiiiiiiii) air
and you say
THE (THããããããããã) girl
THE (THããããããããã) student
THE (THããããããããã) business
Got it?
I know, it´s a revelation, right? Just so that you don´t freak out, this kind of pronunciation error usually, usually, doesn´t cause communication breakdowns. Keep practicing this and then your English will sound much more natural.
What´s the deal about "the", then? Most people will never realize that they are mispronouncing "the", even fluent speakers of English.
Let´s remember something first, something that might help.
We use "AN" before vowel SOUNDS (not vowel letters) and "A" before consonant SOUNDS, isn´t that right? It´s the same thing about THE: There´s also an difference in pronunciation, although there is no writing difference.
WHAT?!?!?!!?!?
Examples:
you say THE (THiiiiiiiiiii) apple
THE (THiiiiiiiiiii) other
THE (THiiiiiiiiii) air
and you say
THE (THããããããããã) girl
THE (THããããããããã) student
THE (THããããããããã) business
Got it?
I know, it´s a revelation, right? Just so that you don´t freak out, this kind of pronunciation error usually, usually, doesn´t cause communication breakdowns. Keep practicing this and then your English will sound much more natural.
sexta-feira, 21 de maio de 2010
Some phrasal verbs
Hey students,
You always want to find a way to learn PHRASAL VERBS for good (forever), right? However, there´s no magic, unfortunetely.... you must memorize them!
There are some categories of phrasal verbs, though.
They can be:
INSEPARABLE
You can never separate the verb from the preposition:
LOOK FOR
I´m looking for my keys.
You cannot say "I´m looking my keys for", for example. The verb never gets separated from the prepostion.
SEPARABLE
In this case, you can separate the verb from the prepostion
I´m going to pick up my mother OR I´m going to pick MY MOTHER up.
A third option is also possible, you can substitute the object for a pronoun. In this case, the pronoun WILL ALWAYS COME IN THE MIDDLE:
I´m going to pick HER up (RIGHT)
I´m going to pick up HER (WRONG)
For more phrasal verbs examples and exercises, go to www.englishclub.com to the vocabulary section.
The important thing to keep in mind is to memorize a few phrasal verbs per day, per week. If you memorize 5 phrasal verbs per week, imagine how many you will have learned in a year! Pay attention to movies, songs, books and magazines that you´re accustomed to reading/watching/seeing.
Enjoy the weekend!
You always want to find a way to learn PHRASAL VERBS for good (forever), right? However, there´s no magic, unfortunetely.... you must memorize them!
There are some categories of phrasal verbs, though.
They can be:
INSEPARABLE
You can never separate the verb from the preposition:
LOOK FOR
I´m looking for my keys.
You cannot say "I´m looking my keys for", for example. The verb never gets separated from the prepostion.
SEPARABLE
In this case, you can separate the verb from the prepostion
I´m going to pick up my mother OR I´m going to pick MY MOTHER up.
A third option is also possible, you can substitute the object for a pronoun. In this case, the pronoun WILL ALWAYS COME IN THE MIDDLE:
I´m going to pick HER up (RIGHT)
I´m going to pick up HER (WRONG)
For more phrasal verbs examples and exercises, go to www.englishclub.com to the vocabulary section.
The important thing to keep in mind is to memorize a few phrasal verbs per day, per week. If you memorize 5 phrasal verbs per week, imagine how many you will have learned in a year! Pay attention to movies, songs, books and magazines that you´re accustomed to reading/watching/seeing.
Enjoy the weekend!
quarta-feira, 19 de maio de 2010
TOEFL speaking videos
Hey TOEFL students, here are some videos I´ve found on the internet about the Speaking sections. This teacher is very good and he uses a very similar template to that of I´m used to teaching.
EXCELLENT! My favorite
EXCELLENT! My favorite
This one is good too. The teacher speaks very slowly and clearly (sometimes, too slowly, like "LET´SSSSSS START....) but it´s very good too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwj2m9BAWpM&feature=related
9 samples- very good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjS74bf2v3A&feature=related
I loved this teacher! He´s very direct and effective - check out his website
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwj2m9BAWpM&feature=related
9 samples- very good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjS74bf2v3A&feature=related
I loved this teacher! He´s very direct and effective - check out his website
www.bettertoeflscores.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boum2cKi0HA&feature=related
Well, there are many other interesting videos on youtube, but these ones are my favorite ones.
ENJOY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boum2cKi0HA&feature=related
Well, there are many other interesting videos on youtube, but these ones are my favorite ones.
ENJOY!
segunda-feira, 17 de maio de 2010
I love TOEFL 1
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) has been one of my passions for 10 years...It is platonic love, that´s for sure.
The TOEFL iBT (internet based test) is divided into 4 sections:
1.Reading
2.Listening
3.Speaking
4.Writing
One of the greatest challenges about the TOEFL is to figure out what they want from the test takers. So, today I will write about some things they want and some things they do not want on the Writing section.
There are 2 tasks on the Writing section: Integrated and Independent Section. Check out some typical essay questions for the independent part:
http://kazuo.fc2web.com/English/TOEFL-essay.htm
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People are never satisfied with what they have; they always want something more or something different. Use specific reasons to support your answer.
For the independent questions, the essay question, DO:
1.Answer the questions directly. It is a question, after all! The worst thing you can do is to beat around the bush and be all abstract about the topic! Go straight to the answer, on the introduction.
2.Be simple and direct. Remember, the TOEFL is an American test and Americans are 100% pragmatic people, therefore, this is exactly what they expect from the test takers: going straight to the point.
3. If it is necessary, LIE. Sorry mom, but it true! Sometimes, the question can be so absurd that you must go for the easy answer choice, not the true choice. Remember that they do not care about your true feelings about something. Rather, they expect to see your ability to demonstrate a set of ideas coherently and efficiently. On the example above, what is easier to answer? To agree or to disagree that people are never satisfied? I´d say it is to agree with that. And forget about your true feelings. You do not have time to demonstrate what you really believe in just 30 minutes. So, again: choose the simplest choice
4. Give examples and justify them well
5. Use transitional expressions between paragraphs
DO NOT:
1. Be partial. This is an essay assassination: "it depends". Nothing is relative on the TOEFL, everything is absolute, so keep this in mind and defend your thesis until the end! Either you agree or you disagree with a statement. Never both!
2.Use contractions. The TOEFL is a formal exam and thus, they require formal writing. Contractions are not formal.
3.Use slangs. Stuff, awesome, guys, etc... Not a good place to use these words that are on 90% of the movies.
4. Use taboo topics such as politics, sex, religion, racism. Go ahead and make a SUBTLE statements about one of these topics, but under any circumstances write polemical sentences about these topics.
Well, students, I could give you many other tips on what to do and on what not to do. But these ones are definitely the most important ones to keep in mind.
The TOEFL iBT (internet based test) is divided into 4 sections:
1.Reading
2.Listening
3.Speaking
4.Writing
One of the greatest challenges about the TOEFL is to figure out what they want from the test takers. So, today I will write about some things they want and some things they do not want on the Writing section.
There are 2 tasks on the Writing section: Integrated and Independent Section. Check out some typical essay questions for the independent part:
http://kazuo.fc2web.com/English/TOEFL-essay.htm
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People are never satisfied with what they have; they always want something more or something different. Use specific reasons to support your answer.
For the independent questions, the essay question, DO:
1.Answer the questions directly. It is a question, after all! The worst thing you can do is to beat around the bush and be all abstract about the topic! Go straight to the answer, on the introduction.
2.Be simple and direct. Remember, the TOEFL is an American test and Americans are 100% pragmatic people, therefore, this is exactly what they expect from the test takers: going straight to the point.
3. If it is necessary, LIE. Sorry mom, but it true! Sometimes, the question can be so absurd that you must go for the easy answer choice, not the true choice. Remember that they do not care about your true feelings about something. Rather, they expect to see your ability to demonstrate a set of ideas coherently and efficiently. On the example above, what is easier to answer? To agree or to disagree that people are never satisfied? I´d say it is to agree with that. And forget about your true feelings. You do not have time to demonstrate what you really believe in just 30 minutes. So, again: choose the simplest choice
4. Give examples and justify them well
5. Use transitional expressions between paragraphs
DO NOT:
1. Be partial. This is an essay assassination: "it depends". Nothing is relative on the TOEFL, everything is absolute, so keep this in mind and defend your thesis until the end! Either you agree or you disagree with a statement. Never both!
2.Use contractions. The TOEFL is a formal exam and thus, they require formal writing. Contractions are not formal.
3.Use slangs. Stuff, awesome, guys, etc... Not a good place to use these words that are on 90% of the movies.
4. Use taboo topics such as politics, sex, religion, racism. Go ahead and make a SUBTLE statements about one of these topics, but under any circumstances write polemical sentences about these topics.
Well, students, I could give you many other tips on what to do and on what not to do. But these ones are definitely the most important ones to keep in mind.
quinta-feira, 13 de maio de 2010
Please, pronounce the Ls!!!!!
Hey dearest,
I´m here today for a quick, but highly effective reminder.
One of the biggest causes that Brazilians can be involved in communication breakdown is because we do not pronounce the "Ls" in Portuguese in the middle of the words. For example, for the word "falta", we say "fauta", for "mel", we say "méu", etc... Consequently, unconsciously we do not pronounce the "Ls" in English either. This simple omission of pronouncing the Ls can cause tremendous communication breakdowns.
So, this short posting today is to remind you to pronounce the Ls in English instead of "u".
How do you say these words:
MILK - It´s not miUUUUUk, it´s miLLLLLLLk.
ALREADY- It´s not aUUUUready, it´s aLLLLready
SMELL- it´s not smeUUUUUUUU, it´s smeLLLLLLL
etc...
One more thing: the L in English is pronounced with rounded lips, not "smile" lips. So, you have to position your tongue to make an "L" sound, but keep your lips rounded. I tried to look for a picture to illustrate what I mean, but I couldn´t find yet... In the meantime, please, just remembering to pronounce the Ls will be fine!
I´m here today for a quick, but highly effective reminder.
One of the biggest causes that Brazilians can be involved in communication breakdown is because we do not pronounce the "Ls" in Portuguese in the middle of the words. For example, for the word "falta", we say "fauta", for "mel", we say "méu", etc... Consequently, unconsciously we do not pronounce the "Ls" in English either. This simple omission of pronouncing the Ls can cause tremendous communication breakdowns.
So, this short posting today is to remind you to pronounce the Ls in English instead of "u".
How do you say these words:
MILK - It´s not miUUUUUk, it´s miLLLLLLLk.
ALREADY- It´s not aUUUUready, it´s aLLLLready
SMELL- it´s not smeUUUUUUUU, it´s smeLLLLLLL
etc...
One more thing: the L in English is pronounced with rounded lips, not "smile" lips. So, you have to position your tongue to make an "L" sound, but keep your lips rounded. I tried to look for a picture to illustrate what I mean, but I couldn´t find yet... In the meantime, please, just remembering to pronounce the Ls will be fine!
quarta-feira, 12 de maio de 2010
COLLOCATIONS 1
Collocations are certain groups of words that always come together in a certain language. Some examples of collocations in Potuguese are "chuva forte", "cometer um erro", "dar um cheque", "tomar uma decisão". If we translate these words to English, we have "strong rain", "commit a mistake", "give a check", "take a decision". Right?
WRONG!
Why is that?
Because translating is not enough; you must know the correct collocation, got it? So, in English, the appropriate translation would be:
HEAVY rain, not strong rain
MAKE a mistake, not commit a mistake (you commit murder, or you commit suicide!)
WRITE a check
MAKE a decision
So, how in the world will you learn the correct collocations? By watching movies, reading, listening to songs, talking to native speakers... I will frequently post about collocations, ok? Here´s some good example, the verb "GANHAR" in Portuguese, you can use 4 verbs in English to mean GANHAR, so:
WIN- a game, a championship, the lottery
GAIN- weight, experience, reputation
EARN- money ffrom work, your salary (by the way, "salário mínimo" is minimum wage, not minimum salary)
RECEIVE- a present, a gift, a letter, an e-mail
Well, to conclude, here are some links for you to learn more:
For a more thorough explanation go to http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/collocations.htm
short collocations list
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/collocations-lists.htm
quizz
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/collocations-quiz.htm
Also, there are some excellent dictionaries that you can buy:
OXFORD COLLOCATIONS DICTIONARY , or Cambridge Collocations Dictionary
Bye everyone!
WRONG!
Why is that?
Because translating is not enough; you must know the correct collocation, got it? So, in English, the appropriate translation would be:
HEAVY rain, not strong rain
MAKE a mistake, not commit a mistake (you commit murder, or you commit suicide!)
WRITE a check
MAKE a decision
So, how in the world will you learn the correct collocations? By watching movies, reading, listening to songs, talking to native speakers... I will frequently post about collocations, ok? Here´s some good example, the verb "GANHAR" in Portuguese, you can use 4 verbs in English to mean GANHAR, so:
WIN- a game, a championship, the lottery
GAIN- weight, experience, reputation
EARN- money ffrom work, your salary (by the way, "salário mínimo" is minimum wage, not minimum salary)
RECEIVE- a present, a gift, a letter, an e-mail
Well, to conclude, here are some links for you to learn more:
For a more thorough explanation go to http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/collocations.htm
short collocations list
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/collocations-lists.htm
quizz
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/collocations-quiz.htm
Also, there are some excellent dictionaries that you can buy:
OXFORD COLLOCATIONS DICTIONARY , or Cambridge Collocations Dictionary
Bye everyone!
terça-feira, 11 de maio de 2010
The Purpose of this BLOG
Hey everyone!
It´s been a while since I started with this blog idea.
I love blogging, and I love teaching. Therefore, the main purpose of this blog is to share tips, teach, answer questions, etc.
Each week I will post something from certain area of ELL (English Language Learners), Business English, Proficiency Exams (TOEFL, IELTS, TEAP...), Conversation, Academic English, among so many other areas. Suggestions are welcome.
Today I will post some of my favorite resources on the internet, with comments:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ - Sorry, I still don´t trust Google Translator 100%.... It´s getting better, though. In the meantime, this is the best online dictionary I know.It contains all definitions to the words, references and translations.
It´s been a while since I started with this blog idea.
I love blogging, and I love teaching. Therefore, the main purpose of this blog is to share tips, teach, answer questions, etc.
Each week I will post something from certain area of ELL (English Language Learners), Business English, Proficiency Exams (TOEFL, IELTS, TEAP...), Conversation, Academic English, among so many other areas. Suggestions are welcome.
Today I will post some of my favorite resources on the internet, with comments:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ - Sorry, I still don´t trust Google Translator 100%.... It´s getting better, though. In the meantime, this is the best online dictionary I know.It contains all definitions to the words, references and translations.
http://www.ted.com/ website full of free lectures of famous and respected people from different areas. Many of my students watch videos from this website and then write about it/them. By the way, TED stands for Technology/Entertainment and Development, (I guess). My favorite videos are from Steve Jobbs (How to live before you die) and some many other ones... Check it out!!!!
www.bbc.com/learningenglish This website is an amazing tool for those students who really want to learn English. It contains hundreds of exercises, listening, vocabulary, business English, idiomatic expressions... Very rich indeed! Oh yes, for those who are not very fond of British English, better go to time.com
http://www.time.com/ I love Time Magazine! It´s definitely my favorite American magazine. They use very clear language. My favorite thing to do here is to check out the "top stories of the day", that is, the most read stories of the day. As I am usually so busy, like everybody else, I take a look at some of these most read stories and voilá- I´m updated and know many new words and expressions, just like that! Another interesting point about this website is its TOP 10. They have top 10 everything! Top 10 political gaffes, top 10 discoveries of last year, top 10 bla bla bla... Just go straight to www.time.com/top10
http://www.nytimes.com/- Oh... The New York Times... This is perfection itself! It´s my favorite newspaper in English. It´s so sophisticated and well-written! It´s not as direct and simple as Time, but, if you are inspired, or looking for some sophistication, this is the place to go. I like the Fashion and Style section in particular. They bring interesting and pleasant reading. After a hard working day, you don´t want to learn more tragedies, corruption, do you. "Sufficient to the day is its own evil", don´t you think?
http://www.livemocha.com/ This website is very interesting! You can learn English, or whichever other language you want and you teach your native language! It´s a very fair and interesting quid pro quo (an exchange). Many of my students use this tool to communicate with people all around the world! I have a student who chats with a Chinese girl on a daily basis! They chat in English. The Chinese girl teaches him English and he teaches her Portuguese. It this awesome? So, go ahead, do not be afraid of making mistakes or anything! This should be an amazing experience for those students who reallt want to improve their level.
Well, well, well. There are many other websites, but I can say that these ones are my favorite.
What´s your favorite website? How do you use the internet to improve your English?
Your comments are welcome! And I will certainly answer them!
www.bbc.com/learningenglish This website is an amazing tool for those students who really want to learn English. It contains hundreds of exercises, listening, vocabulary, business English, idiomatic expressions... Very rich indeed! Oh yes, for those who are not very fond of British English, better go to time.com
http://www.time.com/ I love Time Magazine! It´s definitely my favorite American magazine. They use very clear language. My favorite thing to do here is to check out the "top stories of the day", that is, the most read stories of the day. As I am usually so busy, like everybody else, I take a look at some of these most read stories and voilá- I´m updated and know many new words and expressions, just like that! Another interesting point about this website is its TOP 10. They have top 10 everything! Top 10 political gaffes, top 10 discoveries of last year, top 10 bla bla bla... Just go straight to www.time.com/top10
http://www.nytimes.com/- Oh... The New York Times... This is perfection itself! It´s my favorite newspaper in English. It´s so sophisticated and well-written! It´s not as direct and simple as Time, but, if you are inspired, or looking for some sophistication, this is the place to go. I like the Fashion and Style section in particular. They bring interesting and pleasant reading. After a hard working day, you don´t want to learn more tragedies, corruption, do you. "Sufficient to the day is its own evil", don´t you think?
http://www.livemocha.com/ This website is very interesting! You can learn English, or whichever other language you want and you teach your native language! It´s a very fair and interesting quid pro quo (an exchange). Many of my students use this tool to communicate with people all around the world! I have a student who chats with a Chinese girl on a daily basis! They chat in English. The Chinese girl teaches him English and he teaches her Portuguese. It this awesome? So, go ahead, do not be afraid of making mistakes or anything! This should be an amazing experience for those students who reallt want to improve their level.
Well, well, well. There are many other websites, but I can say that these ones are my favorite.
What´s your favorite website? How do you use the internet to improve your English?
Your comments are welcome! And I will certainly answer them!
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