Awful translation mistakes

The question is WHO

Let your Inner Voice Out

INTERVIEW BUFFALOGRID

haRdcoRe /r/

Don't you Dare miss this viDeo! (+playlist)

"T" for "Tongue" (with subTiTles!)

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SupeR impoRtant lesson! (2)

ImpoRtant pRonunciation lesson! (1)

Contractions (2)

Contractions (1)

La descripción fonética y fonológica del español

La descripción fonética y fonológica del español



Very useful material :)

Contractions (1)

Here's a list of some common contractions in English, both in their written and oral form :)

Pronoun + auxiliary verb 

I'm             /aɪm/                                                  
I've            /aɪv/
I´ll             /aɪl/
I'd             /aɪd/
you're       /jᴐ:/
you've       /ju:v/
you'll         /ju:l/
you'd        /ju:d/
he's          /hi:z/
he'll          /hi:l/
he'd         /hi:d/
she's        /∫i:z/
she'll        /∫i:l/
she'd        /∫i:d/
it's           /ɪts/
it'll           /ɪtl/
it'd          /it əd/
we're       /wɪə/
we've      /wi:v/
we'll        /wi:l/
we'd       /wi:d/
they're    /ðeə/
they've   /ðeɪv/
they'll     /ðeɪl/
they'd     /ðeɪd/

Two auxiliary verbs

could have     /kʊd əv/
should have   /∫ʊd əv/
will have        /wɪl  əv/
would have    /wʊd əv/
might have     /maɪt əv/
must have      /mʌstəv/

Note: the phonetic script has been given in the full (or "strong") form. You should bear lin mind that variations regarding strong-weak form do occur.

Contractions

Contractions in English

A contraction is a shorter form of two words, or phrase. English makes use of a lot of contractions, especially in speech. Words are “squashed” together. This is a typical feature of English which people may find difficult to grasp when they start to learn English.

Let’s see…

•                   It is important to remember that a contraction is not one word, although it sounds like a single one.
•                   They are commonplace in spoken English, and in informal written English.
•                   Contractions are a typical characteristic of rhythm in English.
•                   Native English speakers use contractions in speech, they do not pronounce every single word.

Listening for, and using contractions will make it easier for you to understand native speakers. Besides, it will make your pronunciation a lot better. Once you train your ear, you will detect contractions and, eventually, will use them naturally.

Typical contractions involve subject pronouns, auxiliary verbs, negative adverb “not”, verb “be”, and question words. Some examples:

Don’t ………………………………………. Do + not

Isn’t ………………………………………… is + not

Who’s ……………………………………..  who + is / who + has

Can’t ……………………………………….. can + not

I’m …………………………………………… I + am

They’ll ………………………………………. They + will


There are other cases where contractions occur. For instance:

What d’you want?..................................... what do you want?

He’s gonna come later. …………………………. He is going to come later.

D’you fancy a cuppa? …………………………….  Do you fancy a cup of tea?

I hope this has been useful. :)  Feel free to comment.

Practising /u:/ and /ʊ/

Practising /i:/ and /ɪ/

English pronunciation: some issues Spanish speakers experience

As a native Spanish speaker, I'd like to tell you about some of my impressions and views regarding pronunciation issues learners face when they start to study English. Being a teacher of English as a foreign language, I have noticed certain problems most people encounter, which I think are worth mentioning.  I will be referring to issues people experience when they start to learn English in their teens or adulthood.

Spelling is the first obstacle learners find, which makes them fear pronunciation in English. The main reason why this happens is that in Spanish, the written words reflect sounds on a one-to-one basis. This means that each letter in a word corresponds exactly to the sounds we produce in speech. However, this is not the case in English.

I have been asked questions such as: "Why do you write one thing and say another in English?", "Why don't they write words as they pronounce them?" , "Why is English spelling so difficult?", "Spanish is easier, words are written exactly as they are pronounced"; and the list goes on and on.

Another problem I have detected, which is very common, is the fact that many learners find it difficult to "feel" and acquire the rhythm of English. As Spanish is a syllabic language, learners tend to transfer this quality to the foreign tongue. Naturally, this happens subconsciously.

I think it is important to get as much input as possible when learning English, not only in class, but outside it. These are some tips:

• open your mind to English, its sounds and spelling.
• listen to music in English, watch films, TV series, as much as possible. The more you listen, the better.
• train your ears: when you are listening, try to detect the different sounds, and recognise words and phrases. Listen for contractions.
• practise what you learn, a little every day (no rhyme intended, ha ha! :)

Practising vowels: /i:/ and /ɪ/

These are "i" vowel sounds.

In Spanish there is only one "i" vowel, which sounds practically the same in all words and positions.

Some examples in Spanish: isla, Irene, maní, amarillo, ceibo, Daniela, Luis, minuto.

In English, on the other hand, there are two sounds for "i": /i:/ and /ɪ/. Let's start with /i:/: this is a long, close front sound. It is produced with lips in relaxed, neutral position, open enough to allow the air to come out of the mouth cavity. You should feel tension inside the mouth, and this is the key to produce /i:/ correctly: the tongue will be in the higher position, almost touching the alveolar ridge (just behind your upper teeth). You should "feel" this vowel sound in the front part of the mouth cavity.

Some examples: believe, green, leave, even, three, reincarnate.

The other vowel sound is /ɪ/, which is a short, half close and a little more open sound. It is produced with relaxed, neutral lips, and it is so short that you won't feel any tension at all. It should be felt a little further back than /i:/ in your mouth cavity.

Examples: rich,  igloo, pretty, lips, sister, image, Phil.

Tip: I think these are difficult sounds for Spanish speakers. I suggest you practise these vowels "exaggerating" them, that is, by making /i:/ quite tense, and long, and /ɪ/, as short as possible.

I hope this has been useful. Feel free to comment, or suggest some topic for further discussion. Thank you!

Practising vowels: /u:/ and /ʊ/

These are "u" vowel sounds.

In Spanish, we have only one "u" vowel, which is produced with round, half open lips. It is neither short nor long. Some words that have this vowel are:

uva, unión, truco, cubrir, humo, Uruguay. This vowel is pronounced exactly in the same way in all words, no matter where it occurs. We'll almost always hear the full quality of "u".

In English, there are two sounds for "u": one of them is /u:/, which is a long, close, back sound. It is produced with round lips, open enough as to let the air escape through the mouth. You should feel some tension in your mouth cavity, and the tongue will remain in the lower position when /u:/ occurs. By "back" we mean that this vowel sound is "felt" at the back of the mouth.

Some examples: boot, Hugh, balloon, do (as main verb, as strong form of the auxiliary), blue, cute.

The other sound is /ʊ/. This is a short, half close, back sound (not as back as its counterpart). It is pronounced with relaxed, neutral lips, and the mouth opening will be a little wider than for /u:/. No tension is felt when producing this sound.

Some examples: book, look, good, put, wolf.

Tip: for Spanish speakers, it is a good idea to practise this sound making it longer and closer than "u", and much shorter for /ʊ/, depending on each case. You will notice that the Spanish vowel "u" is somewhere between the two English ones, and it is more open as well.

I hope this has been useful. Feel free to post comments or questions. Why not share this with your friends? Thank you!