Practice Reading

EE   vs.  TH

The rich witch wanted to pitch a peach across the beach, but didn’t want any other witches taking a peek as she pitched the peach. So she picked the highest peak of the largest dune on the entire beach – the same peak usually picked by the rich witches who wanted to watch the other witches as they reached for their peaches – pitched her peach halfway across the beach, where it then hit another witch and her stick.

Vicky really thought that Becky had bought both cups of coffee from the booth near thee throng at the top of the escalator, but Vicky guessed she thought wrong. Although Vicky taught Becky to do so and though Becky would follow exactly what Vicky taught. Becky still bought both cups from the other side of the throng, at the booth that sold the only seedy CDs in the entire city.

P   vs.   F

Pin, Fin, Pour, Four, Pace, Face, Pair, Fair, Pan, Fan, Pride, Fried, Cope, Cough, Supper, Suffer, Differ, Dipper, Leap, Leaf, Cheap, Chief, Wipe, Wife, Rifle, Ripe, Tough, Top, Stiff, Steep

B   vs.   V

Bat, Vat, Buy, Vie, Cupboard, Covered, Best, Vest, Ban, Van, Berry, Very, Swab, Suave, Rebel, Revel, Marble, Marvel, Base, Vase

Voice and Text Chat: Communicating Across the Internet

Voice and text chat, in addition to instant messaging, are quickly becoming preferred ways of communicating with others online.  For language learners, these forms of communication allow users to share ideas about themselves and the world in almost real time, and students can establish friendships with people around the globe, and thus, it can be an easy way to learn languages and world cultures.

However, care and consideration should be given when finding friends on the Internet because you really don't know who the person is at the other end. Thus, always use a nickname when chatting online and never give out personal information including your age, where you live, and the name of the school where you attend. Also, be careful about meeting online acquaintances in person, and if you do so, make sure it is in a public place and go with a friend or family member. Finally, contact local authorities if you feel you are in danger.

Again, chatting with others can be a fun and educational activity if you use care when doing so.

How to Pronounce "THE" in English

Normally, we pronounce "the" with a short sound (like "thuh"). But when "the" comes before a vowel sound, we pronounce it as a long "thee".

vowel sound	we write	we say
A	the apple	thee apple
E	the egg	thee egg
I	the ice-cream	thee ice-cream
O	the orange	thee orange
U	the ugli fruit	thee ugli fruit

It is important to understand that it is what we say that matters, not what we write. It is the sound that matters, not the letter used in writing a word. So we use a long "thee" before a vowel sound, not necessarily before a vowel. Look at these cases:

we write	with	we say	with
the house	consonant (h)	thuh house	consonant sound
the hour	consonant (h)	thee our	vowel sound
the university	vowel (u)	thuh youniversity	consonant sound
the umbrella	vowel (u)	thee umbrella	vowel sound

Emphatic the [thee]
When we wish to place emphasis on a particular word, we can use "emphatic the" [thee], whether or not the word begins with a consonant or vowel sound. For example:

A: I saw the [thuh] President yesterday.
B: What! The [thee] President of the United States?
A: Yes, exactly.

Telephone Tips

1. Speak slowly and clearly
   Listening to someone speaking in a second language over the telephone can be very challenging because you cannot see the person you are trying to hear. However, it may be even more difficult for the person you are talking with to understand you. You may not realize that your pronunciation isn't clear because your teacher and fellow students know and understand you. Pay special attention to your weak areas (such as "r's" and "l's" or "b's" and "v's") when you are on the phone. If you are nervous about using the phone in English, you may notice yourself speaking very quickly. Practise or write down what you are going to say and take a few deep breaths before you make a phone call.
   
   
2. Make sure you understand the other speaker
   Don't pretend to understand everything you hear over the telephone. Even native speakers ask each other to repeat and confirm information from time to time. This is especially important if you are taking a message for someone else. Learn the appropriate expressions that English speakers use when they don't hear something properly. Don't be afraid to remind the person to slow down more than once. Keep your telephone in an area that is away from other noise distractions such as a radio or television.
   
   
3. Practice with a friend
   Ask another student to practise talking on the phone with you. You might choose one night a week and take turns phoning each other at a certain time. Try to talk for at least fifteen minutes. You can talk socially, or role play different scenarios in a business environment. If you don't have access to a telephone, you can practice by setting two chairs up back to back. The most important thing about practicing telephone English is that you aren't able to see each other's mouths. It is amazing how much people lip-read without realizing.
   
   
4. Use businesses and recordings
   There are many ways to get free telephone English practice. After business hours, you can call and listen to recorded messages. Write down what you hear the first time, and then call back and check if your notes are accurate. Use the phone in your everyday life. Call for a pizza delivery instead of going out to eat. Call a salon to book a hair appointment. You can even phone the movie theatre to ask for the listings instead of using the newspaper. Some large cities have free recordings you can call for information such as your daily horoscope or the weather. (Make sure that you aren't going to get charged for these numbers first.) Some products have free phone numbers on the packaging that you can call for information. Think of a question you might want to ask and call the free number! For example, call the number on the back of the cereal box and ask for coupons. You will have to give your name and address. Make sure you have a pen handy so that you can repeat the information and check your comprehension.

5. Learn telephone etiquette (manners)
   The way that you speak to your best friend on the phone is very different to the way you should speak to someone in a business setting. Many ESL speakers make the mistake of being too direct on the telephone. It is possible that the person on the other line will think that you are being rude on purpose if you don't use formal language in certain situations. Sometimes just one word such as "could" or "may" is necessary in order to sound polite. You should use the same modals you would use in a formal "face-to-face" situation. Take the time to learn how to answer the phone and say goodbye in a polite manner, as well as all the various ways one can start and end a conversation casually.
   
   
6. Practice dates and numbers
   It only takes a short time to memorize English Phonetic Spelling , but it is something that you will be able to use in any country. You should also practice saying dates and numbers aloud. You and a friend can write out a list of dates and numbers and take turns reading them over the phone to each other. Record what you hear. Swap papers the next day and check your answers.

by: Englishclub.com

How To Speak and Learn English

Here are some tips which may help you master the English Language!


Speak Without Fear

The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear. They worry that they won't say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don't talk at all. Don't do this. The fastest way to learn anything is to do it again and again until you get it right. Like anything, learning English requires practice. Don't let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.

Use All Of Your Resources

Even if you study English at a language school it doesn't mean you can't learn outside of class. Using as many different sources, methods and tools as possible, will allow you to learn faster. There are many different ways you can improve your English, so don't limit yourself to only one or two. The internet is a fantastic resource for virtually anything, but for the language learner it's perfect.

Surround Yourself With English

The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it. Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English language radio broadcasts, watch English news, movies and television. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely it is that you will begin thinking in English.

Listen to Native Speakers as Much as Possible

There are some good English teachers that have had to learn English as a second language before they could teach it. However, there are several reasons why many of the best schools prefer to hire native English speakers. One of the reasons is that native speakers have a natural flow to their speech that students of English should try to imitate. The closer ESL / EFL students can get this rhythm or flow, the more convincing and comfortable they will become.

Watch English Films and Television

This is not only a fun way to learn but it is also very effective. By watching English films (especially those with English subtitles) you can expand your vocabulary and hear the flow of speech from the actors. If you listen to the news you can also hear different accents.

Listen to English Music

Music can be very effective method of learning English. In fact, it is often used as a way of improving comprehension. The best way to learn though is to get the lyrics (words) to the songs, you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings. There are several good internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice you listening and reading at the same time. And if you like to sing, fine.

Study As Often As Possible

Only by studying things like grammar and vocabulary and doing exercises, can you really improve your knowledge of any language.

Do Exercises and Take Tests

Many people think that exercises and tests aren't much fun. However, by completing exercises and taking tests you can really improve your English. One of the best reasons for doing lots of exercises and tests is that they give a benchmark to compare your future results with. Often, it is by comparing your score on your test you took yesterday with you took a month or six months ago that you realize just how much you have learned. If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are progressing. Start now by doing some of the many exercises and tests on this site, and return in a few days to see what you've learned. Keep doing this and you really will make some progress with English.

Record Yourself

Nobody likes to hear their own voice on tape but like tests, it is good to compare your tapes from time to time. You may be so impressed with the progress you are making that you may not mind the sound of your voice as much.

Listen to English

By this, we mean , speak on the phone or listen to radio broadcasts, audio books or CDs in English. This is different from watching the television or films because you can't see the person that is speaking to you. Many learners of English say that speaking on the phone is one of the most difficult things that they do and the only way to improve is to practice.


Finally

Have Fun!