CS 1 – Pronunciation

In this Lesson:

• Importance of Pronunciation?
• Understanding pronunciation by region
• Phonetics and CVC blends
• Pronunciation exercises

Portfolio:

1. Two (2) minute videos introducing yourself and convincing me why I should hire you.
2. Choose a tongue twister (you can look for other tongue twisters online), and submit a video of you reading said tongue twister at your normal pace.

 

IMPORTANCE OF PRONUNCIATION

Mispronunciation Leads to Miscommunication

World Regions

 

American vs. British English

 

Listening Exercise

Irish

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VA9vuId3ds

 

British

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNmALFOwqTI

 

Russian

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbcBcmDmDUk

 

French

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rv2RpvmkLQ

 

Indian

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7MIyQS9p5E

 

Australian

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnioDeQNlxQ

 

VOWELS    –    AEIOU

CONSONANTS   –   BCDFGHJKLMNPQRSTVWXYZ

 

Phonetics

The study of how sounds and gestures pattern in and across languages. Phonetics deals with the articulatory and acoustic properties of speech sounds, how they are produced, and how they are perceived.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonetics

 

CVC Blend

CVC (Consonant – vowel-consonant) words are three-letter words that follow a consonant/vowel/consonant pattern.

Diagraph – is a double consonant (two consonants together) or a vowel and consonant combination pronounced as a single sound.

SHORT A

at
cat
zap
jam
van

SHORT O

got
God
wow
Rob
hot
pod
Tom

SHORT I

sit
pin
pig
dim
fig

SHORT U

bug
mum
bud
nut
gut

SHORT E

pet
ben
ten
vet
tell

LONG A 

made
late
fame
shade
ape

LONG O 

roll/role (same sound)
rope
code
vote
Toll (long O sound)

LONG I 

five
lime
tide
rite / right (same sound)

LONG U 

rule
fume
clue
blue

 

R-Controlled Vowels

How to Pronounce

R-Controlled – ar : Arm, star, shark
R-Controlled – ur, er : Fur, church, her
R-Controlled – ir : Firm, dirt, twirl (confirm)
R-Controlled – or : Storm, corn / word, work

 

Vowel Digraphs – Vowel Teams

How to Pronounce

Vowel Team – ea : Leaf, Lead, Teach, Peal (smile when saying this)
Vowel Team – ee : Week, feet, sleep (slip vs. sleep)
Vowel Team – ie : Niece, shield, grief (grif vs grief)
Vowel Team – oa : Boat, coast, soak
Vowel Team – ow : Mow, fellow, shown
Vowel Teams – ai, ay : Pail, say, plain
Vowel Teams – ui, ew : Chew, cruise, screw

 

Variant Vowels

Short oo : Good, foot, took
Ow and ou : How, couch, crown
aw, au : Jaw, Saul, straw, sauce
oi, oy : Boy, boil, joint, noise

 

Consonant Blends and Diagraphs

digraphs – sh
digraphs – th
digraphs – ch
digraphs – wh
digraphs – ph

S blends – st
S blends – sn
S blends – sl

S blends – sp
S blends – sk
S blends – sw
S blends – sm

L blends – gl, cl, pl, fl
L blends – bl, sl, cl
L blends – sl, ld, lp, lk

R blends – br, gr, pr, cr, tr
R blends – gr, dr, fr

N blends – nt, ng, nk
N blends – nd, ng

Other blends:
other blends – ft, mp
other blends – wr
other blends – ct, pt
3 letter blends – tch
3 letter blends – scr, str, spr

 

Hard to Pronounce

digraphs – sh : Shop, Push, Shack
digraphs – th : Breath, Breathe, Path, That (Three vs. Tree)
digraphs – ch : chill, chum, much
digraphs – ph : Philippines, dolphin

other blends – ft, mp : Lamp, lift, lump
other blends – wr : Wrong, wrench
other blends – ct, pt : Fact, Loft
3 letter blends – tch : Fetch, patch
3 letter blends – scr, str, spr : Sprint, screen, strip

When in doubt
Google it.

 

Exercises and Tongue Twisters

Sh, S – She sells seashells in the sea shore.

Th, T – Three thin thieves thought a thousand thoughts. Through three cheese trees, three free fleas flew.

Ph, P – The fish splashed when the phone rang four times, and the photos fell on the podium.

Ch – How much wood would a wood chuck chuck, if a wood chuck would chuck wood.

F – Five frantic frogs fled from fifty fierce fishes.

 

Portfolios

1. Two (2) minute video introducing yourself and convincing me why I should hire you.
2. Choose one tongue twister (you can look for a different one online), and submit a video of you reading the tongue twister at your normal pace.

Please make the video via loom.com or other video and screen-sharing app.

Please send the link (not an mp4 file) via email to: englishforfreelancers@surgedigital.agency

 

Subject line: Coaching Session 1 – Pronunciation

 

PORTFOLIO SUBMISSION GUIDES:

1. Video-On-Demand (VOD) Access
Submit your portfolios to courses@surgedigital.agency.
You can submit individually per coaching session or submit all required portfolios as one, in one email (attach your Google Drive).

2. VOD with Class Coaching
Send your portfolios to courses@surgedigital.agency.
Please submit individually per coaching session.

3. VOD with Mentoring
Send your portfolios to courses@surgedigital.agency.
Please submit individually per coaching session.

4. Premium Members
Submit your portfolios to courses@surgedigital.agency.
Please submit all required portfolios as one, in one email (attach your Google Drive).

Sample Portfolio videos:

Here’s one where the video capturing device – in this case, my laptop – is a foot away from me. The advantage here is that the client will be able to focus more on my face and what I say. The disadvantage is the client won’t see my gestures, posture, and bearing.