Jennifer Tarle's Blog, page 90

How to say PUBLIC not PUBIC

Learn how to say PUBLIC in this American English Pronunciation Lesson. This video targets an embarrassing mistake.PUBLIC. When said incorrectly it sounds like an anatomical term: pubic- http://dictionary.reference.com/brows....

PUBLIC: P-short u-B-L-short i-K

What are gestures?

Gestures are non-verbal movements used to convey a message.  Children who have not developed verbal communication or have just a few words, may rely on gestures to get their point across.  It is important to watch for these gestures and to respond to them.  These gestures are an early way that children communicate.  Responding to them may limit frustration and ultimately tantrums.

There are many types of gestures.  Most parents recognize conventional gestures such as waving.  You probably also recognize pointing (to an object to ask you to give it to them), showing (you a book to ask you to read), and giving (you the bottle to ask for more).

I notice that parents sometimes are unaware of their child’s more ritualistic gestures.  These include:

holding their hands up to ask you to pick them up
“dancing” to ask you to sing them a song
opening their hands to ask that you open the bottle of bubbles

Pay attention to your child’s gestures.   Respond to them.  Add a word.  When your child reaches up, say “up” as you lift her.  This will give her a word to use when she is ready to talk.

How to pronounce TEAR (rip) and TEAR (cry)

Learn how to pronounce TEAR, to rip, and TEAR, to cry, in this American English Pronunciation Lesson. This video targets a confusing word pair: TEAR (to rip: T-AIR) and TEAR (what comes from your eyes when you cry: T-EAR).

These two words are spelled the same but pronounced differently. Say them correctly to get your meaning across.

How to pronounce GUESS and GAS

Learn how to pronounce GUESS and GAS in this American English Pronunciation Lesson. This video targets a confusing word pair. Learn how to pronounce GUESS and GAS. Say them correctly to get your meaning across.

GUESS: G-short e-S

GAS: G-short a-S

The top ten mistakes that foreign speakers make #2: R

The R sound is used a lot in English.  It is a high frequency sound (right, read, run), it impacts the vowel that precedes it (were, more, hear), and is used in consonant clusters or blends (print, screen, scroll).  Correcting this sound will make you sound much clearer.

There are several mistakes that foreign speakers make with the R sound:

Move the R…in English it does not move, flap, or trill
Confuse the R with W and L…these are very different in English and change the meaning of the word.  For example:  rye, why, lie
Leave the R sound out when it comes near a vowel…in English we say each sound, the vowel then the R

To correct this error, do these things:

If you move your R sounds, keep your tongue still by placing the sides onto your top teeth
Learn the difference between the L (make with the tongue behind the top teeth), the W (make with the tongue in the middle of the mouth), and R (made with the tongue tip in the bottom of the mouth the the back pulled towards the roof of the mouth OR with the tip pointing towards the back of the mouth.)  Use which ever position which works for you.
Say all sounds.  Slow down to ensure that you say the vowel THEN the R.  Make the R longer and stronger.

Good luck…people will notice the difference!

Long vowel sounds: Silernt E Rule

To determine if the vowel is long when you are reading, look for the silent “e”.  When a word ends in an e, the vowel before it is pronounced long.  For example:

A:  short a…cap   long a with the silent “e” rule…cape

E:  short e…pet   long e with the silent “e” rule…Pete

I:  short i…pin   long i with the silent “e” rule…pine

O:  short o…not   long o with the silent “e” rule…note

U:  short u…cut   long a with the silent “e” rule…cute

How to pronounce OF and OFF

Learn how to pronounce OF and OFF in this American English Pronunciation Lesson. This video targets a confusing word pair: OF and OFF. Say them correctly to get your meaning across.

OF is pronounced with a V

OFF is pronounced with an F

How to Pronounce FEEL & FILL – English Pronunciation Lesson

Learn how to pronounce the English words FEEL & FILL correctly with this American English pronunciation lesson.

Jennifer Tarle from Tarle Speech and Language guides you through a quick pronunciation lesson with quick tips to have you sounding clearer in no time.

FEEL rhymes with peel, deal, heal, meal, kneel, real, seal, teal, veal, wheel

FILL rhymes with bill, dill, hill, Jill, kill, mill, pill, sill, till, will, Phil

How to pronounce PAPER and PEPPER

Learn how to pronounce PAPER and PEPPER in this American English Pronunciation Lesson. This video targets a confusing word pair: PAPER and PEPPER. Say them correctly to get the your meaning across.

PAPER: P-long A-P-ER

PEPPER: P-short e-P-ER

How to Pronounce INSTALL – English Pronunciation Lesson

Learn how to pronounce the English word INSTALL correctly with this American English pronunciation lesson.

Jennifer Tarle from Tarle Speech and Language guides you through a quick pronunciation lesson with quick tips to have you sounding clearer in no time.