Wadjasay? American English Pronunciation Practice

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Here are some ways to say that you agree with another speaker.  1) I agree completely. 2) You are correct. (Or) You are absolutely correct. 3) Exactly. (Or) Absolutely. 4) That’s so true. (Or) What you just said is so true. 5) You’re right. 6) You took the words right out of my mouth. [You said what I was going...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! This dictation is three paragraphs long. It is repeated three times.  Instructions : Step One: Listen to the paragraphs as many times as you like. The  more you listen, the easier it will be to write down each sentence. Step Two: Listen again, but stop after each sentence and try to repeat it to yourself. If yo...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! 13) There are some guys on Tandem who are only trying to pick up girls. [meet, bring home for sex] 14) He was picked up by the police. They questioned him for hours. [found and taken to the police station] 15) Marion picked up some food on her way home. [got some food] 16) My mother is a great cook. Everything...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Some practice with the phrasal verb “to pick up”. 1) I need to move this table. Can you help me pick it up? [lift] 2) I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at 8 and we can drive to work together. [give a ride] 3) The baby started crying so her mother picked her up. [lifted] 4) My father used to have a shortwave rad...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Be careful with the pronunciation of “th”: the tip of your tongue is between your teeth. It helps to watch videos to see how people make the "th" sound. Here's one video on YouTube, and here is another one . 1. Thank you for helping me. 2. Thank you for helping us. 3. Thank you for helping me wit...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Here are some more sentences with 4 syllable words. 1. The teacher demonstrated how to use a dictionary. 2. I need more information about the new machinery. 3. Covid 19 is an example of evolution in real-time. 4. Charlie sent me his letter of resignation. 5. The politician spoke about capitalism. 6. I appreciat...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Note: Unaccented syllables in English are normally pronounced with the infamous "Schwa" sound. Using the phonetic alphabet, this sound is written /ə/.  The word "banana"  would be written /bənænə/ with the stress or accent on the second syllable. Languages like Spanish keep vowel pronunciati...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Here is another listening exercise. The text in this podcast contains most of the sounds of English. Listen carefully and see how many distinct sounds you can hear. See the transcript link above for the text and practice suggestions. Text credit:  accent.gmu.edu Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Sh...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! This podcast will be doing double duty.*  First, it's another regular podcast to help you learn how to use "to be used to". If you practice all these examples, you should have a good feeling for when and how to use this form. Second, I'll be using this podcast along with a couple of Tandem c...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! In this podcast you'll be listening to the vowel sound /æ/ which is the sound in the words "can" and "cat". Remember this is a chance to practice listening. If you don't understand everything I say, it doesn't matter. You are training your ears to accurately hear the sounds of...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! This is part 2 of the “Pure Listening” podcast #1. I hope you’ve already listened to the first part. Of course you don’t have to, but I would recommend it.  Again, we are working with the vowel sounds in the words “hit” and “heat”. And again, I am not providing the text. This is an exercise for your ears and yo...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! This podcast is the first in a series of what I will call pure listening. I will not show you the written text. Why? Because English spelling is terrible. It’s a distraction. It interferes with close listening. If you are ever to learn the sounds of English, you need to listen a lot and listen carefully. Rememb...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! I'm happy to be joined via phone by my friend Erel who performs the part of Mary. Barry sees Mary at the computer and starts asking questions. B:  Hi Mary. What are you doing? Online house shopping? M: Hi Barry. Yeah, I'm thinking of buying a house on the beach in Florida. B: Really? I wouldn't d...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! “Don’t take my word for it” = Don’t believe me. Try it for yourself. Example 1: The lake is too cold for swimming. But don’t take my word for it. Jump in and see for yourself. Example 2: Professor Johnson is a terrible teacher. But don’t take my word for it. Sign up for his class and see how you like his explan...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Repeat the two examples along with the podcast until you have memorized them. If you do that, they will be with you forever. Try it--you'll catch on quickly. “Catch on quickly” = to learn fast Example 1: That new student is very intelligent. He catches on quickly. Example 2: Six months ago Marina didn’t kn...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Psychologists and. psychiatrists Here are some sentences to help you practice the words psychologist and psychiatrist, as well as related words like psychological, psychiatric, psychology, and psychiatry. 1. My brother is a psychologist. 2. My sister is a psychiatrist. 3. Normally a psychologist can not prescri...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Season 3, Lesson 2: Once in a blue moon. The goal of this lesson is to help you learn the expression “Once in a blue moon.” [Meaning: Rarely, infrequently.] For example: “Winning the lottery only happens once in a blue moon.” Part One:  Listening practice. 100 repetitions, some slow, some normal speed. Just lis...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Season 3, Lesson 1: Two heads... The goal of this lesson is to help you learn the proverb "Two heads are better than one." [Meaning: It’s easier for two people working together to solve a problem than for one person working alone.] Part One:  Listening practice. 100 repetitions, some slow, some normal...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Season 3 Introduction    [Need to translate this? Try DeepL ] In season 3, I will focus on special lessons for beginners including total beginners.  The most important thing to do as a beginning language student is to listen.  If you are unhappy with your English pronunciation, you need to listen.  If you want...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Wishes...wants...hopes...all various ways of expressing desires. I wish I could live in Paris. I want to live in Paris. I hope to live in Paris someday. They all sort of mean the same thing, but each one is a little bit different.  Today we'll practice with hope. 1) I hope you’ll come by tomorrow. 2) After...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! In this podcast we'll practice with the verb to want. What's the difference between to wish and to want? Wishes are desires. "I wish I lived in Paris," for example. It's a dream but may never happen. "I want a new computer," on the other hand, or "I want a cup of coffee,&...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! What do you wish? In this podcast we'll practice wishing. 1) I wish I had more money. 2) I wish I were rich. 3) She wishes she had something to eat. 4) He wished for a more interesting job. 5) They wished their father would come back. 6) He wished me long life and good health. 7) Sally made a wish and blew...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! More voiceless TH sounds: 1) Ruth came in 8th (eighth) in the race. 2)  Both John and Mary speak French. 3)  South is the opposite of north. 4)  My teeth are in my mouth. 5) Some people think the earth is flat. 6)  I had more strength when I was young. 7)  January is the first month of the year. 8)  September i...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! More practice with the unvoiced TH sounds in English. Remember that "unvoiced" means your vocal cords do not vibrate. Also remember the tip of your tongue is between your teeth! Part One: Words that begin with unvoiced TH: 1)  I’ll be thirteen on Thursday. 2)  John turned. 30 (thirty) on the 13th (thi...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a tool used by linguists to help record the sounds of a language. It is also useful for people learning a foreign language. And it is particularly helpful to students of English, because the English spelling system is terrible. For example, we pronounce these two wor...