ESL/Reading and pronunciation practice

Reading and pronunciation practice

Sounds

Letters

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Vowels

A, E, I, O, U, Y

Children are taught that "Y" can act like a vowel, so when they say the vowels, they said, "and sometimes Y":

A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y

Consonants

B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z

Hard consonants

require exhaling breathe ("aspiration" B, F, K, P, Q, S, T, V, W, X, Y,

do not require exhalation (no breathing out)

C, D, G, H, J, L, M, N, R,

vowel shifts

at, ate, and, awe
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

be, beam, bee, beg, bet, beat
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

because, bud, but, bugle, buy
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

choice, chose, choose, chore, chord, cool
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

gene, gentle, get, great, green
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

ma, mad, made, main, many, me, mean, men, mere
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3 shrewd, shriek, shut, soon, sour, sue, sure
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

the, the, them, theme, there, they
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

unfit, unity, us, under, use, use, until
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

S-words

school, seems, silent, smart, snatch, someone, special, strong, student
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

Ending consonant pronunciation

Bring back the street lamps that we used to use at night.
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

It is important for youthful users to get going early in the day.
File:Vowel-shifts .mp3

Pronouns

Goals:

• practice using gender pronouns (he/she) for people but not for things (it)
• practice pronouncing consonants, especially at end of words
• note the different ways to state someone's name

Sentence 1: My sister is Susan. She lives in California. It is very nice there. Mi hermana se llama Susan. Vive en California. Es muy bonito allí.
File:Sentence .mp3

• notes:
  • "My sister is Susan" is the same as "My sister's name is Susan" or "The name of my sister is Susan"
  • "it" and "there" are pronouns that refer to California

Sentence 2: My brother's name is Ben. He is a Physics professor. He teaches it to college students. Mi hermano se llama Ben. Es profesor de Física. Lo enseña a los estudiantes universitarios
File:Sentence .mp3

• notes:
  • "My brother's name is Ben" can also be "My brother is Ben" or "The name of my brother is Ben"
  • "physics" is an adjective to tell us what kind of "professor" he is. It can also be expressed as "He is a teacher of physics" using the preposition "of" as in Spanish ("professor de Fiisca")

Sentence 3: I have three dogs, a girl and two boys. She is very sweet and the boys love to play. They are all so much fun! Tengo tres perros, una niña y dos niños. Es muy dulce y a los chicos les encanta jugar. ¡Todos son muy divertidos!
File:Sentence .mp3

Sentence 4: I live near the park. It is fun to go there. Vivo cerca del parque. Es divertido ir allí.
File:Sentence .mp3

• notes:
  • "it is" is an impersonal verb construction, whereas "there" is a pronoun that refers to the park

Sentence 5: My wife and I go to church. It is very beautiful. She is beautiful, too! Mi esposa y yo vamos a la iglesia. Es muy bonita. ¡Ella también es hermosa!
File:Sentence .mp3

• Notes:
  • the pronoun "it" refers to the church

Hearing English Sounds

Let the sounds go from the ear to the mouth. Don't worry about the meaning of the words!

The brave knight fought fearlessly as shouts echoed across the field. El valiente caballero luchó sin miedo mientras los gritos resonaban en el campo.
File:Sentence .mp3

As the sea unfurled its misty veil, the boat’s sail caught the gale. A medida que el mar desplegaba su velo brumoso, la vela del barco atrapó el vendaval.
File:Sentence .mp3

The bright moonlight shines on the meadow, where the deer graze, casting eerie shadows. La brillante luz de la luna brilla en la pradera, donde pastan los ciervos, proyectando sombras espeluznantes.
File:Sentence .mp3