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Insights into English PHONETICS (4 50-MINUTE LESSONS)
Mastering Sound, Flow and Natural Speech in English
Lesson Pack Details
This is a 4-lesson pack. You will be issued 3 “coupons” when the first request is confirmed. You will be able to use these coupons for subsequent requests in the pack. Please note that all requests related to this pack must be taken within 20 days of the first lesson date.
Lessons should generally be booked chronologically, meaning that the second lesson should be booked after the first, and so on.
Lessons should generally be booked chronologically, meaning that the second lesson should be booked after the first, and so on.
Подробности урока
Course Overview
This 4-lesson pronunciation program (each lesson 50 minutes) is designed to help learners of all levels develop clear, natural-sounding English. You’ll move from practicing individual sounds to understanding how English flows in connected speech. The course combines theory, perception work, and guided production so you can improve your intelligibility and confidence.
Course-wide Aims
• Improve your ability to hear and produce key English sounds and speech patterns.
• Increase clarity and natural rhythm when speaking connected English.
• Develop awareness of how English pronunciation works, so you can self-correct and keep improving.
• Build practical strategies to use pronunciation practice effectively in and outside the classroom.
By the End of the Course, You Will Be Able To
• Distinguish and pronounce common minimal pairs accurately.
• Use correct voicing, aspiration, and release for English plosive sounds.
• Recognize and use assimilation and elision in connected speech.
• Produce the American/General-English flap T/D in natural contexts.
• Read and record short passages using fluent, natural speech patterns.
Lesson 1 — Minimal Pairs & Sound Awareness
Aim
To build perception and production accuracy through awareness of minimal pairs and sound features such as voicing, vowel length, and aspiration.
Learning Objectives
After this lesson, you will:
• Identify and pronounce at least 20 minimal-pair examples correctly.
• Explain the main articulatory differences (mouth, tongue, voicing) for each contrast practiced.
Key Concepts
Minimal pairs are word pairs that differ by only one sound (e.g., ship/sheep, bit/beat). Learning to distinguish them improves both listening and speaking clarity.
Activities and Focus
• Warm-up: Quick listening game — teacher says one of two words, students indicate which one they heard.
• Sound awareness: Visual explanation with simple IPA symbols and diagrams showing tongue and mouth positions. You’ll feel the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds by touching your throat and observing vibration.
• Listening discrimination: Identify words from minimal-pair lists at both slow and natural speeds, comparing answers with classmates.
• Production drills: Repeat after the teacher chorally and individually, practicing words and short phrases such as “I saw a sheep in the field.”
• Interactive games: Play minimal-pair bingo or find-your-partner activities using word cards and listening cues.
• Reflection: Review common pronunciation difficulties and micro-tips for improvement.
Homework
Record a short audio (1–2 minutes) reading 12 sentences containing minimal pairs studied in class. Focus on accuracy and clarity.
Teacher Notes / Adaptation
Lower levels will use simpler contrasts and visuals; higher levels may include more vowel distinctions and IPA transcription.
Lesson 2 — PLOSIVE Sounds: Articulation, Aspiration, and Release
Aim
To master the articulation and use of English plosives (/p, b, t, d, k, g/), including voicing, aspiration, and release patterns in connected speech.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will:
• Produce aspirated and unaspirated plosives naturally in different word positions.
• Distinguish between released and unreleased plosives in common phrases.
Key Concepts
Plosives (also called “stop” sounds) involve stopping and releasing airflow. In English, voiceless plosives (/p, t, k/) are aspirated at the start of stressed syllables (a small puff of air), while voiced plosives (/b, d, g/) are not.
Activities and Focus
• Warm-up review: Refresh voicing knowledge from Lesson 1 with quick examples (e.g., pat/bat, ten/den).
• Articulation practice: Demonstration of closure and release using the hand-in-front-of-mouth technique to feel aspiration.
• Perception and production: Listen to and pronounce word pairs like pin/bin, tip/dip, coat/goat, first in isolation and then in context.
• Released vs. unreleased plosives: Practice differences in phrases such as stop (unreleased) vs. stop it (released before a vowel).
• Connected speech practice: Shadow natural phrases like get up, put it on, take a look, linking plosives smoothly.
• Pair task: Create and record a short dialogue (6–8 lines) containing plosives in various positions; exchange feedback with peers.
• Class feedback: Listen to selected recordings to highlight clear articulation and areas for improvement.
Homework
Write and record 8 sentences featuring initial aspirated, final unreleased, and plosive-cluster words. Self-evaluate with a checklist provided in class.
Lesson 3 — Assimilation and Elision in Connected Speech
Aim
To help you recognize and use assimilation and elision so your speech sounds more natural and your listening comprehension improves.
Learning Objectives
You will learn to:
• Identify assimilation and elision in spoken English.
• Produce these patterns naturally in short sentences and dialogues.
Key Concepts
• Assimilation: One sound changes to become more like a neighboring sound for easier pronunciation (e.g., green park → /griːm pɑːk/).
• Elision: A sound is omitted to make speech faster and smoother (e.g., next day → /neks deɪ/).
These processes are common in natural speech and make English sound more fluid and connected.
Activities and Focus
• Lead-in: Listen to two versions of a phrase — careful and casual — and notice differences.
• Explanation and examples: Learn typical assimilation patterns (e.g., ten boys → /tem bɔɪz/) and elision cases (dropping /t/ in next day).
• Listening discrimination: Identify where assimilation or elision occurs in short recordings.
• Guided repetition: Repeat example sentences first carefully, then naturally, noticing how the sounds merge or disappear.
• Transformation practice: Convert “careful” phrases into more natural spoken forms (e.g., He has to go → He hafta go).
• Role-plays: Practice short conversations (ordering food, telling a story) while applying connected-speech features.
• Awareness reading: Mark reductions in a short paragraph and then read it aloud naturally.
Homework
Transcribe about one minute of authentic English conversation (teacher-provided or podcast). Mark at least three examples of assimilation or elision and explain why they happen.
Lesson 4 — The Flap T/D and Course Integration
Aim
To teach the American/General English flap T/D and integrate all pronunciation features studied throughout the course.
Learning Objectives
After this final lesson, you will:
• Recognize and produce the flap [ɾ] in appropriate contexts (e.g., city, water, better).
• Deliver a short recording that demonstrates accurate use of minimal pairs, plosives, assimilation, elision, and the flap.
Key Concepts
In American and some General-English varieties, the /t/ or /d/ between vowels often becomes a quick, soft flap [ɾ]. For example:
• butter → /ˈbʌɾər/
• city → /ˈsɪɾi/
The flap does not occur in all contexts — usually only between vowels when the second one is unstressed.
Activities and Focus
• Warm-up discrimination: Identify the flap in pairs like city, kitty, committee.
• Mini-lesson: Understand when flapping occurs and when it doesn’t. Compare writer/rider and discuss how vowel length and stress help listeners distinguish them.
• Perception drills: Choose the correct word from minimal-pair recordings (latter/ladder, writer/rider).
• Production drills: Practice both flapped and non-flapped versions of sentences; notice rhythm differences (e.g., I’ll write it down vs. I’ll ride it down).
• Integrated performance: Work in small groups with a short script containing minimal pairs, plosives, connected-speech patterns, and flaps.
• Mark pronunciation targets.
• Rehearse and record a 1-minute dialogue demonstrating clear, natural speech.
• Peer feedback: Exchange recordings and use a rubric to comment on accuracy, connectedness, and natural rhythm.
• Teacher highlights: Listen to model examples and note common strengths or difficulties.
Final Assessment Rubric (Simplified)
CriteriaMax ScoreDescriptionPronunciation accuracy5Clear articulation of sounds and minimal pairsConnected speech5Natural use of assimilation, elision, and flapIntelligibility & naturalness5Easy to understand, good flowFluency & rhythm5Smooth pacing and stress patterns
Each student receives a total score and short personalized feedback on what to continue practicing.
Homework / Ongoing Practice
Keep a daily 2-minute pronunciation diary for one week. Read short texts aloud focusing on one pronunciation area per day (e.g., minimal pairs, plosives, connected speech).
Optional for advanced learners: analyze one minute of an American English recording, identifying flaps and connected-speech patterns.
Course Assessment and Follow-Up
• Formative assessment: Continuous observation during class and review of homework recordings.
• Summative assessment: Final recorded performance (Lesson 4) evaluated using the rubric above.
• Feedback and improvement: You’ll receive two concrete recommendations for continued practice after the course ends.
Optional Extension
Students who wish to continue may take an advanced follow-up focused on English rhythm, intonation, and stress patterns, using the pronunciation foundations developed here.
End of Course Guide
Through these four focused lessons, you’ll gain control over key English pronunciation features — from precise individual sounds to natural connected speech. By the end, you’ll not only sound clearer but also understand how English rhythm and flow work in real communication.
This 4-lesson pronunciation program (each lesson 50 minutes) is designed to help learners of all levels develop clear, natural-sounding English. You’ll move from practicing individual sounds to understanding how English flows in connected speech. The course combines theory, perception work, and guided production so you can improve your intelligibility and confidence.
Course-wide Aims
• Improve your ability to hear and produce key English sounds and speech patterns.
• Increase clarity and natural rhythm when speaking connected English.
• Develop awareness of how English pronunciation works, so you can self-correct and keep improving.
• Build practical strategies to use pronunciation practice effectively in and outside the classroom.
By the End of the Course, You Will Be Able To
• Distinguish and pronounce common minimal pairs accurately.
• Use correct voicing, aspiration, and release for English plosive sounds.
• Recognize and use assimilation and elision in connected speech.
• Produce the American/General-English flap T/D in natural contexts.
• Read and record short passages using fluent, natural speech patterns.
Lesson 1 — Minimal Pairs & Sound Awareness
Aim
To build perception and production accuracy through awareness of minimal pairs and sound features such as voicing, vowel length, and aspiration.
Learning Objectives
After this lesson, you will:
• Identify and pronounce at least 20 minimal-pair examples correctly.
• Explain the main articulatory differences (mouth, tongue, voicing) for each contrast practiced.
Key Concepts
Minimal pairs are word pairs that differ by only one sound (e.g., ship/sheep, bit/beat). Learning to distinguish them improves both listening and speaking clarity.
Activities and Focus
• Warm-up: Quick listening game — teacher says one of two words, students indicate which one they heard.
• Sound awareness: Visual explanation with simple IPA symbols and diagrams showing tongue and mouth positions. You’ll feel the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds by touching your throat and observing vibration.
• Listening discrimination: Identify words from minimal-pair lists at both slow and natural speeds, comparing answers with classmates.
• Production drills: Repeat after the teacher chorally and individually, practicing words and short phrases such as “I saw a sheep in the field.”
• Interactive games: Play minimal-pair bingo or find-your-partner activities using word cards and listening cues.
• Reflection: Review common pronunciation difficulties and micro-tips for improvement.
Homework
Record a short audio (1–2 minutes) reading 12 sentences containing minimal pairs studied in class. Focus on accuracy and clarity.
Teacher Notes / Adaptation
Lower levels will use simpler contrasts and visuals; higher levels may include more vowel distinctions and IPA transcription.
Lesson 2 — PLOSIVE Sounds: Articulation, Aspiration, and Release
Aim
To master the articulation and use of English plosives (/p, b, t, d, k, g/), including voicing, aspiration, and release patterns in connected speech.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will:
• Produce aspirated and unaspirated plosives naturally in different word positions.
• Distinguish between released and unreleased plosives in common phrases.
Key Concepts
Plosives (also called “stop” sounds) involve stopping and releasing airflow. In English, voiceless plosives (/p, t, k/) are aspirated at the start of stressed syllables (a small puff of air), while voiced plosives (/b, d, g/) are not.
Activities and Focus
• Warm-up review: Refresh voicing knowledge from Lesson 1 with quick examples (e.g., pat/bat, ten/den).
• Articulation practice: Demonstration of closure and release using the hand-in-front-of-mouth technique to feel aspiration.
• Perception and production: Listen to and pronounce word pairs like pin/bin, tip/dip, coat/goat, first in isolation and then in context.
• Released vs. unreleased plosives: Practice differences in phrases such as stop (unreleased) vs. stop it (released before a vowel).
• Connected speech practice: Shadow natural phrases like get up, put it on, take a look, linking plosives smoothly.
• Pair task: Create and record a short dialogue (6–8 lines) containing plosives in various positions; exchange feedback with peers.
• Class feedback: Listen to selected recordings to highlight clear articulation and areas for improvement.
Homework
Write and record 8 sentences featuring initial aspirated, final unreleased, and plosive-cluster words. Self-evaluate with a checklist provided in class.
Lesson 3 — Assimilation and Elision in Connected Speech
Aim
To help you recognize and use assimilation and elision so your speech sounds more natural and your listening comprehension improves.
Learning Objectives
You will learn to:
• Identify assimilation and elision in spoken English.
• Produce these patterns naturally in short sentences and dialogues.
Key Concepts
• Assimilation: One sound changes to become more like a neighboring sound for easier pronunciation (e.g., green park → /griːm pɑːk/).
• Elision: A sound is omitted to make speech faster and smoother (e.g., next day → /neks deɪ/).
These processes are common in natural speech and make English sound more fluid and connected.
Activities and Focus
• Lead-in: Listen to two versions of a phrase — careful and casual — and notice differences.
• Explanation and examples: Learn typical assimilation patterns (e.g., ten boys → /tem bɔɪz/) and elision cases (dropping /t/ in next day).
• Listening discrimination: Identify where assimilation or elision occurs in short recordings.
• Guided repetition: Repeat example sentences first carefully, then naturally, noticing how the sounds merge or disappear.
• Transformation practice: Convert “careful” phrases into more natural spoken forms (e.g., He has to go → He hafta go).
• Role-plays: Practice short conversations (ordering food, telling a story) while applying connected-speech features.
• Awareness reading: Mark reductions in a short paragraph and then read it aloud naturally.
Homework
Transcribe about one minute of authentic English conversation (teacher-provided or podcast). Mark at least three examples of assimilation or elision and explain why they happen.
Lesson 4 — The Flap T/D and Course Integration
Aim
To teach the American/General English flap T/D and integrate all pronunciation features studied throughout the course.
Learning Objectives
After this final lesson, you will:
• Recognize and produce the flap [ɾ] in appropriate contexts (e.g., city, water, better).
• Deliver a short recording that demonstrates accurate use of minimal pairs, plosives, assimilation, elision, and the flap.
Key Concepts
In American and some General-English varieties, the /t/ or /d/ between vowels often becomes a quick, soft flap [ɾ]. For example:
• butter → /ˈbʌɾər/
• city → /ˈsɪɾi/
The flap does not occur in all contexts — usually only between vowels when the second one is unstressed.
Activities and Focus
• Warm-up discrimination: Identify the flap in pairs like city, kitty, committee.
• Mini-lesson: Understand when flapping occurs and when it doesn’t. Compare writer/rider and discuss how vowel length and stress help listeners distinguish them.
• Perception drills: Choose the correct word from minimal-pair recordings (latter/ladder, writer/rider).
• Production drills: Practice both flapped and non-flapped versions of sentences; notice rhythm differences (e.g., I’ll write it down vs. I’ll ride it down).
• Integrated performance: Work in small groups with a short script containing minimal pairs, plosives, connected-speech patterns, and flaps.
• Mark pronunciation targets.
• Rehearse and record a 1-minute dialogue demonstrating clear, natural speech.
• Peer feedback: Exchange recordings and use a rubric to comment on accuracy, connectedness, and natural rhythm.
• Teacher highlights: Listen to model examples and note common strengths or difficulties.
Final Assessment Rubric (Simplified)
CriteriaMax ScoreDescriptionPronunciation accuracy5Clear articulation of sounds and minimal pairsConnected speech5Natural use of assimilation, elision, and flapIntelligibility & naturalness5Easy to understand, good flowFluency & rhythm5Smooth pacing and stress patterns
Each student receives a total score and short personalized feedback on what to continue practicing.
Homework / Ongoing Practice
Keep a daily 2-minute pronunciation diary for one week. Read short texts aloud focusing on one pronunciation area per day (e.g., minimal pairs, plosives, connected speech).
Optional for advanced learners: analyze one minute of an American English recording, identifying flaps and connected-speech patterns.
Course Assessment and Follow-Up
• Formative assessment: Continuous observation during class and review of homework recordings.
• Summative assessment: Final recorded performance (Lesson 4) evaluated using the rubric above.
• Feedback and improvement: You’ll receive two concrete recommendations for continued practice after the course ends.
Optional Extension
Students who wish to continue may take an advanced follow-up focused on English rhythm, intonation, and stress patterns, using the pronunciation foundations developed here.
End of Course Guide
Through these four focused lessons, you’ll gain control over key English pronunciation features — from precise individual sounds to natural connected speech. By the end, you’ll not only sound clearer but also understand how English rhythm and flow work in real communication.
Порядок отмены урока Cafetalk
Cancellation of pack lessons
• 'Unstarted' lesson packs(1) can be cancelled any time. Used Points will be completely refunded. If a 'started' lesson pack(2) is cancelled, you will be refunded 50% of the price of the remaining lessons provided that the lessons are unrequested, unconfirmed or not within 24 hours of their scheduled start times.
(1) A lesson pack for which none of the requests have been confirmed by the tutor.
(2) A lesson pack with at least one confirmed request. (By confirming the date and time for the first lesson in the pack the tutor confirms the pack as a whole and coupons are automatically issued)
(2) A lesson pack with at least one confirmed request. (By confirming the date and time for the first lesson in the pack the tutor confirms the pack as a whole and coupons are automatically issued)
Cancelling individual requests in a pack
• If you wish to cancel a single lesson that belongs to a pack but not the whole pack, you can do so via the request page. In this case, the coupon used to book the lesson will either be refunded or collected, based on the tutors single-lesson cancellation policy. Please note that any 50% partial refunds in the tutors single-lesson cancellation policy do not apply to lesson packs and the tutor may choose to either refund or collect the coupon in those cases.
Перед подтверждением запроса
- Вы можете отменить в любое время.
После подтверждения запроса
- Больше, чем за 24 часа до начала урока→ Вы можете отменить в любое время.
- За 24 часа до начала урока→ Возможна комиссия за отмену урока.
-
No-Show→ Возможна комиссия за отмену урока.
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