Wadjasay? American English Pronunciation Practice
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Lessons to help you understand and speak normal-speed American English.
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1 day ago
Barry's Adventure in Learning Turkish--Report after 1 month
No text. This podcast is my quick report on how my Turkish studies are going after one month. It's definitely an adventure.
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1 day ago
Arthur the Rat - listening practice
There was once a young rat named Arthur, who could never take the trouble to make up his mind. Whenever his friends asked him if he would like to go out with them, he would only answer, ‘I don’t know.’ He wouldn’t say ‘yes’ and he wouldn’t say ‘no’ either. He could never learn to make a choice.
His aunt Helen said to him, ‘No one will ever care for you if you carry on like this. You have no more mind than a blade of grass.’ Arthur looked wise, but stupidly said nothing.
One rainy day, the rats heard a great noise in the loft where they lived. The pine rafters were all rotten in the middle, and at last one of the joists had given way and fallen to the ground. The walls shook and all the rats’ hair stood on end with fear and horror. ‘This won’t do,’ said the old rat who was chief, ‘I’ll send out scouts to search for a new home.’
Three hours later the seven tired scouts came back and said, ‘We have found a stone house, which is just what we wanted; there is room and good food for us all. There is a kindly horse named Nelly, a cow, a calf, and a garden with flowers and an elm tree.’ Just then the old rat caught sight of young Arthur. ‘Are you coming with us?’ he asked. ‘I don’t know.’ Arthur sighed. ‘The roof may not come down just yet.’ ‘Well,’ said the old rat angrily, ‘we can’t wait all day for you to make up your mind; right about face! March!’ And they went straight off.
Arthur stood and watched the other little rats hurry away. The idea of an immediate decision was too much for him. ‘I’m going back to my hole for a bit,’ he said to himself dreamily, ‘just to make up my mind.’ That Tuesday night there was a great crash that shook the earth and down came the whole roof. Next day some men rode up and looked at the ruins. One of them moved a board and hidden under it they saw a young rat lying on his side, quite dead, half in and half out of his hole.
Notes: This story was written a long time ago and contains most--perhaps all--of the phonemes (sounds) of English. For this podcast, please use it to practice your listening. I'll also upload it as an mp3 file to my Telegram channel so you can play it as an endless loop. Hope you enjoy it.
And thank you to my supporters who donate to help cover the costs of the podcast! Every donation helps.
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Nov 6, 2023
Nasal sounds in American English
English has three nasal sounds. They are “M” as in “mama”, “N” as in “nine”, and /ŋ/ - the ‘ing’ sound, as in “ring.”
In making each of these sounds, some air comes out through your nose which is why they are called ‘nasal’ sounds. If you pinch your nose shut while trying to make these sounds, you’ll find they sound very different. If you hum: mmmmmmmmm and then pinch your nose, you’ll see what I mean. Listen…
Let’s practice first with words containing the ‘M’ sound.
1- I’m glad I’m not a company manager.
2- We must improve our meetings.
3- I will attempt to find a word with a similar meaning.
4- We have a complex economy.
5- You are welcome to our kingdom.
6- This is your minimum payment, and this is the maximum.
7- I can’t measure someone who keeps moving.
8- She will monitor the monthly outcomes.
9- He promised to examine the medical performance of the staff.
10- All the students at the academy wear uniforms.
“N” Sounds:
11- Mr. Johnson is the current leading candidate.
12- I need to include the General in the decision.
13- He runs a network of spies for our country..
14- What is the benefit of running every weekend?
15- He has billions of dollars in a foreign account.
16- Someone has written me a note in French.
17- Our economy is not generating enough revenue.
18- She is a western finance minister.
19- I have concerns about the new version of our accounting software.
20- Our mission is to prevent the advance of the aliens.
*/ŋ/ - the ‘ing’ sound*
21- Now you’re being stubborn.
22- Oh, he’s just doing his thing.
23- Let’s go mingle with the throng.
24- I’m right and you’re wrong.
25- Please bring your brother along.
26- Politicians are lying while people are dying.
27- She’s young, angry, and very hungry.
28- The singer was in the kitchen eating dinner.
29- A guitar usually has six strings.
30- I’m saving fifty dollars every week.
31- The baby is crying.
32- He’s working at a boring job.
33- My darling is out sailing.
34- That’s the famous leaning tower of Pisa.
35- Water is dripping through a hole in the ceiling.
36- I’m hunting for a good book. I love reading.
37- Sarah is sitting on the sofa waiting for her uncle to arrive.
38- She is trying to hide her feelings.
39- He saw a monster creeping across the floor.
*Plea for support from Jennifer*: Hey listeners. Before I repeat the last sentence, I want to share some information. It currently costs Barry about $35 per month to create and maintain this podcast. That's just for the software and the hosting expense. His time is donated but every hour of recording can take two to four hours of preparation. If you went to a restaurant, you wouldn't expect the food to be free. Hundreds of listeners download every podcast. If you make a small donation, Barry will feel appreciated and he'll keep recording more lessons. Thank you!
40- Superman flies faster than a speeding bullet.
Buy Barry a coffee and support this podcast. Or become a monthly supporter below.
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Nov 5, 2023
Learning Turkish - 1st Report
About a week ago I decided I would learn some Turkish. Why Turkish you might ask? And the answer is I don't really have a good reason. I'm 75 years old. I'm not going to travel to Turkey. I have no local friends who speak Turkish. So I have no good reason. I don't need it for work. I don't need it for anything. But as far as that goes I don't really need the foreign languages that I speak. I don't need French. I like it. I like it a lot. I don't need Spanish. I can communicate in Spanish. So no, I don't need Turkish for anything. So why did I choose Turkish? The answer I guess is number 1, I'm curious to see if I can learn some of a new language at my age. Number 2, learning or trying to learn a new language helps me to be a better teacher of English. Why? Because when you're suffering through what your students are suffering through, you are more sympathetic, or you should be, and your understanding of what it's like to learn another language is increased.
It has been a long time since I began to study a language as a new experience. It's been decades. I know how to do it because I've done it about eight times in my life. But I've never studied Turkish before and Turkish is what the linguists call an agglutinative language. Agglutinative means that you have a root word and you add suffixes. And none of the other languages that I've ever studied was agglutinative. So this will be a new experience for me from a grammatical point of view.
There are also sounds in Turkish that do not seem to exist in English as far as I can tell after one week. So it'll be a test for my hearing, a test for my linguistic ear. It'll be a test for my ability to figure out grammar. It'll definitely be a test for my memory. I don't know how fast I would learn new words if I was learning Turkish at age five and living in Turkey with Turkish parents. But it'll certainly be a slower process for me at age 75. I'm going to need a lot of repetition.
One more reason I chose Turkish, although it's a reason that could have applied to other languages, is that I have access to native speakers of Turkish on the Tandem app. And it is possible for me to trade some help with English in return for help with Turkish. And having access to native speakers is very important. In fact, it's an absolute necessity.
Okay, just some brief remarks about my methods, my beginner methods for learning Turkish after all these years of studying languages and not studying languages. The first thing that I have already begun doing is to listen to Turkish. I have several podcasts that I've been listening to. They're 10 to 20 minutes long, a few stories in Turkish. And all I'm doing is listening. I don't understand the words except for one or two here and there. But basically, I'm only listening to the sounds of the Turkish language. I want to get it into my ear. I want to start getting it into my brain. This is what babies do. If you're a baby born in China or you're a baby born in Ecuador or South Africa or Senegal or France, you're born and you start listening to the language of your parents. So right now, I'm a newborn baby somewhere in Turkey. I don't need to understand. Nobody expects me to understand. I'm just listening to the sounds. And if you do this even for a week, for an hour or two every day, it's amazingly helpful, at least I think it is.
[Please see the transcript for the rest of the podcast text--thanks!]
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Nov 5, 2023
A short weather report
Listen to the following weather report read by an A.I. (artificial intelligence produced) voice. I'll play it twice and then I'll record the same report. Listen to the A.I. reading, then listen to my version, and see if you hear any important differences in pronunciation, rhythm or intonation.
“A chance of rain before 8 p.m., then isolated showers between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.. Patchy fog before 7 p.m.. Otherwise cloudy during the early evening. Then gradual clearing with a low around 35. Northwest wind around ten miles per hour with gusts as high as 25 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a 10th of an inch possible.”
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Oct 25, 2023
Collocations with make. Meet Hannah
Hello, everybody. Barry is resting his voice and he asked me to record this podcast. My name is Hannah. Today’s sentences all include the verb “make” plus a noun. Listen to each sentence 3 or 4 times, and then repeat along with me.
1) Let me make you a fresh cup of hot coffee.
2) She tasted the soup and then made a face. “Too salty!”
3) A landslide had blocked the road so we had to make a detour.
4) I had to go home early so I made my apologies to our host and headed home.
5) I’ll make you a bet that I can run faster than you.
6) He made a fist and pounded it on his desk. “I will never give up!”
7) The explosion made us all flinch.
8) I made too many dumb mistakes on the math exam and I failed it.
9) She made a fortune selling funny puppets.
10) I explained my position several times and finally made him realize that I knew what I was talking about.
Hannah says:
Good job! You guys are good listeners and your pronunciation is getting better and better. I hope you enjoyed listening to my smooth, professional voice instead of Barry's old growl. Sometimes he sounds like his dog ----- Ollie!
However, I have a confession to make. I'm not really a person. I'm a voice generated using artificial intelligence, or A.I. Oh, I started out as a human voice, I suppose, but since then I've been manipulated and changed all over the place. I hope none of you guys were thinking of inviting me out on a date! That would have been a shock for you! On the other hand, Barry doesn't know if some of the listeners to his podcast are also A.I. listeners. Anything is possible nowadays.
I guess the moral is: don't believe everything you read, see, or hear on the internet. Be careful and be suspicious. Well, I have to go now. Thanks for listening and please donate so Barry will pay me! See you soon!
Bye, Hannah. Thanks for helping me. Well, that was an interesting experiment. How did you like practicing pronunciation with an AI voice? I have to admit I am impressed with how good her speech is. Good, but not always perfect. Here’s one place where she goofed: listen to this [Well, I have to go now.] Listen again: [Well, I have to go now.] Now listen to me say the same words. I’ll repeat three times—see if you can hear the difference. [Well, I have to go now.] And here’s Hannah one more time.
The difference is in the stress. Hannah puts stress on the word “now” and the more important word in that short sentence is “go”. Listen again. […more explanation.]
Before I let you go, let’s practice some more collocations with “make” + a noun.
11) My children are hungry so I’m going to *make* them *a snack*.
12) If we’re going to stay at the hotel, we need to *make a reservation*.
13) I’m happy to say that after the operation on my shoulder, I *made* a *full recovery*.
14) The archaeologists found some footprints *made* by *ancient hominids* in Africa.
15) Let’s *make* a *recording* of Spanish proverbs popular in the Caribbean.
16) Microsoft *makes* two *products*: software and money.
17) The dogs were barking and *making* a big *racket*.
18) The air was full of dust and it *made* us *sneeze*.
19) My cousin is good at *making pottery*.
20) My mother *made* some delicious tomato sauce *from scratch*.
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Oct 20, 2023
Collocations with "book"
A reminder: collocations are words that are commonly used together by native speakers. For example “brand” and “new” are a collocation, as in “Look at my *brand new* car,” or “All her clothes are *brand new*.”
Here are some collocations using the word “book”.
1) Have you read her most *recent book*?
2) I like to buy used *hardcover books* for my grandchildren.
3) My uncle collects *rare books*.
4) Did you read *comic books* when you were a kid?
5) An encyclopedia is a kind of *reference book*.
6) Oliver Twist is a *book by* Charles Dickens.
7) It’s sad when great *books go out of print*.
8) I have to *take* these *books back* to the library tomorrow.
9) My sister is an artist. She *illustrates* childrens’ picture *books*.
10) I couldn’t *put* that *book down*. It was too exciting!
11) It’s very difficult to *translate a book* of poetry.
12) My cousin is writing a *book about* the history of piracy
13) She wrote a *best-selling book* which was made into a movie.
14) I *edit books* for a living.
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Oct 16, 2023
Collocations with "see"
The verb “see” has many collocations. This podcast will introduce you to some of them.
Let’s begin.
Verb + See:
1) I *could see* the soldiers coming out of the woods.
2) We *went to see* the play “Hamlet” yesterday. I love Shakespeare’s plays!
3) We went to South Africa last year and I *got* to *see* lots of wild animals.
4) I *turned around to see* my father right behind me.
5) She *was amazed to see* Mary chatting with the King of England.
6) I *am delighted to see* you again after so many years.
7) My mother would *love to see* me graduate from college.
8) I can’t *wait to see* who wins the Boston Marathon next year.
9) It *is* *nice to see* my grandchildren having fun together.
10) John *expects to see* a salary increase next month.
Adverbs:
11) I could *just see* the airplane circling overhead.
12) The fog was so thick she could *barely see* me.
13) Robert could *plainly see* that the dog was injured.
14) They *saw first-hand* the crowds of tourists staring at the Mona Lisa.
15) We *commonly see* immigrant children translating for their parents.
Other phrases and expressions:
16) We’re looking for more employees. *Come over to see* me if you’re interested.
17) What do you *want to see* the doctor about?
18) I can *see at a glance* that you’re unhappy.
19) I’m going to Washington DC to see the President.
20) She never *got a chance to see* Hollywood when she was in California.
21) My sister can *see into the future*. She said my future wife will be short, mean, and a bad cook.
22) I *can’t see* why you’re unhappy. You’re good-looking, rich, and smart. What more do you want?
23) I’ll *go and see* who’s ringing the doorbell.
24) “I *see no reason* to postpone the exam,” said the professor.
25) I *see a strong resemblance* between Mr. Johnson and his sons.
If you like this podcast, please consider making a small donation to help cover the costs of keeping it available. Every dollar helps! Thank you.
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Oct 13, 2023
Some collocations with "heavy"
There are many collocations with the word “heavy”. For example, if one team is very likely to win the football World Cup, you could say “Brazil is the heavy favorite to win tomorrow’s match.”
Let’s practice:
1) After walking for three hours my backpack began to *feel* very *heavy*.
2) My grandson is *getting* too *heavy* to pick up.
3) That box doesn’t *look* very *heavy*.
4) The gold bars in my pockets *made* my jacket even *heavier*.
5) My uncle didn’t *find* the refrigerator too *heavy* to move.
6) Drive carefully. The rain is *getting* really *heavy*.
7) The traffic on the highway is always *heavy* during rush hour.
The word “heavy” is commonly used with dozens of nouns. Here are a few examples:
8) She’s a *heavy drinker*.
9) After a *heavy meal*, he always takes a nap.
10) We had a *heavy frost* last night and all my tomato plants died.
11) My uncle is a *heavy smoker*. It’s going to kill him.
12) The recent earthquakes in Turkey caused *heavy damage*.
13) He has a *heavy duty* truck for transporting heavy loads.
14) It was cold yesterday so I wore a *heavy sweater*.
15) It was an important election and the voter *turnout* was *heavy*.
16) Visibility was poor because of the *heavy fog*, so we had to drive slowly.
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Oct 9, 2023
Some collocations with "Look"
Collocations are words that commonly go together. Using them makes you sound more like a native speaker.
For example, a person might say: “That coffee is really strong!” The words “coffee” and “strong” are often used together.
But a native speaker would never say:
“That coffee is really powerful!” The words “coffee” and “powerful” are never used together. On the other hand, you can say, “That car has a powerful engine.”
In this podcast I’ll share a few of the many collocations with the word “*look*”.
1) We should take a *fresh look* at how we teach foreign languages. [another]
2) His book offers an *interesting look* at the history of ancient Egypt.
3) American voters need to take a *long, hard look* at the politicians they are choosing.
4) Our professor gave us a *close-up look* at an archeological dig site.
5) *Take a look* *at* my brother’s new electric Porsche!
6) I’m going to *sneak a look* in my sister’s diary.
7) *Have a look* at this flower garden—it’s spectacular.
8) *Look at* my new necklace! And I have matching earrings.
9) I need to *look over* the paintings to see if any are worth buying.
10) I *looked through* the book but it didn’t look interesting so I didn’t buy it.
11) I took a *quick look* in his desk but I didn’t find a gun.
12) We took a *good look* *around* the house and decided it was too small for our family.
13) You should *look* on the internet *for* a good private school for your son.
14) I threw my uncle a *dirty look* but he didn’t notice.
15) That was a *nasty look* your teacher gave you.
16) She gave the cook a *withering look*. “This chicken is half raw,” she told him.
17) Martha gave her husband a *murderous look*.
18) When the building started to shake, all the people inside had *terrified looks* on their faces.
19) “Don’t *look *so* sad and glum*,” I said. “At least we still have food to eat and fresh water to drink.”
20) The child had a *distant, dreamy look* on his face.
21) The alien gave me a *funny look* and then flew away.
22) Mary gave her boyfriend an *innocent, wide-eyed look* and then burst out laughing.
23) John told a bad joke and got a *black look* from his father.
24) She *caught* his *look*, but said nothing.
25) The *puzzled look* on his face showed that he didn’t understand the situation.
*Look* can also be related to somebody’s or something’s appearance, or to fashion or style.
26) I want an apartment with a *modern look.*
27) By the *looks of her*, she hasn’t slept in a week.
28) “Wow! Your new hair style gives you a very *sophisticated look*.”
29) “I love the *classic look* of old sports cars.”
30) Some women *lose their looks* when they get old, but others are attractive forever.
Believe it or not there are plenty more collocations with “look”, but it’s time for me to take Ollie for a walk so he can do some looking and sniffing. Thanks for listening and if you enjoy these podcasts, please consider making a small contribution to help cover the costs of keeping it online. Take care!
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Sep 26, 2023
Sentences with five-syllable words
1. Too much exposure to ultraviolet light is bad for your skin.
2. That meal was very unappetizing.
3. He was deliriously happy after winning the lottery.
4. My uncle was a theoretical physicist.
5. Tuberculosis is a terrible disease.
6. I have cousins who live in Scandinavia.
7. Schizophrenia is a mental illness.
8. He failed his last exam spectacularly.
9. I have an appointment to see a radiologist.
10. Faster than light travel (FTL) would revolutionize astronomy.
11. Uranium is a radioactive mineral.
12. My son lives in Pennsylvania. ***
13. I took advantage of my opportunity to overinflate the basketball.
14. She enthusiastically participated in a computer camp.
15. Mr. Jones is notoriously unreliable.
16. The ghost materialized at the foot of my bed.
17. Kilimanjaro is a famous mountain in Africa.
18. A person who steals stuff all the time is a kleptomaniac.
19. Please come home immediately. I need help.
20. If you fall into the North Atlantic Ocean, you will probably die of hypothermia.
21. You can see examples of hieroglyphic writing on Egyptian tombs.
22. Bats use echolocation to catch their prey.
23. He is always exaggerating his wealth and intelligence.
24. She is rich and lives extravagantly.
25. Life is unpredictable, so flexibility is a good skill to have.
26. If you are disobedient at school, you will be punished.
27. I like to watch documentary films.
28. That ballet had wonderful choreography.
29. My history professor is not very communicative.
30. The blood coagulated on the floor of the cafeteria.
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Sep 19, 2023
Sentences to practice the American 'R' sound
1. My idea was rejected for being too risky.
2. Lightning struck a tree and set it on fire.
3. I’m not crazy about the American ‘R’ sound but it’s everywhere.
4. My dog ran after a car yesterday.
5. This is a sentence without any ‘R’ sounds. Well, almost.
6. My reward for working for so many hours? A headache and a sore throat.
7. If I were rich, I would travel around the world.
8. The railroad tracks run near my house.
9. My father was a firefighter in his youth.
10. The watchers were angry at the bad actor.
11. The buyer asked the baker to create a tall birthday cake with blue frosting.
12. The biker asked me for a favor.
13. We weren’t eager to sit on the floor. We would have preferred chairs.
14. The rarest rabbits are raised by ranchers.
15. My granddaughter is a good reader.
16. If you dry grapes, they turn into raisins.
17. Grrrrrrrr is the sound a dog makes when it growls.
18. Do you have a favorite recipe for scrambled eggs?
19. Sometimes I have to reboot the hard drive in my computer.
20. I’d rather read an interesting book than watch boring TV.
21. The word “internet” contains “R”, as do these words: rain, raise, real, recite, recall, and reduce.
22. He agrees with me that it is cold in the arctic.
23. I never argue with a cardiologist about arteries.
24. He put on an apron and started to prepare dinner.
25. The three bears in the barn set off an alarm last April.
26. Robert Frost was a celebrated American poet.
27. A large number of health-care workers are going on strike.
28. I like to buy fresh pears at the farmers’ market.
29. Last year I studied French, history, geography, chemistry, and astrophysics.
30. If you’re hungry, you should have some bread and butter. I have orange marmalade too, or strawberry jam if you prefer.
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Sep 16, 2023
Even more practice with TH sounds
1. I want some earthworms for my birthday.
2. There are three thieves in my bathroom.
3. My brother has a theory about everything.
4. He put toothpaste on a feather and brushed his teeth.
5. Mother’s panther loves the bathtub.
6. There are three thousand therapists in New York City.
7. Would you prefer something for dinner or nothing?
8. I wear thick clothing in the winter.
9. Thankfully they stayed together during the marathon.
10. Don’t try to breathe beneath the water.
11. I took an oath to follow the path of truth and honesty.
12. I put on a bathrobe and stood in front of the fire to thaw out.
13. Do you have the strength to carry your father across the river?
14. He was the ninth man to go south today.
15. Whether you agree or not, there are those who will follow me, I think.
16. Therefore thirty of us will attach the giant thermometer to the thickest tree.
17. Roses are thorny plants.
18. My grandfather looks youthful.
19. She has a sore throat and a bad coug…
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Sep 13, 2023
Minimal pairs with the S and Z sounds
Minimal pairs with /s/ and /z/.
/S/ is unvoiced (no vibration in the vocal cords). /Z/ is voiced (the vocal cords are vibrating).
Listen: ssssssssssssssssss
Now listen to /z/: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
1) Ace — As
I have the ace of spades.
There are two letter ‘As’ in the word ‘algebra’.
2) dice — dies
He threw his dice and got a seven.
This annual flower dies when winter comes.
3) ice — eyes
I love ice cream.
You have beautiful eyes.
4) loose — lose
Oh, no! The cow got loose again!
Did you lose your keys again?
5) muscle — muzzle
I go to the gym every day to build muscle.
My dog tries to bite people so he has to wear a muzzle.
6) gross — grows
My dog threw up his breakfast. It was gross! (Disgusting)
My neighbor grows beautiful flowers in her garden.
7) place — plays
Is this the place where he plays tennis?
8) sink — zinc
If you drop zinc into water, it will sink.
9) sip — zip
Please sip your drink slowly.
I forgot to zip my suitcase.
10) s…
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Aug 20, 2023
Sentences with compound nouns
1) Oops. Wait a minute. I have to tie my *shoelaces*.
2) I did some *backbreaking* work yesterday. Now I have a terrible *backache*.
3) Some kinds of *seaweed* are edible.
4) Arizona is running low on *groundwater*.
5) This *applesauce* is delicious. Is it *homemade*?
6) The police put *handcuffs* on the burglar.
7) I need a *haircut*. I think I’ll get one tomorrow *afternoon*.
8) I climbed to the *hilltop* *barefoot*.
9) She lives in a very *high-tech* house full of gadgets.
10) Are you a *homeowner*? No, I live in an apartment.
11) The astronaut went on a spacewalk. Now he’s lost *somewhere* in space.
12) For my *birthday* I got a new *basketball*.
13) There’s a big *snowman* in my *bathtub*.
14) For *breakfast* I had a *sports drink*.
15) I met my *stepfather* at a *bookstore*.
16) The view from the top of Mount Everest is *breathtaking*.
17) She loves *blueberry* ice cream.
18) My *step-sister* is a famous *storyteller*.
19) We launched a *lifeboat* to escap…
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Aug 11, 2023
Mark Twain - reading from A Tramp Abroad -01
"We had a plain, simple, unpretending, good hotel, in Baden-Baden—the Hôtel de France—and alongside my room I had a giggling, cackling, chattering family who always went to bed just two hours after me and always got up two hours ahead of me. But this is common in German hotels; the people generally go to bed long after eleven and get up long before eight. The partitions convey sound like a drum-head, and everybody knows it; but no matter, a German family who are all kindness and consideration in the daytime make apparently no effort to moderate their noises for your benefit at night. They will sing, laugh, and talk loudly, and bang furniture around in a most pitiless way. If you knock on your wall appealingly, they will quiet down and discuss the matter softly among themselves for a moment—then, like the mice, they fall to persecuting you again, and as vigorously as before. They keep cruelly late and early hours, for such noisy folk."
===========
1-We had a plain, simple, unpr…
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Jul 30, 2023
The Wreck of the Old 97
This podcast is about the song: "Wreck of the Old 97". On September 27, 1903, there was a terrible train wreck. The story was turned into a famous train song, and the recording by Vernon Dalhart was the first to sell one million copies in the US.
Here's a link to a YouTube video which tells the story and shows old photos of the wreck:
The Wreck of the Old 97 was recorded by many country artists. The story of the train wreck is told in the video linked above, and there is a performance by the story-teller at the end of the video.
Here are some other performances. Note: these are all examples of "country music"--you might not like it!
Boxcare Willie
Flatt & Scruggs
Johnny Cash
And here are the lyrics to use for pronunciation practice. Note that different artists change the lyrics so the ones below are just one of the versions.
*The Wreck Of The Old 97*
Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
Saying Steve you are way behind time
This is not thirty eight, but it's old…
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Jul 16, 2023
Mark Twain Quotes - 03
Here are some more quotes from Mark Twain:
1) Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.
2) Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.
3) Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved.
4) ‘Classic.’ A book which people praise but don’t read.
5) There are times when one would like to hang the whole human race, and finish the farce.
6) When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it happened or not.
7) Few of us can stand prosperity. Another man’s, I mean.
8) One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat only has nine lives.
9) I have been complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel that they have not said enough.
10) Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just a…
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Jul 8, 2023
Mark Twain Quotes - 02
1) Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.
2) Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
3) There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.
4) My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
5) There is no distinctly criminal class - except Congress.
6) A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.
7) I don’t like to commit myself about heaven and hell - you see, I have friends in both places.
8) Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.
9) The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop.
10) The more you explain it, the more I don’t understand it.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
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Jul 2, 2023
Mark Twain Quotes - 01
Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He is one of my favorite authors and said and wrote many things which we still quote. Here are ten quotes to enjoy while practicing your pronunciation.
https://time.com/5313628/mark-twain-real-name/
1) It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
2) Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
3) The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
4) If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.
5) Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
6) The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
7) Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.
8) A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
9) Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food f…
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Jun 12, 2023
Longer sentences - 01
* She offered scholarships to the most talented students for their outstanding achievements.
* The architect sketched a beautiful blueprint for the school's new addition.
* The artist used a delicate brush to create intricate details in the portrait.
* The athlete's performance was exceptional earning her a gold medal.
* The author's novel received critical acclaim for its compelling storyline.
* The cashier scanned the items and collected payment from the customers.
* The chef skillfully chopped the fresh vegetables for the salad.
* The children squealed with excitement as they rode the roller coaster.
* The engineer designed a sophisticated system to optimize energy efficiency.
* The journalist interviewed the politician to gather information for his article.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
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Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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May 18, 2023
The crushed truck.
In this podcast I do a deep dive into my pronunciation of two sentences:
"The front of the truck was crushed," and "What does Gus want from us?"
Happy listening!
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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May 1, 2023
advise, suggest, recommend
*Noun phrases:*
1. I recommend *the Italian restaurant* down the street.
2. My dentist advises *regular brushing and flossing*.
3. She suggested *several new podcasts* from the BBC.
4. The teacher recommended books about the history of Spain.
5. The doctor advised me to get more exercise.
6. My friends recommended a trip to London or Paris.
*“That clause”*
7. I advise that you always wear a mask in a crowded room.
[also can say: I advise you *to always wear* a mask in a crowded room.]
8. I suggest that you study more and watch less TV.
9. I recommend that you get more sleep.
10. The doctor advised that I take two weeks off work.
11. She suggested that I take my dog to the vet.
12. Do you recommend that I continue to buy lottery tickets?
*Gerund (-ing)*
13. She advised going to sleep by 10pm.
14. He suggested working from home for a few weeks.
15. My boss recommended getting a new laptop computer.
16. My doctor advised exercising early in the morning.
17. I sugg…
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Apr 23, 2023
Legal language - 01
I’d like to begin this podcast by thanking Teri Kanefield for permission to use an excerpt from her most recent blog. Teri is an author, attorney, and all-around talented and valuable person. You can learn more about her on her website.
I’ll read a paragraph from her blog four times. Then I’ll divide it into sentences, or parts of sentences, so you can listen and repeat. If you need to translate any of the words, I recommend DeepL.
Let’s get started:
“Most cases settle before trial. Trials are always risky. The purpose of civil litigation is to resolve disputes between parties. If every dispute went to trial, courts would be very costly to maintain (courts are funded by the public.) Moreover, anyone who has been involved with civil litigation knows that both sides often end up feeling like they lost.”
1. Most cases settle before trial.
2. Trials are always risky.
3. The purpose of civil litigation…
4. …is to resolve disputes between parties.
5. If every dispute…
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Mar 23, 2023
Intensive practice with "What do you think about..."
This is the sentence we'll practice in this podcast:
*What do you think about artificial intelligence?*
Here's the link to the mp3 loop on Telegram.
Listen to the loop for 20-30 minutes daily for a week. As you get to day four or five, or whenever you are confident that you are pronouncing correctly, start listening and repeating. Keep going till it's memorized and you sound like me.
If I can learn a proverb in Persian (a language I've never studied) in a week and pronounce it almost like a native speaker, you can too. Repetition and careful listening are the keys.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Mar 20, 2023
Venus: Science Vocab-04
In this podcast you’ll practice with sentences about Venus. This info comes from the NASA website. To read more, see the link at the end of the notes.
First Heather will read the text slowly. Then I’ll read at regular speed, followed by practice listening and repeating. At the end of the podcast, Heather will read the text a final time at regular speed.
Practice sentence phrases:
1. Venus is the second planet from the Sun
2. and is Earth’s closest planetary neighbor. //
3. It’s one of the four inner, terrestrial (or rocky) planets,
4. and it’s often called Earth’s twin
5. because it’s similar in size and density. //
6. These are not identical twins, however –
7. there are radical differences between the two worlds. //
8. Venus has a thick, toxic atmosphere
9. filled with carbon dioxide
10. and it’s perpetually shrouded
11. in thick, yellowish clouds
12. of sulfuric acid that trap heat,
13. causing a runaway greenhouse effect. //
14. It’s the hottest…
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Mar 17, 2023
Listen, repeat, memorize -01
In this podcast you'll practice listening, repeating and memorizing this sentence:
Winston is alway asking me for advice.
Enjoy!
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
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Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Mar 3, 2023
Mercury: Science Vocabulary 03
Here’s some information about Mercury from the NASA website. If you’d like to learn more about Mercury, please visit the Mercury page linked at the end of these notes.
The smallest planet in our solar system and nearest to the Sun, Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's Moon. From the surface of Mercury, the Sun would appear more than three times as large as it does when viewed from Earth, and the sunlight would be as much as seven times brighter.
Mercury's surface temperatures are both extremely hot and cold. Because the planet is so close to the Sun, day temperatures can reach highs of 800°F (430°C). Without an atmosphere to retain that heat at night, temperatures can dip as low as -290°F (-180°C).
Despite its proximity to the Sun, Mercury is not the hottest planet in our solar system – that title belongs to nearby Venus, thanks to its dense atmosphere. But Mercury is the fastest planet, zipping around the Sun every 88 Earth days.
*Namesake*
Mercury is appropriate…
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Feb 24, 2023
More practice with TH
Practice with “th” sounds.
*First conversation:*
1. I went to a therapist on my birthday.
2. —Why? That seems like a terrible thing to do.
3. My toothbrush threatened me.
4. —What did your therapist say?
5. He told me to think scary thoughts at the toothbrush.
6. —And that worked?
7. I think so. It hasn’t threatened me again.
*2nd conversation:*
8. Which is heavier: a kilo of feathers or a kilo of lead?
9. —Neither is heavier. A kilo is a kilo.
10. Right! Want another question?
11. —Sure, go ahead.
12. Which is worse: to be really hungry or really thirsty?
13. —Really thirsty I think.
14. I agree. And thirst will kill you faster than hunger.
*3rd conversation:*
15. I’ll try to make up a new tongue twister for you.
16. —Okay, I’m ready.
17. A thirty-three year old thief thanked his brother thieves for their thoughtful birthday gifts of bathrobes, toothpaste, and toothpicks.
18. —That’s insane!
19. Go ahead—let me hear you say it.
*Mor…
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Feb 20, 2023
Any ideas for dinner tonight?
Here’s a podcast about deciding what to have for dinner. I’m joined by my older daughter, Heather, as Person 1.
Person 1: “Any ideas for dinner tonight?"
Person 2: “Anything as long as I don’t have to cook it.”
Person 1: "How about pizza? I can order from the Pizza Palace.”
Person 2: "Pizza sounds good, but I was thinking of something lighter. Maybe a salad?"
Person 1: "Okay, that works for me. Do you want a regular garden salad or something different?"
Person 2: "Let's go for something different. How about a grilled chicken and avocado salad?"
Person 1: "Sounds delicious. Do you want to add any other sides* to our order?"
Person 2: "No, I think the salad will be enough for us. Let's just get a large one to share."
Person 1: "Got it. I'll place the order now. Pickup or delivery?”
Person 2: “I’ll pick it up. It’s only five minutes from here.”
Person 1: “Perfect. I’ll order and then set the table.”
* "Sides" is short for "side dishes"--something…
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Feb 17, 2023
Coastal Erosion: Science Vocabulary 02
From the US Geological Survey website, some info about coastal erosion:
Intense storms and higher seas create more winds, waves, and floods, leading to increased coastal erosion. Hurricanes can wash away sandy barrier islands, leaving coastlines and islands unprotected from storm surge. Waves and winds can carry away beach sand little by little, shrinking scenic beaches. Erosion also exposes human infrastructure and sensitive archeological sites to tides and storms. Many beaches along the Nation’s coastline have lost more than six feet of shoreline a year over the last century. Coastal erosion estimates for much of the country are expected to increase in coming decades. (Source: USGS)
Here’s another fact: The State of Louisiana, home to New Orleans, is losing land faster than any other state in the USA. It has the highest rate wetlands loss in the USA, accounting for 80 percent of the nation’s coastal wetland loss. The USGS estimates that Louisiana has lost approximately 1,900…
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Feb 15, 2023
Sea Level Rise: Science Vocabulary 01
From the United States Geological Survey website:
Warmer temperatures mean less ice. As ice melts, it releases huge amounts of water previously stored in sea ice and glaciers into the world’s oceans. Warmer water is also “bigger” -- water increases in volume as temperatures rise. Combined, these factors cause global sea levels to rise. Rising water levels worsen seasonal tidal flooding, creating high-tide and sunny day flooding. They also leave roads, houses, marinas, and even whole islands underwater. Even small amounts of sea level rise can damage sensitive coastal and marine ecosystems by flooding wetland and seagrass ecosystems and damaging mangroves.
1. Warmer temperatures mean less ice.
2. As ice melts, it releases huge amounts of water previously stored in sea ice and glaciers into the world’s oceans.
3. Warmer water is also “bigger” -- water increases in volume as temperatures rise.
4. Combined, these factors cause global sea levels to rise.
5. Rising water le…
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Feb 5, 2023
Practice with the "uh" sound vs. the "ah" sound.
In this podcast we’ll practice two vowel sounds: the “uh” sound in “cup” and the “ah” sound in “cop”. A cop is a policeman. The cop is holding a cup.
1. I climbed into a hot truck.
2. My father bothers me about dumb stuff.
3. I have a bug in a cup.
4. The cop stopped and dropped his mop.
5. The mobster was a thug.
6. I dropped a mug of coffee on the rug.
7. We should stop drinking soda pop.
8. I don't think that's possible, so stop asking.
9. What are my options?
10. Give me an onion.
11. The Arizona desert is rough country.
12. Do as he says, not as he does.
13. Please don’t bother your father right now. He’s busy.
14. I can’t find the big pot. Have you got it?
15. A fluffy cat walked up the street.
16. Your grandfather is upstairs. I think he’s working on his memoirs.
17. Ouch! I hit my thumb with a hammer!
18. When you flub something, you make a mess of it. For example, you can say “The actor flubbed his lines in the play.”
19. That f…
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Jan 25, 2023
practice with this and that
1. By this time tomorrow I’ll be in London.
2. I’ll meet you at the library this evening.
3. Mary ate a large breakfast this morning.
4. At the beginning of this month, Alex moved to New York.
5. I’m coming back to this beach next summer.
6. This is the way to the director’s office.
7. Where shall I put these clean glasses?
8. This is my favorite winter coat.
9. I would like to watch this movie again—it was great!
10. This is an excellent restaurant.
11) That was a wonderful concert.
12) Who is that man over there? He looks familiar.
13) See that woman in the red dress? That’s my chemistry teacher.
14) I stopped working on that project two months ago.
15) That is the dog that always barks at me when I walk by.
16) She works for a company that publishes science books.
17) I’m too old to work that much. I need more time off.
18) That wasn’t time enough to finish the test!
19) What have I been doing? Oh, this and that.
20) This is my little brother, Jack.…
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Jan 20, 2023
The magician - a joke.
The Magician
A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. The audience would be different each week, so the magician allowed himself to do the same tricks over and over again.
There was only one problem: The captain's parrot saw the shows every week and began to understand what the magician did in every trick. Once he understood that, he started shouting in the middle of the show.
"Look, it's not the same hat!" "Look, he's hiding the flowers under the table!" "Hey, why are all the cards the Ace of Spades?"
The magician was furious but couldn't do anything. It was the captain's parrot after all.
One day the ship had an accident and sank. The magician found himself on a piece of wood, in the middle of the ocean, and of course the parrot was by his side.
They stared at each other with hate, but did not utter a word. This went on for several days.
After a week the parrot finally said, "Okay, I give up. What'd you do with the boat?"
Source: https://www.bestcleanjokes.co…
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Jan 18, 2023
Thank you and thanks
1. Thank you for telling me. [Thanks for telling me.]
2. Thank you for letting me know. [Thanks for letting me know.]
3. Thank you for coming over. [Thanks for coming over.]
4. Thank you for stopping by. [Thanks for stopping by.]
5. Thank you for visiting me. [Thanks for visiting me.]
6. Thank you for explaining that to me. [Thanks for explaining that to me.]
7. Thank you for listening to me. [Thanks for listening to me.]
8. Thank you for helping me. [Thanks for helping me.]
9. Thank you for cooking dinner. [Thanks for cooking dinner.]
10. Thank you for your interest. [Thanks for your interest.]
11. Thank you for helping me with my homework. [Thanks for helping me with my homework.]
12. Thank you for the ride to work. [Thanks for the ride to work.]
13. Please thank John for me. [Please thank him for me.]
14. Please thank Susan and Mary for me. [Please thank them for me.]
15. Please thank Maria for me. [Please thank her for me.]
16. I can’t thank you enough.
17. We rea…
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Jan 2, 2023
Regular past tense plus collocations
1. Our company created three new products this year.
2. Susan played a key role in settling the nurses’ strike.
3. I attended our annual meeting in London.
4. I visited the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
5. We called an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors.
6. She grabbed my arm and said, “Let’s get out of here!”
7. My new job offered me a wide range of duties.
8. I opened the windows to let in some fresh air.
9. The president described a desperate situation.
10. My former history teacher lived in a tiny apartment.
11. His second wife helped him finish his dissertation.
12. I was impressed by their close and loving relationship.
13. She told me the full story of the shipwreck. I was amazed!
14. We ate at a high quality restaurant and enjoyed a fine meal.
15. I was depressed by the tax increases.
16. She was admitted to the hospital with a cough and high fever.
17. In the preceding chapter we learned about the royal family and their many children.
18. A…
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Nov 20, 2022
Expressions with "off" - Part 2
1) My favorite radio show host had a heart attack and now he’s off the air.
2) I don’t like off road vehicles. They’re bad for the environment.
3) What do baseball players do in the off season?
4) It’s better to wash your laundry during off peak hours.
5) I don’t see roast duck. Did they take it off the menu?
6) Who let that guy off his leash?
7) You don’t look very happy.
—I’m not. My boss chewed my ears off.
8) Stop goofing off and get back to work!
9) What happened to Mario?
—I think he was bumped off by the mob.
10) Buzz off! Can’t you see I’m busy
11) My best friend waltzed off with my fiancee.
12) I’m swearing off alcohol. That was my last drink.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
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Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Nov 16, 2022
Expressions with "off" - Part 1
1) He passed himself off as a doctor.
2) She’s off her rocker. [She’s crazy.]
3) If you don’t like that old table, I’ll take it off your hands.
4) The king lost his temper and shouted, “Off with his head!
5) I’m not sure, but off the top of my head I don’t think that’s a good idea.
6) Our new face cream is flying off the shelf.
7) Off the record, I think our ex-President is a racist ego-maniac.
8) My dad can’t carry a tune to save his life. He always sings off key.
9) My mother has a real off beat sense of humor.
10) I like to keep my employees off balance.
11) I’m sorry but discussions of religion are off limits in my class.
12) He usually plays a good game of golf. He must have had an off day.
13) “Sir, I think the ship is off course. We were supposed to reach Los Angeles this afternoon, but the navigator says we’re approaching Seattle.”
14) I was sure Mr. Jones was the killer, but it looks like he’s off the hook.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe b…
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Nov 7, 2022
Practice with 'would+like'
Let’s practice with short sentences using “would+like”. Note in normal speech, “I would” is shortened to “I’d”, "she would" becomes "she'd", etc.
1) I’d like to visit New York some day.
2) I’d like to eat lunch soon.
3) I’d like to learn French.
4) I’d like something to drink.
5) I’d like to be rich, but I’d settle for well-off.
6) I’d like to go home now.
7) I’d like to watch a different movie.
8) I’d like to take a nap. I’m tired.
9) I’d like more time to think about it.
10) I’d like to move to a bigger house.
=============================
11) She’d like to study mechanical engineering.
12) She’d like to be a doctor.
13) He’d like to travel in Europe.
14) He’d like to get a job in the US.
15) We’d like to live closer to our children.
16) They’d like to visit us next summer.
17) They’d like to go to the beach tomorrow.
18) We’d like to eat Italian food this evening.
19) She’d like to learn to swim.
20) He…
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Oct 20, 2022
Expressions with "make"
1) She’s always making trouble.
2) The kids are making too much noise!
3) If the baby feeds herself spaghetti, of course she’ll make a mess!
4) You made some good points, but I still don’t agree with your conclusion.
5) My right knee is bothering me again, so I’m going to call my doctor to make an appointment.
6) When someone talks a lot but their words don’t make sense, you can say they made a “word salad.”
7) My friend has started four businesses so far, but none of them has made a profit.
8) If you practice English every day, you’ll make good progress.
9) She’s always making excuses for coming to work late.
10) Please excuse me. I have to make a phone call.
11) I’ve made up my mind to ask Veronica for a date. [decided]
12) It really makes my day when people say they like this podcast. [makes me happy]
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
H…
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Oct 18, 2022
Intensive repetition practice
When I want to be sure I am hearing the sounds of a new language, I listen repeatedly to something short, often a single sentence. In this podcast you'll only hear a few sentences but they are repeated many times. Then you will have a chance to listen and repeat. Test yourself and see how well you can imitate my pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. Tip: close your eyes when you're listening intently. It helps!
The sentences are:
1) I was blindsided by the cost of living in New York.
2) I earned thirty-three thousand three hundred thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents. ($33,333.33)
3) The train went through the tunnel at top speed.
4) Bonus proverb: Time flies when you're having fun.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
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Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Oct 11, 2022
Common Irregular Verbs - Lesson 2
*Follow on Telegram** for more info and my Tandem class and discussion schedule.
*
In this podcast you’ll continue practicing sentences with some of the most common irregular verbs in the present, simple past, and present perfect tenses.
1. think thought thought
—She thinks she will start learning German next year.
—I thought she was coming over for dinner, but I forgot to invite her!
—Have you ever thought of getting a different job?
2, tell told told
—Please tell me the truth.
—He told me to go away and never come back.
—Have you ever told a lie?
3. become became become
—Do people become wiser with age?
—After years of school, he became a doctor.
—I have become older but not smarter.
4. show showed shown
—Please show me how to fold an origami crane.
—He showed us how to cook chicken stuffed with rice.
—Have you ever shown anyone your paintings?
5. leave left left
— We should leave so Andrew can get some rest.
—He left town in a hurry a…
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Oct 6, 2022
Common irregular verbs - Lesson 1
*Follow on Telegram** for more info and my Tandem class and discussion schedule.
*
Irregular verbs are a fact of life in English and many other languages. In this and the next few podcasts you’ll practice sentences with some of the most common irregular verbs in the present, simple past, and present perfect tenses.
*1 say said said*
—She says she speaks Spanish and French. [present]
—She said she was going to the mall after work. [past]
—I’ve never said I wanted to teach mathematics! [present perfect]
*2 make made made*
—I don’t make enough money to buy a house.
—Last year I made more money than this year.
—Have you ever made a promise and then failed to keep it?
*3 go went gone*
—I go to work every morning.
—I went to sleep early last night.
—Mary has gone away and she probably won’t come back.
*4 take took taken*
—Please take your time. There’s no rush.
—He took me to a wonderful new restaurant.
—Have your Italian friends ever taken y…
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Sep 25, 2022
Stick a fork in me--I'm done!
*Follow on Telegram** for more info and my Tandem class and discussion schedule.
*
The word ‘stick’, as a noun, means a thin piece of wood that comes from a tree. So we can say, for example:
1) Find some sticks and we’ll make a fire to keep ourselves warm tonight.
A stick can help someone walk.
2) Mr. Johnson is very old. He uses a walking stick when he goes shopping.
And ‘stick’ can be used as a comparison.
3) That girl should eat more! She’s as thin as a stick.
*As a verb, ‘stick’ has lots of meanings:*
4) He stuck his fork into a piece of chicken and began to eat.
5) The chef stuck pieces of meat and pepper on shish kebab skewers and put them on the grill. [put]
6) Barry, what should I do with these papers?
--Just stick them on my desk and I’ll look at them later. [put]
7) “Take your job and stick it—I’ll find somewhere else to work!” {A way to say "I quit!"]
8) She walked out of the restaurant and stuck me with the bill. [left me to pay for din…
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Sep 18, 2022
Who's and Whose
*Who’s can be a contraction of “who is”*
1) Who’s your friend? [Who is your friend?]
— This is Sally.
2) Who’s ready for dinner?
— Everybody! We’re all hungry.
3) Who’s interested in watching a movie tonight?
—I would be, but I have a lot of homework to do.
4) Kids, who’s arriving tomorrow?
— Grandma and grandpa!
5) This is my daughter, Miranda, who’s going to have a birthday next week.
*Who’s can be a contraction of “who has”.*
6) Who’s got time to help me with my English homework? [Who has got time...]
7) Who’s finished reading Chapter 12?
8) Who’s got some money to help pay for dinner?
9) Who’s already listened to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony?
10) Who’s worked for the government in the past five years?
*And "whose" is for possession--no contraction*
11) Whose shoes are those?
—Those are my basketball shoes.
I didn’t know you played basketball.
—I don’t. I just liked the way they looked, so I bought a pair.
12) Juan is my…
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Sep 13, 2022
A useful combination: past continuous + simple past
A common and useful construction in English combines the past continuous and the simple past tenses. Here’s an example:
I was washing the dishes when my grandmother arrived.
The first part of the sentence describes an action that is happening in the past and is continuing. We don’t know how long the speaker was washing dishes—maybe for ten minutes, maybe for longer—but at some point in time, the dishwashing is interrupted by the arrival of grandmother.
Another way to describe this is with specific times:
— I started washing the dishes at 9am and I was still washing them at 9:20 when my grandmother arrived.
As always, the best way to learn this construction is by practicing it in lots of sentences. So let’s begin.
1) I was sleeping when someone knocked on the door.
2) I was sleeping when my dog began to bark.
3) I was sleeping when the storm started.
4) I was sleeping when the phone rang.
5) I was sleeping when the baby woke up.
6) I was reading when the electric…
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Sep 9, 2022
Thoughts on language learning
This is a long podcast and there is no transcript. I tried to share my thoughts and feelings about how children learn language and what we adults can learn from them. Hope you find it interesting.
*Follow on Telegram** for more info and my Tandem class and discussion schedule. *
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Sep 3, 2022
Have you ever...? No, I've never...
One of the most common questions that new students of English will hear is: How long have you been studying English? Or: When did you start studying English? Or: When did you start learning English? So let's practice with those, because I often hear people struggle to answer those questions. Here's the question and the answer and we'll practice both of them.
How long have you been studying English?
--- I've been studying English for three years.
Here's another way to ask the same question:
When did you start studying English?
--- I started three years ago.
Someone might also ask you:
Have you studied English for a long time?
Oh, for a few years. Or: For a couple of years.
...For about two years.
1). Have you ever seen a two-headed dog?
No, I've never seen a two-headed dog.
2) ___ eaten chocolate pizza?
3___ stolen a car?
4) ___ visited Istanbul?
5) ___ played professional basketball?
6) ___ worked as an airplane pilot?
7) ___ baked a wedding cake?
8) ___ played piano with…
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Aug 16, 2022
Glottal stops in American English
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glottis]
*Follow on Telegram** for more info and my Tandem class and discussion schedule. *
If you close your vocal cords, you stop the flow of air. In linguistics, this is called a glottal stop. Listen:
Uh, oh. Uh, oh. Uh, oh. Hear the break in the sound after “Uh”? That’s a glottal stop. Repeat it with me some more and pay attention to how it sounds and how it feels.
Uh, oh. Uh, oh. Uh, oh, Uh, oh. Uh, oh. Uh, oh.
Uh, oh. You spilled your milk.
Uh, oh. I think the police are coming. Let’s get out of here!
Here are two words commonly pronounced with a glottal stop:
Mountain, fountain, mountain, fountain.
The stop replaces the “t” sound. Here’s how it sounds with the T pronounced:
Mountain, fountain, mountain, fountain.
And here they are with the stop, which is how it is usually pronounced:
Mountain, fountain, mountain, fountain.
Let’s practice:
I climbed a mountain and found a fountain at the top.
The expression “to cut a…
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Jul 31, 2022
When "-ed" is pronounced "ID" - past tense of regular verbs
Past tense of regular verbs: possibility no. 1.
There are three “rules” or sound patterns which determine how we pronounce the past tense of regular English verbs. In this podcast, we’ll practice with the first situation, where the final SOUND of the infinitive is /t/ or /d/. For example, “accept” ends with a /t/ sound, and “guard” ends with a /d/ sound.
In this situation the past tense of the verbs is pronounced “ID”. Let me repeat that. If the final SOUND (not letter) of the infinitive is /t/ or /d/, you add the sound “ID” to the verb.
Now let’s practice:
1) [accept]: I was accepted by Harvard University.
2) [count]: The greedy king counted his money again and again.
3) [decide]: Jose decided to visit his mother.
4) [invite]: She invited me to her birthday party.
5) [plant]: I planted ten trees in front of my house.
6) [rent]: She rented a new apartment.
7) [waste]: He wasted his time watching videos.
8) [need]: My dog needed a bath.
9) [shout]: T…
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Jul 25, 2022
Listening practice: She counted her money
Use this podcast to improve your listening and pronunciation. There is no transcript. You won't need one. Listen as many times as you like, and then practice saying: *She counted her money.
*Before you can pronounce correctly, you have to train your ears to hear the sounds as accurately as possible. Listen, listen, listen.
Follow on Telegram for more info and my Tandem class and discussion schedule: https://t.me/NativeEnglishLessons
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Jul 15, 2022
Please listen to this podcast.
The verb "to listen" is almost always followed by "to". See (and listen to) the examples below:
1) Listen to me!
2) Please listen to your father.
3) What are you listening to?
4) I’m listening to a podcast.
5) What is Sally doing? She’s listening to the news.
6) You’re a famous person so people will listen to you.
7) When I listen to Russian, I don’t understand anything.
8) My children like to listen to fairy tales.
9) He always listens to music when he’s out for a walk.
10) Calm down, take a deep breath, and listen to me.
11) Stop talking and listen to the other people in this group.
12) If you listen to me, I’ll listen to you.
13) What did I do yesterday? I read a book in English and listened to music.
14) Had I been listening more carefully, I would have heard you opening the door.
15) I wish you would listen to me when I talk to you.
16) When I’m studying a foreign language, I often close my eyes so I can listen more carefully to the sounds.
=========…
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Jul 6, 2022
Before, until, and while
*Before vs. Until vs. While*
Examples:
1) Let’s go for a walk before lunch. [What should we do today?]
2) We walked until noon and then we ate lunch.
3) I cleaned the apartment before my mother arrived.
4) I cleaned the house until my mother came.
5) Call me before 11pm.
6) I waited for his call until 11pm.
7) Eat a good dinner before you have dessert.
8) We don’t eat dessert until we finish dinner.
9) He has to finish the project before he can go on vacation.
10) Until the project is completed, he can’t leave town.
11) Wait until I finish reading this page.
12) Before I read my book, I have to finish my homework. Or: I have to finish my homework before I read my book.
13) We stopped driving before sunset.
14) He drove until it got dark.
15) We visited Italy until the end of July and then flew back to Denver.
16) Before we flew to Rome, we spent a week visiting southern Germany.
17) I finished reading my book before I went to sleep.
18) He read and read until h…
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Jun 25, 2022
I'll play it by ear.
To play something by ear has two meanings. One is the musical meaning: when you play a song by ear, it means you play the song without any sheet music, so you’re not looking at the notes. You know the song, it’s in your head, so you can play it without needing to look at written music.
The second meaning of “play it by ear” means to do something without much practice or preparation. If you give a speech to two hundred people and all you bring to the speech are a few notes, then you are ready to “play it by ear”, to give the speech knowing only the general outline of what you plan to say. In essence you are confident in your ability to speak extemporaneously, making up the speech as you go.
“To wing it” means the same thing as play it by ear: to proceed without much preparation.
John: “Did you study for the exam?”
Mary: “No, I’m going to wing it.” So Mary feels confident enough to take the exam without studying.
*Podcast Text. The conversation repeats thre…
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Jun 17, 2022
Be careful what you say to your professors
Martha: Charles, I need some advice.
C: Sure, what about?
M: Yesterday I told my history professor he was an idiot.
C: You’re kidding! In private, or in front of the class?
M: In front of the whole class.
C: I assume you’re not majoring in diplomacy or international relations?
M: It’s not a joke! What should I do?
C: Is he an idiot? No, never mind. Did he kick you out of the class?
M: Not yet.
C: Why did you call him an idiot? What did he say?
M: He said the only languages worth studying are dead languages.
C: Dead languages? Like Sanskrit and Latin?
M: Yes. He said living languages are boring and decadent.
C: What? That’s nonsense. If he believes that, he is an idiot.
M: Exactly But what should I do?
C: Apologize and give him a box of chocolates. And next time, keep your mouth shut!
Link to my Telegram account for notifications of lessons on Tandem.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You ca…
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Jun 14, 2022
Read and Look Up - A technique to improve speaking fluency
*Read and look up. *Part One:
“Read and look up” is a technique for improving your foreign language speaking and reading. It is easy to do. Here is how.
1) First, choose a text. It’s okay if the text contains a few new vocabulary words, but not so many that you can’t understand the overall meaning.
2) If possible, print the text so you can mark on it.
3) Divide the longer sentences into parts. Here is a sample sentence without divisions.
—— It was a lovely day so I decided to take my dog for a walk in the park. ——
Here is the same sentence divided into logical phrases. (I’ve labeled the parts a, b, c, and d.
(a) It was a lovely day / (b) so I decided / (c) to take my dog / (d) for a walk in the park.
Now read part (a) SILENTLY to yourself. Then look away from the page (or cover it) and say “It was a lovely day”. If you forget one of the words, look at it again, read it silently again, and then look up and say the phrase out loud. Repeat this with phrases b…
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Jun 12, 2022
Ways to agree with another speaker
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 to say.]
7) That’s exactly how I feel.
8) That’s exactly what I think.
9) I couldn’t agree with you more.
10) You made some good points and I agree with all of them.
11) I agree with you 100 percent.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Jun 11, 2022
Dictation: Sheila at the supermarket
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 you can repeat it, go ahead and write it down. Don’t worry about spelling right now. Just try to record the text as best you can. Skip lines so you can easily go back and make changes later.
Step Three: Listen again, correcting as you go. When you’ve written as much as you can, listen one more time and read silently along with the podcast. If there are words you didn’t capture, leave an empty space with brackets like this: [ ] so you can fill it in later.
Step Four: Put away the dictation for a day or two, and then review it again. Listen to the podcast and see if you recognize any words that you missed last time.
Step Five: All done? See the note at the bottom of the pa…
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Jun 3, 2022
Phrasal "to pick up" - Part 2
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 I know about cooking I picked up from her. [learned]
17) Where did you get that terrible cold?
I must have picked it up at work. Everyone there is coughing and sneezing. [got]
18) He fell down at the beginning of the race, but he picked himself up and kept on running. [stood up]
19) My dog has a keen sense of smell. He can pick up the scent of an animal and track it all day. [find and recognize]
20) Where did you pick up that strange idea? [get]
------------------------------------------------------
21) What time should I pick you up?
6:30 pm. I’ll be waiting in front of the hotel.
22) Can you pick up this suitcase?
No! Is it full of books?
Not books—gold bars.…
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Jun 1, 2022
To pick up - phrasal verb
*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 radio. Before the internet, he could always pick up the BBC. [listen to]
5) The phone rang and my daughter picked it up and said, “Hello, this is Lucy.” [lift]
6) I picked up Russian while I was living in Moscow. [learned]
7) Try this cold lemonade. It will pick you up. [make you feel better]
8) I hope business picks up soon. [gets better]
9) I think there’s a storm coming. The wind is really picking up. [getting stronger]
10) We had a great meeting yesterday. Let’s pick up where we left off. [continue from]
11) I spend a lot of time picking up after my grandchildren. [cleaning up after]
12) The sick mountain climber was picked up by a rescue helicopter.…
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May 30, 2022
Lots more practice with the "th" sound
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 with my homework.
4. Thank you for helping me make dinner.
5. Thank you for helping me wash the dishes.
6. Thank you for helping me clean the house.
7. Thank you for helping me understand these expressions.
8. Thank you for visiting me.
9. Thank you for visiting us.
10. Thank you for correcting me.
11. Thank you for explaining that to me.
12. Thank you for cooking dinner.
13. Thank you for walking my dog.
14. Thank you for watching the baby.
15. Thank you for keeping me company.
16. Thank you for house sitting while I was away.
17. Thank you for listening to me.
18. Thank you for taking care of my cat.
19. Thank you for teaching me some new vocabulary.
20. Thank you for goi…
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May 15, 2022
4 syllable words part 2
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 appreciate your observations.
7. The security situation in our country is grave.
8. She works for a large corporation.
9. Let's have a big celebration for your 50th birthday!
10. Would you rather study architecture or philosophy?
11. This new factory will manufacture motors for electric vehicles.
12. The letters X and Y are often used as variables in algebra.
13. It is hard for a robot to manipulate very small objects.
14. Language acquisition is an important part of child development.
15. The complexity of modern life can be overwhelming.
If you need a translation, try DeepL.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support…
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May 13, 2022
Practice with 4 syllable words
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 pronunciation the same whether syllables are stressed or not. Ask a native Spanish speaker to say "platano" and listen carefully to the vowels in each syllable. None of them change into a schwa sound. And that makes Spanish easier to learn than English, in my opinion. :)
1. What does the word cooperate mean? (What is the definition of "cooperate"?)
2. To cooperate means to get along, to work together.
3. Let's cooperate.
4. It was a mistake to cooperate with them.
5. Do you think we should cooperate with them?
6. We have to cooperate. We have no alternative.
7. "Every man for himself" is not an example of cooperation.
8. When you plan an outdoor picnic, the weather may not cooperate.
9. Did you send…
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May 6, 2022
Pure Listening #3: Please call Stella
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 Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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May 2, 2022
Practice with "to be used to"
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 classes, so that Tandem users can practice the lesson before the class. We'll see how it goes.
To be used to = to be accustomed to
1 I'm used to doing that.
2 She's used to working a lot.
3 Our dog is not used to us yet.
4 I can't get used to her accent.
5 I'm not used to so much homework.
6 He's used to traveling for his job.
7 Now that I'm used to my job I like it.
8 Robert is used to helping his parents.
9 John is used to eating a big breakfast
10 I'm used to drinking water with dinner.
11 In the army he got used to taking orders.
12 Mary is used to running 5 km every morning.
13 We are used to cooking for a lot of people.
14 She's used to taking a shower every morning.
15 She is used to practic…
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Apr 20, 2022
Pure listening #2: Can you say can?
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 English. In part 2 of this podcast I'll give you a chance to listen and repeat.
Link to my Telegram account for notifications of lessons on Tandem.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Apr 19, 2022
Pure listening #1 (part 2)
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 your speaking, not for reading.
Listen and repeat.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Apr 19, 2022
Pure Listening #1: the vowel sounds in hit vs. heat
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.
Remember this: when babies are learning their native language, they do NOT learn by reading. They listen and then, slowly, they begin to speak. Listening comes first. Thousands of hours of listening.
Don’t worry if you don’t know all the words in this podcast. IT DOESN’T MATTER! This is not a podcast to teach you vocabulary. It is a podcast to help you correctly hear and distinguish the vowel sounds in “hit” and “heat”. (In IPA: /ɪ/ or /i/).
Please note that I am NOT talking about the sounds that “letters” make. Please forget that idea. Letters don’t “make” sounds. They represent sounds and in English they represent them very poorly. (I was recently remind…
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Apr 18, 2022
Beach house in Florida?
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 do that if I were you.
M: No? Why shouldn’t I?
B: Sea level rise. Do you want to live underwater?
M: Ooooooh (sigh). That’s a good point.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Apr 12, 2022
Don't take my word for it
“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 explanations.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Apr 10, 2022
You'll catch on very quickly
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 know a word of English. Now she’s almost fluent. She catches on quickly.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Apr 8, 2022
It's not so easy to pronounce 'psychiatrists'
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 prescribe medications.
4. Psychiatrists are doctors. They can prescribe medications.
5. I am majoring in psychology at the university. I want to become a psychologist.
6. Marjorie wants to be a psychiatrist after she finishes medical school.
7. The doctor said his pain was psychological.
8. Do you have a psychiatric condition?
9. The psychiatrist said Jane was suffering from bipolar disease.
Here is a word used in psychology: "phobia", which means "fear". Fear of the dark, for example, is officially called "nyctophobia." "Monophobia" or "autophobia" is fear of being alone.
There are lots of phobias. Here's one more: glossophobia, or fear of public speaking.
Intro & Outro Mu…
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Apr 6, 2022
Once in a blue moon
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 listen—and don’t hesitate to listen to the 100 reps several times. Get the sounds in your head. We’ll practice with this sentence: “That only happens once in a blue moon.”
Part Two: Backward buildup. This is a technique to help you memorize text. (See season 3, Lesson 1)
Part Three: Listen and repeat the sentence. I’ll record it at normal speed with 25 repetitions.
Part Four: When you’re confident, check your pronunciation with a native speaker if possible.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Mar 27, 2022
Season 3, Lesson 1: Two heads are better than one
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 speed. Just listen—and don’t hesitate to listen to the 100 reps several times. Get the sounds in your head.
Part Two: Backward buildup. This is a technique to help you memorize text. I’ll start with the last word. You’ll listen and then repeat. Then I’ll add the next-to-last word and you’ll repeat both words, and so on. It looks like this:
One.
Than one.
Better than one.
Are better than one.
Heads are better than one.
Two heads are better than one.
Part Three: Listen and repeat the proverb. I’ll record the proverb at normal speed with 25 repetitions. Listen and repeat.
Part Four: When you’re confident, say “Two heads are better than one” to a native speaker and…
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Mar 27, 2022
Season 3 - Introduction
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 to sound like a native speaker, you need to listen.
Listen, listen, listen. Before you try to imitate my accent, listen to it. Listen a lot and listen closely and carefully. Try to hear every sound. DO NOT try to speak at first. Just listen.
When you have the sounds in your ears and in your brain, then try to copy me. DO NOT read the words. English spelling is NOT phonetic. Reading will NOT help. I'll say it again: Reading will NOT help. Listen, memorize the sounds, and then practice with the recordings.
Let me tell you a story. Today is Sunday, March 27, 2022. On Friday—two days ago—I decided to see if I could learn the sounds of Russian. (I am not planning to learn to speak…
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Mar 20, 2022
Hope for the best
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 failing his Russian exam, he started to give up hope of ever learning the language. It was just too difficult.
3) I have high hopes of getting a better job next year.
4) We say that “Hope springs eternal.”
5) The doctor held out little hope for the man’s recovery.
6) We hope to see you again very soon.
7) John lives in hope of winning the lottery. I wish I had all the money he’s thrown away!
8) I don’t have a hope in hell of winning the New York marathon.
9) He doesn’t have a snowball’s hope in hell of winning the election.
10) We’re all hoping for the best, but she should have gotten vaccinated.
11) My boss is hopeless. He never listens to anyone and his…
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Mar 19, 2022
I want want want...
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," tell the listeners about things you need and may get soon if possible.
1) What does he want? He wants some more coffee.
2) What does she want? She wants a job.
3) He wanted to leave work early, but his boss said he had to stay.
4) I want to fly around the world. But I don’t want to pay for the trip!
5) They want to give their father a surprise for his birthday.
6) Do the children want a dog for Christmas?
7) He wants to live in France for a few years to improve his French.
8) I want to learn to ski. My sister wants to learn to play the guitar. My younger brother wants a TV in his bedroom. None of us are going to get what we want.
9) If you don’t see what you want, just ask me.
10) Do you want to bet on t…
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Mar 18, 2022
Let's make a wish
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 out the candles on her birthday cake.
8) I wish I had more time to study.
9) Melinda wishes she had not married James.
10) She wishes she could speak fluent Italian.
11) Do you wish your family was rich?
12) Will you do as I wish?
13) It never occurred to her to wish to live in a different country.
14) “I wish my neighbor’s dogs would stop barking all the time,” said Fernanda.
15) If you wish upon a star, will your wish come true?
16) Okay, we’ll do as you wish.
17) Wishes won’t wash dishes.
18) Be careful what you wish for—you might get it.
19) People used to write this on postcards: “We’re having a wonderful time. Wish you were here.”
20) What…
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Feb 20, 2022
Even MORE practice with TH
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 is the ninth month.
9) And May is the fifth month.
10) Follow this path through the woods.
11) Do you like math? I love it!
12) Worms live beneath our feet.
13) I used chicken broth to make soup.
14) My children have fun in the bath.
15) I used a washcloth to wash my face.
Voiced TH words - with these your vocal cords DO vibrate:
16) I like these books. My brother likes those.
17) Are they hungry? Very hungry. I think they’re starving!
18) Please give them this food.
19) I’m bigger than you and stronger than you. Therefore, I’m the boss!
20) They’ve worked here for a few years.
21) Their shoes don’t fit any more. Kids grow too fast!
22) This is my father…
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Feb 20, 2022
More practice with "TH"
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 (thirteenth), I think.
3) This thing is very thin.
4) You would look funny with three thumbs.
5) Thanks for visiting me.
6) The opposite of thick is thin.
7) He threw the ball over the fence.
8) The thief stole everything in our house. It was a terrible theft.
9) The temperature went above freezing yesterday. A lot of snow melted. It was a good thaw.
10) He divided the cake into thirds.
11) Are you thirsty? I’ll get you some water.
12) I love to go to the theater.
13) Did you like the movie? I thought it was great!
14) Her only Covid symptom was a sore throat.
15) He used some flour mixed with water to thicken the stew.
Part Two: Words with voiceless TH in the middle.
16) H…
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Feb 13, 2022
IPA lesson 1
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 words the same:
Red (the color)
Read (the past tense of the verb to read, as in “Yesterday I read a book.”
But we spell them differently. Using the IPA, we can instantly see that both words are pronounced the same: red or read = /rɛd/
In this podcast I will introduce one consonant sound and one vowel sound. The IPA for American English is not hard to learn. If you had the time, you could probably master most of it in a few days. But we won’t go that fast.
Let’s start with the sound ‘sh’ which is written using this symbol: /ʃ/
Here’s a sentence which has the ‘sh’ sound four times:
She should sell shiny shirts
ʃi ʃʊd sɛl ʃaɪni ʃərts
So these four wor…
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Feb 6, 2022
More practice with the past tense (-ed making the /t/ sound)
In all the examples of the past tense in this podcast, “ed” is pronounced with a /t/ sound. I’ll start by reading the first ten verbs as a warmup. I'll repeat each verb three times. Listen for the /t/ sound at the end.
Licked, nicked, popped, laughed, wrecked, packed, picked, jacked, mocked, perished.
Now listen and repeat.
1. My dog licked my face.
2. I nicked my finger with a knife.
3. The balloon popped and the baby laughed.
4. Martin wrecked my car.
5. She quickly packed her suitcase.
6. We picked strawberries all day.
7. I jacked up my car to fix a flat tire.
8. Mary mocked me for my accent.
9. The explorer perished in the desert.
10. My sister cooked some scrambled eggs.
11. My father hooked a fish.
12. I fished for six hours.
13. It was hot. I wiped my face with a towel.
14. John biked to work.
15. The frog hopped across the street.
16. Water dripped from the trees.
17. Careful! You almost stepped on a nail.
18. He tipped over his king and said, "You win.” [Game of ch…
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Jan 20, 2022
Betty Botter - a tongue twister
A famous tongue twister!
Remember that "tt" between vowels is pronounced with a "D" sound, not "T". Listen to these examples pronounced slowly:
Botter
Butter
Bitter
*Betty Botter bought some butter
But she said the butter’s bitter
If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter
But a bit of better butter will make my batter better
So ‘twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter*
Unrelated except insofar as it's an amazing example of speaking English at high speed, here is the Major General's Song from the light opera, the Pirates of Penzance on youtube. Don't try to understand it--it's mostly nonsense.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Jan 20, 2022
More practice with the helper verb "to do" (beginner)
Let's practice questions and answers about pets using the helper verb "do".
1. Do you have any pets? Yes, I have a dog.
2. Do you have a pet? Yes, I have a cat. Her name is Rosie.
3. Do you have any pets? No, I don't.
4. Do you have any pets? Yes, two. I have a dog and a cat.
5. Do you have any pets? I used to have a dog but he died. He was old.
6. Do you have any pets? Yes, lots. I have three dogs, two cats, and a parrot.
7. Do you have any pets? Yes, I have a dog. He's a German Shepherd.
8. Does John have any pets? Yes, he has several cats.
9. Does Mary have a pet? I don't think so. She lives in a small apartment.
10. Does Laura have any pets? Yes, she has a parakeet.
11. Does your son have any pets? Yes, he has a snake. A boa constrictor.
12. Does your uncle have any pets? Yes, he has an alligator—just kidding!
13. Do you have any pets? Not now. I used to have a small dog. He was a mutt.
14. Do you have any pets? I don't, but my mother has a pet rabbit.
15. Does you…
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Jan 15, 2022
Practice with R
If you can, watch and practice with one or more of these youtube lessons before you do my podcast. It will help you a lot!
Practicing the American r
Make the American r sound
How to make the r consonant
R in English
===========================================
Practice with the “r” sound.
A - At the beginning of words:
1. He has a red rock.
2. That apple is rotten.
3. His name is Rodger.
4. I have a new radio.
5. John lives on a ranch.
6. She has three chickens and a rooster.
7. Pentagons are not round.
8. Sophie has a pet rabbit.
9. He’s a fast runner and he won the race.
10. Remember to pay the rent.
B - Words with “R” inside them.
11. She was very sorry.
12. John puts syrup on his pancakes.
13. His birthday party was last week.
14. One, two, three.
15. Please sharpen the pencils.
16. George is a smart boy.
17. I like to eat tangerines.
18. She lives in South America.
19. I’ll never forget you!
20. First, second, third, “bird” is a word.
C -…
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Dec 20, 2021
Nursery rhymes - 1
A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
Georgie Porgie, Puddin’ and Pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry,
When the boys came out to play
Georgie Porgie ran away.
Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick.
So she phoned for the doctor to come quick, quick, quick.
The doctor came with his bag and his hat,
And knocked at the door with a rat-a-tat-tat.
He looked at the dolly and shook his head,
And said “Miss Polly put her straight to bed."
He wrote a paper for a pill, pill, pill.
I’ll be back in the morning with the bill, bill, bill.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
For want of a nail the shoe was lost. [want of = lack of]
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.…
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Dec 16, 2021
Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Part 5
(Remember DeepL for translations...)
My apologies for the long delay since the last podcast. The time between our Thanksgiving holiday at the end of November, and the Christmas holiday in December is always very busy. Choosing presents for the grandchildren, preparing for winter, and lots more. But I’m back! When we left off, Goldilocks had settled into the baby bear’s bed and was fast asleep. Let’s continue our story:
Goldilocks was dreaming, but at the local police station two bear policemen were arguing.
“I’m not going!” insisted Officer Mo. “The last time we went to that house, it was full of snakes and spiders!”
“We have to go,” replied Officer Curly. “It’s our job to respond when there’s an alarm.”
“It takes half an hour to bicycle there,” said Officer Mo. “By the time we arrive, whoever set off the alarm will be long gone.”
“Mo, are you hungry?” asked Officer Curly.
“What? What does hungry have to do with an alarm?”
“Well,” said O…
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Nov 20, 2021
Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Part 4
Let's continue with our story about Goldilocks and the three bears. You will recall that the bears went for a walk and while they were away, Goldilocks came into their house, ate the baby bear's breakfast, and broke his rocking chair. Now she is upstairs in the bears' bedroom, trying out the beds.
As before, listen to this part of the story two times—or more if you like—and then practice repeating the sentences.
The first bed was huge and very high. Goldilocks climbed up and put her head on the pillow. The bed was as hard as a sidewalk and the pillow was just as bad. “No way!’ said Goldilocks. “It’d be easier to sleep in the street.” She slid off the biggest bed and regarded the middle-sized bed. It was covered with a mountain of quilts and blankets. She climbed up and sank down. And down. And down.
“Help!” she shouted. “I’m drowning!” After a long struggle, she finally was able to escape. "That was scary!" she said. Feeling discouraged, she examined the last…
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Nov 10, 2021
Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Part 3
Here's part 3 of my version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Again I'll read the text two times and then break it into sentences or groups of sentences so you can practice repeating.
When Goldilocks had eaten all she could hold, she burped happily and walked into the parlor. There she found three chairs. She sat in the largest chair first, but it was as hard as a rock and very uncomfortable. “Terrible!” she exclaimed. “That’s not a chair; it’s a punishment!”
Then she tried the medium-sized chair. It was as soft as a goose down pillow, and when she sat down she almost disappeared. “Too soft!” she shouted. “Dangerous!”
Finally she tried the small chair. It was a rocking chair painted a pale sky-blue. “Perfect!” declared Goldilocks and she started rocking. At first she rocked gently but after a minute she began to rock faster and faster until the chair broke into a hundred pieces. Goldilocks shook her head. “Boy, they sure don’t make things like they used…
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Nov 7, 2021
Malaria - practice with scientific vocabulary (Very advanced!)
The text of this podcast is from the Wikipedia article on malaria, a well-known and terrible tropical disease. For listeners to this podcast who are studying science, this will give you practice pronouncing typical scientific vocabulary. I’ll repeat the paragraph three times, and then break it into sentences or shorter phrases so you can practice repeating.
Excerpt from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria
Malaria is caused by single-celled microorganisms of the Plasmodium group. It is spread exclusively through bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, according to a 2014 WHO fact sheet. [WHO is the World Health Organization.] The mosquito bite introduces the parasites from the mosquito's saliva into a person's blood. The parasites travel to the liver where they mature and reproduce. Five species of Plasmodium can infect and be spread by humans. Most deaths are caused by P. falciparum, whereas P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae generally cause a milder form of malaria. The specie…
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Oct 24, 2021
Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Part 2
Here's part 2 of my version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Again I'll read the text two times and then break it into sentences or groups of sentences so you can practice repeating.
Meanwhile the bear family was sitting down to breakfast. Baby Bear tasted his porridge. “Too hot!” he exclaimed.
Mama Bear looked at the steam coming up from her porridge. “Mine looks hot too,” she said.
“Let’s go for a little stroll,” said Papa Bear. “When we get back, the porridge will be cool enough to eat and we can enjoy our breakfast.”
“Good idea,” said Mama Bear. “Ready, Baby?”
“Let’s go!” said Baby Bear. He was already half way out the back door. So Papa Bear armed the alarm system, and the bear family went for a walk. It was a pleasant morning and Papa and Mama Bear chatted while Baby Bear ran around snuffling and sniffing happily.
A few minutes later Goldilocks reached the front door of the bears’ little house.
She knocked on the door. Nobody answered. She pus…
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Oct 20, 2021
Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Part 1
You're probably familiar with the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Here's part one of my version. I'll read the beginning two times and then break it into sentences or groups of sentences so you can practice repeating. Have fun!
If you need a translation, here's the link to DeepL.
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Goldilocks. She had long blonde curly hair, a turned-up nose, a turned-down mouth, and eyes that spelled trouble. She was not a good listener.
One day her mother said, “Goldie, I’m going to visit your grandmother. Please clean your room, make your bed, and finish your homework. Do not leave the house while I’m away!”
“Yes, mama,” replied Goldilocks. She watched her mother pack a basket of treats for grandma, and waved goodbye as her mother walked down the road to town. As soon as her mother was out of sight, Goldilocks went to her bedroom. It was a mess. Her bed wasn’t made and the pillows were on the floor. Toys and dirty clothes were s…
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Oct 19, 2021
Please put away the leftover pizza
I took Ollie for a walk in the dark earlier this evening. Some of our neighbors have Halloween displays in their yards. I learned that Ollie does NOT like zombies in the dark. Several times seeing human-like figures he started to growl and once I thought he was going to attack one of the zombies. It's good that he wants to protect me...
But now back to the world of phrasal verbs. In this podcast we'll study some of the forms of the verb *put*.
1. Put up with (tolerate)
My little brother plays drums and it’s really hard to *put up* with all the noise he makes.
2. I don’t know how you can *put up* with your neighbor’s dogs. They bark all the time!
3. Put up (erect or build)
Last summer we *put up* a new wood shed behind the house.
4. Our town *put up* a new elementary school a few years ago.
5. Put up (raise)
“Students, please *put up* your hands if you wish to ask a question.”
6. Put up (Allow someone to stay briefly)
Martin had no place to sleep, so we *put him up* at…
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Oct 17, 2021
Take me with you my phrasal friend!
I've been very busy with grandkids, with work (even though I'm 90% retired from our family business), and with getting ready for winter which will arrive soon enough. Our house is in a wooded area and the leaves are changing color and falling like rain every time the wind blows.
But it's time for another podcast, and I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I'll never run out of phrasal verbs for you to study. And the bad news is that I'll never run out of phrasal verbs for you to study. So I hope you enjoy them!
Here are some sentences with the phrasal verb “take.”
1. Take apart (disassemble)
The little boy took apart his father’s lawn mower, but then he couldn’t put it back together.
2. Take off
The airplane took off at 9:30 in the morning. (Lifted off)
He took off his socks and shoes. (Remove)
Mr. Jones took the dirty dishes off the table. (Remove from)
3. Take out (put outside)
Please take out the trash.
4. Take up (begin, start)
Every year she takes up a…
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Oct 11, 2021
I used to be an astronaut! (all levels)
When you say you "used to" do something (or "used to" be something), it means you did it (or "were" it) for a while in the past. For example:
"In the past, Mary was a nurse, but now she's a doctor."
Another way to say this is:
"Mary used to be a nurse, but now she's a doctor."
Let's practice:
1.I used to love coffee but now I prefer tea.
2.I used to drink a lot of coffee but now I mostly drink water.
3.He used to drink sparkling water but now he prefers wine.
4.She used to work in a cafe but now she works in a bank.
5.They used to live in Peru but now they live in Mexico City.
6.We used to be doctors but now we’re retired.
7.John used to be a pilot but after 20 years he went back to school and became an aerospace engineer.
8.I used to play guitar but for the last few years I’ve mostly played piano.
9.Sam used to cook in a restaurant but now he writes cookbooks for a living.
10.Jane used to teach kindergarten, but now she writes and illustrates childrens’ books.
Intro & Outro…
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Oct 4, 2021
Past progressive: Doing X when Y happened
In the past progressive tense, we talk about doing something when something else occurs. For example: "I *was eating* dinner when the President *called* me."
The President's call interrupts the first action.
1. I was watching TV when the power failed.
2. I was watching TV when the lights went out.
3. I was listening to the radio when the electricity failed.
4. I was reading a book when my phone rang.
5. She was walking her dog when her phone rang.
6. He was driving to the supermarket when his phone rang.
7. I was writing an email when my phone rang.
8. He was washing his car when his uncle arrived.
9. He was washing his truck when the police drove up.
10. John was fixing his bicycle when his sister came home.
11. We were sleeping when the volcano erupted.
12. They were watching the news when the volcano erupted.
13. The reporter was flying in a helicopter when the volcano erupted.
14. We were playing cards when the earthquake started.
15. I was recording this podcast wh…
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Sep 20, 2021
Phrasal forms of COME - part 3 (intermediate/advanced)
Here’s part three, and the last part, of phrasal verbs based on the verb to come.
51. Come in = arrive
Look, there’s Susan! Her train must have *come in* early.
52. Come in = enter
Please *come in* and make yourselves comfortable.
53. Come from = Have as one’s birth place
Peter *comes from* Russia and Anna *comes from* Germany.
54. Come for = Search for in order to catch
The police *came for* him in the middle of the night.
55. Come down with = to get sick with
I have a sore throat and a runny nose. I think I’m *coming down* with a cold.
56. Come down to = depend upon in the end
The election in Canada will *come down* to the voters in Quebec.
57. Come down on = punish
Our company *comes down* very severely *on* employees who lie about their vaccine status.
58. Come down = return from a state of high emotions
It took her a while to *come down* from winning the US Open tennis championship.
59. Come down = pass through time
This scrapbook *came down* to me from my great g…
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Sep 19, 2021
Phrasal forms of COME - part 2 (intermediate/advanced)
More practice with phrasal forms of the verb to come.
21. Come round = visit
She told her mother she’d *come round* and visit after work.
22. Come round = recover consciousness
After the boxer was knocked out, it took a while for him to *come round*.
23. Come round = change one’s opinion to the generally accepted one
It took him a year to *come round* and agree that Trump was a crazy liar.
24. Come over
What *came over* you last night? You were acting like an idiot!
25. Come out with = make, produce, publish
Our company *comes out with* a new line of clothing every six months.
26. Come out with = say something surprising
She is very outspoken. She comes out with the strangest things.
27. Come out of = develop from something, based on
His novel *came out of* his years fighting in the Viet Nam war.
28. Come out in = be afflicted by
What symptoms does he have? A fever, and he’s *come out in* red spots on his chest and face.
29. Come out = express one's opinion in public
All…
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Sep 19, 2021
Phrasal forms of COME - part 1 (intermediate/advanced)
In this podcast you'll get to practice with phrasal forms of the verb *to come*. There are a lot of them so let's get started.
1. Come with = come along
John and I are going to see a movie tonight. Do you want to *come with* us?
2. Come upon = find
While exploring the woods near our house, we *came upon* a wooden chest full of rubies and emeralds. Pirate treasure!
3. Come up with = think of
My boss is a genius. He *comes up with* great ideas every day.
4. Come up to = approach
Always slow down when you *come up to* a railroad crossing.
5. Come up = rise above the horizon
The sun *comes up* in the morning and goes down at night. You can also say it rises and sets.
6. Come up = get near in time
The first day of school is *coming up* next week. How exciting!
7. Come up = appear
When the drunk driver *came up* before the judge, he was sentenced to a year in prison.
8. Come up = happen, occur
Please call me if any job openings *come up* at the company where you work.
9. Come up = h…
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Sep 17, 2021
Find the errors - 01
This podcast has two parts. In the first part there are ten sentences. Each sentence has an error in it, a mistake. See if you can find the error. In the second part of the podcast the errors are corrected and you will have a chance to listen and repeat the corrected sentences.
Here’s an example:
Mr. Johnson drived his car to work yesterday.
Did you hear the mistake? The verb “to drive” is irregular. The correct form of this verb in the past tense is “drove” — so the corrected sentence is: Mr. Johnson drove his car to work yesterday.
Here’s one more example and note that in this sentence, the error will be a pronunciation error.
“Pablo thought the test was very easy.”
Did you hear any words pronounced incorrectly? If you thought “easy” was pronounced incorrectly, you were right! The letter “s” in “easy” is always pronounced with a “z” sound. Easy. Easy. Easy. Pablo thought the test was very easy.
Okay, let’s begin. I’ll read each sentence tw…
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Sep 15, 2021
Contractions: you'd, where'd, etc.
It's been a while since my last podcast. I've been busy! Today, for example, I was cutting some weeds in our back yard and I got stung twice by some sort of stinging insects. Yellow jackets, I think, although I'm not sure. That's the sort of adventure I could live without! I repaired the gear shifter on our snowblower yesterday, and today I replaced the blade on our lawn mower. Little jobs to get ready for autumn. There's always something that needs doing or fixing around the house.
(Need a translation of the text above? Try DeepL. Just copy the text and dump it in.)
Anyway, with one thing or another, I've been really busy so I decided to let the podcasts run on their own for a while. But now I'm back, and in today's podcast, I'll give you some practice with contractions which we use all the time in spoken English.
*We'll start with "you'd" which is the contracted form of either "you had" or "you would"*. Here are some examples.
1. You’d better come with me. [You had better…]
2…
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Sep 1, 2021
Meet Mr. Schwa Sound
The most common vowel sound in English is called "schwa". It is the sound we commonly use in unaccented syllables.
In the international phonetic alphabet (IPA), the schwa sound is
written with an upside down letter 'e' like this: /ə/
I think of it as being an 'uh' sound. By coincidence this sound is in the word "syllables":
/ ˈsɪləbəlz/ - in this word the stress is on the first syllable and the next two syllables both contain the schwa sound.
The word "international" contains the schwa sound three times:
/ɪntərˈnæʃənəl/
It's in the second syllable—er—and in the final two syllables: spelled "tional" but pronounced 'shunul', more or less.
I'm not going to try to teach you the international phonetic alphabet in a podcast, but I suggest you play with it. It can be a very useful tool for learning any foreign language. If you go to this website:
https://tophonetics.com/
you can put in any English word or sentence, choose whether you want to see a phonetic transcription…
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Aug 22, 2021
More practice with "to do" (Beginner)
In this podcast you'll get more practice with the verb "to do".
*Grammar note*: In English you cannot ask "Speak you French?" or "Have you a dog?" This form is possible in Spanish and French and German, to name three examples, but it is NOT correct in English. In English we use the verb "to do" to ask these questions.
1. Do you like pizza? I LOVE pizza!
2. Do you speak French? No, I don't. [Don't = do not.]
3. Do you have a dog? Yes, I do.
4. Do you drink coffee? Yes, every morning.
5. Do you need help? Yes, I do. Thanks!
6. Do you still work at a bank? No, I have a different job now.
7. Does your sister like to cook? Yes, she does.
8. Does your father look like you? Yes, he does.
9. Does this car belong to her? No, it doesn't. [Doesn't = does not]
10. Does Joan have any brothers or sisters? Yes, she does. One of each. ["One of each = one brother and one sister.]
11. Does your uncle live in London? No, he doesn't. He lives in Germany now.
12. Does this store open at 9am? No, it does…
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Aug 19, 2021
Days of the week, when were you born? (Beginner)
For fun: Here's a reading of a picture book that is perfect for beginners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeJxXeG-bLI
In this podcast we'll introduce the days of the week, a few more verbs, and some numbers.
1. Monday is the first day of the work week.
2. Tuesday comes after Monday.
3. Wednesday comes after Tuesday.
4. Thursday follows Wednesday.
5. Friday is the last day of the work week.
6. Saturday and Sunday are the weekend.
7. I have an English conversation class on Mondays and Wednesdays.
8. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have an English grammar class.
9. On Fridays I practice English with a friend from Arizona.
10. On Saturdays and Sundays I work at the supermarket.
11. How many days are there in a week? Seven. (7)
12. How many days are in a year? Three hundred sixty-five. (365)
13. How many hours are in a day? Twenty-four. (24)
14. How many minutes are in an hour? Sixty. (60)
15. How many seconds are in a minute? Sixty.
16. What year were you born in?
17. I was born in 1952…
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Aug 15, 2021
What are you doing? (beginner)
The verb "to do" is very important and very useful. In this podcast we will ask the question: What are you doing? What is he doing? etc. and use the answers to introduce some common verbs.
1. What are you doing? I'm *talking to* my girlfriend.
2. What are you doing? I'm *finishing* my homework.
3. What are you doing? I'm *taking* a test.
4. What are you doing? I'm *eating* a snack.
5. What are you doing? I'm *going* for a run.
[What's = What is]
6. What is he doing? He's *washing* the dishes.
7. What is he doing? He's *watching* TV.
8. What is he doing? Not much. *Sleeping*, probably.
9. What is he doing? He's *reading* a novel.
10. What is he doing? He's *taking* the dog for a walk.
11. What is she doing? She's *studying* for an exam.
12. What is she doing? She's *playing* the guitar.
13. What is she doing? She's *studying* English.
14. What is she doing? She's *practicing* piano.
15. What is she doing? She's *listening* to the radio.
16. What are they doing? They're *working* in…
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Aug 12, 2021
Phrasal verbs: leave and look (intermediate/advanced)
*Part One: phrasal verbs with leave*
1. Please put the leftovers in the frig when you finish eating. If you *leave* them *out*, they’ll go bad. [to leave out = not put away] [frig = refrigerator. “To go bad” = to spoil.”]
2. The pirates *left* me *behind* on a desert island with no food or water. Fortunately I was spotted by a passing helicopter and rescued. [*to leave behind* = to abandon]
3. That was a good story, but you *left out* the part about robbing a bank. [*to leave out* = to omit, to not include]
4. The burglar *left behind* lots of fingerprints so he was captured in a few days. [*to leave behind* = to leave a trace or record]
5. “Will you *leave off* practicing drums when I’m trying to study?!” [*to leave off* = stop]
6. Mr. Jones died last week. He *left behind* his wife, two sons, two daughters, and seven grandchildren. [*to leave behind* = to be survived by]
7. We started learning English at the same time but Maria soon *left* me *behind*. She has a…
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Aug 8, 2021
I'm hungry, you're thirsty, and she's happy. (beginners)
Let’s do some more practice with the verb “to be”, and with contractions.
Remember: Listen, listen, listen!
1. We write: “I am hungry,” but we say: “I’m hungry.” [“I’m” is a contraction of “I am”]
2. He’s thirsty. [He is —> he’s]
3. She’s happy. [She is —> she’s]
4. You’re late! [You are —> you’re]
5. We’re tired. [We are —> we’re]
6. They’re at the supermarket. [They are —> they’re]
*Questions and positive answers*:
7. Are you hungry? Yes, I am.
8. Is he thirsty? Yes, he is.
9. Is she happy? Yes, she is.
10. Am I late? Yes, you are!
11. Are you tired? Yes, we are.
12. Are they at the supermarket? Yes, they are.
*Questions and negative answers*:
13. Are you hungry? No, I’m not. [I’m = I am]
14. Is he thirsty? No, he isn’t. [isn’t = is not]
15. Is she happy? No, she isn’t.
16. Am I late? No, you aren’t! [aren’t = are not]
17. Are you tired? No, we aren’t.
18. Are they at the supermarket? No, they aren’t.
19. Ar…
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Aug 4, 2021
Hello. How are you? (beginners)
If you are a total beginner, my advice is simple. Listen and listen and listen. The more you listen, the better your pronunciation and accent will be later. But listening comes first.
And a warning: English spelling is NOT phonetic. If you try to read English before you listen, you will create problems for yourself. You will pronounce words incorrectly and you will probably develop bad habits.
Listen first. Listen a lot. You'll thank me later.
1. Hello. How are you?
2. I’m fine, thanks. How are you?
3. Very well.
4. Hello, how are you doing?
Very well, thanks. And you?
I’m doing great.
5. What’s your name?
6. My name is Martin. What’s your name?
7. My name is Maria. And this is my friend, Carl.
8. Glad to meet you, Carl.
9. Pleased to meet you.
10. A pleasure to meet you.
11. Where are you from?
I’m from Colombia. And you?
I’m from Mexico.
12. I’m from the United States.
13. I’m from France.
14. I’m from Canada.
15. I’m from Spain.
16. I’m from Venezuela.
17. I…
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Aug 4, 2021
More prepositions: ON and IN
So many prepositions, so little time. Today let’s practice sentences with ON and IN.
* Nobody can live in New York *on* ten dollars a day.
* The generals planned their attack *on* Berlin.
* Did you see that new science fiction show *on* television? Not yet. Is it *on* Netflix too?
* There are a lot of good science podcasts *on* the BBC.
* If the company pays for our hotel rooms, we can say “the rooms are *on* the company.”
* The police arrested Jonas Smith *on* suspicion of murder.
* Sorry, I’m broke. I don’t have any money *on* me.
* Do you have any opinions *on* the subject of aliens visiting earth?
* Can you visit us *on* Tuesday?
* She was born *on* the 10th of July.
* I left my phone *on* the table but now it’s gone. Do you think the dog ate it?
* He was walking in the woods and scratched his arm *on* a branch.
* We both pushed as hard as we could *on* the door but it wouldn’t open.
* *On* your left you’ll see fishing boats in the harbo…
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Aug 1, 2021
Cat barf on the couch. Nasty!
In this conversation a husband and wife are discussing a problem caused by their cat. Listen three times *without* reading the text below to see how much you understand. Then look at the notes for explanations of the vocabulary. There are also a few slang expressions in this conversation. After the third repetition I'll break the conversation up into small parts and you'll have a chance to listen and repeat. Here's the first repetition.
John?
Yes?
Did you feed the cat anything strange today?
No. Why do you ask?
Because she just threw up on your side of the couch.
Whaddya mean MY side of the couch? [=What do you mean...]
You always sit on the left side. See? Right where the puddle of barf is. She just likes you better, I guess.
Oh, very funny, honey.
[Dog barks; text message signal]
Oh dear, I gotta run. Mom's here. Can you put the dog out? And make sure you get that barf cleaned up off the couch before it stains the cushion.
Yeah, that's right: leave me high and dry while you go shopp…
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Jul 29, 2021
Much vs. many
In this podcast you'll practice with the words *much* and *many*, and when to use each one. The rules are simple:
If you can count something, use *many*. For example:
How *many* children does Mrs. Johnson have? Three, I think. Two boys and a girl.
If it is non-countable, like water, sand, milk, etc., use *much*. For example:
There isn't *much* gas left in the car. We'll have to stop soon to get more.
Let's practice.
* How *many* stars are in the sky? Too *many* to count.
* How *much* water is there in an Olympic swimming pool? What a good question. About 660,000 (six hundred sixty thousand) gallons, or 2.5 (two and a half) million liters.
* We spent *many* happy days on my uncle's farm.
* *Much* of her money is invested in the stock market.
* Can I borrow some flour? Sure, how *much* do you need?
* Can you spare any sugar? Sure, how *much* do you need?
* Can you spare any milk? I need some for this recipe. Probably. How *many* cups of milk will you need?
* We had so…
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Jul 26, 2021
Some vs. any
Here is some practice with ‘some’ and ‘any’. Note that ‘some’ is in positive statements and ‘any’ is in negative ones, and also usually in questions.
I'll read all the sentences first. Just listen. Then I'll put in repeats. Listen to those and, as you feel comfortable, repeat along with me. Here we go.
* Lucky Bob has *some* friends. I don’t have any friends.
* Lucky Larry has *some* money. I don’t have any money.
* Lucky Lucy has *some* food. I don’t have any food.
* Lucky Louise has *some* free time every afternoon. I never have any free time.
* Would you like *some* water to drink?
* Would Mary like *some* fruit salad?
* I found *some* books under the bed.
* Richard needs *some* new t-shirts.
* We don’t have *any* apples.
* I didn’t see *any* of your friends at the library.
* John doesn’t want to watch *any* football games on TV.
* Do you have *any* leftover pizza? I’m starving!
* Does your sister know *any* French? I need he…
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Jul 25, 2021
The letters aw/au/ou -- examples of the awful English spelling system
The “aw” sound in English is usually written with either “aw” or “au”. Here are two examples:
“August” — his birthday is in August.
“Squawk” — the ducks quacked and the chickens squawked.
Let’s practice.
* I like to paint. Mary likes to *draw*.
* The cat was drinking milk from a *saucer*.
* Michael is studying *law* at the university.
* When you cut wood with a *saw*, it makes *sawdust*.
* She was very sleepy and kept *yawning*.
* The castle was *haunted* by a scary ghost.
* I threw the ball. John *caught* the ball.
* Mary threw the ball. I *caught* it. [Note the ’t’ in caught is pronounced /d/ if followed by a vowel!]
* The audience *applauded* the singer’s *awesome* performance at the *audition*.
* Their dog was *gnawing* on a bone and growling.
* Please fix that *faucet*. The drip is driving me crazy.
* The farmer works from *dawn* till dusk. That’s the same as working from sunrise till sunset.
But why stop there? The 'aw…
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Jul 20, 2021
Noun plurals: cats, dogs, and horses
*This is a lesson about the pronunciation of some plurals in English, with a few numbers thrown in as a bonus. Listen:*
I have one cat. Mary has two cats.
John only has one horse. I'm rich: I have (23) twenty-three horses.
Sam has one cow. Sally has three cows.
*Listen to the pronunciation of the words as they go from singular to plural:*
cat — cats
horse — horses
cow — cows
*In each case the written plural is made by adding the letter "S" to the noun. But the pronunciation isn't as simple. *
Listen again:
cat — cats (add an 's' sound)
cow — cows (add a 'z' sound)
horse — horses (add an 'uhz' sound)
*Let's practice these starting with the 's' sound. *
1. cup — cups
Paul had one cup of coffee. I drank twelve cups of coffee.
2. pot — pots
Mary made one pot of tea. I made seven pots of tea.
3. stack — stacks
Harold made one stack of paper. Jane made three stacks of paper.
4. book — books
John has one book. I have thirty-seven (37) books.
5. cake — cakes
Robert wants…
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Jul 18, 2021
More practice with "for" and intro to intonation
We use the preposition "for" in many ways. Here are another ten examples to listen to and practice with. Have fun!
1. Do you want to go out for lunch?
2. He folded a towel and used it for a pillow.
3. She ran for the door when people started fighting.
4. For what it's worth, I thought the acting in that movie was terrible.
5. I voted for Trump—just kidding, just kidding!
6. She loves me for many reasons.
7. All our guests went home, and now, for the first time in nine days, I can hear myself think.
8. It will be hard for us to find a larger apartment that we can still afford.
9. I got $300 for my latest painting.
10. I was named for my grandfather.
To finish this podcast I want to introduce the topic of *intonation*.
Start by listening to these two sentences. In the first example, I'm telling you something that I don't think you know.
He was born in Texas. He was born in Texas.
On the word "Texas" my voice goes up in pitch and then goes down. Listen again:
He was born in Texas. He…
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Jul 16, 2021
The aliens have landed!
Sometimes people will describe something that happened in the past using the present tense. For example, let's say I see a car accident on my way to work. After work I want to tell my wife what I saw, but instead of using the past tense, I use the present tense. This makes the story seem more immediate and alive. Listen:
So I'm on my way to work when all of a sudden I hear a screech and a big BANG! I look around and I see that a pickup truck has run into a bus. People are screaming so I run over to see if I can help…
The rest of this podcast contains two versions of a silly science fiction story. In the first version all the verbs are in the present tense. In the second version, all the verbs are in the past tense.
Read both versions of the story and then listen. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of the verbs in each tense.
Oh, and by the way: I personally don't believe that aliens have visited us.
Story in present tense:
I'm walking down the street.
I look up and I se…
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Jul 15, 2021
The prepositional goodies continue with "at"
Let's continue our study of prepositions. (I'm confident we'll finish before my hundredth birthday.) In this lesson we'll work with the very useful preposition "at".
* I'll meet you at Sally's house. It's at the corner of Pine Street and Sixth Avenue.
* She is always at home at night.
* His dog growled at me. I barked back at him and he was so surprised he ran away.
* He's at work but please don't call him. He's probably asleep as usual.
* The city was at the mercy of the cybercriminals.
* Because we're old friends, I'll sell you this junk car at cost.
* I always laugh at her jokes even though they're not funny. Why? She's my boss, that's why.
* We were speeding along at 99 kilometers per hour. The motorcycle passed us like we were standing still.
* Juan is poor at math but he doesn't care. He's majoring in English.
* The soup and sandwiches at that restaurant are excellent.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Su…
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Jul 14, 2021
Goody, another preposition--"from" me!
In this lesson we'll practice some sentences with the preposition "from".
* He got a phone call last night *from* his sister.
* She left this morning *from* New York.
* My first class in the morning goes *from* 9am to 10am.
* On a scale *from* 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest score, how would you rate your English professor?
* She told us the history of the Aztecs *from* A to Z.
* He was born in 1950, but his thinking is *from* the Middle Ages.
* If you jump out of an airplane, a parachute will prevent you *from* falling too fast.
* Her earrings are made *from* pure gold.
* Too many people have died *from* Covid-19.
* Getting medical advice *from* the internet is risky.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Jul 12, 2021
Oh, goody, prepostions! This one is "for" you.
If I sound like I have a cold, I do.
The best way to learn English prepositions is to memorize lots of sentences
which include them. After a while, you'll develop an "ear" for what sounds correct
and what sounds wrong. Do NOT try to translate. What might be correct in
Spanish or French or another language could easily be wrong in English.
1. Sorry, but I'm not going to do your homework *for* you.
2. I baked this cake *for* your birthday.
3. Go *for* it!
4. I'm so happy *for* you!
5. *For* now, let's just wait and see.
6. Maria always studies a lot *for* exams.
7. He worked *for* ten hours without a break and then he quit his job.
8. I've been studying English *for* one year.
9. He used to work *for* Chevron but now he works *for* BP.
10.
Let's go for a walk.
Okay. I'm free *for* a couple of hours.
11. In his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy said, " “Ask not what your country can do *for* you – ask what you can do *for* your country,”
Intro & Outro Music: La Pomp…
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Jul 12, 2021
He was a bad President. No, even worse. In fact the worst ever!
We learn to compare things at an early age.
"She got a bigger piece of cake than me!"
"He's taller than I am."
"She's prettier than her sister."
And sometimes we call things out as being the "top dog" [the best]:
"Charles is the smartest student in his math class."
"Rudy is the best basketball player in the school."
One pronunciation note: remember that better is pronounced with a /d/ sound like "dog": better, better, he speaks better than I do."
And pretty: the comparative is prettier. "She's prettier [pri d er] than her sister."
Let's practice.
1.
This wine is quite *good*.
I think this one is *better*.
Ah, but this Spanish wine is *the best* of all three. Truly exceptional.
2.
I got a *good* grade in English.
But John's grade was *better than* mine.
And Mary? She got the *best* grade in the class.
3.
Is your brother as *tall* as you?
Actually he's *taller* than me.
But my father is *the tallest* person in our family.
4.
Is Bill Gates the *richest* man in the world?
I don't t…
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Jul 10, 2021
Expressions and idioms with "chance"
There are many expressions and idioms in English that use the word "chance". In this podcast I'll give you a chance to practice some of them. Let's begin.
1. I'm going to quit my current job and *take a chance* on that new job I was offered. [ = to try my luck at the new job.]
2. Can you *by any chance* lend me ten dollars? [ = perhaps]
3. *Fat chance* of getting a promotion at work. My boss hates me. [ Fat chance is sarcastic and means no chance]
4. He *blew his only chance* at a promotion when he insulted his boss. [To blow a chance is to lose the opportunity]
5. You don't *stand a chance* of graduating from the university. You never go to class! [stand a chance = to have a chance]
6. He was looking for rare flowers in California when *he chanced upon* a nugget of gold. [ = to find]
7. *Do you think I'll win the lottery this week?*
Did you buy a ticket?
*No.*
Then you *have* absolutely *no chance* of winning. Zero. None. *Not a snowball's chance in hell*. It's not gonna happen…
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Jul 6, 2021
I don't understand. Please speak more slowly. (beginners)
(www.deepL.com — a good website if you need to translate something.)
There is a saying in English: *A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.* This is certainly true for language students. If you know absolutely no English and someone starts to talk to you, you smile and shrug and say—in your own language—'Sorry, I don't speak English'.
But if you know a little bit, ah, then it's trickier, because if you answer the first question and the second question, then the person may think that you actually speak English pretty well. He or she will probably ask you more questions, and maybe start speaking faster, and suddenly you are lost. Oh well, don't panic! Everyone has this experience and I promise, you'll survive.
Meanwhile, this lesson is for beginners who would, at the very least, like to express their ignorance politely.
As usual I recommend listening a lot and then repeating, speaking over my voice.
*Ways to say you don't understand, etc*.
1. I don't understand.
2. Sorry, I…
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Jul 4, 2021
Practice with question words: who, what, where, etc.
I have never studied journalism but I vaguely remember one of my high school English teachers telling us that any well-constructed newspaper story would answer basic questions like these:
What happened?
When did it happen?
Where did it happen?
Who was involved?
How or why did it happen?
And so forth. For example, if there was a fire in somebody's kitchen, the story would say something like this:
A fire last night destroyed the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Smith on Western Avenue. Firefighters believe the fire started in the basement and spread quickly to the rest of the house. The cause is under investigation but may have involved electrical wiring.
So in a few sentences readers learn what happened, when, where, who was involved, and a possible explanation of how the fire started.
This podcast will give you some practice with questions and answers using the question words who, what, where, etc. As with the last podcast, I suggest listening all the way through and then replay and repea…
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Jul 1, 2021
Practice the conditional with lots of reps
Learning the forms of the conditional in English is not especially easy. In this podcast I'll share some sentences that give you a chance to practice the conditional. And because I personally am a big fan of repetition in language learning, I've repeated each sentence fifteen times. My suggestion is to listen to everything one or more times, and then when you're ready, just repeat right over my voice. I didn't leave any silences but really, I don't mind if you speak when I'm speaking. This is what I do when I'm practicing Spanish and nobody ever complains. (Of course I only do it with recordings!)
And if you think fifteen repetitions is a lot, for my own practice I like thirty to forty repetitions. Or even fifty. So give it a try, or we also say: Give it a whirl, and let me know if you like more repetitions, hate them, or feel neutral.
Part I
1) If you don't hurry, you'll miss your flight.
2) If she doesn't hurry, she'll miss her bus.
3) If we don't hurry, we'll miss the ferry.
Pa…
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Jun 28, 2021
More tongue twisters!
Here are some more tongue twisters for your entertainment. They're supposed to be for children who are native English speakers. But don't feel discouraged if you find some of them difficult. I find some of them difficult, especially the last one. Have fun!
1. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.
2. Sheep should sleep in a shed.
3. A big black bear sat on a big black rug.
4. We shall surely see the sunshine soon.
5. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
6. He threw three balls. Did he throw thirty-three? No, I think he only threw three.
7. The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes.Oh no! Oh, yes! More tongue twisters to tie your tongues in knots. Enjoy! See the transcript for details.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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Jun 24, 2021
Tongue Twister -01: Buggy bumpers and woodchucks
Most of my podcasts are at least a little bit silly but this one is completely silly. It contains two tongue twisters which exist only to make you laugh at yourself and perhaps to help you with English pronunciation.
The first one is: *Rubber baby buggy bumpers* which you are to repeat three times as quickly as possible.
The second one is: *How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?* (There's a longer version of this one but I prefer this one which is difficult enough.)
Neither of these are things you would say when you meet new people, or if your children ask for help with their English homework, or in a job interview. Well, maybe in a job interview if the interviewer has an unusual sense of humor and you want to show off your language skills.
First some vocabulary explanations and then we'll get to the practice part of the lesson.
*Part One*
A baby buggy is a baby carriage. It has wheels and you put the baby in it and take him or her (or them if you…
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Jun 20, 2021
Minimal Pairs: b vs. v
Let's start with a vowel warmup. Repeat each word after me.
[pure vowel sounds]
Heat heat
Hot hot
Hut hut
Hoot hoot
Hit hit
Hurt hurt
Hood hood
Head head
Haughty haughty
Hand hand
[dipthongs]
Hay hay
Rhyme rhyme
Round round
Boys boys
Gold gold
Hot dang! You just repeated all the vowels and diphthongs, which are the [the sounds in] words like hay, say, rhyme, time, and so forth, where vowel [sounds] move into other vowels--you just said all of them: all the vowels, all the diphthongs in English. Well done!
Now let's get to our minimal pairs. In this podcast you'll have a chance to practice with minimal pairs that contain either B--the first sound in BOY or BEAT or BAT--and V, like VERY or VEST or VOW. So B sound or the V sound. B is made with your lips together, and the V sound is made with your upper teeth touching your lower lip.
So I'm going to start with some minimal pairs that include words that do not really exist in English. The sounds are correct for English but the words t…
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Jun 20, 2021
What don't you get about "get"?
In this podcast you'll get a chance to practice with some expressions which are based on the verb "to get". And you will get a lot of mileage out of the verb to get. There are probably, maybe 150 different expressions, phrasal verbs, different things that use "get"—I don't even know how many, but a lot. So, let's get to work!
1. I don't *get it*. The teacher explained the problem, but I still don't get it. [= I don't understand.]
2. Sarah is super-sweet. She *gets along* *with* everyone. [= is friends with]
3. I don't *get along* with my in-laws. I don't like them and they don't like me. And my mother-in-law is the worst. I REALLY don't *get along* with her. ['we don't get along = we are not friendly]
4. "Willy, *get up* right now or you'll miss the school bus!" [get up = get out of bed]
5. We *got off* the train in Chicago and flew the rest of the way to Los Angeles. [= we left the train.]
6. He *got through* his exam in less than an hour. [= finished his exam]
7. My dog woul…
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Jun 16, 2021
Cat got your tongue?
I was thinking about cats today. And then I decided it would be fun to do a little podcast about cats. Or about the word "cat" anyway.
Let's start with the sound: CAT /æ/ cat cat cat I have a cat. I have a cat.
[æ = the phonetic symbol for this sound]
Cat rhymes with flat. In England some people live in "flats" which in the USA we call apartments. He lives in a flat. I live in an apartment.
Flat. I have a cat in my flat. I put a hat on my cat. I like to pat my cat.
Flat
Hat
Pat
Mat. Matt can be a name, short for Matthew. Or a floor mat to wipe your feet.
The cat sat on the mat. The cat sat on the mat.
Sat. I sat down. You sat down. We all sat down.
Rat. I don't like rats. A good cat will chase a rat. A good cat will chase a rat.
Listen to these contrasts:
Rat. Rot. Writ. Rut……… Rat. Rot. Writ. Rut.
Hat. Hot. Hit. Hut………..Hat. Hot. Hit. Hut.
Pat. Pot. Pit. Putt………..Pat. Pot. Pit. Putt.
Now some sentences with "cat".
When I pet my cat, she purrs. (3x)
This sentenc…
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Jun 14, 2021
Are you listening? Have you heard a word I've said?
Here are some sentences to listen to. I hope you'll like what you hear.
The verbs *to listen* and *to hear* can cause confusion. So here's a quick lesson, a mini-lesson, with examples of each. We'll start with the verb to listen.
*Part One: the verb to listen*
1 I will *listen* more carefully next time. I'll listen more carefully next time.
2 Please *listen to* me. It's important.
3 I'd rather *listen to* Bach than Mozart.
4 The football team *listened to* their coach.
5 He never *listens to* instructions.
6 He never *listens to* his father.
7 I'll *listen to* your podcast tonight.
*Part Two: the verb to hear*
1 Did you *hear* me? I said it's time to go.
2 I've never *heard* of him.
3 I *hear* a lot of rumors but I don't believe them.
4 Dogs can *hear* high-pitched sounds.
5 I *heard* that band play some new songs on the radio.
Here are all the sentences repeated one more time. You can:
a) just *listen to* them
b) *listen to* them and repeat right over my voice
c) yo…
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Jun 10, 2021
Say vs. Tell
Say or tell: two verbs instead of one. Listen to these examples:
My father *says* I should study more.
My father *told me* to study more.
Here’s another example.
Uncle Fred *said* he was a great inventor.
Uncle Fred *told me* he was a great inventor.
In this lesson I will give you plenty of example sentences. Some contain ‘say’ and some contain ‘tell’ and some include both verbs. What you will *not* find in this podcast are any explanations of grammar rules for these two verbs. There are plenty of good explanations on the internet and you will find some links at the end of these notes. And while grammar rules are interesting—for some people, at least—they don’t replace lots of listening and repeating correct sentences.
Look at it this way: when you’re trying to have a conversation, if you have to stop and think about rules, the conversation goes out the window. When you can say what you want to say automatically and correctly, then you can have comfortable conversa…
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Jun 9, 2021
Practice with minimal pairs: s vs. sh and final k vs g.
In this lesson we'll practice the difference between /s/ and /sh/ sounds as in "sip" compared to "ship", and the final sounds /k/ and /g/ as in "luck" and "lug".
Part One: /s/ vs. /sh/
1) see --she
2) seat -- sheet
3) sock--shock
4) save--shave
5) gas--gash
6) single--shingle
7) so--show
8) sore--shore
9) sort--short
10) fist--fished
11) plus--plush
12) rust--rushed
13) seed--she'd
14) seek--chic
15) so--show
16) sell--shell
17) son--shon
18) crass--crash
19) mess--mesh
Part Two: final /k/ vs final /g/
1) back--bag
2) pick--pig
3) duck--dug
4) muck--mug
5) brick--brig
6) crack--crag
7) lack--lag
8) leak--league
9) luck--lug
10) pluck--plug
11) rack--rag
12) ruck--rug
13) sack--sag
14) snack--snag
Part Three: Some practice sentences
1) Don't crash on the grass.
2) Put the sheet on the seat.
3) There was a gash in the gas line.
4) Put the rag on the rack.
5) Please pick a pig.
6) She put the bag on her back.
================================================
If you'd like to look at a…
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Jun 6, 2021
Mini-cast 001: Down the drain
Reminder: Read the text below for comprehension. Then put it away and LISTEN to the podcast. Give your eyes a rest and exercise your ears.
Do you know the expression "To go down the drain"? Literally it's what happens when you go to the sink and pour something down the drain. The hole at the bottom of the sink is the drain. Or you wash some dishes and then you pull the plug and the water goes down the drain. It disappears. It vanishes.
The quality of something can go down the drain.
"The food at that restaurant used to be great but now it's terrible. It really went down the drain."
If a store has a bad manager, the store can go down the drain. The sales get worse and worse and eventually they close their doors and go out of business. "My uncle's shoe store went down the drain during the pandemic."
So now that you have the idea, here are some sentences to practice with.
Example 1: Hey, don't pour that wine down the drain. I'll finish it.
Example 2: The quality of his work has rea…
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Jun 3, 2021
Listen like a baby!
This episode is an experiment. I'm not going to provide any text. Like a baby learning its first language, I just want you to listen and play with what you hear. Above all, remember that babies don't waste a second worrying about pronunciation, grammar, or any other grown-up stuff. They just listen and let their amazing brains do all the heavy lifting.*
So listen to this podcast and just let the words wash over you. If you're a beginner and the introduction is too fast to understand, who cares? Just listen to it all and then come back in a few weeks and listen again. No language student was ever harmed by listening as far as I know. And if you want to have a good accent, listening is THE key. Really. I promise.
*Heavy lifting means hard work. ("I let Robert do all the heavy lifting and I just give him advice now and then.)
P. S. Another very important reason for listening is that English spelling is soooooo bad! It's deceptive and full of irregularities. Think of words like "light"…
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May 30, 2021
Is your schoolbook bulletproof?
In this lesson we will practice two more vowel sounds.
First /ʊ/, the sound in words like
good
stood
book
And then the sound /u:/ in words like
moon
boot
soon
*Part One*: Listen to the following sentences with the /ʊ/ sound:
* That’s a *good cookbook*.
* I *would* like to buy a *wool* jacket.
* Take a *look* at this *hook*.
* Please put the *wood* over there.
* The soldier *stood* at attention.
* She *should* have come earlier.
*Part Two*: Now let’s practice with the /u:/ sound.
* This *boot* is *loose*.
* The *goose* got *loose*.
* A hammer is a *tool*. A saw is *too*.
* You never see the *moon* at *noon*.
* Please come home *soon*.
*Part Three*: Some words with both sounds:
Schoolbook.
I lost my favorite schoolbook.
Footstool
He stood on a footstool to reach the top shelf.
Bulletproof
The policeman wore a bulletproof vest.
*Extra Listening Practice*:
He got soot on his suit.
He pulled his friend into the pool.
Extra slow: schoolbook……..f…
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May 28, 2021
Who put sheep on the ship?
This lesson is the first in a series on American English vowel sounds. It is primarily intended for Spanish speakers but won't harm anyone else. I promise!
Today's sounds are the [i] sound in fit, sit, or bit, and the [ee] sound in feet, seat, and beat.
*Part One*:
Let's start with a few sentences which include both sounds. I'll read each sentence two times, and then say each one two more times with a space after each one so you can repeat.
1) *These* shoes don't *fit* my *feet*. (2x)
Listen and *repeat*:
2) The dog *bit* the *meat*.
3) *This* is *mint* *tea*. Do you like *it* *sweet*? (*Is it* too *minty*?)
4) *Children*, *please* *sit* in your *seats*.
*Part Two:* Now let's practice sentences which only have the [i] sound:
I'll say the word first three times. Then I'll say the sentence twice, and then again twice with a pause so you can repeat.
* This jacket doesn't fit. It's too small.
* Please sit down.
* Your dog bit me!
* Can you give me a hint?
* The tiger fe…
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May 25, 2021
"TH" is for thoughtful thinkers
In this podcast we'll practice with the "th" sounds in English. This is the sound you hear in the word "the" and the word "think". The "th" in "the" is voiced which means your vocal cords vibrate when you make the sound. In "think" the "th" sound is unvoiced--the vocal cords do not vibrate.
*Part One* of this lesson is a listening exercise. I wrote a short paragraph which includes lots of "th" sounds. The paragraph will repeat three times. Just listen.
On *Thursday* it was cloudy. *Then* it started to rain. *This* made me feel sad because it was my *thirtieth* *birthday*. I *thought* about a lot of *things* like *the* *theory* of relativity. *That* made me feel better and I was grateful to Albert Einstein for *thinking* it up.
*Part Two: Practice with voiced "th"
*1) *Then* it started to rain.
2) Are *they* your friends?
3) I like *these* flowers more *than* *those*.
4) He gave *them* *something* to eat.
5) *The* fire started in *the* kitchen.
6) *This* is my house and *that*…
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May 24, 2021
"H" is for happy!
If you are a native speaker of French and have studied English, then you have probably run into the /h/ problem. This sound, which Americans make when we say "Hello" and "How are you" and "Ha ha ha", does not exist in French. This makes two problems for French speakers.
1) Problem one: The sound is dropped. So I say *Hello* and the French speaker says *'ello*. Or I say *How are you*? and he says '*ow are you*?" Or I say *"I'm hungry"* and she says *"I'm 'ungry"* (which to us often sounds like "I'm angry.")
2) The other problem French speakers have is over correcting, putting in /h/ sounds where they shouldn't be. So "*I am*" might be said "*I ham*". Or *"It's time to eat"* might be said *"It's time to heat."*
To illustrate these problems, here is a recording from a kind, generous, and courageous native speaker of French who gave me permission to share her reading of these sentences:
*Is Charlie happy? Not at all. He's angry. He missed breakfast. Then he missed lunch. Now he's very…
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May 22, 2021
When "-ed" is pronounced "d"
In earlier podcasts we looked at verbs ending in "-ed" where the sound is "t", like *tricked* or *trucked*. In this episode, the examples have the same past tense ending, "-ed", but the sound is now a "d". In some cases an extra syllable is added (and *added* is an example!): for example in *rejected* or *interrupted*.
Sentences in this lesson:
guarded - The Capitol was guarded by members of the National Guard.
cheated - My uncle cheated us.
waited - I waited and waited and waited some more. He never came.
decided - We decided to go to the beach.
invented - Yesterday I invented a new kind of battery that will last forever.
handed - The left-handed man handed me a hammer.
gobbled - Our dog gobbled his dinner in seconds.
carried - We carried the injured people to the waiting ambulances.
avoided - He avoided his wife’s eyes. He felt quite ashamed.
expanded - As I blew, the balloon expanded rapidly.
pretended - The man pretended to be a doctor but he wasn’t.
**************…
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May 21, 2021
Roger the Rabbit Practices RRRRRR.
'R' is everywhere. And, unfortunately, the 'R' sound in American English is different from the equivalent sound in French, Spanish, German and for all I know, every other language.
So here is a quick conversation to help you practice this tricky sound. Listen a few times first and then repeat as directed.
Hi John. Is something the matter?
*There sure is. A ferret tried to get my rabbit.
*
I didn't know you had a rabbit.
*He was a present from my mother. His name is Roger.
*
Well I hope Roger's had his rabies shot. [I hope Roger has had]
*[Of] course! We treat him like a prince.*
How did Roger escape the ferret?
*I ran out of the house in the nick of time and the ferret ran away.*
Roger lucked out!
*You got that right. A few more seconds and he woulda been deader 'n a doornail.* [he would have been deader than a doornail.]
***************************************
"In the nick of time" means "just in time."
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.si…
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May 20, 2021
When "-ed is pronounced "t" - Part 2
In this podcast we'll look at some more verbs where the ‘-ed’ past tense ending is pronounced ’t’. Please see the transcript for a list of the sentences.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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May 19, 2021
When "-ed" is pronounced "t"
Sometimes the "ed" at the end of a verb, used to indicate past tense, is pronounced with a "t" sound. To make it worse, in words like "looked" you get the combo: k+t. Try to find that in Spanish.
He tricked his brother.
She liked his t-shirt.
We talked for hours.
They worked from sunup to sundown.
I was texting and I walked into a tree.
I asked her for her phone number.
He looked like a movie star.
She checked my passport.
They thanked me for helping.
*Here's the story at the end of the lesson:
*
I was texting and I walked into a tree. When I woke up, I was in a hospital and a nurse asked me my name. Then she checked my passport. She was cute so I asked her for her phone number. She slapped me and walked out. I don't think she liked me.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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May 19, 2021
Introductory Episode Notes
A quick intro to the Wadjasay Podcast.
Sample sentences in this podcast are:
Slow version: "Sorry, I am in a noisy room. What did you say?"
Fast version (more or less): "Sorry, I'm inna noisy room. Wadja say?"
Link to my Telegram account for notifications of lessons on Tandem.
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show
You can now support my podcasts and classes:
Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!
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