Wednesday, October 12, 2016

PHONETICS II
PROBLEMATIC SOUNDS FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS

Article taken from http://www.tefl.net/elt/articles/teacher-technique/spanish-speaker-pronunciation-problems/

Pronunciation Problems For Spanish-Speaking Learners Of English

Pronunciation problems and solutions for all speakers of Spanish.
Although a strong Spanish accent is usually easier to understand than a similarly strong French or Portuguese one, the pronunciation can cause considerable strain for the listener and seem somewhat harsh and flat. More importantly, Spanish speakers often have listening comprehension far below their other skills.
School English lessons in most Spanish-speaking countries also tend to focus much more on reading and grammar than speaking and listening, and so pronunciation work will both help redress the balance and be considered worthwhile by students.
This article will focus mainly on pronunciation problems that cause miscomprehension, including some attempt to prioritise the entries in each section. The sections themselves are arranged more traditionally, starting with individual sounds.

Points That Spanish-Speaking Learners Of English Find Difficult

Vowels

Short and long vowel pairs

Perhaps the single biggest pronunciation problem for Spanish speakers is that their language does not have a distinction between short and long vowels. They often stretch all vowel sounds out too much and confuse pairs of short and long English vowel sounds like “ship” and “sheep” both in comprehension and speaking. Relevant pairs include:
  • bit/beat
  • not/note and not/nought
  • batter/barter
  • pull/pool
As the pairs above are all pronounced with different mouth positions as well as different lengths, focusing on that can help students distinguish between the minimal pairs above even if they don’t fully get the hang of vowel length.

Other vowels

In common with most learners, Spanish speakers find the distinction between the very similar sounds in “cat” and “cut” difficult to notice and produce. Perhaps more importantly, they can also have problems with the two closest sounds to an “o” sound in “not” mentioned above, making “boat” and “bought” difficult to distinguish. The unstressed schwa “er” sound in “computer” does not exist in Spanish, and neither do the closest long sounds in “fur” and “her”. Spanish speakers tend to find it much more difficult to recognise not rhotic versions of vowel sounds.

Consonants

Words written with “b” and “v” are mostly pronounced identically, making this perhaps the most common spelling mistake in Spanish. There is also no distinction between the first sounds in “yacht” and “jot” in Spanish and which of those two sounds is perceived by English speakers tends to depend on the variety of Spanish spoken (this being one of the easiest ways of spotting an Argentinean accent, for example). There may also be some confusion between the first sound in “jeep” and its unvoiced equivalent in “cheap” (a common sound in Spanish).
The “ch” in “cheese” may also be confused with the “sh” in “she’s”, as the latter sound does not exist in Spanish. The difference is similar to that between “yacht” and “jot” mentioned above, being between a smooth sound (sh) and a more explosive one (ch), so the distinction can usefully be taught as a more general point. Alternatively, the “sh” in “sheep” may come out sounding more like “s” in “seep”, in which case it is mouth shape that needs to be worked on.
Spanish words never start with an “s” sound, and words which are similar to English tend to have an initial “es” sound instead, as in escuela/school. This is very common in Spanish speakers’ pronunciation of English as well, leading to pronunciations like “I am from Espain”. Spanish speakers have no problem producing a hissing sound, so the secret is to have them make the word directly after that “ssss” and then practise reducing the length of that down to a short initial “s”.
Unlike most languages, the “th” sounds in “thing” and “bathe” do exist in Spanish. The problem with “bathe” is that the sound is just a variation on mid or final “d” for Spanish speakers and so some work on understanding the distinction between initial “d” and initial “th” is usually needed before it can be understood and produced in an initial position – in fact making the amount of work needed not much less than for speakers of languages entirely without this sound. The problem with “thing” and “sing” is different as it is a distinction that exists in some varieties of Spanish and not others, meaning that again for some speakers practice will need to start basically from zero.
Some speakers also pronounce a final “d” similar to an unvoiced “th”. “d” and “t” can also be a problem at the end of words, as can “thing”/“think” and sometimes “thing”/“thin” or even “ring” and “rim”. In general, Spanish consonant sounds vary more by position than English consonants do.
Although a “w” sound exists in Spanish, it is spelt “gu” and can be pronounced “gw”, sometimes making it difficult to work out if a “g” or “w” is what is meant.
As a “z” is pronounced as “s” or “th” (depending on the speaker, as in the two pronunciations of “Barcelona”), a “z” sound does not exist in Spanish. However, perhaps because not so much air is produced in a Spanish “s” I find that this version rarely produces comprehension problems.
Although a Spanish “r” is different from most English ones, it rarely causes comprehension problems. However, the English “r” can seem so soft to Spanish speakers that it is sometimes perceived as “w”.
The Spanish “j” in José (similar to the Scottish “ch” in “loch”) and the English “h” in “hope” rarely if ever cause communication problems, but is perhaps the main thing to work on if students are interested in accent reduction. An English “h” is like breathing air onto your glasses so you can polish them, and students can actually practise doing that to help.
Spanish doesn’t have the soft, French-sounding sound from the middle of “television” and “pleasure”, but this rarely if ever causes comprehension problems.

SYNTAX 
TEXT FOR DISCOURSE ANALYSIS 

READ THE TEXT YOU WILL GET BY CLICKING  ON THIS LINK. REMEMBER TO TAKE IT TO NEXT CLASS. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

SYNTAX II
2nd Activity

Verb Types and Objects


Read the following sentences and determine the type of verb in each one. Also, state the direct and indirect objects they may have. 


Again each one of you must analyze a different sentence


1. Karen gave a dog biscuit to the puppy.
2. The ATM machine spewed money at the surprised young woman.
3. The librarian carried the books and magazines to the researcher.
4. Walking to school on a fall day, the children selected fallen leaves for show-and-tell. 
5. Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War.
6. The company hired a personable manager for its customer service position.
7. The child needs a speech therapist to help her improve her enunciation.
8. The people of China gave pandas to the people of the United States.
9. Gary decorated the cake as a surprise for his family.
10. Although she did not consider it a good influence, Jeanetta bought a new television for the family room. 
11. George is the captain.
12. The judge pronounced the judgment.
13. My sister looked worried.
14. Parents should be kind to their children.
15. Mother brought us tea.
16. The officer asked him several questions.
17. Let us send him our greetings.
18. We should keep our surroundings clean.
19. My aunt has brought me a computer.
20. The class elected Martin their monitor.
21. Our visit made the host happy.
22. This book is interesting.

LINGUISTICS III 
2nd Activity

PARTS OF SPEECH - TYPE OF PHRASES


Read the following sentences and state the type of word or phrase you see underlined or in bold. Each one of you has to choose one sentence and post your analysis according to the criterion worked in class. 


1. Vampires Dairies is my favorite television show, but I also love True Blood.

2. The student wiped the white board that was filthy with last week’s notes.

3. The trendy fashion designer released her new line on Wednesday.

4. Trina and Hareem went to a bar in Hollywood to celebrate their anniversary.

5. Wicked Regina cast a spell on the entire city, so the citizens decided to rebel.

6. While waiting for the paint to dry, Angela went to Home Depot, and Martin organized the
kitchen appliances.

7. After listening to the Kanye West CD, I have new respect for his music.

8. After the teacher chose groups, John and Sara were selected as partners for a project, yet
Sarah did most of the work.

9. I love skiing, my brother loves snowboarding, and my sister likes snow tubing.

10. If you do not want to join marching band, you should find another extracurricular activity. 

PHONETICS II
1st Activity 

Consonant sounds in English

Remember to take your answers to class on a piece of paper. 


1. Look at the following transcription and write down the words they represent.

mi:t

fɑind

rɐf

saund

bæʃ

ʃip

la:f

tʃɪps

ðem

tæks

æɪks

2. Transcribe the following sentences:


  • Linguistics is a that requires your attention. 
  • People have to work hard on what they ewant to accomplish. 
  • Some of the most complicated things are not that difficult after a while. 

LINGUISTICS II 
2nd activity
SENTENCE TYPES


 Identify whether the sentences are simple, complex, compound or compound-complex; also, underline dependent clauses where it applies. 

Each one of you must do 3 different sentences. 

Remember to post your answers in the comment section. 


1. Vampires Dairies is my favorite television show, but I also love True Blood.
2. The student wiped the white board that was filthy with last week’s notes.
3. The trendy fashion designer released her new line on Wednesday.
4. Trina and Hareem went to a bar in Hollywood to celebrate their anniversary.
5. Wicked Regina cast a spell on the entire city, so the citizens decided to rebel.
6. While waiting for the paint to dry, Angela went to Home Depot, and Martin organized the
kitchen appliances.
7. After listening to the Kanye West CD, I have new respect for his music.
8. After the teacher chose groups, John and Sara were selected as partners for a project, yet
Sarah did most of the work. 
9. I love skiing, my brother loves snowboarding, and my sister likes snow tubing.
10. If you do not want to join marching band, you should find another extracurricular activity. 
11. Whenever I hear classical music, I immediately get sleepy.
12. In the middle of the night, my little sister screamed at the top of her lungs because she had a nightmare, and I ran to comfort her.
13. I washed and vacuumed the car. 
14. We ordered pork tenderloin for our entrée and scalloped potatoes for our side dish.
15. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. 
16. I now understand simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016


Sentence type activity 


Read the following paragraphs. Choose 5 sentences from any of them, state their type and identify its elements (S-V-C, conjuunctions, clauses). You have to do this in the comment section below. 


It is important for you to work on different sentneces. I mean that you are not supposed to choose sentences already analyzed by other classmates. 


1- A topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph. 2- Sometimes referred to as a focus sentence, the topic sentence helps organize the paragraph by summarizing the information in the paragraph.3-  In formal writing, the topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph. 
4- A topic sentence essentially tells what the rest of the paragraph is about. 5- All sentences after it have to give more information about the sentence, prove it by offering facts about it, or describe it. 6- For example, if the topic sentence concerns the types of endangered species that live in the ocean, then every sentence after that needs to expound on that subject. 

7- Topic sentences also need to relate back to the thesis of the essay. 8- The thesis statement is like a road map that will tell the reader or listener where you are going with this information or how you are treating it. 

8- Reading literature is a pleasurable, entertaining activity that offers readers the potential to escape from the troubles of daily life. 9- Above all else, literature survives because of its capacity to entertain readers.10-  Literature also has the power to provoke thought in readers, making it a leisure activity that is also intellectually productive.11-  Literature also has the power to impart a wide variety of experiences to readers. 12- A story can expose readers to different places, time periods, viewpoints and cultures. 13- Readers can gain experiences through literature they would never have access to in ordinary life. 14- Literature's ability to capture the imagination and depict the lives of others also increases readers' ability to empathize with others.15-  A study published in the journal Science found that readers of literary fiction demonstrated an increased ability to infer other people's thoughts and emotions. 16- Finally, literature helps develop critical-thinking skills.17-  Readings and discussions of literature force readers to make reasoned judgments about character motivations, cause and effect, critical analysis of plot and more.

17- When applying for a job, good skills to list on a resume or application include the ability to solve complex problems, employ critical thinking, listen actively, use good judgement and make reasoned, rational decisions accordingly. 18- Having knowledge of complex and technically-oriented disciplines is also a plus, such as an above-average understanding of computers, certain machinery and electronics. 19- Knowing how to solve mathematical equations ranks high on the list of favorable qualities in potential employees, as does operations and systems analysis, monitoring, programming and marketing.

20- Critical thinking tops the list of most desirable qualities in job applicants, according to Forbes. 21- It requires the use of analysis and comparison to evaluate pros and cons or strengths and weaknesses of tools, products and companies, as well as the capacity to identify alternative solutions and conclusions and make smart decisions. 22- Employers seek candidates with the ability to identify and correct difficult problems. 23- This entails finding problems, then evaluating alternatives to solve them. 24- Possessing good judgment and making sound decisions is another good skill to list on an application. 25- This conveys the ability to consider and evaluate costs and options before choosing the best solution. 26- Active listening skills exhibit the ability of candidates to understand fellow workers and managers, and perform well in team environments.

27- Literature is the foundation of life. It places an emphasis on many topics from human tragedies to tales of the ever-popular search for love. 28- While it is physically written in words, these words come alive in the imagination of the mind, and its ability to comprehend the complexity or simplicity of the text. 29- Literature enables people to see through the lenses of others, and sometimes even inanimate objects; therefore, it becomes a looking glass into the world as others view it. 30- It is a journey that is inscribed in pages, and powered by the imagination of the reader. 31- Ultimately, literature has provided a gateway to teach the reader about life experiences from even the saddest stories to the most joyful ones that will touch their hearts.

32- From a very young age, many are exposed to literature in the most stripped down form: picture books and simple texts that are mainly for the sole purpose of teaching the alphabet etc. 33- Although these are not nearly as complex as an 800-page sci-fi novel, it is the first step that many take towards the literary world. 34- Progressively, as people grow older, they explore other genres of books, ones that propel them towards curiosity of the subject, and the overall book. 35- Reading and being given the keys to the literature world prepares individuals from an early age to discover the true importance of literature: being able to comprehend and understand situations from many perspectives.

36- Physically speaking, it is impossible to be someone else. 37- It is impossible to switch bodies with another human being, and it is impossible to completely understand the complexity of their world. 38- Literature, as an alternative, is the closest thing the world has to being able to understand another person whole-heartedly. 39- For stance, a novel about a treacherous war, written in the perspective of a soldier, allows the reader to envision their memories, their pain, and their emotions without actually being that person. 40- Consequently, literature can act as a time machine, enabling individuals to go into a specific time period of the story, into the mind and soul of the protagonist.

41- With the ability to see the world with a pair of fresh eyes, it triggers the reader to reflect upon their own lives. 42- Reading a material that is relatable to the reader may teach them morals and encourage them to practice good judgement. 43- This can be proven through public school systems, where the books that are emphasized the most tend to have a moral-teaching purpose behind the story. 44- An example would be William Shakespeare’s stories, where each one is meant to be reflective of human nature . 45- Consequently, this can promote better judgement of situations, so the reader does not find themselves in the same circumstances as perhaps those in the fiction world. 46- Henceforth, literature is proven to not only be reflective of life, but it can also be used as a guide for the reader to follow and practice good judgement from.