intelligibility - Category

Ever wonder which words have a z sound, like jeans[z] or bean[z] and which have an s sound like cats or bats? Find out at mylanguagemaster.com. Learn the rules for pronouncing the z sound. 

A really useful way to help our students with their listening is to help them become aware of ‘thought groups’ – a term from the excellent phonology book for learners ‘Speaking Clearly’ – Rogerson & Gilbert – (CUP). These are sometimes called ‘tone units’ or ‘sense groups’. Rogerson & Gilbert define ‘thought groups’: When we […]

Vowel Sounds                           Call 781.385.0231 American English pronunciation relies heavily on vowels and vowel combinations. There are short vowels and long vowels and several varieties of each used in daily speech. Vowels are continuously shortened and lengthened depending on their location within a […]

 Learn Linking             Call 781.385.0231  What is Linking in Speech? Linking is saying two words without a pause in between.  The sound of a word pronounced in isolation is different than the sound of a word within a phrase or sentence.

Key features of Collocations                        Call Today 781.385.0231 Collocations are made from a group of simple words that appear together to produce a specific meaning.

English language learners are often challenged by collocations and tend to avoid using them. Using collocations is a key indicator of competency and fluency in a language. Speaking without collocations is like talking without idioms or phrasal verbs. The message may be conveyed, but your word choice will sound awkward or unnatural.

Intonation is the Rise and Fall of Your Voice at the Right Time Intonation is what native listeners need to recognize vocabulary words, grammar, and syntax. If your intonation is off,