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Copyright: © Copyright Shayna Oliveira 2015
The English language has a lot of regional variations and different accents - and there are some words with two different (but correct) ways to pronounce them!The English language has a lot of regional variations and different accents - and there are some words with two different (but correct) ways to pronounce them!
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-english-words-with-alternative-pronunciation/
In today's lesson, you'll learn some of the most common ones - like aunt, caramel, and route. So, which way should you say these words? You can choose whichever way you think sounds best... or whichever way other native English speakers around you tends to say them.
One of the most important aspects of English fluency is to pronounce words clearly, so that other people can understand you easily. And you don't want to make embarrassing mistakes like pronouncing the word "sheet" like "shit"!
You can improve your pronunciation by taking my American English Pronunciation Course. It has lots of listen-and-repeat exercises that will help you differentiate similar sounds and pronounce English words more accurately.
If you want even more practice, take the Shadowing with Shayna course, too. In these lessons, you can repeat phrases and sentences after me in order to improve your speaking rhythm and speed.
Do you know the difference between wait and await, sleep and asleep, and wake and awake? These words seem simple, but there are some small grammatical differences in the way we use them in sentences. Take today's lesson to find out how to use them all correctly.
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wait-and-await-sleep-and-asleep-wake-and-awake/
Small mistakes like saying "await for" often don't affect communication; however, they show that you're not a native English speaker.
This is why I want to help you understand how to use similar and confusing words correctly - so that your English can have fewer mistakes and become more fluent!
My e-book 600+ Confusing English Words Explained describes many of the most common errors English learners make, and shows you the right way to use these words. I think you'll find it very helpful :-)
Today you're going to learn the difference between break in, break out, break down, break up, and break through. Some of these phrasal verbs have multiple meanings.
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/5-phrasal-verbs-with-break/
It can be very hard to remember the meanings of phrasal verbs if you just study lists and definitions. That's why in my lessons, I always try to give you real examples of the phrasal verbs used in sentences!
In my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course, you can learn more than 500 phrasal verbs in the context of dialogues. It's a fun and natural way to learn these essential elements of the English language.
Today I want to clear up some confusion around the words sometime, sometimes, and some time. Are they all the same? No! These words have different meanings and uses. Take today's lesson to find out how to use each one of them correctly.
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/sometimes-sometime-or-some-time/
Can you make your own example sentences with all three? It's important to put what you're learning into practice! My English courses can help you do that – many of them have quizzes and practice exercises, and in some cases you can send in your answers for evaluation:
These are extremely valuable opportunities to get direct feedback on your English from a teacher!
Some informal and idiomatic expressions in English just don't seem to make sense. In today's lesson, I'll explain four phrases that my students have asked me about:
Don't try to translate or understand these phrases literally – that's a common mistake among language learners. If you try to understand it word by word, it won't make sense. Instead, you need to understand each phrase as a whole unit, with a particular meaning.
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/four-english-expressions-that-dont-seem-to-make-sense/
You can see how each of these expressions is difficult to understand by itself, but easier to learn if you have an example situation where it would be used. This is why I highly recommend learning phrases in context, not just trying to memorize lists of phrases and definitions, and my Everyday English Speaking Course Level 2 can help you do that. The lessons are based on more advanced conversations that are full of expressions like these. You can click here for a free sample.
There are many English words that have similar spellings and pronunciations, and it's common for English learners to use the wrong one. Today I'm going to teach you three examples of how small differences can change the meaning of the word completely. We're going to practice these:
Pay close attention to make sure you're saying and writing these words correctly!
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/three-spelling-pronunciation-changes-that-completely-change-the-word/
As you can see, a small pronunciation mistake can result in a big change in meaning. This is why it's important to have good pronunciation in English. Remember that excellent pronunciation isn't something you can get overnight – it takes lots of practice and training. You can get some of that training in my Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses, which have lots of opportunities to listen and repeat. When you're confident that your pronunciation is good, you can speak English without fear. I hope to see you inside one of my courses!
I've just gotten back from a road trip with my family, and I'm going to use this opportunity to teach you some vocabulary for driving and traveling by car.
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-vocabulary-for-a-road-trip/
To learn more vocabulary that's organized by topic, you can join my Vocabulary Builder Courses, which will teach you hundreds of useful words. Level 1 of the course covers topics like daily life, work & study, travel & entertainment, people & ideas, and society & the world. Level 2 of the course is more advanced and will teach you deeper, more complex, and more colorful vocabulary.
In today's lesson I'm going to show you six mistakes that real students of mine have made – and you might be making, too! The purpose of this lesson is not to make you feel bad about those mistakes, but instead to learn from them.
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/six-english-grammar-mistakes-you-might-be-making/
One problem with language learning is that if you make a fairly minor mistake that doesn't affect communication, native speakers often don't correct you because they understood what you meant in general and they don't want to make you feel bad by pointing out an error in your grammar. And then you might go on making the same mistake for months or even years! If you want to get your English corrected, join my Advanced English Grammar Course, which includes writing tasks that you can send me for feedback.
William Shakespeare was a poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the history of the English language. You might know him as the author of the famous "Romeo and Juliet."
Many of the English idioms we use to this day were invented or popularized by Shakespeare – you'll learn eight of them in this lesson!
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/eight-english-idioms-from-shakespeare/
To learn more idioms, join my 300+ English Idioms Course.
Today I want to teach you the correct way to say four words that I often hear students mispronouncing or confusing: recipe, receipt, debt, and debit. Listen and repeat to practice your pronunciation, so that you can be confident you're pronouncing these words correctly and not mixing them up!
Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/how-to-pronounce-recipe-receipt-debt-debit/
A lot of English learners want to know the "rules" of English pronunciation, but unfortunately it's hard to teach any rules since the pronunciation is so irregular. There are some trends and patterns in English pronunciation, but there are SO many exceptions. In my opinion, it's better to train your pronunciation by listening and repeatingafter a native speaker, not by trying to memorize rules. You can get a lot of listen-and-repeat practice inside my courses on Pronunciation and Shadowing.
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