Differences Between American and British English By Kenneth Beare While there are certainly many more varieties of English, American English and British English are the two varieties that are taught in most ESL/EFL programs. Generally, it is agreed that no one version is "correct" however, there are certainly preferences in use. The three major differences between between American and British English are: Pronunciation - differences in both vowel and consonants, as well as stress and intonation Vocabulary - differences in nouns and verbs, especially phrasal verb usage Spelling - differences are generally found in certain prefix and suffix forms The most important rule of thumb is to try to be consistent in your usage. Use of the Present Perfect continue reading below our video Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% In British English the present perfect is used to express an action that has occurred in the recent past that has an effect on the present moment. I've lost my key. In British English the above would be considered incorrect. British English:
Teaching English Pronunciation I've met teachers who believe "there's no point in teaching English pronunciation as it cannot be taught. Talented students pick it up - the rest don't." English coursebooks make the same point with their silence. Despite the above comments, I know from my own experience that clear pronunciation can be taught - and that when it is taught the students listening will improve too. What needs teaching? In teaching English pronunciation the students generally need work in several areas. Individual Sounds - Background Teaching English pronunciation involves a giving a lot of listening practice at the beginning. If the sound you are teaching doesn't exist in your students' language they will try to fit it into the sounds they already know. Remember that sounds and letters are different. Individual Sounds - ESL Pronunciation Activities Listen and say is the most basic pronunciation activity. Listen and slap Students - in teams - slap letters or words on the board . Word Stress How Many Words?
Improving your English pronunciation Here are some tips to help you improve your English pronunciation. First of all, don't worry about not having a native-English accent. It's important to be able to speak clearly, so that people can understand you. However, it's almost impossible to sound exactly like a native English speaker if you are learning English as an adult in a non-English speaking country. However, there are many things that you can do to improve your pronunciation and your speaking skills. 1. Listen to how speakers pronounce various words and phrases and "model" your pronunciation on what you hear. 2. Use the phonetic alphabet page (at the beginning of most good dictionaries) as a guide to pronouncing new words. 3. Every English word has its own stress, or intonation. Word stress is important. 4. Depending on what your first language is, you may have problems with certain sounds. 5. A useful exercise is a "minimal pair" exercise. For example, "pair" and "bear"; "pond" and "bond"; "pie" and "buy" etc. 6. Intonation
The Anglotic Web Page ICT TIC phonology lexicology corpora sociolinguistics culture translation ELT pragmatics competences content literature digital story telling Barry Pennock Speck Universitat de Val ncia Index Simple Minimal Vowel Pairs Exercise 1 /iː/ /ɪ/ Exercise 2 /ɪ/ /e/ Exercise 3 /iː/ /ɪ/ /e/ Exercise 4 /e/ /æ/ Exercise 5 /æ/ /ɑ:/ Exercise 6 /ɒ/ /ɔː/ Exercise 7 /ɒ/ /ɔː/ /ɑ:/ Exercise 8 /ʌ/ /æ/ Exercise 9 /ʌ/ /ɑ:/ Exercise10 /ɜː/ /e/ Exercise 11 /ɜː/ /ɑː/ Exercise 12 /ɜː/ /e/ /æ/ Exercise 13 /ɜː/ /æ/ / ɑ:/ Exercise 14 /ɜː/ /ɔː/ Exercise 15 /eɪ/ aɪ/ Exercise 16 /ɪə/ eə/ Exercise 17 /eɪ/ /e/ Exercise 18 /əʊ/ /ɒ/ Exercise 19 /əʊ/ /ɔː/ Exercise 20 /əʊ/ /ɒ/ /ɔː/ Materials Phonology © 2007 Website.com.
The Anglotic Web Page ICT TIC phonology lexicology corpora sociolinguistics culture translation ELT pragmatics competences content literature digital story telling Barry Pennock Speck Universitat de València University of Valencia › Index Simple Minimal Consonant Pairs Advice vs Advise Cheer vs Jeer 1 Cheer vs Jeer 2 Sheep vs Jeep Young vs Jung 1 Young vs Jung 2 Project Members Links © 2007 Website.com. The Anglotic Web Page ICT TIC phonology lexicology corpora sociolinguistics culture translation ELT pragmatics competences content literature digital story telling Index Advanced Minimal Vowel Pairs Minimal pairs feel-fill Minimal pairs head-heard Minimal pairs not-nought Minimal pairs for-far Minimal pairs bun-born Minimal pairs bun-burn Minimal pairs cat-cut Minimal pairs hum-harm Minimal pairs sung-song Minimal pairs roof-rough Project Members Links © 2007 Website.com.
The Anglotic Web Page ICT TIC phonology lexicology corpora sociolinguistics culture translation ELT pragmatics competences content literature digital story telling Barry Pennock Speck Universitat de Val ncia University of Valencia › Index Advanced Minimal Consonant Pairs File vs Vile Saw vs Shore Sheep vs Cheap Sip vs Zip Yacht vs Jot Project Members Links © 2009 Anglotic.com. The Anglotic Web Page University of Valencia › Index Simple Minimal Vowel Pairs Odd one out: Consonants Odd one out: Vowels 1 Odd one out: Vowels 2 Project Members Links © 2007 Website.com. The Anglotic Web Page Barry Pennock Speck Universitat de Val ncia Phonology University of Valencia › Index Inflectional Endings -S endings -ED endings Project Members Links © 2007 Website.com.