Linking Sound

One of the reasons non-native speakers have problems understanding and pronouncing English is because of linking sound. Linking is very important in English. If you recognize and use linking, you will understand other people more easily and other people will also understand you more easily.

Linking occurs when a word ends in a vowel and the following word starts with a vowel. When one word ends with a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound, we link the words with a sort of (small and quick) W or Y sound.

If our lips are round at the end of the first word, we insert a W (ow) sound. Try to pronounce the sentences shown in the picture as natural as possible. Pay attention to the arrow marks which link one word to another.

Linking Sound

“I have noWidea why youWopen the window. It’s soWwindy.”

Watch and listen to Eva Easton. She will teach you how to link the words end with W and Ysound to the vowel sound.

You can also learn how to connect and link the words with Elemental English 

Verbs

What is a verb?

1. A Verb says something about a person or thing.

2. Verbs are divided into three different kinds :

a. Transitive Verbs

A Transitive  Verb requires an object to complete its meaning.

Examples :

a. The hunter killed a bear.

b. The scholar learned his lesson.

In (a) “bear” is the object of ” killed “.

In (b) “lesson” is the object of ” learned “.

Transitive Verb has two voice : the active and passive voice – we will discuss active and passive voice in a another time.

b. Intransitive Verbs

An Intransitive Verb does not require an object to complete its meaning.

Examples :

(a) He sleeps.

(b) We go.

No object can come after such verbs as “sleep”, “go”, etc.

c. Auxiliary Verbs

An Auxiliary Verb is used to help an other verb.

Examples:

(a) I shall go.

(b) We have come.

In (a) “shall” is an auxiliary verb used to help the verb “go” to form a future time.

In (b) “have” is an auxiliary verb used to help the verb “come” to express a time partly past and partly present.

Note : A verb that is helped by an auxiliary verb is called a Principal verb.

3. Tenses of Verbs

a. Tense denotes the time of an action or its completeness.

b. There are three major tenses :

1. the Present Tense

2. the Past Tense

3. the Future Tense

We will discuss tenses in another time.

Using Comic Strips in Speaking Class

Teachers, I know sometimes asking students to create a dialog on their own based on a certain situation you’ve provided can be intimidating for them. They tend to make a long sentence for one character in the dialog, and this could give them problems, especially for students with lacking of English vocabulary. The conversation between the characters in the dialog often doesn’t flow naturally and the sentence is usually not in a good order. Let alone they’re too shy to practice the dialog they’ve made in front of the class because they’re afraid of having made mistakes and becoming the laughing stock.

You can try using comic strips to make your speaking activity in your class to be more attractive and interesting. Take a look at the picture below. You can make copies of the picture as many as you like (depends on how many students you have in your class) and distribute them to the students. Ask them to fill out the empty talk/thought balloons/bubbles with an appropriate reply to match with the corresponding dialog given by the other character in the picture. For example, in the introducing yourself and others activity, you (teacher) first need to fill out the talk balloon in number 12 with “Hello. My name is James.”then ask your students to fill out the empty balloon; ask them to give an appropriate reply to the first dialog. When they finish filling out all the empty balloons, pair them up; put your students in a group of two or three depending on how many characters there are in the picture and ask them to practice the conversation in front of the class.

Source: English Will Easy

Comic strips can be used in language classes in many different ways. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Cut apart the panels of a comic strip or copy it out of order. Students put the panels in the correct order.

2. Give students the complete strip in order with empty talk/thought balloons/bubbles. Provide the sentences to fill in the balloons and let students order the dialog.

3. Give students a comic strip with half of the dialog and have them create the other half.

4. Select several vocabulary words and ask students to use them in a comic strip. You can create the strip with empty balloons, or let students make their own.

5. Present a setting or a problem/situation and have students create a comic strip.

I myself have been using Bitstrips to create lessons and incorporate them in a comic. You can download this application from Google Store or App Store.

Teaching slang in a conversation

I also came across Make Beliefs Comix, this great website can help you create your own comic strips.

Source: Make Beliefs Comix

I found I Get It!, a blog created by an Indonesian blogger. It teaches English idioms through comic strips. The characters and backgrounds used in the comic are so Indonesia. This will make the students feel attached and connected to the story.

Source: I Get It!

The activity shown in the picture is about asking and giving information. Ask your students to fill out the empty talk balloons based on the dialogs given by the other character.

So teachers, now you can have so much fun teaching English conversation to your students. Your speaking class will no longer be boring!

What's a COLLOCATION?

What’s a collocation?

A collocation is two or more words that often go together. These combinations just sound “right” to native English speakers, who use them all the time. On the other hand, other combinations may be unnatural and just sound “wrong”.

Some common verbs are listed below to assist you with the activity:

Collocation with HAVE:

have a bath

have a drink

have a good time

have a haircut

have a holiday

have a problem

have a relationship

have a rest

have lunch

have sympathy

Collocations with DO:

do nothing

do someone a favour

do the cooking

do the housework

do the shopping

do the washing up

do your best

do your hair

do your homework

Collocations with MAKE:

make a mess

make a mistake

make a noise

make an effort

make furniture

make money

make progress

make room

make trouble

Collocations with TAKE:

take a break

take a chance

take a look

take a rest

take a seat

take a taxi

take an exam

take notes

take someone’s place

take someone’s temperature

Collocations with BREAK:

break a habit

break a leg

break a promise

break a record

break a window

break someone’s heart

break the ice

break the law

break the news to someone

break the rules

Collocations with CATCH:

catch a ball

catch a bus

catch a chill

catch a cold

catch a thief

catch fire

catch sight of

catch someone’s attention

catch someone’s eye

catch the flu

Collocations with PAY:

pay a fine

pay attention

pay by credit card

pay cash

pay interest

pay someone a compliment

pay someone a visit

pay the bill

pay the price

pay your respects

Collocations with SAVE:

save electricity

save energy

save money

save one’s strength

save someone a seat

save someone’s life

save something to a disk

save space

save time

save yourself the trouble

Collocations with KEEP:

keep a diary

keep a promise

keep a secret

keep an appointment

keep calm

keep control

keep in touch

keep quiet

keep someone’s place

keep the change

Collocations with COME:

come close

come complete with

come direct

come early

come first

come into view

come last

come late

come on time

come prepared

come right back

come second

come to a compromise

come to a decision

come to an agreement

come to an end

come to a standstill

come to terms with

come to a total of

come under attack

Collocations with GO:

go astray

go bad

go bald

go bankrupt

go blind

go crazy

go dark

go deaf

go fishing

go mad

go missing

go on foot

go online

go out of business

go overseas

go quiet

go sailing

go to war

go yellow

Collocations with GET:

get a job

get a shock

get angry

get divorced

get drunk

get frightened

get home

get lost

get married

get nowhere

get permission

get pregnant

get ready

get started

get the impression

get the message

get the sack

get upset

get wet

get worried

Collocation with BREAK:

break a habit

break a leg

break a promise

break a record

break a window

break someone’s heart

break the ice

break the law

break the news to someone

break the rules

Learn more about collocations with Cambridge English TV and English Espresso. 

Types of Meat and Its Cuts

In many parts of the world, beef is not unusual cuisines, such as in Japan and Korea. In Kobe, Japan, a highly prized beef is produced from cattle that vigorously massaged and fed a dietary supplement of beer; it is called wagyu beef. However, beef is relatively not popular in India; the sanctity of the cow in the Hindu religion forbids the consumption of its meat by Hindu adherents.

With the right seasonings using the right spices and herbs, we can make many kinds of dishes from meat. We can make stew, goulash, steak, burger patties, satay, roulade, and many more. We can cook the meat anyway we like; boil, grill, roast, slow cook, braise, or pan-fry the meat.

The best way to cook beef based on its cuts

Types of meat:

Basically there are two types of meat; red meat andwhite meat. Read meat is meat, such as beef and lamb that is red before it is cooked and dark after you have cooked it. Meat that is pale after you have cooked it is called white meat.

beef – the meat from a cow

veal – the meat from a young cow (calf)

mutton – the meat from an adult sheep

lamb – the meat from a young sheep

pork – the meat from a pig

venison – the meat from a deer

horseflesh – the meat from a horse

chicken – the meat of a chicken

duck – the meat of a duck

goose – the meat of a goose

quail – this bird eaten as food

rabbit – the meat from a rabbit

turkey – the meat of a turkey

Types of cuts:

Types of beef cuts

minced meat – meat, especially beef, that has been cut into very small pieces using a machine; also called ground beef (American)

Types of veal cuts

Types of lamb cuts

Types of pork cuts

Doggie Bag

Doggie bag was first meant for a dog pet

Meaning: A container for leftover food to be carried home from a meal eaten at a restaurant. The leftovers are intended for a pet dog, but mostly the people eat them themselves the following day.

Doggie bag may come in a paperbag, plastic bag, carton box, or aluminum box.

Bringing the leftovers home is a part of the American culture.

Doggy bags are part of eating out in the US. But many British diners struggle with the idea of asking to take their leftovers home. In the UK, it is a rarely heard request. And if one does have the audacity to ask for a doggy bag, it will probably be uttered under one’s breath or behind one’s hand. Britons are reluctant to ask for one regardless of how much is left on their plate.

However, there is no such shame attached to doggy bags in the US, where they are overtly offered on a menu or freely handed out by the waiting staff as part of the service.

It’s pretty the same here in Indonesia. We often bring our leftovers home and eat them the next day. There’s nothing embarrassing about asking for a doggy bag. We don’t want to see waste. There’s a sense of working hard for your money and wanting value for the money you spent because most of the population in Indonesia is from the low to middle class.

My parents are from the working class and I remember my mother used to make an omelette or nasi goreng(fried rice) with the remains of meals she cooked the other day.

In Indonesia, if we want to have a doggie bag in a restaurant, we usually say “Bisa minta dibungkus?” to mean we’d like to have our leftovers in a doggie bag. The waiter/waitress will usually bring the food from our table to the back and come back to our table with all the leftovers packed in a doggie bag.

Dessert or Desert??

The soldier deserted his dessert in the desert.

When I tell you “The soldier deserted his dessert in the desert”, do you know what I’m talking about?

…

No!

Not really.

You’re confused.

Well, I know the words DESERT and DESSERT can be confusing; they are quite tricky for some learners, especially in the pronunciation. Let’s take a closer look at the sentence once again.

“The soldier deserted his dessert in the desert.”

Desert /ˈde-zərt/ Audio Player

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Dessert /di-ˈzərt/ Audio Player

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The first word deserted is the simple past form of the verb desert meaning to abandon; abandoned. The second word dessert is a noun, meaning a sweet dish that is generally eaten at the end of a meal, and the last word desert is also a noun, meaning an arid geographical region.

So, DESSERT or DESERT? which one is a cake and which one is Sahara? Let me show you the easiest way to know which one is which:

Strawberry Shortcake = deSSert (two S’s)

Sahara = deSert (one S)

Watch this video to know their differences in pronunciation: Dessert or Desert by Sozo

“Get in the bus” or “Get on the bus”

Why do we have to say “get on the bus”, but “get in the car”? It’s because we have to step up ONto the bus in order to get in, but not with the car. We just simply getINto the car.

There’s  a historical story behind  the phrase “get on the bus”. In the 19th Century, a voiture omnibus (a vehicle for all) – later shortened to merely ‘bus’ was a horse-drawn carriage to which you get on. As is with the modern bus, the voiture omnibus is significantly raised from the ground; therefore, one must get on in order to get in. Get it

If a car is significantly raised from the ground, like a jeep or an SUV, the phrase “get on” would also applicable.

This is what a voiture omnibus looks like :

Voiture Omnibus