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Fun Easy English Classroom January 12
 

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American English
pronunciation
lesson 1
American English Pronunciation Lesson 1

Today in the Fun Easy English classroom you are going to study pronunciation lesson 1. Your road to perfect pronunciation begins today. You are going to learn to pronounce the sound ee as in the words heel, key, piece, seat. Remember "practice makes perfect" if you want to improve your English speaking ability.
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Pronunciation: American English Lesson 1

Pronounce the sound ee as in the following words heel, key, piece, seat. Watch the following pronunciation videos and learn to pronounce this sound correctly.
 
Video: American English Pronunciation Lesson 1
Spelling
e be, complete
ea bean, cheap, eat, meat, seat
ee heel, queen, seed, tree
ei receive
eo people
ey key
i machine, police
ie field, piece
y lazy
 
Note: the red letters all have the same sound
 
Sound: Voiced and Unvoiced

This is a VOICED sound which means Your Vocal Cords DO vibrate when making this sound.
You CAN LISTEN to your Vocal Cords vibrating if you cover your ears with your hands.

Try covering your ears with your hands as Akiko is doing in the picture.

Now make the sound of this lesson. Can you listen to your vocal cords vibrating?
VERY GOOD
You CAN FEEL your Vocal Cords vibrating if you place your hands on your neck.

Try placing your hands on your neck as Akiko is doing in the picture.

Now make the sound of this lesson. Can you feel your vocal cords vibrating?
VERY GOOD
The following diagram shows the most important parts of your head and mouth used for pronouncing the sounds of English. It also shows the location of your Vocal Cords.
 
Position: Mouth, lips, and tongue

The following descriptions explain the proper mouth, lips, and tongue position when you make this sound.
Mouth

Your mouth should be slightly tense.
Lips

Your lips should be unrounded and in the same position as when you smile.
Tongue

The front part of your tongue should be in the center part of your mouth.
Practice video

Listen to the video and practice repeating each word.
 
 
Pronunciation practice words

Look at your mouth in a mirror and practice pronouncing the following words. Make sure your mouth, lips, and tongue are in their proper positions.
complete cheap queen receive
people key machine field
lazy eat tree piece
 
Note: the red letters all have the same sound (watch the video above)
 
Test: Pronunciation word test

Choose the correct letter or letters to complete each of the following words.
1.  compl_te
2.  ch_ _p
3.  qu_ _n
4.  rec_ _ve
5.  p_ _ple
6.  k_ _
7.  mach_ne
8.  f_ _ld
9.  laz_
10.  tr_ _
Note: the letter or letters needed to complete each word all have the same sound.
From YOUR Teacher: Almost 2 Weeks Now

Hey I wanted to tell all of you nice work. For almost 2 weeks now you have been studying English in the Fun Easy English classroom. Hopefully you are enjoying these lessons and learning a lot.
 
Additional Lessons
About These Lessons

The following classroom lessons are great for students who want additional conversation, listening, and reading practice.
  • Conversation Lesson - Beginner Level. Let's Learn English conversation lesson with a conversation video, a video script, audio listening practice, video speaking practice, video pronunciation practice, a new words section, and a writing activity.
Conversation Lesson 12 - Meet My Family
(Beginner - Conversation, Listening, Reading)

In this lesson Anna is feeling homesick. Marsha helps her by listening to her talk about her family.
Lesson Video

Watch the video and then do the activities on this page.
Video Script

Anna: Hello! Washington, D.C. has many beautiful parks. In fact, this park reminds me of my home very far away.
Marsha: Anna, here's your coffee.
Anna: Thanks, Marsha.
Marsha: What's wrong?
Anna: I'm thinking about my family. I'm feeling homesick.
Marsha: Do you want to talk about it?
Anna: Sure! I have some photos.
Marsha: Yes. Yes, you do!
Anna: Photos really help.
Anna: This is my mother and this is my father. They are rodeo clowns.
Marsha: What do rodeo clowns do?
Anna: They make jokes at a rodeo. They make people laugh.
Marsha: That-That';s very different.
Marsha: Who is that woman in the picture?
Anna: That is my Aunt Lavender. She is my mom's sister. She loves gardening and makes spoons.
Marsha: She makes spoons?
Anna: Of course.
Marsha: That, too, is very different.
Anna: Oh! This is my Uncle John. He is my father's brother.
Marsha: What does Uncle John do?
Anna: He's a chicken farmer. And makes guitars. He's awesome, and I'm his favorite niece.
Marsha: Who are they?
Anna: They are my cousins. They are my Uncle John's daughter and son.
Marsha: What do they do?
Anna: They raise sheep and make sweaters.
Marsha: Yeah, that's not a surprise.
Marsha: Thanks for showing me your family photos. Your family is very different.
Anna: I do feel better. Thanks for listening. I have many more photos!
Marsha: Yeah. Yeah, you do.
Anna: Washington, DC is my new home. But I like remembering my old home, too.
Anna's Family Tree
This is a family tree. Anna tells Marsha about her parents.
Her mother and father are rodeo clowns.
Her father's parents are from Italy. These grandparents speak Italian.
Anna's mother's parents live in California. These grandparents have a farm and raise horses.
Anna's mother's sister is Aunt Lavender. She loves gardening.
Anna's father has a brother. His name is John. Uncle John makes guitars.
Uncle John has a daughter and a son. They are Anna's cousins. They raise sheep.
Anna's brother has two children. They are Anna's niece and nephew.
Listening

Now practice listening to only the audio portion of the conversation.
Speaking

In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn to ask a friend to talk about a problem.
Pronunciation

In this video, you ​learn about how Americans pronounce the word "aunt" in different parts of the country.
New Words
  • clown - n. someone who often does funny things to make people laugh
  • different - adj. not ordinary or common; unusual
  • feel - v. used to describe or ask about someone's physical or mental state
  • gardenv. to work in a garden; to take care of the plants in a garden
  • guitar - n. a musical instrument that is held against the front of your body and that has usually six strings which are played with your fingers or with a pick
  • homesick - adj. sad because you are away from your family and home
  • joke - n. something said or done to cause laughter
  • laugh - v. to show that you are happy or that you think something is funny by smiling and making a sound from your throat
  • make - v. to build, create, or produce (something) by work or effort
  • park - n. piece of public land in or near a city that is kept free of houses and other buildings and can be used for pleasure and exercise
  • photo (photograph) - n. a picture made by a camera
  • raise - v. to keep and take care of (animals or crops)
  • remind - v. to cause (someone) to remember something
  • rodeo - n. an event in which people compete at riding horses and bulls, catching animals with ropes, etc.
  • sheep - n. an animal with a thick woolly coat that is often raised for meat or for its wool and skin
  • spoon - n. an eating or cooking tool that has a small shallow bowl attached to a handle
  • sweater - n. a warm usually knitted piece of clothing for the upper part of your body
Family Relationships
  • aunt - n. the sister of your father or mother or the wife of your uncle
  • brother - n. a boy or man who has one or both of the same parents as you
  • cousin - n. a child of your uncle or aunt
  • daughter - n. a female child
  • family - n. a group of people who are related to each other
  • father - n. a male parent
  • mother - n. a female parent
  • nephew - n. the son of your brother or sister
  • niece - n. a daughter of your brother or sister
  • sister - n. a girl or woman who has one or both of the same parents as you
  • son - n. a male child
  • uncle - n. the brother of your father or mother or the husband of your aunt
Activity

Are you from a big family or a small family? Write about two people in your family. What do they do? What do they make? Write about them in the Facebook Comments section below. Then practice with a friend. Click lesson activity to get the printable PDF version. The page opens to a new window.
Conversation Lessons

Study all 52 English conversation lessons. Let's Learn English conversation lessons each with a conversation video, a video script, audio listening practice, video speaking practice, video pronunciation practice, a new words section, and a writing activity. These lessons are for beginners.
Source: Voice of America
 
Additional Information
Avoid Ineffective Study Methods

The complete lesson includes an audio program explaining this topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section, and other important information.
Click for the complete lesson
Audio Program

Listen to the audio program explaining this topic.
 
Improve Your Pronunciation by Training Your Ears

The complete lesson includes an audio program explaining this topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section, and other important information.
Click for the complete lesson
Audio Program

Listen to the audio program explaining this topic.
 
Improve Your Long-Term Memory by Spacing Practice

The lesson includes an audio program explaining this topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section, and other important information.
Click for the complete lesson
Audio Program

Listen to the audio program explaining this topic.
 
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