Fullspate audio material

To complement the masses of written stuff we have already accumulated we are putting together a series of audio files with exercises to get language learners to pay more attention to the sound of English.

Here are the links to our very own audio files.

• The schwa - echoes of the jungle in spoken English
  Get to know the sound that some say is the key to natural-sounding English.

• How to hesitate
  A series of talks showing how native speakers use certain phrases when they hesitate.

• Using songs to "tune into" the rhythms of spoken English
  A nice little song from Just Jack as an example of how some songs can help us tune into the rhythms of spoken English.

• Urban Legends
  Is it true that electric fans are responsible for the deaths of so many people?

Free Audio Goodies Elsewhere

Here are a few places to find audio files for free.

Voice of America has a good range of monologues about topics in the news although the artificially slow rate of delivery will not be to everyone's liking.

ESLpod.com has some quite interesting dialogues in American English about issues of general interest complete with vocabulary explanations and comprehension questions. Again, the unnaturally slow rate may be a major drawback.

Thewordnerds.org is our favourite so far with long interesting dialogues in American accents sometimes about oddball topics, delivered at a normal speed (as it should be, in our opinion). Very professional.

Businessenglishpod.com has lengthy and very well presented explanations of business terms in American accents sometimes with the transcript unfolding at the same time. A great resource for business terminology.

Freetalklive.com is not an EFL resource but something akin to an American online phone-in programme with conversations between the anchor-man (Ian) and everyday Americans talking about what's been on their minds. No vocab help of course and sometimes the quality of the voices over the phone makes comprehension a little difficult, but genuine stuff.

The BBC World Service has its Learning English department that offers a range of audio material in the very best of British accents.

Know of anything better? Let us know so we can put the word around.

Turn texts into speech online

A tip from Gail Hawthorne via a useful article in the Times Educational Supplement (www.tes.co.uk): You can use your own text or any nice text you come across and use a free service on the web to change it into an audio file, using software to create simulated speech, choosing from a range of different accents.

One site offering this for free is www.readthewords.com. Once you register just copy and paste the text into the relevant box, choose one of 16 canned voices, click the button to convert and either wait or have them send the audio file by email.

A version more fun for kids is www.voki.com. Here users get to create a speaking avatar, choosing from fun stuff like a range of hairstyles and skin complexions. By pasting in a short text it can then be given a voice. If everyone in a class has access to the internet, they could create an avatar and have it say something interesting (for homework) to "show and tell" in the following lesson.

Learning English from the Pussycat Dolls

And why not learn English from the Pussycat Dolls? Heck, why not?

Some lyrics - even bad ones by the Pussycat Dolls - can provide a useful focus for discussion, but more importantly they can provide excellent examples of the way words undergo interesting transformations when they get run together in vocal English.

The Pussycat Dolls - you may remember - gave us a great example of how the phrase "Don't you ..." becomes "Doancha ..." as in "Doancha wish yuh girlfriend woz hot like me."

This fun teaching aid can be found HERE.

As for the lyrics, one question I would ask is: Does the first verse make sense?

I know you like me (I know you like me)
I know you do (I know you do)
Thats why whenever I come around she's all over you
And I know you want it (I know you want it)
It's easy to see (it's easy to see)
And in the back of your mind
I know you should be home with me

Dont cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me
Dont cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me
Dont cha, dont cha
Dont cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me
Dont cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me
Dont cha, dont cha

Footnote: To some students, the phrase "she's all over you" may be a new one, and there is an interesting contrast here with the phrase "It's all over" (not in the song).

Thinking of ways to supplement this (coz there's not a helluvalot to be said about this particular song)? How about Britney Spears's "Gimme More"? This is a perfect example of how "give me" becomes "gimme", and for students who can't get to grips with this at the first hearing Britney repeats it one or two (or 30) more times. (A snippet of the song would suffice.)