Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Read everything on this blog and practice word stress


1. By reading the blog, including the archives, you will have a better idea of what will be most helpful to you personally.
Call me or Magdalena if you have questions.

2. Practice English every day. Write a note on your Action Steps Chart describing what you did.
  • Use the YouTube word stress practice video link on the blog. You can go on to the next sections of the word stress lesson once you feel comfortable. You can search for other ESL (and starting a business) videos at www.youtube.com.
  • Start conversations with customers, people at the gas station, work, wherever you are -- including at home.
  • Ask people about their work. Listen to their word choices and add them to your business vocabulary. Write down useful words on your own word list. Look them up in a dictionary. Write practice sentences. Repeat them three times. Use them in your own conversations.
  • Listen to native English speakers closely, whether you are talking to them yourself or you overhear them talking to others. Pay attention to phrasing, word stress and pronunciation. Notice how they use their jaws, tongues, lips and even their eyes and the way they position their heads and bodies to communicate. Make notes to yourself.
  • Practice with friends and family. Use hand gestures as memory aids for word stress (louder/softer, longer/shorter, higher/lower).
  • Do the exercises on the blog.

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