Berlitz Live Online

-Study Advice
1. What is your motivation for studying? By informing the instructors of
your learning goals and needs, they will be able to adapt the lessons
more effectively.
1. Attendance is very important. By attending the lessons regularly you
will learn new language, practice it, and use it fluently in conversations
and situations that will be useful to you.
1. Attendance is very important. By attending the lessons regularly you
will learn new language, practice it, and use it fluently in conversations
and situations that will be useful to you.
1. Attendance is very important. By attending the lessons regularly you will learn
new
language, practice it, and use it fluently in conversations and situations that will
be useful to
you.
2.Can you follow the instructor clearly?
Do you understand the instructor’s expectations?
Are the lessons too slow/fast?
What do you like and dislike about your lessons? What would you like more of?
LISTENING

GRAMMAR
FLUENCY

VOCABULARY
1. Attendance is very important. By attending the lessons regularly you will learn
new
language, practice it, and use it fluently in conversations and situations that will
be useful to
you.
2.Can you follow the instructor clearly?
Do you understand the instructor’s expectations?
Are the lessons too slow/fast?

3.Do you do your homework/extra practice?

1. Attendance is very important. By attending the lessons regularly you will learn
new
language, practice it, and use it fluently in conversations and situations that will
be useful to
you.
2.Can you follow the instructor clearly?
Do you understand the instructor’s expectations?
Are the lessons too slow/fast?

3.Do you do your homework/extra practice?

4.Homework/practice is another very important factor.
At Berlitz homework is a means of reviewing the language.
By reviewing the language you will be able to remember and use it.
(Levels 5-8: you will internalize and consolidate the new language)
We realize that homework/practice takes time but by only spending five minutes
between lessons you will increase your acquisition of language. Five minutes is
not a long time. You can for example do it during your break at work or when the
work day is over.
5. At Berlitz we have the special service of recording the lessons.
Listen to them as review. It is another way that will help you to remember new
language

6. What can you do between lessons to increase exposure to the

language?
There are many sites on the Internet that you could read short articles or listen to
short videos.
Listen for what you know, what you remember.
 LISTENING

What do you feel is

your biggest
weakness at the GRAMMAR
moment? FLUENCY

VOCABULARY
 LISTENING

What do you feel is

your biggest
weakness at the GRAMMAR
moment? FLUENCY

How can you improve

outside of your
lessons?
VOCABULARY
BERLITZ LIVE ONLINE STUDY ADVICE RESOURCES

Listening Page No.

1. Listen to Podcasts 1
2. Make Notes During Listening Activities in Class 1
3. English Language Radio Stations 1
Re-Listen to Recordings as Much As
4. 1
Possible
5. Watch Scenes from Movie or TV 1
BERLITZ LIVE ONLINE STUDY ADVICE RESOURCES
Fluency
1. Take Risks 2
2. Drills 2
3. Sentences on Post-It Notes 2
4. Talk to Your Book 2
5. 5-Minute Narrator 2
6. English Hour 2
7. Mind the Watch 2
8. Importance of Expansion - A++ 2
9. Read All Homework Exercises Out Loud 2
10. Avoid Translation 3
11. Avoid Silence 3
12. BOOST Technique 3
13. Audio Journal 3
14. Shadowing 3
BERLITZ LIVE ONLINE STUDY ADVICE RESOURCES

Vocabulary
1. English Language Newspaper 4

2. Journals 4

3. Flash Cards 4

4. Study Song Lyrics 4

5. A Personal Dictionary 4

6. Buy A Thesaurus 4

7. False Friends 5

8. Graded Readers 5

9. Diary of New Words 5

BERLITZ LIVE ONLINE STUDY ADVICE RESOURCES

Grammar/Accuracy
1.Grammar Notebook 6

2.Write Full Sentences 6

3.Read News Articles 6

4.Read Children’s Books 6

5.Use Different Coloured Pens to Make Notes 6

6.Buy A Grammar Book 6

7.Listen to Vocab/Grammar in Question, Repeat In 6

Answer
Listening
TIPS FOR IMPROVING AT HOME
Listening
1. Listen to Podcasts
Podcasts are short downloadable audio and video files available on the Internet. They are available through
sites such as ITunes and Podcastalley.com. Nearly all major news programs in the U.S. and U.K. are
available for download and some also offer transcripts. If your company mostly deals with a specific country,
try to download that country’s national broadcaster. For those specifically interested in business English,
podcasts are also available which could help with your understanding of the latest business trends.
After you download the program listen to it during your commute or when you have a few free moments at
home. In the beginning try to write down two or three new words you hear in a notebook. Then look up the
words in a dictionary. Now listen to the podcast again, do the words make more sense?
2. Make Notes During Listening Activities in Class
Whenever you are doing a listening activity, take notes. What information do you understand? Is there a word
you hear, but don't understand? Write it down quickly and don't worry about spelling. After the activity is
finished ask your instructor about the words you don't understand. By taking notes during listening activities
you will be more prepared for your instructor's questions, be able to participate more effectively in the
lesson, and be practicing an important skill for meetings at work. Also try to take a few notes when another
student is talking.

3. English Language Radio Stations

Tune into English language radio stations while you are doing other activities around the house. E.g.:
Washing the car, doing the dishes, or cleaning your room.
No need to focus on the language; just let your ears get more comfortable with the sound. Try listening to
English radio before you sleep. Often, closing the eyes can make the ears stronger.
4. Listen to the Recordings of Your Lessons
Listen to them as often as possible before your next class. Try to listen for any mistakes you are making
often, but also listen to which language sounds good and comfortable. Knowing your language strengths and
weaknesses will help you focus your studies on what is most important. This technique is great for building
listening skill but also helps with grammar.

5. Watch Scenes from Movies or TV

Practice watching scenes from your favorite movies or TV shows. Try to watch them first with Non-native
subtitles, then with English subtitles and finally with no subtitles if you feel comfortable. Best to just focus on
one part at a time, as watching the whole movie can be a little too much at one time!
Fluency
TIPS FOR IMPROVING AT HOME
Fluency
1. Take Risks
The classroom is a safe environment. There is no need to worry about making mistakes. There is always a balance to be found
between fluency and accuracy. Mistakes can be corrected later with your instructor. It is important to keep talking and complete your
ideas.

2. Drills
If you are unsure about sentence structure, ask your instructor to lead you in some drills to increase speed and smoothness of
speech. Just say: "If you don't mind, can we drill that sentence a little?" When we drill a sentence in class, we repeat it many times so
that the mouth has a lot of physical practice…just like playing sports! The arms remember how to hit a ball in tennis or golf. It is not the
brain helping you hit a home run in baseball…it’s the body’s physical memory! After practicing with drills, often the mouth remembers
what to do before the brain can start thinking.

3. Sentences on Post-It Notes

Write full sentences onto “Post-it” notes and put them around your house. Each time you see a “Post-it” note say the sentence once.
This also helps with grammar and vocabulary practice. Make sure you change the pen color for any target language. This technique is
great for busy people who don’t have time to sit down and open their textbook often. Just five minutes writing time can give you hours
of fluency practice time. Speaking English many times in a week is a very effective way to progress quickly.

4. Talk to Your Book

This activity is like shadowing, but as you listen to your Audios you will take on one role in a conversation. The Audios will play the
other part. For example: If the conversation is between Luis and Naomi, you will be Naomi, and the Audios will be Luis.
Listen and speak at the same time while focusing on your speed, rhythm and intonation. As you speak be careful to keep time with the
book so that you are only talking when your role is talking on the Audios. Can you keep time? Remember to switch roles!

5. 5-Minute Narrator
Practice narrating some of your daily activities. Can you describe what you are doing as you are doing it? Take five minutes or more
and become your own narrator. Are you cooking? Describe what ingredients you are using and how you are cooking them. Are you
cleaning your room? Talk about your clothes; their sizes, prices and colors. Talking out loud will give your mouth a lot more practice
and by narrating your real-life activities, you don’t need to use your imagination so much and can focus on speaking fluently.
 6. English Hour
Set aside one hour each week in which you and a friend or a family member will do nothing but speak English. Talk about your week, a TV
show you saw, or practice some activities from your Berlitz book. Set a timer and be consistent by choosing a time you can keep every
week. Try everything and anything in English!

7. Mind the Watch

Take a conversation or written passage from your textbook, a newspaper or a magazine…perhaps even your favorite poem….and read it
aloud. Record yourself doing it and also time yourself doing it. Use a stopwatch and set the alarm. Can you read the entire passage within a
certain amount of time? How fast can you read it? Challenge yourself to speak faster with a shorter alarm. Doing so will help build your
fluency and confidence but remember to consider rhythm and pronunciation.

8. The Importance of Expansion – A++

Short answers are convenient for the speaker but can be difficult for the listener. Short answers don’t give much information and so your
conversation partner must ask a lot of questions…For example…
Q) Where do you live?
A) I live in Chofu.
In class, expand your answers with at least one extra point and another question to keep the conversation moving.
Q) Where do you live?
A) I live in an apartment in Chofu…How about you? Or
A) I live about 5 minutes walk from Chofu station…Have you been to Chofu? Or
) I live with my brother in Chofu…. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
More speaking time in class will help you train your mouth to make the sounds needed in English. You will then be able to increase fluency.

. Read All Homework Exercises Out Loud

ead all homework exercises out loud. More time moving your mouth will make it easier to speak smoothly. Any extra time you can find to speak out
loud will have a positive impact on your fluency. This will also help with your pronunciation and highlight areas in which you may need to
practice pronouncing different combinations of sounds or indeed just individual words which contain sounds unfamiliar to Non-native
speakers.
10. Avoid Translation
Try to avoid translation of questions/answers from English to Non-native and vice versa. It’s important to think in English.
Translating will hinder fluency greatly. This is difficult for new speakers of English but gets easier with some practice. Also try not
to focus too much on the structure of sentences before speaking. Making mistakes is fine, particularly in exercises which are
being conducted to allow you to work on your fluency (ex. role-plays). It’s okay to make mistakes. Instructors will correct these
and it’s often through our mistakes that we learn.

11. Avoid Silence

Silence is your enemy. Try to fill in all the gaps in conversation with questions or follow-up comments. Try to encourage others
to communicate with follow-up comments, which show your interest. This is your time to speak. Don’t allow it to go to waste by
sitting in silence. Also think of topics to discuss with your instructor in the warm-up prior to the lesson. Have you seen something
interesting in the news? Wondering if you could discuss it in English? Why not try by telling your instructor all about it. This
should also help you to build up your vocabulary and become comfortable discussing matters external to the textbook.

12. BOOST Technique (Build On Original Statement)

In English we call the opposite of long answers “being short.” Short, one-word answers can sound angry in English. Try to
expand your replies, adding any extra information you think might be interesting or important. Don’t stop and start, even if you
make a mistake, just keep speaking. Use relative clauses (that, which, who) to make your sentences longer and you will find
that you will become more and more comfortable with longer sentences. The more speaking you do, the more your fluency will
improve. If you give an opinion, try to give reasons for it. Don’t wait for the instructor to ask why. Preempt this by offering your
own reason for the statement. It would be natural for you to do this in Non-native, so why not try it in English?

13. Audio Journal

Instead of writing a journal, why not use your IC recorder, computer microphone, video camera or old-fashioned tape recorder to
talk for a few minutes each day? Start slow and build your way up to longer times. For example:
Week 1: 1 minute
Week 2: 2 minutes
Week 3: 3 minutes
etc.
 Week 1: 1 minute
Week 2: 2 minutes
Week 3: 3 minutes
etc.
Some possible topics include:
a. Your daily schedule.
b. Your plan for the next day.
c. A movie or TV show review.
d. How your favorite sports team did in the last game.
e. Create a recipe book in English
f. Record instructions for doing a hobby or something you must do at work.

14. Shadowing
Shadowing the Berlitz Audios/audio is a great way to increase your fluency and rhythm. Shadowing means listening to the
Audios/audio and speaking at the same time. As you listen, focus on rhythm and intonation.

Step 1: Close your book. Listen to a conversation from a chapter on your Audios/audio and try to speak at the same time.
Write down what percent you were successful. 100%? 90%?

Step 2: Open your book and try shadowing again while looking at the text in your book. Try this at least three times.

Step 3: Cover the text with your hand and try shadowing again, and only look if a word is very difficult for you. Try this once
or twice.

Step 4: Close your book and try shadowing without looking again. After you finish write down the percent you feel you were
successful. Did you improve on step 1?

Try this shadowing plan every day for just five or ten minutes. Of course, you can do more, if you have time!
Vocabulary
TIPS FOR IMPROVING AT HOME
 Vocabulary
1. English Language Newspaper
Buy an English Language newspaper once a week. Select a story of interest. Note any new vocabulary or phrases and make sentences
using these. Check your sentences with your instructor. In the beginning you might like to choose a story with which you are already
familiar. Also prepare your thoughts on the article and engage in a brief discussion with your instructor at the start of your next class.
This is a great way to build up your vocabulary concerning topics which may not be covered within the Berlitz textbook. It should also
allow you to discover the use of idioms and jargon which provide variety and color to your lexicon.

2. Journals
There are many ways to keep a journal in English. They are a good way to keep you thinking in English and improving your vocabulary.
One simple way to write a journal is to write a short note about what you did during the day or what you did yesterday. Start small; one
sentence is fine to begin. For each week that you keep the journal try to add a sentence so that your progression becomes:
Week 1: 1 Sentence
Week 2: 2 Sentences
Week 3: 3 Sentences etc.
This way you will be writing a full page of English in about 4 months. If you need ideas for your journal, ask your instructor or consider the
following:
a. Your daily schedule.
b. Your plan for the next day.
c. A movie or TV show review.
d. How your favorite sports team did.
e. Create a recipe book in English.
f. Write instructions for doing a hobby or something you must do at work.
g. Write an email to a famous movie star, athlete or politician.

3. Create Flash Cards from Your Saved Slides for Mobile

Review your saved Berlitz slides at home and transfer the files to your Smart Phone or tablet. Carry them with you on the train and refer
to them when you have an extra minute or two. Try to make sentences using these words and show the sentences to your instructor to
3. Create Flash Cards from Your Saved Slides for Mobile
Review your saved Berlitz slides at home and transfer the files to your Smart Phone or tablet. Carry them with you on the train
and refer to them when you have an extra minute or two. Try to make sentences using these words and show the sentences to
your instructor to ensure that you are using the chosen vocabulary correctly. Also consider that there are many freeware
flashcard programs available on the internet. Some of these programs have a testing function that you can consistently check
and compare your scores with.

4. Study Song Lyrics

Download the lyrics to your favorite English language songs from the internet. Check for new vocabulary and expressions. If
necessary, ask your instructor to review your understanding of these. Before you download the lyrics, test yourself by writing
down what you believe the lyrics to be and then check the correct lyrics to see if you had listened carefully enough. Don’t worry
if this is a little difficult: It’s often difficult for native speakers too! Put a copy of the lyrics in a plastic sleeve and tape it to your
shower wall…Enjoy entertaining yourself with your powerful English singing voice!

5. A Personal Dictionary
Dedicate a new notebook as your personal dictionary and divide the pages by subject (for example: words in the kitchen, sports
words, office words, etc.). When you encounter a new word add it to the appropriate section by: Writing the correct word,
definition, and making at least 2 sentences using the word which express the meaning clearly. Show the sentences to your
instructor to ensure that you are using the chosen vocabulary correctly.
Example:
To bargain for
- to negotiate
I bargained for a cheaper price and ended up with a 10% discount.
She bargained for a better deal on the car.
Whenever an instructor teaches you a new word in your lesson, repeat it right away. Write it down in your notebook and write
down an example sentence using the word. Try to use the word to answer your instructor's questions as much as possible. Also
use them in questions during QFS. Always speak aloud when practicing vocabulary at home.
6. Buy a Thesaurus
Buy a thesaurus and begin connecting simple words with more complex ones.
Write a full sentence or a paragraph using simple vocabulary then re-write using more advanced words from the thesaurus. Focus on
a single word group at a time.
Nouns (Cat, Asparagus, Mountain) Verbs
(Run, Jump, Smile) Adjectives (Big,
Small, Obnoxious)
Adverbs (Quickly, Slowly, Ravenously)

Try a simple goal first, E.g.: I will remember

three new adjectives this week and try to use
at least one in my next Berlitz lesson.
Begin expanding your vocabulary in
areas you are interested in.
If you love tennis, then learn one new word from each word group for tennis each week. Write
full sentences using the new vocabulary.
E.g.: I hit the ball forcefully when I served.
Be careful, however! Many synonyms you find in a thesaurus carry differences in nuance or common usage and can make your
speech sound very awkward. Ask your instructor before committing time and energy to internalizing an unfamiliar term.

7. False Friends
Understand that there are many words that might be the same, or very similar in your native language, however they may not be used
the same way in English. There are many examples like this: Can you think of any? The more familiar with these you are, the fewer
mistakes you will make.

8. Graded Readers
Use graded readers (limited vocabulary books) to develop reading fluency (speed) and acquire vocabulary within context. A wide
range of titles allows reading for enjoyment. Major bookstores (ex: Libro, Junkudo or Kinokuniya) sell these readers. Try to choose a
topic of interest as this will make it a lot easier to finish the book. It might be a little difficult initially, but you will derive great satisfaction
8. Graded Readers
Use graded readers (limited vocabulary books) to develop reading fluency (speed) and acquire vocabulary within context. A
wide range of titles allows reading for enjoyment. Major bookstores (ex: Libro, Junkudo or Kinokuniya) sell these readers. Try
to choose a topic of interest as this will make it a lot easier to finish the book. It might be a little difficult initially, but you will
derive great satisfaction from having completed an English book. As you become more confident you can move on to more
challenging texts.

9. Diary of New Words

Keep a diary of new words heard in class, on the TV, on the web, etc. Keep it in your pocket and you can review it anytime,
anywhere. Always ask the instructor when a word with which you are unfamiliar is used. Don’t just pretend to understand. Your
instructor will be happy to explain the word to you interactively and to offer examples of how it can be used. Try and make an
example sentence of your own and check with the instructor that you are using it correctly. When you learn a new word this
way, try to use it in conversation with your instructors and classmates whenever a suitable opportunity arises. Keep doing this
over a period of time and you will see your vocabulary expand.
Grammar/Accuracy
TIPS FOR IMPROVING AT HOME
Grammar/Accuracy
1. Grammar Notebook
Work with your instructors to decide a few grammar points that you need more work on. Label a section of a notebook for that grammar
point and try to add an example sentence that you create each day. As you continue, read each of your previous sentences and add new
ones until you feel more comfortable with the grammar point. Have questions? Ask your instructor to check your sentences in class.

2. Write Full Sentences

Write full sentences using correct grammar structures and repeat them regularly during the week. Connecting the sounds and rhythm of
full sentences can help your mouth to help your brain! For example:
One dog is walking.
Two dogs are walking: dogs + are = S + are > SARE…. Two dogs are walking.
When you say “s” your mouth will connect “are”. (Also helps with fluency)

3. Read News Articles

Read an English language newspaper and take note of the grammar structures used. It can help to “see” English grammar used in daily
life. Graded readers are also a good resource for this kind of activity. Underline examples of the grammar structures with which you have
difficulty. Sit down and repeat these sentences. This is particularly useful for some of the higher-level grammar points which often cause
difficulties for students.

4. Read Children’s Books

Read English-language children’s books to your kids if you have them. Often seeing very simple grammar structures can help you to
understand much harder ones.

5. Use Different Colored Pens to Make Notes

Write full sentences but draw attention to mistakes with different coloured pens. This is best done using post –it notes that you can then
stick around your home for best results. As you see and say the phrases more and more, your grammar will improve. Drill the correct
structures at home repeatedly. Often, mistakes that we make consistently are ingrained in our brains and removing them requires
repeated drilling of the correct grammar point. Do you have a problem with dropping the “s” in the he/she present tense structure? Sit
down and drill “He looks” over and over until using it becomes second nature to you.
6. Buy A Grammar Book
Buy an English grammar reference book. They have lots of examples of English grammar usage.

7. Listen to Vocab/Grammar in Question, Repeat in Answer

Try listening to the vocabulary and grammar in the question and then copy it in your answer…
E.g.:
Q) Where do you live?
A) I live in Chofu.
Q) Where are you living?
A) I’m living in Chofu.
Pronunciation
TIPS FOR IMPROVING AT HOME
If you are a non-native English Speaker, you may be facing a frustrating issue on a daily basis. You say
something to someone, and they say…
– ‘I beg your pardon?’
– ‘Say that again?’
– ‘Pardon?’
– ‘Sorry?’
Or they just stand there staring at you. If this situation is familiar, then your pronunciation might need
some work.

The Top 8 English Pronunciation Problems

There are some sounds in English that are more difficult for Non-native Speakers to pronounce properly.
Here are some typical pronunciation errors Non-native Speakers tend to make.

1. Confusing consonants ‘l’ & ‘r’

Sometimes native Non-native speakers say ‘r’ instead of ‘l’.
Check: do you say ‘comprete’ instead of ‘complete’?
Listen to the correct pronunciation.

2. Pronouncing consonants ‘f’ and ‘v’ incorrectly

Sometimes Non-native speakers say ‘p’ instead of ‘f’, such as ‘preper’ instead of ‘prefer’.

Another common issue is using ‘b’ instead of ‘v’, for instance saying ‘bideo’ instead of ‘video’.
3. Pronouncing the consonant ‘th’ incorrectly
Sometimes speakers of Non-native might say ‘sink’ instead of ‘think’, or ‘sick’ instead of ‘thick’. That changes
the meaning of the word entirely and the listener would struggle to understand them.

4. Vowel /oʊ/ like in ‘note’

If you pronounce ‘note’ more like ‘not’, that’s incorrect – it needs to be pronounced like ‘nowt’.
Listen to the correct pronunciation here.
The word ‘most’ has the same sound /oʊ/.

5. Vowel ‘er’ /ɜː/ like in ‘hurt’

If your ‘hurt’ sounds more like ‘heart’, and ‘firm’ more like ‘farm’, that is incorrect.

6. Vowel /æ/ like in ‘hat’

If you say ‘hat’ but it sounds like ‘hut’, or ‘back’ sounds like ‘buck’, that is another problem.

7. Word stress
Each multi-syllable word in English has one stressed syllable. In the word ‘rePORT’ the stress is on ‘PORT’, so you
should say it in higher pitch and put more emphasis on it. When you don’t, it makes your word stress and
rhythm flatter than a native speaker’s.

8. Weak vowels
Non-native speakers pronounce every vowel in English the same way – but some vowels should be pronounced
differently. A good example of a weak vowel is ‘o’ in ‘today’ – it should be pronounced more like ‘uh’ rather than
‘o’.
How to fix Non-native Speakers’ pronunciation problems
One thing I’ve learnt from all my years as a teacher is this:
“Your journey to a better pronunciation starts with awareness.”

You need to become aware of problems in your pronunciation first, and then you can start fixing
them. Berlitz has worked with thousands and thousands of Non-native speakers and created a very
useful resources to help you achieve improvement quickly and easily.

These are the steps that will help you fix your pronunciation. The problem sounds may be there
now, but you will learn to hear them, and to make them correctly. Regular practice will help you get
very close to a native English speaker’s pronunciation, and focusing on you mistakes during your
lessons will help you become more natural.
The English Consonant /l/
Many Non-native speakers confuse /l/ & /r/.
In words with /l/ like ‘like’ they might use /r/ – ‘rike’.
In words with /r/ they might use /l/ for example the might pronounce ‘please’ as ‘prease’.
Words that have both /l/ and /r/such as ‘really’, ‘regular’ and ‘relatively’ are a real headache for many Non-native
speakers and are often unclear.

What do Non-native speakers do wrong?

This image shows how /l/ is pronounced.
The tongue tip TOUCHES or taps behind the top teeth.
The picture below shows the tongue position for /l/.
The English Consonant /v/
Many Non-native speakers confuse /v/ and /b/ in some words. For example they might pronounce the word ‘video’ as ‘bideo’ or ‘avoid’ as
‘aboid’.

What do Non-native speakers do wrong?

The image below shows the correct mouth position for the sound /v/ in English.
Did you know that /f/ and /v/ have exactly the same mouth position? The only difference is that /v/ has voice and /f/ has no voice. /f/ is also
a challenging sound fro many Non-native speakers.
For /v/ and /f/ the bottom lip lightly touches the top teeth and the air comes gently in between. There is a friction sound as the air passes
through.
The English Vowel /oʊ/
There are about 4 times more vowels in English than in Non-native. English has long vowels, short vowels and double vowels.
Many Non-native speakers pronounce the double (or diphthong vowel /oʊ/ with a single vowel instead of a double vowel.
For example, a Non-native speaker would pronounce ‘coat’ more like ‘caught’ or ‘cot’ and pronounce ‘note’ more like ‘nought’ or ‘not’.

What do Non-native speakers do wrong?

The double vowel /oʊ/ has two mouth positions. /o/ and then /ʊ/ smoothly joined together.
See the two vowels in the /oʊ/ vowel here.

YOU NEED TO CHECK THAT:

You need to check that you are making a double vowel for /oʊ/not a single vowel.
The spelling in English for this vowel varies a lot! Because of this it can be difficult for Non-native students to know when to make /oʊ/.
Non-native students often miss /oʊ/ in the following words:
won’t /woʊnt/
most /moʊst/
global /ˈɡloʊ.bəl/
focus /ˈfoʊ.kəs/
both /boʊθ/
Why You Need to Think About Word Stress
Did you know that research shows that the emphasis and rhythm you use in English has a HUGE effect on how clear your
English is to listeners.
Every multi-syllable word in English has one stressed syllable. That syllable is slightly higher in pitch and has more
emphasis than the other syllables.
You can listen to some examples below, but here are some examples now:
rePORT – the ‘PORT’ is the stressed syllable.
MEdical – the ME is the stressed syllable.
eXAMple – the XAM is the stressed syllable.

When you put the emphasis on the right part of words in English, it means that your listener can instantly recognize it.
Good word stress is essential for clear English. Flat or incorrect word stress means that your English is very likely to be
unclear.
Many Non-native speakers use word stress and rhythm in English that’s much flatter than a native speaker.
This is because Non-native has a very different ‘rhythm’ or ‘music’ to English. Many Non-native students have noticed that
their English sounds flat (see comments like from students below).

This is because in Non-native every syllable is given the same amount of stress or emphasis, so the rhythm is quite even
and flat.
Speakers bring this flat and even pattern of Non-native into their English.

In English, the ‘word stress’ and rhythm is totally different. English has stressed and unstressed syllables and only the
stressed syllables are given emphasis and the others become weaker.

Let’s reverse the problem! When English speakers speak Non-native, many Non-native speakers note that English
speakers use quite a different rhythm. They put emphasis and stresses on parts of Non-native words that shouldn’t have it.
That’s because they are transferring the ‘music’ and rhythm of English into their Non-native. It’s hard for English native
speakers to get the flat and even rhythm of Non-native right : )
Some Non-native speakers pick up the stress and rhythm of English very quickly. Usually these are people who have learnt
musical instruments or had singing lessons and they are good at hearing pitch and rhythm. Some people are just super
Word Stress in English
Every multi-syllable word in English has one stressed syllable. That syllable is slightly higher in pitch and has more emphasis than the
other syllables.

What do Non-native speakers do wrong?

Many Non-native speakers use word stress that is too flat in pitch or sometime they put the stress on the wrong syllable in English
words.
They are bringing the even rhythm and stress pattern from Non-native into their English. They use a flat, even pitch and give all syllables
a similar amount of stress.

This means that their English listeners have to work harder to understand and recognize the words that they say. Flat stress or incorrect
stress make English unclear.

TO IMPROVE YOU SHOULD:

Listen for the ‘up’ and ‘down’ of the voice when other people are speaking AND listen to it in your own English.
It may take a week or so for you to be able to hear it but the more you try, the better you will get at it.
Start to open your ears to stress and emphasis.
For multi-syllable words, take a moment to think about which syllable should be stressed.
What Next? How To Keep Improving!

When Non-native speakers mispronounce English vowels and consonants it’s often because those
sound doesn’t exist in Non-native. They are completely new!
Remember it takes time to learn the new sounds – to learn to hear them and make them!
Over the next few days, focus on paying more attention to the sounds you make when you speak
English.

Here’s a summary of how to improve

1. When pronouncing the English consonant /l/ your tongue tip TOUCHES for /l/. For /r/ it DOES
NOT touch, it curls slightly.
2. When pronouncing the English consonant /v/ check you are not bringing your lips together. The
bottom lip should lightly touch the top teeth with the air coming between.
3. When pronouncing the English vowel /oʊ/ you need to check that you are making a double
vowel /o/ and then /ʊ/and not a single vowel.
4. For improving your Word Stress in English you should start to listen for the ‘up’ and ‘down’ of
the voice when other native speakers are speaking AND listen to it in your own English.
5.What can you do between lessons to increase exposure to the language?
There are many sites on the Internet that you could read short articles or listen to
short videos.
Listen for what you know, what you remember.

6.At Berlitz we have the special service of recording the lessons.

Listen to them as review. It is another way that will help you to remember new
language.

7.We are here to help you.

By following these simple suggesting you will actively see your
progress.

8.Do you have any questions or comments?