When you practice pronunciation, you need to be able to hear the sound and speak the sound. The difference between the /s/ sound and the /th/ sound is the position of the tongue.
ESL learners who have trouble with the /s/ sound may speak Cambodian, Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese.
How do I make the /s/ sound?
1. The teeth are lightly closed. The lips are in the smiling position.
2. Start by making the 't' sound. Place the tip of your tongue on the skin above your front teeth. Say, "Two, two, two, two, two."
3. Now move your tongue off the skin, but keep the tongue behind the top teeth. Say, "So, so, so, so, so." This is a lazy 't'.
4. Your breath should flow over the tip of your tongue. The sides of your tongue should not touch the sides of your teeth because this will change the air flow.
How do you make the /z/ sound?
's' and 'z' are pronunciation pairs. Both have the same mouth position. 's' uses only your breath. 'z' uses your vocal chords in your neck. Try this pair to hear the difference.
Say, "bus buzz, bus buzz, bus buzz, bus buzz, bus buzz"
Practice the pronunciation pairs with the video.
Having problems? Common errors.
** "th" for "s" - Your tongue is outside the mouth. Keep the tongue behind your teeth.
To correct, try this.
1. Practise - Say,"EE, EE, EE, EE-S, EE-S"
2. Say, "Th, Th, Th" - Move your tongue back gradually and close teeth for "S--------S"
3. Practice - Say, "two soo, two soo, two soo, two soo, two soo
** "sh" for "s" - Breath does not pass over the tip of the tongue, but over the side of the tongue.
The tongue may be touching the teeth or the tongue may be behind the lower teeth.
To correct, try this.
Practise - Say, "Th-ssss, Th-ssss, Th-ssss, EE-s, EE-s, Sh-----a-. Change position of the lips.
Mayor Hazel is the oldest mayor I know. She has been the mayor of Mississauga since the late seventies. Mississauga is the city to the west of Metropolitan Toronto while Scarborough is on the east side. Next Monday is the Toronto elections. Hazel McCallion is hoping to get reelected for mayor. In 2006, Hazel won 92% of the vote.
Rick Mercer is from the television program, Rick Mercer Report. He interviews Mayor Hazel on television on February 26, 2009. In 2009, Hazel McCallion was 88 years old. Watch her play hockey, go bowling and star in a music video. I think Rick Mercer and Mayor Hazel have a lot of fun together. Enjoy their time together.
Watch the video again. This is an interview, so Rick Mercer asks lots of questions. Here are some of the questions. Listen to Mayor Hazel's answers.
1. You have been elected two or three times?
2. How do you stay in office for 31 years?
3. Your debt is?
4. How many mayors have bobble heads?
5. Have you ever been injured? What happened to the truck?
6. Are you someone who doesn't campaign or someone who never stops campaigning?
7. What is this? (He is looking at a miniature city.)
8. Why haven't you retired?
9. What is your approval rating? (She talks about votes.)
It's time for the annual pillow fight! International Pillow Fight Day is April 3rd, but the Toronto pillow fight takes place on the second Saturday in May. It's at Yonge-Eglinton Square on Saturday, May 8th. You can start swinging your pillow at 3:00 p.m. Bring a soft, feather free pillow and remember to take off your glasses.
The pillow fight is free for all ages. For more details, go to last year's pillow fight. Press here.
April 12, 1980, a 21 year old university student started his run across Canada. Terry Fox had lost a leg to cancer and was determined to run a marathon a day on his one good leg. According to CR24, his goal was to raise 1 million dollars for cancer research, but he later changed that goal to 24 million which represented one dollar from each Canadian. Unfortunately for Terry, he never completed his run. He started in the east coast and his popularity grew as he ran through many towns and cities. By the time he reached Toronto, thousands of supporters met him at city hall, but he never made it out of Ontario. The return of his cancer, forced him to return to his home in British Columbia. In memory of Terry Fox, people all over the world participate in the Marathon of Hope.
To mark the 30th anniversary of his run, the Fox family are meeting in St John's where his marathon began. Hopefully, the Terry Fox Marathon will continue until a cure for cancer is found. Here is a news report that tells Terry's story. Since 1980, Terry Fox has helped raise over 500 million dollars for cancer.
The harp and Celtic harp music is part of Irish history. The harp was on the old flag of Ireland, but now it only remains as a symbol on the Irish Guinness beer. With St Patrick's Day coming on March 17th, it's time to be Irish again. Everyone is Irish on St. Patricks Day!
LoreenaMcKennitt is a Canadian singer who is famous for her Celtic music. She is from Scottish and Irish roots. Here she sings, "She Moved Through The Fair". The words for this song follow the video.
My love said to me, My mother won't mind And my father won't slight you For your lack of kine" And she stepped away from me And this she did say: It will not be long, love, Till our wedding day"
She stepped away from me And she moved through the fair And fondly I watched her Move here and move there And she turned her way homeward With one star awake As the swans in the evening Move over the lake
Why he dreamt it last night, That my true love came in So softly she entered Her feet made no din She came close beside me And this she did say It will not be long, love, 'Til our wedding day
