Listening and Pronunciation Practice--Minimal Pairs

Sheep                                    Ship         

Minimal pairs practice refers to practice with pairs of words that sound alike, except for a small (minimal) difference in the vowel (or consonant) sound. Here's an example of a minimal pair: not and nut. The only difference between the two words is the way you pronounce the vowel sound between the consonants n and t. The word not has a short o sound in the middle, but the word nut has a short u sound.

Practice listening to and repeating minimal pairs at the links below. The second website, manythings.org, also has some videos that pronounce these pairs so you can listen and repeat.

(Click below to watch one of these listen and repeat videos)

After you click on one of the links below (highlighted in yellow), you may see a notice like this:

Click on the notice, then click "Allow" on the box that appears:

My suggestion: Click on one of the links below and follow the directions to listen to and practice saying minimal pairs.

LINK: Ship or Sheep?     

Click on a pair of words from the list, then move your mouse pointer over a picture to hear the word spoken.

LINK: Minimal Pairs Practice and Quizzes at Manythings.org

Click on a pair from the list, or on a practice video which pronounces the words for you so that you can listen and repeat. When you click on a pair, you are taken to a new screen with directions. Read the directions, then scroll to the bottom of the screen and click "Start." Once you are on the page for a pair, you can use the arrow keys at the bottom to go forward ➔  to the next pair or backward ⟵  to the previous pair.

Vocabulary from "The Lady or the Tiger?"

Click on the link below to study vocabulary from the story "The Lady or the Tiger" at studystack.com:

LINK: L & T Vocabulary

"Brats" Vocabulary

Click on the link below to study vocabulary from the story "Brats" (from Even More True Stories--an Intermediate Reader, by Sandra Heyer):

LINK: "Brats" vocabulary on StudyStack.com

Summer English Conversation Practice--Time and Place

Improve your English conversation skills for 6 weeks this summer at the Adult Learning Center in Rock Island!

To sign up, give your contact information to Teacher Kathy (if you're in the Moline class), or sign up at the front desk at the ACL (if you're in the Rock Island class at the ACL). If you have questions about the conversation practice, contact Marney Tope (volunteer coordinator for ESL) by phone (309-796-8215) or email (topem@bhc.edu).

Who:     Any ESL student, any level

What:    Practice speaking and listening in English
              Topics will be chosen by students

Where:  Black Hawk College Adult Learning Center (ALC), 4610 Black Hawk Commons Dr., Rock Island, IL
               (309) 794-1072

              The location is shown by the red balloon on the map below, or click this link:

             LINK: Online map showing location of Adult Learning Center

When:    9-11 A.M.--Tuesday/Thursday

               June 18, 20, 25, 27
               July  2, 9, 11
           

Link to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves--Read and Listen

Below is a link to the "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" story that we watched in class (at youtube.com). When you click on the link, you can listen and read at the same time, because the words appear on the screen as the story is read. You will also see many other animated folk tales in English at this YouTube link.

LINK: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (animated)

Below is a picture from the video, but click at the link above to watch, read, and listen to the actual story.

Tips for Multiple Choice Questions

Multiple choice tests are tricky. Click on the link below to do an exercise that gives you tips for choosing the answer on a multiple choice test.

LINK: Tips for Multiple Choice Questions

Also, click on the next link below for tips on answering different types of multiple choice questions:

LINK: Three common types of multiple choice questions

The following question isn't from the exercise at the link. It's amusing, but it's an example of how multiple choice questions can drive you crazy!

Study Stack Practice--Lady or the Tiger Vocabulary

Click on the link below to study and play games with vocabulary words from the story, "The Lady or the Tiger?" at studystack.com:

LINK: Vocabulary from "The Lady or the Tiger?"