A recommended website:VOA

VOA Special English


VOA Special English Video Clips for Clear Pronunciation and for Listening Practice

Dear All (All friends and students) 


I have included many video clips for all of you to practice reading aloud and practice enunciating clearly. Hopefully, you'll be able to make a clear and easy to understand presentation.


What you can do is listen to the whole news first and then stop the clip often and repeat after the speaker.  Notice how the speaker pronounces each word, particularly how she/he stresses each word (word stresses) and how she/he links each word together (sentence stresses). Next, notice the intonation, or how she/he raises her/his voice up and down. 


Please make use of your knowledge of phonetics you have gained from your training and from the articles I have posed in some of my web blogs.  When you are not sure of the stress patterns, look up in a recommended website of an online dictionary and repeat after the model pronunciation of each word.


In class, each of the students will be assigned to report one article in front of the class.  Each will have to:


1. Listen to the whole article and copy (in print) the exact wording of the news to report it in front of the class. 


2. Practice reading aloud following the model news announcer. Study where the speaker pauses and mark on the script accordingly.


3. Look up in an online dictionary and practice pronouncing each word you find difficult to understand. Pay attention to the vowel and consonant sounds, word stress patterns and intonation. You may need the knowledge of how to read phonetic symbols.


4. Then start your own presentation of the news. First, repeat after the speaker phrase by phrase.  Then, read everything on your own.


5. Record your own voice when you think your reading is good enough.


6.  Listen to your recording and see if you can understand each word you have read clearly.  You can compare your reading with the speaker so that you can improve your pronunciation before the class presentation. Try to be fluent and don't stop or hesitate too often.


7. Now in class you should be ready to report the news or article to all your classmates.




Here is the first clip: Business

Business Students Compete to Solve Global Problems
http://youtu.be/zsm8t_YSiTs