Workshop pronuncation

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Speaking tips for Dutch Speakers

6 English pronunciation tips for Dutch speakers who want to improve their English accent:

1) /th/

• This is made by putting the tip of the tongue
by the back of the upper front teeth.
Ensure it is touching the teeth.

• Don’t make a /s/ or /z/ sound, or /t/ or /d/ sound. Compare:

• sin – thin

• Zen – then

• tin – thin

• den – then

Exercise: th

1. earth →

 2. breathe →

3. thirty →

4. these →

5. this →

6. anything →

7. another →

8. thank you →

9. maths →

10. thesis →

Exercise: th

1. earth → [θ] 

 2. breathe → [ð]

3. thirty → [θ] 

4. these → [ð]

5. this → [ð]

6. anything → [θ] 

7. another → [ð]

8. thank you → [θ] 

9. maths → [θ] 

10. thesis → [θ] 

2) How and When to Make R

• In Dutch, the R is either made with the back of the tongue moving upwards – or the tip of the tongue touching the top of the mouth. 

• In English, the tip of the tongue curls back in the mouth without touching the top of the mouth.

• We only pronounce a R sound when there is a vowel sound after it: Really, Tree, Carry

• We don’t pronounce a R sound when there is no vowel sound after it: Car, Learn, Here.

Silent /r/?

1. hear →

2. carrot →

3. carry →

4. German →

5. boring →

6. four →

7. dirty →

8. butter →

9. board →

10. garden →

Silent /r/?

1. hear → silent

2. carrot → /r/

3. carry → /r/

4. German → silent

5. boring → /r/

6. four → silent

7. dirty → silent

8. butter → silent

9. board → silent

10. garden → silent

3) Devoicing

• In Dutch:

->/b/ at the end of a word will sound like a /p/.

-> /d/ at the end of a word will sound like a /t/.

-> /g/ at the end of a word will sound like a /k/.

• In English, the sounds must stay the same. Compare:

- cap – cab

- sheet – she’d

- back – bag

pronounce:

pronounce:

4) “g”

• This sound is usually either /g/ or /ʤ/. Ensure it isn’t like the Dutch ‘g’ sound in groei

• get /get/

• gym /ʤɪm/

5) /e/ and /æ/

• For /æ/, make a /e/ sound and open the jaw more.

• Compare:

-> set – sat

-> bed – bad

-> head – had

Tongue twisters...

Betty Botter bought some butter

But she said the butter’s bitter

If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter

But a bit of better butter will make my batter better

So ‘twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter

Tongue twisters...

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood

As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood

Tongue twisters...

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Presentation game - pairs

• Look up a recipe with instructions
  
• You will get a role assigned and present as if you're them - so talk and behave like that role 
• Practice how you should read your recipe according to your role
• Present your recipe and the group will have to guess your role  

30 seconds

• Each team gets a set of cards with random words on them.
• One student has to describe the words (without mentioning the word), while the other students try to guess the words. 

No; yes, no or uuh

• First you'll write down as many questions as you can think of. 
• Thereafter two people will stand in front of the group, one person will ask questions, the other person will answer. 
• The rest of the group will be the jury 

Fake words

• You'll see five words on the screen and together with your neighbour you'll have to come up with a logical meaning and explanation for that word. 
• After the preparation you'll share your meaning + explanation with the group. Your goal is to convince the group to pick your definition as the right one

Fake words

• Hurociounds
• Xillo
• Texbols
• Tudefy
• Kepplier

Secret word 

• Each team gets a random topic and a random word (which is unreleated to the topic).  
• You'll have to prepare a short speech about that topic, however, you have to use the random word as well. 
•  The other students listen carefully to the speech and attempt to guess the secret word.

Taboo words

• Each team gets a set of cards with a word on them.
• One student has to describe the word (however you may not mention any of the words from the cards), while the other students try to guess the words.