Vocabulary Notebook

linguistics.ohio.edu

In order to improve my vocabulary and learn the words we need to know for the PCs, I print out the lists on vocabulary.com or write them down myself. I enjoy writing glossaries and I am used to it, because of my Russian classes. In my opinion this is also the best way to remember words. I search for synonyms, antonyms and also look up how all the words are pronounced correctly. I always print out all the lists and glossaries, because I can‘t learn by using the computer. 

If I have to look up a word, I mostly use online dictionaries, because then I can also immediately look at synonyms, antonyms and the pronunciation. In addition I am faster in looking up things on the internet and typing them into a document, than searching for them in a paper dictionary. I also have dictionary apps on my smart phone, thus I can look up a word wherever and whenever I need it. Websites like pons.eu, antimoon.com, dictionary.reference.com, englishpage.com are really very useful when it comes to looking for word definitions. 

I also use the games on vocabulary.com to improve my vocabulary, but it‘s easier for me to remember the words if I see everything I have to study on a printed version. When I study, I read through all the words, and mark the ones I don't know immediately. I keep writing down the really complicated ones and if I still haven‘t memorized them by then, I write them on a Post-it and attach them to my bedroom door. I do that in all my languages and I can really recommend it. Works every time ;).

When I read through an English article or watch my series and I don‘t understand a word I it comes into my personal vocab-book. Like all the techniques described above, I use these little books as well in Russian and in Spanish. 

Maybe that's not the most creative and modern way to study, but for me it's the most effective. 

Pronunciation Diary - Part 2

In order to find out where our weakness lies when reading an unknown text, we did a Pronouncing Diagnostic Exercise. The exercise consisted out of reading a tex aloud for about 30 seconds, while being recorded. Our teachers then listened to these recordings and gave us some feedback on our pronunciation, intonation, sounds that we had trouble with and voicing. 

In the following lines I am going to write about the feedback I got and what I did in order to improve my pronunciation. 

Feedback 

As I already knew I have got problems in pronouncing the “z in “zero“. I pronounce it as an “s”, rather than a “z”. My “t” and “d” sounds at the end of a word are also often difficult to distinguish and sometimes almost silent. I also have some work to do in order to be able to distinguish different sounds involving the letter “a”, like in can, bath, saw, for example. 

As you can see I still have a long way to go, before my pronunciation is perfect (if that ever happens). 

Practice, practice, practice!

www.missiontolearn.com

In order to improve my pronunciation I had a look at the following website: 

http://www.rachelsenglish.com/videos/s-pronounced-z

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFezTa9SGuU

http://www.speakmethod.com/sandzsounds.html

I consulted the following websites to get more information on the “d” and “t” sound:

http://www.grammar.cl/english/pronunciation-ed.htm

http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/-ed.htm

http://www.multimedia-english.com/videos/different-pronunciations-for-t-examples--3825

http://www.elementalenglish.com/past-tense-verb-pronunciation-t-d-id/

How to pronounce the letter “a” in a correct way I found on this website: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPP9BcuVklI

I also looked at different websites in order to get a better understanding of American English. I particularly found this one useful, because you really get the chance to practice your pronunciation: 

http://pronuncian.com/