Master the American /r/ sound! Learn the difference between retroflex and bunched /r/, common challenges, and tips to improve your pronunciation for clearer, more natural speech.

 Pronunciation and Accent Reduction with a Focus on North American English

Key Consonants:  The American R

Extensive reading can definitely help us gain vocabulary and new expressions. Besides, it is leisure-time activity that most of us enjoy. So, in this episode, I'll recommend three books written by female Latin American authors (commemorating 8M) so that you start reading now!

Your Spanish Journey

Reading books to learn Spanish

Escucha este audio-artículo y descubre la provincia de Cádiz y buenos trucos para viajar por ella disfrutando de los lugares más auténticos.

VIAJAR POR ESPAÑA  "AUDIOS"

Mi España - La Provincia de Cádiz

Star Wars was a cool movie - just don't analyse the logic too much!

The Social Evolutionary

Star Wars Logic

In this episode, you will hear where Daxin took his mother to go and why he chose this place. Enjoy it!

大新想带妈妈去海南生活。大新在海南有一个大大的房子。海南是一个岛，在中国的最南方。海南的天气非常好，冬天一点儿也不冷，非常暖和，到处都是漂亮的 花。大新觉得如果妈妈到了海南，冬天也可以出去，到公园，到海边散步， 看看漂亮的花，吹吹舒服的风，妈妈一定会很快乐。于是，2023年9月大新带着妈妈到了海南。他们在海南住了七个多月。

Dà xīn xiǎng dài mā mā qù hǎi nán shēng huó 。 dà xīn zài hǎi nán yǒu yī gè dà dà de fáng zǐ 。 hǎi nán shì yī gè dǎo ， zài zhōng guó de zuì nán fāng 。 hǎi nán de tiān qì fēi cháng hǎo ， dōng tiān yī diǎn ér yě bù lěng ， fēi cháng nuǎn hé ， dào chǔ dū shì piāo liàng de huā 。 dà xīn jué dé rú guǒ mā mā dào le hǎi nán ， dōng tiān yě kě yǐ chū qù ， dào gōng yuán ， dào hǎi biān sàn bù ， kàn kàn piāo liàng de huā ， chuī chuī shū fú de fēng ， mā mā yī dìng huì hěn kuài lè 。 yú shì ，2023 nián 9 yuè dà xīn dài zhuó mā mā dào le hǎi nán 。 tā mén zài hǎi nán zhù le qī gè duō yuè 。

Story Chinese

去海南 Go to Hainan

Using Spoken Discourse Markers for IELTS Speaking

Discourse markers, such as "well," "so," "you know," and "I mean," are common in everyday speech. These words and phrases help guide conversations, signal a change in thought, or give the speaker time to think. For IELTS Speaking, using discourse markers effectively can enhance your fluency and coherence, making your responses more natural and organized.

Here are some key ways to use spoken discourse markers during the IELTS Speaking exam:

Starting Your Response: Using markers like "well" or "actually" can give you a moment to collect your thoughts before answering a question. For example, if asked about your favorite hobby, you could begin with, "Well, I really enjoy painting because it's relaxing."

Organizing Ideas: Words such as "firstly," "secondly," and "finally" can help structure your response when explaining something in detail. This makes it easier for the examiner to follow your ideas.

Clarifying and Rephrasing: Discourse markers like "I mean" or "in other words" are useful for clarifying points or rephrasing if you feel your initial response wasn’t clear enough. For instance, "In other words, I think traveling teaches us valuable life skills."

Filling Pauses: Using phrases like "you know" or "let me think" can fill pauses naturally, preventing awkward silences during your speaking test.

However, it's essential not to overuse discourse markers, as it can make your speech sound unnatural. Practice using them in moderation to sound fluent and confident in your responses.

IELTS Speaking Practice

IELTS Speaking - using discourse markers

Today we're talking about the word "laser" and how we can use it to emphasise the word "focus". I hope you find this vocabulary useful! 

If you'd like to improve your professional communication skills in English then feel free to book some of my time. I look forward to meeting you!


DAILY Business English VOCABULARY builder

This podcast contains lasers!

Teacher Joseph's Podcast

What do we do with Junk?

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations are coming up and she is converting the town of Colchester into a city. What is the difference between a city and a town in the UK?