With 26 letters, (but 44 different sounds), and not many rules, English pronunciation is sometimes difficult.
Sometimes, reading a word, does not help you to say it.  Here is some help.


Pronunciation 

Do you know the difference between these words?
Answer these questions and find out.

Please look at the PDFs for the transcript.


Confusing words  (A2 - Elementary)

To avoid getting rusty, and to keep up your skills, you should hear and speak English every day.  This can be expensive.  Here are some free ways to keep up your English skills between classes. 

How to keep up your English level 

Do you know the difference between these words? 
Answer these questions and find out. 
Please look at the PDFs for the transcript.

Confusing words - intermediate 

A2 - B1  
Conversation Class Preparation.
Listen to the podcast and read the text. 
These podcasts are for my structured conversation class (there are over 80 topics)
(book a class to see the text).

English with Angela -  conversation 

Success at work!
Vocabulary to help your career.  
These podcasts are from my 'ENGLISH IN THE OFFICE courses.   
If you need more help, please send me an italki message, to discuss your needs. 


English for Business

Tapescripts

Thực hành 3: Nghe và điền dấu thanh điệu vào các từ sau. (Listen and annotate thetonal markers for the following words)
1. Tôi
2. Bạn 
3. Anh 
4. Chị 
5. Em
6. Cô
7. Chú
8. Ông
9. Bà
10. Các bạn
11. Chúng em
12. Chào cháu 
13. Chào các con 
14. Cháu chào cô 
15. Con chào ông
Thực hành 4: Nghe và điền từ vào chỗ trống. (Listen and fill in the blanks)
1. Em chào anh.
2. Con chào bà.
3. Con chào chú.
4. Cháu chào ông.
5. Chúng em chào anh.
6. Chúng con chào ông bà.
7. Ông chào các con.
8. Chị chào các em.
Thực hành 6: Nghe và chọn hình thích hợp. (Listen and choose the picture that matches the audio)
1. A: Chào chị. 
 B: Chào anh.
2. A: Em ơi! 
 B: Dạ.
3. A: Cháu chào bà.
 B: Chào cháu.
4. A: Con chào chú. 
  B: Chú chào con.


Vietnamese with Ease 1

Bài 1 Chào chị (Hello Miss) _ Vietnamese with ease 1 (Học tiếng Việt dễ dàng)

第三部分   part 3
第11-15题：听短对话，选择正确答案
Questions 11-15: Listen to the short dialogues and choose the right answers. 

例如：男：小王，帮我开一下门，好吗？谢谢！
    女：没问题。您去超市了？买了这么多东西。
    问：男的想让小王做什么？

11. 女：你怎么总是听着音乐写作业？别听了，认真写吧。
男：没关系，你看我写的都对。
问：女的让男的做什么？

12. 男：你打电话有什么事吗？
女：家里有人来做客，你下了班就回来吧。
问：女的让男的做什么？

13. 女：下课了，同学们都去哪儿啊？
男：今天下午有篮球比赛，我们要去看球赛。
问：同学们要做什么？

14. 男：你真的要去国外上学？
女：是，我爸妈也想让我去，说年轻的时候多出去走走很好。
问：关于女的，可以知道什么？

15. 男：请你来回答这个问题，好吗？
女：对不起，你说得太快了，我没听懂你的问题。
问：关于女的，可以知道什么？

第四部分  part 4
第16-20题：听长对话，选择正确答案
Questions 16-20: Listen to the dialogues and choose the right answers.

例如：女：晚饭做好了，准备吃饭了。
      男：等一会儿，比赛还有三分钟就结束了。
      女：快点儿吧，一起吃，菜冷了就不好吃了。
      男：你先吃，我马上就看完了。
      问：男的在做什么？

16. 男：你儿子上学了吗？现在几年级？
女：他现在二年级。
男：学习怎么样？
女：还可以，很努力，每天都复习、写作业。
问：关于儿子，可以知道什么？

17. 男：这是你小时候的照片吗？
女：是啊，漂亮吧。
男：很漂亮，是什么时候照的？
女：小学五年级，你看，我那时多瘦啊。
问：关于女的，可以知道什么？

18. 男：站着吃蛋糕的那个人是谁？
女：我们公司新来的年轻人，小周。
男：什么？她姓什么？
女：姓周。小周又漂亮又热情，以后有时间我介绍你们认识一下。
问：关于小周，可以知道什么？

19. 女：你站那么高，小心点儿。
男：好的，你看，照片放在这儿怎么样？
女：往右边一点儿吧。
男：现在好了吧。
问：他们在做什么？

20. 女：周末你别总是坐着看电视，出去运动一下吧。
男：好啊，我们去爬山怎么样？
女：今天我腿疼，就去楼下走一走吧。
男：好吧，我们走着去超市买点儿菜。
问：他们打算做什么？

hsk3 第四课 1 她总是笑着跟客人说话

In this episode I tell you what the exam is about and what are some of the possible difficulties you may encounter when taking the DELE Spanish exam.

DE CAMINO AL DELE

Possible Difficulties you may encounter in the DELE Exam

I Survived The Sinking Of The Titanic, 1912 

I Survived The Titanic

Chapter 4

The other day, I had dinner with a foreign friend, he called the waiter to clean up the table, and he said ‘这些不要了（we don’t need these）’.It’s OK, and we also have the corresponding Chinese saying like English.

I often say ’不好意思，麻烦收拾一下（bù hǎo yì si, má fan shōu shi yí xia）-Excuse me, could you please clean up here?’


Crystal Gao's Chinese Language Journey

5. 不好意思，麻烦收拾一下/ Excuse me, could you please clean up here?

大卫： 	您好！ 	我 	想 	租 	一 	套 	房子。 
Zhōnɡjiè 	rényuán: 	Hǎo 	de. 
中介 	人员： 	好 	的。 
Dàwèi: 	Wǒ 	yào 	lí 	dìtiězhàn 	jìn 	de. 
大卫： 	我 	要 	离 	地铁站 	近 	的。 
Zhōnɡjiè 	rényuán: 	Nín 	kàn, 	zhè 	tào 	fánɡzi 	de 
中介 	人员： 	您 	看， 	这 	套 	房子 	的 
dōnɡbiɑn 	shì 	Xīzhímén 	dìtiězhàn, 
东边 	是 	西直门 	地铁站， 
zǒulù 	wǔ 	fēnzhōnɡ. 
走路 	5 	分钟。 
Dàwèi: 	Fùjìn 	yǒu 	chāoshì 	mɑ? 
大卫： 	附近 	有 	超市 	吗？ 
Zhōnɡjiè 	rényuán: 	Yǒu, 	dìtiězhàn 	de 	běibiɑn 
中介 	人员： 	有， 	地铁站 	的 	北边 
jiù 	shì 	yí 	ɡe 	dà 	chāoshì. 
就 	是 	一 	个 	大 	超市。 
Dàwèi: 	Tài 	hǎo 	le, 	zhè 	tào 	hěn 	héshì, 	ɡuì 
大卫： 	太 	好 	了， 	这 	套 	很 	合适， 	贵 
bú 	ɡuì？ 
不 	贵？ 
Zhōnɡjiè 	rényuán: 	Hái 	kěyǐ, 	yí 	ɡe 	yuè 
中介 	人员： 	还 	可以， 	一 	个 	月 
sānqiānwǔbǎi 	kuài. 
3500 	块。 


日常用语

租房

孙子说：一般用兵作战，要动用战车一千辆，辎重车一千辆，集结全副武装的士兵十万人，还要千里迢迢运送军粮。这样国内外的各种费用开支，招待使节、策士的费用，维修作战器械的胶、漆等材料费用，保养战车、甲胄的支出等，每天都要耗费巨大。做好了这些准备后，十万大军才能出动...

《孙子兵法》

《孙子兵法》05

** This story contains graphic and explicit material it is not recommended for children. For mature audiences only. ** 18+
The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig from Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris Illustrations by Ian Falconer
Read by me Teacher Alyse. Listen and follow along.
Send me a message me for your free pdf copy of this book.

The way the pig is labeled based on his Vietnamese heritage, despite being born in the U.S., mirrors the real-world experiences of many immigrants and their descendants. Even when someone identifies as fully American, they can still be seen as "other" because of their background. The parrot's insistence on framing the pig's identity through an ethnic lens—rather than his actual achievements—reflects how media narratives and public discourse can shape (and sometimes distort) the way individuals are perceived.
This is especially important now, given the ongoing discussions about immigration in the U.S. Many immigrants and first-generation Americans face similar struggles with identity, belonging, and how they're portrayed in society. The story also highlights how insecurities—whether about identity, appearance, or status—can be exacerbated by external judgments.
Themes and Interpretation
•	Identity and Stereotyping: The pig’s frustration highlights how labels—whether about ethnicity or body image—can shape and limit a person’s self-perception.
•	Media Manipulation: The parrot, representing a journalist, distorts facts for a sensationalized story, raising questions about bias and ethics in reporting.
•	Self-Perception and Insecurity: The pig’s struggles with his body image illustrate how external judgments can create deep-seated insecurities.
•	Cultural Commentary: The story subtly critiques societal assumptions about identity and heritage, showing how people (or animals) can be boxed in by others’ perceptions.