Teacher Joseph's Podcast

Self Help Books

This guided practice episode helps you train the e schwa, the most common weak vowel sound in English. You’ll practice how it appears at the end, in the middle, and at the beginning of words, focusing on relaxation, rhythm, and smooth transitions rather than clear vowel shapes. We start with the most reliable endings such as er, en, and el, then move on to common middle schwa patterns, and finish with unstressed e at the start of words, where pronunciation can vary depending on speed and accent. This episode is designed to help you reduce effort, improve flow, and sound more natural in connected speech.

Transcript: 

-er (uhr): teacher, driver, player, worker, baker, manager, leader, owner, member, partner, computer, number, paper, summer, letter
-en (uhn): open, broken, written, taken, given, garden,  listen, happen, children, often, golden, sudden, heaven, seven
-el (uhl): travel, model, level, label, novel, cancel, vowel, tunnel, panel, angel 

Middle e schwa: different, camera, general, interest, average, moment, student, patient, parent, president, independent, permanent 

Initial e schwa: effect, event, enough, explain, exit, exist, elect, emerge, enable, engage, economy, election


British Pronunciation Tips 

British Vowel Sound Masterclass: Lesson 9: The E Schwa - Practice 

In this episode, we explore the most common vowel sound in British English, the schwa, with a focus on how the letter E behaves in unstressed syllables. You’ll learn why the schwa isn’t a real vowel but a weak transition sound, how word stress controls pronunciation, and why native speakers often seem to skip vowels altogether. We cover reliable patterns at the ends of words such as er, en, and el, tricky unstressed E in the middle of words, and why initial E can shift between /ɪ/ and /ə/. If you want your pronunciation to sound more natural, fluent, and rhythmical, this lesson will change how you hear English.

British Vowel Sound Masterclass: Lesson 9: The E Schwa

Tired of abandoning your language resolutions by mid-February? This episode reveals why traditional goal-setting fails for advanced learners—and introduces a game-changing monthly mission system that keeps you motivated all year long. Discover how to turn vague aspirations like "improve my English" into measurable pronunciation victories, one month at a time. Perfect for learners who know there's more progress to make but can't see the next step forward.

Why Your Language Goals Fail by February - Setting language goals that actually work

Put theory into practice! This follow-up episode helps you master the four pronunciations of the letter Y in British English through targeted exercises and common error corrections. Learn how to avoid over-articulating "yes," distinguish between short and long E sounds in words like "gym" and "happy," and properly pronounce the diphthong /aɪ/ in words like "my" and "fly." 
Find me on italki: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274 

Transcript: 

/j/ - yes - year - young - yacht, beyond, canyon, you, yellow, yoke, yet. 
Short /ɪ/ — short i: symbol, lyric, typical, crystal, syrup, mystery, gym, rhythm. 
Long i: happy, funny, city, puppy, busy, baby, story, pretty 
/aɪ/ — diphthong: my, try, fly, sky, cry, reply, apply, rely, satisfy, terrify, tyre, dynamite 

Scenario 1: 
 /j/ - yes, year, young, yacht, you, yellow, yoke, yet. 
Minimal pairs:
yes - chess
year - cheer
yellow - cello
you - chew
yoke - choke, 
yam - jam
yet - jet
Yale - jail
yoke - joke 
yard - guard 
year - gear 
yum - gum

Scenario 2 (Minimal pairs): 
gym - gene 
myth - meet
symbol - seem 
rhythm - read 
crystal - cream 
lyrics - leaks

Scenario 3: 
/ai/:  my, try, fly, shy, cry, why, reply, apply, satisfy, terrify

The Mysterious case of the letter Y - Practice 

Why does the letter Y sound completely different in "yes," "gym," "happy," and "my"? This episode unravels the mystery behind Y's four pronunciations in British English: the consonant /j/, the short vowel /ɪ/, the long vowel /iː/, and the diphthong /aɪ/. Discover the patterns (and exceptions) that govern when Y makes each sound, and learn about common pronunciation pitfalls for learners from French, German, Romance, Slavic, and Chinese language backgrounds. From over-articulating "yes" to flattening diphthongs in "fly," understand why these errors happen and what they reveal about the quirks of English pronunciation. Essential listening before the hands-on practice episode!


The Mysterious Case of the Letter Y: Four Sounds, One Letter

You've conquered the grammar, built an impressive vocabulary, and can express complex ideas with ease. So why does your accent still give you away? If you've ever felt stuck in your pronunciation patterns, wondering why you can't seem to break through to that native British sound, you've hit what I call the pronunciation plateau. It's incredibly common for advanced learners, and it's frustrating precisely because you've come so far. This is about understanding why pronunciation work is so challenging, why it's actually about retraining muscle memory rather than learning new information, and how to move beyond "foreign-sounding" English to make British pronunciation an integral part of how you express yourself.

The Pronunciation Plateau - Why Don't I Sound Native Yet?

Practice all 5 E sounds in British English with targeted exercises and tongue twisters. This lesson revisits the long and short E, the distinctive /ɜː/ sound that gives Southern British accents their signature "posh" quality, and the tricky /eɪ/ diphthong. Perfect for anyone looking to refine their British pronunciation through hands-on practice.

Transcript: 
Long e /iː/: protein - Japanese - guarantee - committee - serene - believe, receive, degree, theme, scheme, 
Short  /ɪ/.:   English, pretty, bucket, pocket, started,  helmet, velvet, secret, women, gifted 
Short e:  bed, get, end, ever, ten, red, lend, help, next, step, send, tell, men, check  

Minimal pairs: 
bet / beat
met / meet 
pet / Pete
sec / seek
stem / steam
breath / breathe
/ɜː/: her, term, serve, learn, fern, verse, perk, stern, mercy, permanent 

Tongue twisters: 
Her perfect purple purse was purchased in the service of a merchant.
The poet’s verse was first rehearsed in the perfect church.
The stern clerk served the fresh herbs with perfect purpose.
Myrtle curled her fingers around the purple purse, sure it was hers.
The surgeon gave a stern service to every patient with perfect care.

/eɪ/ : hey, great, eight, neighbour, they, vein, prey, weigh, rein, obey. 

Sequence: 
bed – bid  – bade 
met  – mitt  – mate 
pen – pin – pain 
sell – sill – sail 
get – git – gait
