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The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 9 © Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com KEY 2: PRONOUNCE WORDS CLEARLY These are the things you need to complete for Key 2. Check them off as you finish them. I read the “7 Frequently Asked Questions” online. I was surprised to learn that I analyzed my pronunciation (See 2.1; find your language on the next 2 pages) and I marked the pages with the pronunciation lists that I need. I explored and found the pronunciation videos online. I know where they are. (If you have any questions, send us an email!) I understand that I need to study pronunciation daily because _________________ ___________________________________________________________________ (See 2.2 below) I read through the daily pronunciation study plan. (See 2.3 below) I watched the two “Tips to Improve” videos called “Create Pronunciation Alarms” and “Create Pronunciation Flashcards” (Explore near the other pronunciation videos) 2.1: ANALYZE YOUR PRONUNCIATION There are 3 ways that you can analyze your pronunciation. advantages Disadvantages by yourself You can start now with the charts on the next two pages. You might have more or fewer issues than other people who speak your native language. with a friend who’s a native speaker It’s free. Your friend can look at the charts on the next page and find the areas Your friend might find every tiny flaw in your pronunciation, or might be used to you and not notice your mistakes. with English Success Academy Our recommendations are based on what you need to achieve the speaking score you need. It’s not free. You need to wait a little bit to get the results. Which way do you prefer? If you get a Score Analysis, we will review your pronunciation. For now, it’s good to start by yourself.

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Page 1: KEY 2: PRONOUNCE WORDS CLEARLYd1d9l8agzkm7wi.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/... · 2015-05-03 · students are actively learning other things in English (like TOEFL strategies,

The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 9

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

KEY 2: PRONOUNCE WORDS CLEARLY

These are the things you need to complete for Key 2. Check them off as you finish them.

I read the “7 Frequently Asked Questions” online. I was surprised to learn that…

I analyzed my pronunciation (See 2.1; find your language on the next 2 pages) and I

marked the pages with the pronunciation lists that I need.

I explored and found the pronunciation videos online. I know where they are. (If you have any questions, send us an email!)

I understand that I need to study pronunciation daily because _________________ ___________________________________________________________________ (See 2.2 below)

I read through the daily pronunciation study plan. (See 2.3 below)

I watched the two “Tips to Improve” videos called “Create Pronunciation Alarms” and “Create Pronunciation Flashcards” (Explore near the other pronunciation videos)

2.1: ANALYZE YOUR PRONUNCIATION

There are 3 ways that you can analyze your pronunciation.

advantages Disadvantages

by yourself

You can start now with the charts on

the next two pages.

You might have more or fewer issues than other people who speak your

native language.

with a friend who’s a native speaker

It’s free. Your friend can look at the charts on the next page and

find the areas

Your friend might find every tiny flaw in your

pronunciation, or might be used to you and not notice

your mistakes.

with English Success Academy

Our recommendations are based on what you need to achieve the speaking score

you need.

It’s not free. You need to wait a little bit

to get the results.

Which way do you prefer? If you get a Score Analysis, we will review your pronunciation. For now, it’s good to start by yourself.

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10 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

COMMON PRONUNCIATION ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WHO SPEAK…

NOTE: You might have more or fewer issues than other people who speak your native language.

Chinese Filipino

Languages Indian

Languages Indonesian Languages

Japanese Korean Thai

Consonant Sounds:

/b/ sound See List 12

✓ ✓

/l/ sound See List 18

✓ ✓ ✓

final /n/ sound See List 28

✓ ✓

/r/ sound See List 19

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

2 /th/ sounds See List 21

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/v/ sounds See List 23

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/w/ sounds See List 23

✓ ✓ ✓

/s/ and /z/ sounds See List 11

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/sh/ sounds See List 27

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Vowel Sounds:

It’s a good idea to review all vowel sounds, but especially focus on the ones below.

/eɪ/ sound in “say” See List 24

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/e/ sound in “tell” See List 9

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/æ/ in “man” See List 9

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/ee/ in “he” See List 7

✓ ✓

/ɪ/ in “live” See List 8

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/ɑ/ in “got” See List 5

✓ ✓ ✓

/ə/ in “up” See List 6

✓ ✓ ✓

/ʊ/ in “should” See List 3

✓ ✓

/u/ in “soon” See List 25

/oʊ/ in “know” See List 4

✓ ✓ ✓

Linking Sounds See List 2

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 11

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

COMMON PRONUNCIATION ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WHO SPEAK…

NOTE: You might have more or fewer issues than other people who speak your native language.

Arabic Farsi French Portuguese Russian Spanish Turkish

Consonant Sounds:

final /ing/ sounds See List 29

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

final /ed/ sounds See List 16

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

initial /h/ sound See List 22

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/r/ sound See List 19

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

2 /th/ sounds See List 21

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/v/ sounds See List 23

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/w/ sounds See List 23

✓ ✓ ✓

/s/ or /z/ sounds See List 11

✓ ✓ ✓

initial /s/ sounds See List 26

✓ ✓

/j/ sound See List 20

✓ ✓

/y/ sound See List 14

/ch/ versus /sh/ See List 27

✓ ✓

Vowel Sounds:

It’s a good idea to review all vowel sounds, but especially focus on the ones below.

/eɪ/ sound in “say” See List 24

✓ ✓

/e/ sound in “tell” See List 9

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/æ/ in “man” See List 9

✓ ✓

/ee/ in “he” See List 7

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/ɪ/ in “live” See List 8

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/ɑ/ in “got” See List 5

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/ə/ in “up” See List 6

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/ʊ/ in “should” See List 3

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/u/ in “soon” See List 25

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

/oʊ/ in “know” See List 4

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Linking Sounds See List 2

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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12 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

2.2: WHY YOU NEED TO STUDY PRONUNCIATION DAILY

If you don’t practice your pronunciation daily (3-4 times), then your pronunciation will change very, very little. This is because pronunciation is actually a physical memory, and physical movement. Especially when you’re trying to change old, embedded pronunciation movements, the repetition of doing “the right thing” with your lips and tongue is essential.

I’ve worked with many students who only have accurate pronunciation when they are actively paying attention to the issue. If they start telling me a spontaneous story about what happened yesterday, they use their old pronunciation habits and make errors. By constantly reminding themselves, and working regularly with the following schedule, they are able to change their pronunciation.

Be both patient and firm with yourself.

It could take weeks, even months, for your pronunciation to change. Especially when students are actively learning other things in English (like TOEFL strategies, new vocabulary and grammar), it is necessary to be even more patient and persistent.

2.3: THE DAILY PRONUNCIATION STUDY PLAN

Set a reminder or alarm. Think about your regular routine and decide on 3-4 times throughout the day when you are typically alone and can talk, without feeling silly. If you have access to a small mirror, that is very useful.

Then, when your alarm rings:

1. Do the warm up video to get your lips, tongue and jaw flexible. Log onto the

website. Click on “Advanced Speaking” “Key 2” “The Warm-Up Video.”

2. Practice blowing air to make isolated sounds that are your problems – for

example, just repeat “veveveveve” for 10 seconds or “fufufufufu” or “lalalalalala”

or “zizizizi” or “dididi” or “thethethethe.” Use a mirror, if it helps to see your

tongue and lip placement.

3. Use a word list for a problematic sound on the following pages. (Print these

relevant pages and carry them around in your pocket. Use a different list for a

different time of the day so that you practice 2-3 different sounds a day.)

4. Say the list of words on the left.

5. Then read the sentences with the words.

6. Then make your own spontaneous sentences with the same list of words. Speak

smoothly and make linking sounds between the words.

7. Choose a TOEFL Speaking Task and record your response. Focus on pronouncing

words clearly. Listen and check or ask a friend to assess it for pronunciation.

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The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 139

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

THE PRONUNCIATION LISTS

“How are these pronunciation lists different from all the other ones in published books or on the internet?”

These are words that often come up in TOEFL responses (for explaining your opinions, summarizing dialogues and academic topics). Jaime collected these lists after listening to students from over 30 countries give responses for Task 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Many other books focus on pronunciation, or TOEFL – but not both at the same time. These lists contain high-frequency TOEFL words. These lists also contain full sentences that you could say at a TOEFL test and sound like a native-speaker – so you can practice your intonation and linking sounds. Lucky you!

“How can I get started now?”

If you are confused about how to use this section, review Key 2. Specifically look at the language charts in 2.1 (pages 10 and 11) to see which sounds you should focus on.

Also, look at 2.2 and 2.3 for suggestions on how to study productively.

“If I am really stressed out, what should I focus on?”

If you have 4 weeks or fewer to study for TOEFL, or if you are feeling very stressed, just study List 1 on the next page – those are the essential words that every TOEFL student needs.

“What do these weird symbols like ə ɪ æ θ mean? Do I have to learn them?”

The symbols are internationally-accepted symbols for pronunciation. Many English teachers are intimidated by the symbols, too. If you learn the symbols, you can speak with more confidence and accuracy. Learning the symbols helps you associate different letter and spelling combinations with the same sound.

“Do I need to study everything here?”

You probably do not need to study everything in this section (although you could).

If you feel stressed, send us an email and we can organize one or two occasional lessons. Those live, face-to-face study sessions can motivate you and give you an understanding of how to keep studying pronunciation (or anything else for TOEFL) on your own.

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140 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

LIST 1: ESSENTIAL WORDS

1. Because

o Why? You will need it on every single response, tasks 1 through 6.

o Common Mistake: People usually mispronounce the second syllable as

“cows.”

o To Correct It: Watch the /ul/ sound video and review other words in P 18

OR look at the /ə/ sound in List 6. (Right now, you’re in List 1.)

2. This and These

o Why? You need them on every task on speaking.

o Common Mistake: People often mix them up. “This” is for singular nouns;

“these” is for plural nouns. If you misuse them, you create a grammar

mistake.

o To Correct It: Watch the short /ɪ/ with long /ee/ video and review List 7.

3. Woman Women Man Men

o Why? These are necessary for speaking tasks 3 and 5.

o Common Mistake: People often confuse the singular and plural sound of

“woman” and the listener can be confused about this detail.

o To Correct It: Watch the videos

Comparing /æ/ with /e/ in List 9.

The short /ɪ/ sound List 8.

4. Say Says Said

o Why? When you’re summarizing on tasks 3, 4, 5 and 6 you might use this

word.

o Common Mistake: The vowel sound in “say” is long and your mouth

changes shape while you say it. The vowel sound in “says” is short, but

sometimes people make it long.

o To Correct It: Review the /æ/ and /e/ videos and look at page List 9.

5. Advantage Disadvantage

o Why? It’s so common! I’m sure you’ll say this on speaking task 1, 2 or 5 –

and maybe 3.

o Common Mistake: Americans usually swallow the /t/ sound here. Non-

native speakers typically pronounce the /t/ sound too strongly. Also, Arabic

speakers should make the /j/ sound correctly at the end.

o To Correct It: Watch the video about “swallowing the /nt/ sound” and look

at page List 17.

6. Professor Her Research

o Why? There’s a high chance you will say these /ur/ sounds on any of your

responses.

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The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 141

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

o Common Mistake: All three share the same final /ur/ sound, but because of

different spelling patterns, people wrongly conclude that they have

different sounds. They don’t.

o To Correct It: Watch the /ur/ sound video online and use the word lists on

List 19.

Remember – If you’re not sure how to study pronunciation, look back in the workbook. Find section Key 2.2: “Why You Need to Study Pronunciation Daily” and Key 2.3: “The Daily Pronunciation Study Plan.” You can find both of those on page 12.

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142 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

LIST 2: LINKING SOUNDS

For this section, you will need the audio files online. Log in now and find the section on Linking Sounds. When you find it, keep reading.

In English, we link sounds between words if (1) and (2) are true:

(1) the final sound of a word is a consonant – especially common final consonant sounds in English words are -s or -z -d or –t -m or -n -f or -v

(2) the following word’s first sound is a vowel “a, e, i, o, u” and soft sounds like “h” or “w” (“hour” or “were/where”)

For this activity, you will need audio files. Log on and navigate Online TOEFL Workshop Advanced Speaking Key 2 Linking Sounds

Explanation: Listen to Audio 1 online.

Jaime is speaking the following phrases. The middle column sounds stilted and unnatural, which makes you sound more like a non-native English speaker. The right column sounds more fluid and natural, like an American would say. To sound like a native-speaker, you should imitate the fluid and natural way.

Final Sound Stilted and Unnatural Fluid and Natural

-s / -z … is (pause) when i-zwhen

-n … an (pause) animal a-nan-imal -t/d … wanted (pause) it wan-ti-dit -v/f … first (pause) of (pause) all fur-stu-vall

PRACTICE ACTIVITIES

Final “-s or –z” sounds: Listen to Audio 2 online. Repeat and read.

1. kinds of There are many different kinds of clouds.

2. thinks that has its priorities wrong She thinks that the university has its

priorities wrong.

3. types of cells and The human body has three types of blood cells: red cells,

white cells and platelets.

4. because of Because of this process, fresh oxygen is constantly being delivered.

5. consists of Our solar system is really large and consists of nine planets.

6. depends on rocks are The classification system for rocks depends on how

rocks are formed.

7. forms in chemicals in Sedimentary rock forms in water. Chemicals in the

water form a kind of glue.

8. talks about rocks are The professor talks about how rocks are formed.

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© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

Please note that many of these sentences also have linking “-s” or “-z” sounds as well!

Recommendation #1: Draw a line on the page between the linking sounds: bad idea

Recommendation #2: Close your eyes and listen sometimes. For many students, this is a new and weird concept. When people look at the words, they often make mistakes. When they close their eyes to listen and repeat, they are accurate. Your ears need to rediscover English.

Final “-t or –d” sounds: Listen to Audio 3 online. Repeat and read.

1. bad idea It's a really bad idea. 2. not a good idea Investing in this new program is not a good idea. 3. waste of It's basically a waste of the school's money. 4. died in He died in the 20th century. 5. instead of They want students to talk with each other instead of being

antisocial. 6. confused about undergraduate and Lots of people get confused about the

difference between undergraduate and graduate degrees. 7. must have Students must have a high school diploma. 8. watched a a lot of old ads had insomnia last Wednesday I watched a

lot of old ads on TV because I had insomnia last Wednesday night. 9. sold it He sold it.

Final “-m or –n” sounds: Listen to Audio 4 online. Repeat and read.

1. born in He was born in the 19th century.

2. known as Our galaxy is known as the Milky Way.

3. common example A common example of a metamorphic rock is marble.

4. them in We have all of them in the same device.

5. some of them are Magma has lots of components but some of them are gases

that have become liquid because of extreme heat.

6. form into If more and more lava builds up, these giant masses of rock form into

mountains.

7. same advice I would give my friend the same advice.

8. oxygen is Because of this process, fresh oxygen is constantly being delivered.

9. system is Our solar system is really big and consists of nine planets.

10. when I When I watch English television, it’s easier to have the subtitles.

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144 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

Final “-v or –f” sounds: Listen to Audio 5 online. Repeat and read.

1. of all … because first of all, it’s an absolutely fantastic place.

2. of it … and because of it, I really enjoy going there.

3. of advantages The professor explains that there are two main kinds of

advantages.

4. of all Best of all, I get to see my friends.

5. of all Worst of all, the traffic is a complete nightmare.

6. love it I love it when I get to see my friends.

7. have a I don’t actually have a favorite movie because I almost never have time for movies.

8. I’ve only I’ve only been there a couple of times.

Random final sounds like “-ch or –k” sounds: Listen to Audio 6 online. Repeat and read.

1. look up It takes time to look up words in the dictionary, but it’s worth it.

2. took a I took a few lessons last summer.

3. kick us My old landlord tried to kick us out of our apartment.

4. back home Back home, I used to see my friends.

5. each advantage The professor explained each advantage of the project.

6. such a The traffic is such a problem!

7. lunch in I can’t stand eating lunch in really busy restaurants. 8. much of Did you understand the lecture? No, I didn’t understand very much of

it.

MORE EASY PRACTICE FOR SPEAKING + LINKING

Use any TOEFL book you have (if you have the transcript section and the audio CDs).

1. Select a type of speaking task that is hard for you. So if you hate Task 4, find a Task 4.

2. Listen to the audio file. Then find the transcript at the back of the book (you might have to search but just stay patient). Alternatively, you can use the transcripts of TOEFL responses in Key 5 and Key 6.

3. Read the transcript out loud (it should be the same thing that you just listened to). Focus on linking the sounds between words and speaking at the same speed as the person in the audio file. Listen to the audio again if you're not sure.

4. Close the book, or close your eyes. Now summarize whatever you can remember from memory. Use the same words or grammar. Just focus on speaking smoothly, quickly and confidently.

5. Repeat again and again until you finish all the tasks.

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© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

LIST 3: VOWEL SOUNDS: THE /Ʊ/ IN “SHOULD”

After you watch the video online, you can use this list of commonly mispronounced TOEFL words. These words are extremely useful on speaking responses 1, 2 and 5.

Should

+ She thinks he should go to the study session.

+ My friend wants to… [do what?] but I think s/he should... [do something

else] because…

+ He shouldn’t miss the exam if he wants to improve his grade.

Would

+ I also think it would be better for him to go to the study session.

+ If he lived off campus, it would be better because he could …

+ I would definitely choose to live in a big city because…

+ If he lived on campus, he would probably make more friends because…

Could

+ Alternatively, he could get a job on campus.

+ If she doesn’t talk to her roommate, she could stay mad for a long time.

LIST 4: VOWELS: THE /OƱ/ IN “KNOW”

The /oʊ/ sound is blended – it’s actually two vowel sounds that are combined to create one long sound. You already know this sound – it’s the sound in “go.” Watch the video online and then use the list below.

So – There are so many different kinds of pollution.

Old – Because it’s an old building, the man doesn’t agree with the university’s

choice to destroy it.

Know – The man is stressed because he doesn’t know how to register for classes

online.

Show – The woman suggests that he talk to the Registrar so they can show him

how to do it.

No – There’s no proof from the research that we can really trust.

Program – The woman doesn’t want to stay for the summer program, but if she

wants to graduate on time, she really has no other choice.

Grow – Animals generally eat young plants that are growing before they have

time to develop deep roots. This makes it difficult for the soil to hold together,

and it can blow away easily.

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146 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®

© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

Focus – The woman is really stressed out because she can’t focus on any of her

lessons.

Even though – Even though she’s studying hours and hours, she doesn’t

remember anything.

Notice – The woman didn’t notice her friends sit down because she was so focused

on her book.

Although – Although the woman’s friends came to the table, she didn’t notice

them.

LIST 5: VOWELS: THE /ɑ/ IN “GOT”

Watch the video online and use this list for extra practice.

Although – Although the professor focused mostly on , he mentioned that

Author – Although the author didn’t cite any research or statistics, the theory

might still be valid.

Taught (past simple of teach) – My parents taught me

Bought (past simple of buy) – Even though the woman didn’t have a lot of money,

she bought

Caught (past simple of catch) – The student caught a cold and had to miss the test.

Not – The most important thing which is not learnt at school is

Got – The student who got 30 on TOEFL speaking was beyond excited.

Saw -When I first saw my name in print, I felt

LIST 6: VOWELS: THE LAZY /Ə/ IN “UP”

Discuss – The professor discusses the advantages of online learning. But – The internet has changed not only … , but also… Country – In my country [type of workers] … are highly paid. Enough – A degree is no longer enough to …. Done …. motivates me to get the things done! Another - Another advantage of online shopping is … None - None of the students could describe …

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© Jaime Miller and www.EnglishSuccessAcademy.com

LIST 7: VOWELS: THE LONG /ee/ IN “HE”

People from many language groups confuse the long /ee/ sound with the short / ɪ /. Because of that, it’s very important to minimize any mispronunciations here – especially if you want 26+ on TOEFL Speaking. Watch the video online. Then use the list below.

THE LONG /ee/ SOUND THE /I/ SOUND

Here, your mouth stretches wide.

Now your mouth doesn’t stretch.

These This

Seedy City

Leave Live

Eat It

Thief Think

Leaf If

Sheep Ship

Heat Hit

Common TOEFL words with the long /ee/ sound:

Succeed – One time I felt that I really succeeded was when I…

These (not this) – These sentences are helping because…

Need – The man tells the woman that he needs to find a new place to live.

Recently – Recently, I’ve been … because…

Increase and it’s opposite Decrease – The population of [my city] has been

increasing / decreasing recently. This is mainly due to the fact that…

Believe – I really believe that it’s better to …(choice 1)… than to … (choice 2)…

If you speak Portuguese pronounce the final long /ee/ sound on words like…

Technology Honesty

Carefully Additionally

Similarly Truthfully

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LIST 8: VOWELS: THE /ɪ/ SOUND

Be sure to watch Jaime’s video that compares the short / ɪ / sound with the longer /ee/ sound (you can look at the previous page and compare the pictures that you see). Use a mirror! Don’t stretch your mouth.

Critical Words:

Women (in the plural form, both the “o” and the “e” both sound like / ɪ /. You’re

not alone; we all hate English spelling ) – The women can’t believe that “women”

sounds completely different from its spelling.

is – TOEFL is…

in – My city, [name] , is in … [region or country]

it – [Think of your own idea.]

with – I like studying with the Advanced Speaking Guide because……

if – If the woman doesn’t take the online class, she won’t be able to work this

summer.

this (not “these”) – For this reason, I dislike cities.

Adverbs / Transitions:

For instance – My town has a big problem with … For instance, …

Additionally – Additionally, we have a problem with…

Alternatively – Some people think we should fix this problem by… Alternatively,

we could…

Specifically – I specifically remember the time that I… (describe a memory)

Consequently – When I was a kid, I … Consequently, I … nowadays.

Before – Before I started the Advanced Speaking Guide, I didn’t know how to…

especially – I especially didn’t know … before I started this program.

in comparison – My English before was really different in comparison to my

English now because...

Verbs:

Live – I live in [city]… Think – Personally, I think that [title] is the best movie because [why?]. Give – I think governments should(n’t) give each child in my country a tablet for

studying because… If they did that, … [what would happen?] Discuss – The two friends are discussing if they should [do option 1] or [option 2]. Finish – I have to finish with TOEFL as soon as possible so that I can [do what?].… Miss – If I lived in another country, I would miss [what?]. increase – One way to increase my speaking confidence is to … [verb]…. Get bigger – My city’s population is/isn’t getting bigger because [why?]…. is known as – My city is known as [nickname] because [why?] Consists of – TOEFL consists of 4 sections: reading, listening, speaking and writing.

My favorite is the… section because [why?].

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Nouns:

Passage – The passage discusses the concept of emotional intelligence. City – One of the best cities in my country is [where?] because…[why?] Ability – The professor explains that people with emotional intelligence have the

ability to make important life decisions with more confidence. the internet – If I didn’t have the internet, my life would be really different

because [why?] Mistake – It’s a mistake not to focus on saying the short “i” sound correctly. Definition – According to the passage, the basic definition of “a boycott” is some

kind of non-violent, economic protest.

Note: Look at the /aɪ / sound in List 8 because the verb “define” has a different sound.

Animal – My favorite animal is [what?] because…[why?] Scholarship -- I think that awarding scholarships is a good/bad idea because

[why?]… Internship – My favorite thing about my internship is that… [what?] Attitude – When I was younger I used to [do what?] but now my attitude has

changed and I [do what?] . The reason for this is that [what?].… Characteristics – I personally think that one the most important characteristics of

a good friend is to be…[adjective]. This is because [why?] Transcript – I can get official copies of my transcript from the Registrar’s office. Minute – Give me a minute. America – When I think of America, the first thing that comes to mind is [what?]

because…[why?]. Brazil – When I think of Brazil, the first thing that comes to mind is [what?]

because… [why?] England – When I think of England, the first thing that comes to mind is

[what?]… because…[why?]

Adjectives:

Similar – I’m similar to my friends because we all [do or have what?]… Different – I’m different from my friends because…[why?] Big – I (don’t) like driving big cars because… [why?]

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LIST 9: VOWELS: THE /æ/ IN “MAN” AND /e/ IN “TELL”

Make sure to watch Jaime’s video that compares the /æ/ “bad” to the /e/ in “bed.” You can see below that if you change the shape of your mouth, the whole meaning of the word is completely different. Definitely use a mirror when you practice this! Which sound makes your mouth “taller” or “longer”? Which mouth is “wider” or “more stretched”?

THE /æ/ SOUND THE /e/ SOUND

Man Men

Taxed Text

Bad Bed

Mad Medical

Quack Question

A lack of … A lecture

Lass Lesson

Past Pest

Bastard Best

Fast Festival

Master Messed up

And End

In fact Infect

Had Head

Sad Says

The next page has a list of more words with the /æ/ and /e/ sounds.

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/æ/ sounds:

Application – She has to submit her application as soon as possible.

Actually – Actually, I don’t like taking vacations in really hot or really cold places.

Bad – That movie was so bad because…[why?]

Fact – In fact, I prefer going to warm places. This is because [why?]

Man – The man tells the woman that she should talk with her roommate.

Fast – If the man studies regularly, he’ll improve faster.

Staff – The man asks the staff member if he can have an application.

Have / had / has – The man doesn’t have any idea how to complete his research.

That – That is the reason he’s confused.

Calculate – Scientists calculated the statistics from the experiment.

After – I think the man should go to the evening class, and then after that, study

for the midterm. If he doesn’t do this, his grades might drop.

Accent – I think that my accent is improving because…

Personality – Personally, I think she has a bad personality.

/e/ sounds:

However -- I really like where I live. However, I do think it would be interesting to live in… [place name] because [why?]

Medical -- In my country, medical careers are popular because [why?] Dead – [person’s name] is dead. S/he died in [year]. Heavy – [specific food name] is really heavy – so after I eat it, I feel “kinda”

gross because there’s a lot of fat in it. Question – I like / don’t like asking questions in classes because [why?] Lecture – I have always / never enjoyed listening to lectures because [why?] Effect and affect (both have the same sound despite spelling differences) – The

effect of the medicine showed that the treatment worked. The medicine affected most of the patients similarly.

Best – Personally, I think [specific place name] is the best place in [my town] to eat [what kind of food?].

End -- Researchers wanted to find out about [topic], but in the end, their data got compromised so they had to start over again.

Connected -- I read an article about how when people look at Facebook a lot, they aren’t very happy and I think this is connected to the fact that Facebook doesn’t help people create real relationships.

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LIST 10: VOWELS: THE /aɪ / IN “WHY”

This is another “sliding sound” where your mouth changes shape. You already know the sound from the word “why.” To hear Jaime say more words with this sound, check out the video and then use the list below for extra practice.

There are two letter combinations in English that all create the same /aɪ/ sound – “y” or

“i.” Below, the underlined i or y shows you where to make the /aɪ/ sound.

Kinds of – The passage mentions two kinds of [what?] : [type 1] and [type 2].

Types of – There are many types of [what?] , but the passage focuses on one type

called [say a specific example?] .

Varieties of – Animals’ use a variety of ways to remember where they buried their

food.

Meanwhile – I was trying to call my friend on the phone. Meanwhile, the cars on

the street were honking.

Criteria – I agree/disagree with the criteria that my university used to evaluate

students’ applications because… [why?]

Minor – On Tasks 4 and 6, I shouldn’t mention too many minor points of the

professor’s lecture because…[why?]

Define – The passage defines animal domestication as the process of taming wild

animals to live near humans.

Decide – The University has decided to renovate some buildings on campus.

Dialogue – The students in the dialogue are discussing whether or not the

university’s new plan is a good idea.

Finally – The cars finally stopped honking and I was able to hear my friend.

Finalize – The students in the dialogue are trying to decide where to finalize their

presentation – either in the library, or in the student center.

Time –

+ I remember that one time, I ... (tell a story with past simple).

+ It’s really time-consuming to [do what?] because…[why?]

+ The man doesn’t have time to [do what?] because…[why?]

Die / died – [The name of a famous person] … died in … [year] because [why?]…

Like – I like [what?]… because…[why?]

Despite – Despite the fact that pronunciation is tricky, I can feel that I’m

improving.

Rise / Rose / Risen (verb) – The inflation rate in [country?] is/isn’t rising because

[why?]

Primary – The primary reason that I’m taking TOEFL is to [do what?]…

Exciting – The most exciting thing I did recently was when I [did what?]…

Private – I’m (not) a private person and so I usually [do what?]…

China – China is in the news a lot. I heard that [what?]

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LIST 11: CONSONANTS: THE 3 /S/ SOUNDS

Start by watching Jaime’s video in the Online TOEFL Workshop, Key 2 that shows you

how to correctly form the three different sounds /s/ /z/ and /ɪz/.

Believes -- She believes he shouldn’t miss his study session. Claims -- The author claims that global warming isn’t real. Explains -- The professor explains the main cause of desertification. Asks about -- The woman asks her friend how to sign up for classes. Thinks -- The man thinks it’s possible to register online. Describes -- The text describes two kinds of …[what?] Discusses -- The lecturer discusses this in more detail.

Verbs that end with “–sts”

Suggests -- She suggests not missing his study session. Casts (doubt on) -- The lecture casts doubt on the reading. Contrasts -- The text contrasts the lecture by citing only theory. Insists -- The university insists on reducing traffic on campus.

Nouns that end with “–s”

Advantages -- One of the advantages of [verb-ing] is that…[what?] Reasons – One of the reasons that I love my city is that [what?]. This is

because…[why?] Things – One of the things that I can’t stand about TOEFL is that [what?]. This is

because…[why?] Places – One of my favorite places to go is…[where?] because…[why?] Movies – One of the greatest movies of all time is [what?]… because… [why?]

Uncountable nouns never end in “–s” Research in an uncountable noun (so the concept is “singular”), so we use it with singular verbs.

Correct: The research shows people are happier in developing countries. Wrong: The researches show…

Correct: They do a lot of research on the level of happiness. Wrong: They do a lot of researches on the level of happiness.

Correct (as a verb): The company researches levels of happiness.

Other Common Uncountable Nouns:

advice work homework technology equipment time money information damage proof

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LIST 12: CONSONANTS: /P/ VERSUS /B/

If you speak Arabic or Farsi, after watching Jaime’s video, make sure to use a piece of paper to properly pronounce /p/.

Report – The man printed the report but he didn’t understand how interpret the

numbers.

Prefer – I know that some people prefer to live in small towns, but I really prefer

big cities.

Keep – I have to keep trying to say “ppp” because it’s possible for my lips to

accomplish it.

Prepare – The guy’s upset because he has to prepare a report tonight for his class

tomorrow.

Stop – I must stop [doing what?]… when I speak English because [why?]

Depend on –

+ The effectiveness of anti-smoking campaigns depends on people’s

awareness of them.

+ Depending on the organisms in the water, the color can change.

Passage – The passage talks about how stalagmites and stalactites are formed.

Point out – The professor pointed out that the impact of water hitting the floor

causes them to break into droplets.

Proof / Prove – Basically, the research couldn’t prove that coffee is unhealthy.

Egypt – Egypt is very popular for the Great Pyramids.

Problem – The problem is that it’s easy to procrastinate when you take an online

class.

Professor – The professor asked the student to come and have a chat.

LIST 13: CONSONANTS: EMPHASIZE THE /T/

If you speak Spanish or Portuguese, always pronounce your /t/ sound -- like in the

following phrases:

I have to take TOEFL. It’s the reason why I [do what?]

Next year, it is going to be easy for me to [do what?]

It’s raining outside so I’m going to [do what?]

If you need more easy speaking practice for this, please look at the section in Ultra-

Targeted TOEFL Grammar Guide about forming sentences with “It.”

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LIST 14: CONSONANTS: THE /Y/ SOUND

If you speak Spanish, be careful to say the /y/ sound at the beginning of the following words:

Yesterday – Yesterday I [did what?] You – If you [do what?] then you can [do what?] Your – My favorite thing about you is your [what?] because [why?] Yellow – I like/don’t like the color yellow because [why?] Young -- When I’m [how old?], I hope I still feel young because [why?]

LIST 15: CONSONANTS: WHEN /T/ SOUNDS LIKE /D/

Watch Jaime’s video to hear her pronunciation and get the complete explanation. There are lots of words that follow this rule in American English (but not British English), but the most common ones for TOEFL are here.

City – I (don’t) like living in a city because…[why?]

University – My university was…[where?]. It was / wasn’t a good university

because [why?]

Tutor – Having a tutor for TOEFL is(n’t) important because… [why?]

Strategy –

+ One strategy for improving your accent is to…[do what?]

+ Another strategy is…[to do what?]

Italy – I would(n’t) like to go to Italy because…[why?]

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LIST 16: CONSONANTS: THE 3 SOUNDS OF /- ED/

You definitely need this when summarizing past life events on Tasks 1 and 2. You also might need past participle (third verb form) if you use “passive grammar” to explain scientific processes on Tasks 4 and 6.

Watch Jaime’s video for an explanation of these sounds.

The /t/ sound follows p x k ch and s

Helped – Her friend helped by giving two suggestions.

Stopped – He stopped attending class because he was too busy with his job and fell

behind.

Worked – When I was younger, I worked while I studied.

Marked – The professor marked the man’s paper, but she didn’t explain what was

wrong.

Asked – The man asked the secretary if she could fix his name because it was

spelled wrong.

Fixed – The secretary fixed the problem on the man’s transcript.

Matched – The research participants matched images of faces with different

emotions.

Missed – The woman missed her study group meeting because she was sick.

Discussed – He discussed whether or not anti-smoking campaigns are useful.

Be / Get used to – Now that I’ve gotten used to organizing my own trips, I never

take tours.

The /ıd/ sound follows t and d

Wanted – A few months ago, my friend and I wanted to travel.

Decided – In the end, we decided to book a tour because it seemed easier.

Hated – I was really surprised but I actually hated the tour because there was no

spontaneity.

Suggested – She suggested either studying in the student union or going to the

library.

Converted – Carbon dioxide is converted into carbohydrate and stored in the

plant.

Pointed out – The professor pointed out the differences among 3 types of

volcanoes.

Keep going on the next page!

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The /d/ sound follows every other letter

Loved -- One of the things that I loved about being a student was that I learned

constantly.

Used – The first time I used a computer, I think I was about [how old?]. I

remember that [what?]

Explained – The professor explained this concept in more detail.

Tried – The researchers tried to find out if animals have self-awareness.

Enjoyed – I enjoyed studying [topic] because…[why?]

Do This Activity to Destroy Old Habits

When I give private lessons to students who need to improve their final /ed/ sounds, I ask

them to categorize the following regular verbs. Review this regularly and you’ll sound

like a native-speaker!

1. You should say each verb out loud in its normal form and the form with the

correct /ed/ sound.

2. You can also use 3 different color highlights to mark each different sound.

3. Then, make a spontaneous sentence with each one. As always, record yourself.

Then listen. If you are not satisfied, rerecord it. ;-)

Accept

Achieve

Add

Admire

Admit

Adopt

Advise

Agree

Allow

Announce

Appreciate

Approve

Argue

Arrive

Ask

Assist

Attack

Bake

Beg

Behave

Boil

Borrow

Brush

Bury

Call

Challenge

Change

Chase

Cheat

Cheer

Chew

Clap

Clean

Collect

Compare

Complain

Confess

Construct

Control

Copy

Count

Create

Cry

Cycle

Damage

Dance

Deliver

Destroy

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Divide

Drag

Earn

Employ

Encourage

Enjoy

Establish

Estimate

Exercise

Expand

Explain

Fry

Gather

Greet

Guess

Harass

Hate

Help

Hope

Identify

Interrupt

Introduce

Irritate

Joke

Jump

Kick

Kill

Kiss

Laugh

Lie

Like

Listen

Love

Marry

Measure

Move

Murder

Need

Obey

Offend

Offer

Open

Paint

Park

Phone

Pick

Play

Pray

Print

Pull

Punch

Punish

Purchase

Push

Question

Race

Relax

Remember

Reply

Retire

Return

Rub

Scold

Select

Smoke

Snore

Stare

Start

Study

Talk

Thank

Travel

Trouble

Type

Use

Visit

Wait

Walk

Want

Warn

Wink

Worry

Yell

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A Tip from Jaime

If you are looking for a way to integrate pronunciation practice into your daily routine, then make sure to watch the video in Key 2 about “Setting Pronunciation Alarms.”

It will show you how to use your smart phone to remind yourself regularly and improve!

LIST 17: CONSONANTS: MINIMIZE THE /T/ AFTER /N/

In the list below, each word has its nt underlined. When you see the nt then minimize the /t/ sound. Watch the video in Key 2 then practice with these common TOEFL phrases!

Dis/advantage

+ There are a lot of disadvantages of learning English in a group class.

+ The biggest advantage of living in a city is that there are lots of things to do.

+ The guy tells his friend the advantages of going to the meeting, but she

disagrees.

Student -- There were [number] students in my high school class.

Wanted -- When I was young I wanted to… [finish it!]

Point out -- The professor points out the reasons for this.

Experiment -- He pointed out that the experiment was flawed.

Percentage – The percentage of people who study for TOEFL speaking is low.

Statement – The University is planning to digitally deliver statements for students’

accounts.

Announcement – The announcement talked about how the university wants to

renovate the classrooms.

Important – It’s important to pronounce words like an American because…

Environment – Even though it’s important to take care of the environment, if I

didn’t have my car, I would be miserable because I need it to get around.

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A Tip from Jaime

When you’re improving your pronunciation, you must be patient with yourself. If you’re working or studying full time, and if you speak English only once or twice a week, it might take months to change your pronunciation. This is completely normal.

Be patient and keep practicing!

LIST 18: CONSONANTS: THE /UL/ SOUND

Watch Jaime’s video to see the correct place to put your tongue to make this sound. Then practice with these words and finish the sentences with your own ideas.

In each word below, you can see the ul sound is underlined to help you identify it.

TOEFL –

+ I hope my TOEFL score is [what?] because [why?]

+ After I pass TOEFL, my life will be different because…[why?]

Result – The results of the exam were…[what?]

Personally – Personally, I don’t mind…[doing what?]

Several – Several of my friends …[do or have?]

Successful – Successful people have [what?] in common. I think the reason for

this is that [what?]

Example – One example of this is…[what?]

Cultural – There are cultural differences in various regions of [my country]. For

example, …[what?]

Conventional – One of the conventional ways that people get around [my city] is

by…[doing what?]

Loyal – I consider myself a loyal person because [why?]

Formal – My graduation ceremony was very formal. I liked/didn’t like that

because [why?]

Criminal – The professor argued that criminals should be given psychological

evaluations.

Controversial – A controversial story in [my country’s] news today is about…

Inevitable – It’s inevitable that [what will happen?]

Equal – I personally think that the government should(n’t) treat men and women

who apply for jobs equally because…[why?]

Similar Words:

Because (there is no /L/ sound here) –

+ I wouldn’t want to live in [where?]

because …[why?]

Quality (this sounds like /kw-all/ and not like

/kw-ul/ However, they both have “l”)

+ I think the most important quality for a

friend to have is…[what?] because

[why?].

+ If I were going to move to a new town,

the most important quality would

be…[what?]. This is really important

because [why?]

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LIST 19: CONSONANTS: THE /UR/ SOUND

This section is long because the /ur/ sound is everywhere in American English. Different letter combinations all make the same /ur/ sound: “our” “or” “ir” “er” or “ere.”

This is one of the longest lists and many of the adjectives are useful in responses for Task 1 and 2 when you make comparisons. Read carefully because many of the sentences have multiple /ur/ sounds.

Critical Words:

Your (when spoken quickly, it sounds like /yur/) – Your problem is that you don’t like her.

For (when spoken quickly, it sounds like /fur/) – Thanks for listening to my response!

Her (not “hair”) -- I think her first piece of advice is good. Person – My favorite person is my mother. Professor / Teacher – The best professor I had was [who?] because [why?] … Girl – The girl is angry because her roommate lost her library book. First – The first reason is that the internet is an amazing source of information. Third – The third example the professor gives is about birds. Were – They were talking about where to study for the test. Thirty – There were thirty participants in the research study. Per / percent – 20% of the people in the study said they were unlike to start

smoking.

Adverbs / Transitions:

Particularly – The professor particularly has a problem with the idea that [what?] because…[why?]…

However – The man thinks this. However, the woman thinks that. Alternatively – Alternatively, the woman could [what?] because…[why?]…

Verbs:

Survive – Camels can survive in the desert for days without water. Heard – What he heard was that the rules are changing. Understand – I’m starting to understand how to say “ur” more easily. Search – If she searches online, she’ll definitely find the information. Worth – Jaime says it’s worth it to study these because it’ll help my accent. Remember – I can’t remember if I told you this but… Learn – I like learning about [what?] because [why?] Refer – The text discusses “cohorts,” a word that refers to a person’s social group.

There’s more on the next page!

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Nouns with /ur/:

Professor – The professor explained the alternatives. Term – The professor explains this term in more detail by saying…[what?] . Word – I learned [how many?] new words this week. Verb – A verb that I have trouble pronouncing is [what?] because [why?] Future – In the future, I would really like to visit [where?] because [why?] Failure – One of my country’s greatest failures is that [what?] because [why?] Pressure – I feel a lot of pressure about TOEFL because [why?] Answer – He doesn’t know the answer. Infrastructure – If I could improve my city’s infrastructure, I definitely would. Culture – One interesting thing about my country’s culture is that…[what?] Performance – The announcement says that the performance will be held next

week. River – One of the rivers near my city is called [what?] . Sculpture – In my city, public sculpture is(n’t) popular because [why?]… World – There are lots of places in the world I would like to visit but one in

particular is [where?] because…[why?]. Information – The information isn’t very clear. Major – When I was in university, my major was [what?] because [why?] Junior – I still remember that my junior year of high school / college was really

stressful because [why?] Visitor – The University says that visitors have to check in at Campus Security.

Adjectives with /ur/:

Similar – Actually, living in [my town] is similar to living in [another town] because [why?]

Different (Note: the /ur/ sound here is VERY, VERY short) – I think that [what?] is different from …[what?] because [why?]…

Early – I (don’t) like waking up early because [why?] Familiar – I (wouldn’t/don’t) like living in a small town because I always see a

familiar face. Regular – I eat [what?]… pretty regularly because… [why?] Sure – The man isn’t sure if he is sick, but he thinks he should find out. Urban and it’s opposite Rural – I prefer living in urban / rural areas because

[why?] Determined – I’m determined to improve my TOEFL score and that’s why I [am

doing what?] … Alternative – The alternative to this is to have the same level of English. Safer – I think that [what?] is safer than [what?] … because…[why?] Natural – I think that [what?] is more natural than [what?] because … [why?] Happier -- [Doing an activity] makes me happier than [doing an activity]

because…[why?] Comfortable (actually sounds like /komf-tur-bul/ not /kom-fur-tay-bul/) – I think

that … [what thing?] is more comfortable than [what thing?] because [why?]. Perfect – To me, the perfect job would be [what?] because…[why?] Modern – The most modern city in my country is [where?] because…[why?]

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Better – It would be better if she talks with her roommate because [why?] Incorrect – The professor says this is incorrect because [why?]

LIST 20: CONSONANTS: THE /J/ IN “JOB”

Watch the video online to get started with the correct sound. Then use the list below for extra daily practice.

Remember, your tongue should push quickly against the roof of your mouth, and then pull away – that will give the /j/ sound. When you leave your tongue against the roof of your mouth, you make the mistake.

Useful for Everyday Life:

Did you – Did you hear about [some gossip or news] ?

Would you – Would you help me with [doing this thing] ?

Verbs:

Enjoy – I really enjoyed [what?] because…[why?]

Suggest – The woman suggested the guy make a budget so he can figure out how

much money he needs.

Object – The man objects to the increase in student tuition because he’s already

paying an arm and a leg.

Nouns:

Suggestion – Her suggestion is to make a budget so he can figure out how much he

needs.

Schedule – I feel [how?] because I’m (not) following my TOEFL study schedule

the way I hoped. The reason it’s (not) going well is that… [why?]

Job – My ideal job would be to [do what?]… because [why?]

Age – She explained that the age of the fossils is unknown.

Genes – Despite this, scientists can still analyze the genes.

Page – I don’t understand the material on page 50.

Passage – The passage describes the phenomena called spatial memory.

Advantage – One of the advantages of speaking English is that…[what?]

Disadvantage – One of the disadvantages of living alone is that…[what?]

Language – If I could learn another language, I would choose [do what?]…

because…[why?]

Strategy – My favorite strategy for remembering words in English is to [do what?]

because [why?]…

Egypt – One of the things that I know about Egypt is that…[what?]

Jeans – In my country, it is(n’t) very common for people to wear jeans

because…[why?].

Origin – Charles Darwin wrote the book, The Origin of Species.

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Biology – I (don’t) enjoy biology because…[why?]

Fridge – In my fridge right now, there is(n’t) [what kind of food?] because…

[why?]

Edges – When a plant is sick, the edges of the leaves turn brown.

Psychologist – Psychologists found that if people sit in front of a bright light, they

feel more energetic.

Anthropologist – The professors said that anthropologists are people who research

other cultures.

Change – If I could change one thing about my hometown, I would [do what?]

because…[why?]

Generation – One way that my generation is different from that of parents is that

nowadays we [do what?] . It’s like this because…[why?]

Education – I think that getting a good second language education is(n’t)

important because…[why?]

Gestures – Researchers watched to see if animals’ gestures changed when they

looked at themselves in the mirror.

Religion – There are many religions in my country: [list them and pause between

each one slightly].

Adverbs:

Just –

+ Just as I was leaving my apartment / house, … [explain an action that

happened at the same time] .

+ I just really don’t understand why people like to… [do an annoying habit]

To me, [annoying habit]… is just… [adjective] !

+ Just give me a minute! I need to [do what?]…

Generally –

+ Generally speaking, I think it’s a good idea to [do what?] because [why?]

+ In general, I’m feeling good about [what?] for the TOEFL. This is because

[why?]

Adjectives:

Large – The largest city in [country?] is [where]. There are [how many?] people.

Strange – One of the strangest things I saw on TV was when…[what happened?]

Major – The major religion in my country is…[which one?]

Educational – I (don’t) think that TV can be educational because… [why?]

Objective – If my friend told me that s/he wanted to [do some crazy idea] , I

would try to be objective, but I would try to convince him/her to … [explain a

more rational idea]… instead.

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A Tip from Jaime

You will need the words “the” “this” “that” and “they” at least 10 different times on every TOEFL speaking test (but realistically, you could say them 20 or maybe even 30 times – if you use them 5 times for every response).

With such a high certainty of “th” use, it is absolutely worth your time to master the hard and soft “th” sounds.

LIST 21: CONSONANTS: THE 2 /TH/ SOUNDS

In the video in Key 2 online, you can see practice with Jaime to see how to correctly make these sounds. After that, practice with these word lists.

Hard Vibration Words have the / ð / sound

The – The only reason I like the city is because of the people here.

Than – I like this more than that.

That / this / these / those – I like these

more than those.

Then – I studied. Then I took the test.

Thus – Pronunciation is tough. Thus,

people should practice daily.

Even though – Even though this is

repetitive, I’m improving.

There – There aren’t a lot of fathers and

mothers who breathe at the same time.

They – They were clapping and

stomping their feet.

This is the reason that…

This is the reason why…

What he said is that…

Soft / No Vibration Words have the / θ / sound

Author – The author defends his theory

Three – The professor gives three examples of this.

Third – The third reason is that there wouldn’t be any traffic.

Thing – The thing I like about living in a city is that everything is close.

Thousand – There are thousands of people who live in the capital.

Thought – The woman thought that this was going to be easy.

Thinks – The man thinks she should go to the job fair.

With – He thinks she should talk with her professor.

Worth – It’s worth it to practice this.

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LIST 22: CONSONANTS: THE INITIAL /H/ SOUND

Watch Jaime’s video and then practice with this word list.

If you are a Russian, Arabic or Farsi speaker, please pay extra attention to these words. Do not close your throat at all when you say these /h/ sounds. Push the /h/ sound to the front of your mouth.

If you are a French/ speaker, follow my example in the video. Make your hand warm when you say the /h/ at the beginning of the following words!

Heat – The sun’s heat reaches planets hundreds of thousands of miles away.

Her – I’m learning from Jaime. I would / wouldn’t recommend her program to a

friend because [why?]

His – His friend suggests either taking the class with the professor he doesn’t like

or trying to find another class at a similar time.

Him – The woman told her friend that he needs to [do what?]

He –

+ I think he should just take the class from the professor.

+ Even though he doesn’t like his professor, he could still learn a lot of really

interesting things.

+ Plus, he needs the class for his major.

Half -- The woman said that half of the students on campus [do or have what?]

House –

+ The man should look for a house near campus so that he doesn’t waste

time commuting.

+ My house is [where?]

Help –

+ When I need help, I usually ask …[person]… because…… [why?]

+ I think that the Advanced Speaking Guide is helping me to… [what?]

Human – The human body has eleven different systems, including the muscular

system (for moving), nervous system (for thinking and sensing), and respiratory

system (for breathing).

Hate – I hate to say it, but [say something true that your friend doesn’t want to

hear]…

Hypothesis – According to the researcher’s hypothesis, [what is true?]

Historical – The man doesn’t want the university to tear down the building

because it has historical value.

History – In the professor’s lecture, he explains that there have been many mass

migrations in human history.

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LIST 23: CONSONANTS: THE /W/ AND /V/ SOUNDS

Make sure to watch Jaime’s video and then practice with the following list.

Very – I think this town is very exciting / boring because… [why?]

Valuable – The most valuable thing I own is [what?]… because…[why?]

Vital – When studying for TOEFL, it is vital to… [do what?]

Vague – I have a vague idea about my project / research / vacation but I’m

thinking of… [doing what?]

Video – Jaime’s videos in the Advanced Speaking Guide are … [what?]

Visual – I am (not) a visual learner. It’s (not) easy for me to learn by seeing

something.

Virtual – I (don’t) like playing virtual games online. My (least) favorite one is…

Favorite – My favorite place to go is [where?]… because… [why?]

THE /W/ SOUND THE /V/ SOUND

Wary Very / varies (verb)

Wow Vow

Wet Vet

Worse Verse

Wine Vine

These are phrases with a mixture of /w/ and /v/ sounds – be careful:

Where – Scientists studied how people behave when they don’t know where to go.

Wore – The people in the study wore shoes that were uncomfortable.

Varies – In [which part of your country?], the climate varies a lot. In summer it’s

[how?] but then in [another season] it’s [how?]

In my view- In my view, it’s ok for … [explain your opinion about a debate]

Worse – What could be worse than failing TOEFL? How about [verb-ing --

explain something worse]!

Very – The most convenient thing about The Advanced Speaking Guide is that it is

very easy to … [what?]

Wary – A lot of people are wary of travelling alone. I don’t blame them / I think

they’re wrong because… [why?]

Have five – I have five dollars in my wallet.

Government – He will prove that he can improve the government.

Involved – I have been involved with the company for five years.

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LIST 24: VOWELS: /eɪ/ SOUND IN “SAY”

Main – One of the main reasons I like [friend’s / colleague’s name] is because

[why?]

Same – Both [singer name #1 and #2] sing the same kind of music.

Complain – The man complained about how he can’t / couldn’t [do what?].

Famous – I would / wouldn’t want to be famous because [why?]

Take a break – When I’m studying for TOEFL, I usually take a break / I forget to

take a break because [why?]

Way – My [city name] has changed a lot in the last few years. One of the ways is

that [explain a change]

May – I may need to keep practicing with pronunciation because [why?]

Fail – I am definitely not going to fail TOEFL because [why?]

LIST 25: VOWELS: /U/ IN “SOON”

New – I really want to get a new [what?]

Rule – I think there are some “unwritten social rules” about using Facebook. For

example, people should/n’t [what?] because [why?]

proof – [Describe a crime that happened in your country. Did police have the

proof to put the criminal in jail?]

prove – I’m going to prove to everyone that I can [what?]

improve – If I’m going to improve my pronunciation, I think I have to [what?]

Too – And I should [what else should you do to improve your pronunciation?], too.

Two – I have two [what?]

Choose -- If I had to choose between [option 1] or [option 2], I would probably pick

[which?] because [why?]

True – My friend told me [what?] but I don’t think it’s true because [why?]

Through – It’s taking me forever to get through this pronunciation stuff and/but I

feel [is it worth it?]

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LIST 26: CONSONANTS: INITIAL /S/ SOUNDS

Say the following words but do not add the /e/ sound at the beginning.

studies

students

suggests

special

simple

sent

Saturday

Sunday

symbol

somewhere

something

someone

Now make a spontaneous sentence with each of those 12 words.

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LIST 27: CONSONANTS: /CH/ VERSUS /SH/

THE /SH/ SOUND THE /CH/ SOUND

wishes which is

washing watching

cash catch

------ research

mash match

shoes choose

ship chip

internship computer chip

relationship fish and chips

Some more words with the /ch/ sound:

Champion – I remember when I was in university, the [which?] team won a

championship and people were really happy because [why?]

Research – The professor describes some research where [describe what

happened]

Purchase – In the experiment, people were asked to purchase as many pairs of

shoes as they could with just $20.

Make spontaneous sentences with all of the /ch/ and /sh/ words in the chart above.

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LIST 28: CONSONANTS: FINAL /N/ SOUND

Say these words carefully and focus on making the final “n” sound – you do this by pushing your tongue against your top teeth.

man

men

strange

invent

woman

education

mention

disadvantage

friend

my town

in general

main

Now make a spontaneous sentence with each of those twelve words.

LIST 29: FINAL /ING/ SOUNDS

Learning – I think learning online is interesting / boring / a life-saver because [why?]

Wedding ring – In my country, it’s typical for people to spend [how much money?] on a wedding ring. I think this makes sense / is silly because [why?]

Bring everything – When I go on vacation, I always / never bring everything I might need because [why?]

Doing nothing – I love / hate doing nothing on the weekend because [why?] Something wrong – Something is wrong with my [say a technological device].

[describe the problem] Young looking – In my country, there are/aren’t a lot of young looking people

because [why?]