As some of you may be aware, the English Language differs somewhat in how it sounds to how it is written.  A phonemic chart which shows the different sounds that are used in English has been created to help overcome some of these issues.

We call it RP English, Received Pronunciation, some call it the Queen’s English, others the accent of the affluent.  It was the only accent heard on radio and television on the BBC and you can listen to it on YouTube as 1920’s British Radio Broadcasts (BBC Radio 1922 – 1929).

Obviously, accents differ widely across all English speaking countries.  However, RP has been suggested as being the easiest to understand and teach as a model.  There are lots of disagreements about the fact that only this RP model is used.  However, it is a useful and fun tool to use and practice. For this blog I would like to start with one sound only, the diphthong sound of o.

The Phonemic Chart

http://www.macmillanenglish.com/pronunciation/interactive-phonemic-charts/ – Listen Online

 

Oh no,

English pronunciation is not something everyone knows,

Especially all the changes it has to undergo,

Just listen to how it used to sound on the radio,

In the 1920’s BBC Broadcasting Shows,

So,

I thought it was time to show,

How using poems can help us to grow,

Our phonetic knowledge which is hard to know,

And have some fun or even produce a video,

Thank you everyone and hello,

My name is Tania and I hope you noticed the sound o

In words such as grow, undergo, and show

I invite you all to create your own poems, so GO

 

Make your own poem and if you are unsure about how the sound is made listen to the phonemic chart online.  I listed below some of the words that can be used to practice the diphthong I used in the poem above.

Have fun and remember that these can be used in the classroom with students to engage them with English pronunciation in stages.

Go   Although   Know   Show   Blow   Toe   Undergo   Marilyn Monroe   Romeo   Scorpio   Studio   Window