Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachPronouncing English Numbers. Go Forth! (Go 4th?)Yes! The words “forth” and “fourth” sound exactly the same! However, the most challenging part for many English learners is pronouncing…·4 min read·Jan 8, 2024----
Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachEnglish “TH” Part 2: Don’t Be Shy!As explained in Part 1, English “TH” might not be a high priority for all non-native speakers because it is the most “forgivable”…·4 min read·Oct 26, 2023----
Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachEnglish “TH” Part 1: The TruthThe English “TH” sound is difficult for many learners, and because it is so frequently mispronounced, it is essentially a “normal” part of…·4 min read·Oct 22, 2023----
Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachinA Smiling WorldA Smiling World Challenge: 10 Things About Me.Rose and peony petals on my salad. Photo by author.·8 min read·Aug 21, 2023--7--7
Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachEnglish Vowels — The Schwa (No stress!)The name “Schwa” is an odd sounding name for the weak vowel sound that is very prevalent in English. If you are familiar with IPA…·6 min read·Aug 8, 2023--3--3
Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachEnglish Vowels. Words Spelled with “OW” — Do You Know How?What is the sound of the vowels in “know” and “how”? Are they the same? Words like these are often mispronounced because, even though they…·3 min read·Jul 7, 2023--3--3
Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachA couple of other non-count nouns that seem to be tricky are "equipment" and "evidence".You are right about the difference between "you and me" and "you and I" -- "I" is used for the subject of the verb or the performer, and…1 min read·Jul 1, 2023--1--1
Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachEnglish Vowels. The Easy Pair: “AU”The pronunciation of vowel pairs in English is generally predictable. Typically, the first letter of the pair is the one that gets…·4 min read·Jun 26, 2023----
Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachBummer that you didn't watch movies earlier on!Another good listening idea is to watch a movie that you have already seen in your native language. That way you will already have a…1 min read·Jun 23, 2023--1--1
Laura Elias, The ProfessorCoachEnglish Vowels. The Unpredictable Pair: “OU” (Oh no!)This might be the most confusing part of English spelling. When two vowel letters are together, sometimes they make two separate sounds…·3 min read·Jun 22, 2023--1--1