1 00:00:00,030 --> 00:00:09,000 We're on to the final vowel sound. This lecture is concentrating on one 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:22,939 sound only and the sound is // // as in 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:22,939 'sugar'. This is an extremely 4 00:00:22,939 --> 00:00:29,550 important sound in English, perhaps the 5 00:00:22,939 --> 00:00:29,550 most important because it's the most 6 00:00:29,550 --> 00:00:36,239 common sound in English. It's the one 7 00:00:29,550 --> 00:00:36,239 that appears most frequently. It's the 8 00:00:36,239 --> 00:00:48,860 sound // // It's a very short, simple 9 00:00:36,239 --> 00:00:48,860 sound but it appears so often. 10 00:00:48,860 --> 00:00:55,770 First of all focus on the shape of 11 00:00:48,860 --> 00:00:55,770 the mouth. // What do you notice about 12 00:00:55,770 --> 00:01:05,000 the shape? // It's just neutral. No 13 00:00:55,770 --> 00:01:05,000 rounded lips, no wide mouth, no open mouth, 14 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:14,100 it's just neutral. // as in sugar. Now, the second thing I want you to 15 00:01:14,100 --> 00:01:22,100 really pay attention to is where the 16 00:01:14,100 --> 00:01:22,100 sound appears in words. The word 17 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:34,590 sugar contains two syllables. This means 18 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:34,590 two beats: sugar su-gar. Now, one of these 19 00:01:34,590 --> 00:01:43,799 syllables is stressed, the other syllable 20 00:01:34,590 --> 00:01:43,799 is unstressed. Which syllable do you 21 00:01:43,799 --> 00:01:53,340 think is unstressed? Sugar sugar. It's the 22 00:01:43,799 --> 00:01:53,340 second syllable, and in the second 23 00:01:53,340 --> 00:02:02,820 syllable we have the sound // the target 24 00:01:53,340 --> 00:02:02,820 sound. Sugar sugar. So this sound that 25 00:02:02,820 --> 00:02:10,830 we're focusing on in this lecture always 26 00:02:02,820 --> 00:02:10,830 appears in an unstressed part of a word. 27 00:02:10,830 --> 00:02:16,500 Not every word, but many many words. 28 00:02:10,830 --> 00:02:16,500 So when the part of the 29 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:22,019 word is unstressed this could appear. 30 00:02:22,019 --> 00:02:29,540 Also when we have words in English 31 00:02:22,019 --> 00:02:29,540 sentences that are unstressed, this sound 32 00:02:29,540 --> 00:02:40,650 very often appears. For example the word 33 00:02:29,540 --> 00:02:40,650 'the' T-H-E 'the'. This sound appears in that 34 00:02:40,650 --> 00:02:51,540 word the the. Can you hear? // as in the. 35 00:02:40,650 --> 00:02:51,540 So 'the' is very often unstressed when we 36 00:02:51,540 --> 00:02:58,019 say a sentence in English. For example, 37 00:02:51,540 --> 00:02:58,019 the boy went to the shop. The boy. 38 00:02:58,019 --> 00:03:03,780 'The' is very unstressed, we don't put 39 00:02:58,019 --> 00:03:03,780 emphasis on it. 40 00:03:03,780 --> 00:03:11,010 So whenever words don't have emphasis, 41 00:03:03,780 --> 00:03:11,010 whenever they're unstressed, very often 42 00:03:11,010 --> 00:03:20,250 we have this target sound. So let's look 43 00:03:11,010 --> 00:03:20,250 at the word list and it will become much 44 00:03:20,250 --> 00:03:27,840 much clearer for you to grasp. So as you 45 00:03:20,250 --> 00:03:27,840 can see we have the word list, the target 46 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:33,420 sound practice word list, and I've 47 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:33,420 highlighted all the areas where this 48 00:03:33,420 --> 00:03:40,920 sound appears. And also notice every 49 00:03:33,420 --> 00:03:40,920 section of the word where the sound 50 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:46,079 appears is unstressed. Keep this in 51 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:46,079 mind. 52 00:03:46,079 --> 00:03:53,430 It's the unstressed part of the word. LOet's start practicing this sound. 53 00:03:53,430 --> 00:04:01,530 Remember the sound is // and the mouth is in a neutral position. So listen and 54 00:04:01,530 --> 00:04:13,069 repeat. Letter. About. Colour. 55 00:04:13,410 --> 00:04:30,930 Paper. Police. Banana. Telephone. America. 56 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:40,240 A camera. I hope that's cleared it up 57 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:40,240 for you a little bit. If it's still a 58 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:45,250 little difficult, don't worry. We have 59 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:45,250 more practice to come. This is probably 60 00:04:45,250 --> 00:04:52,950 the most challenging sound in English 61 00:04:45,250 --> 00:04:52,950 because it's so short and it appears 62 00:04:52,950 --> 00:05:02,230 everywhere, but it's very difficult to 63 00:04:52,950 --> 00:05:02,230 really hear and to master this sound. But 64 00:05:02,230 --> 00:05:07,900 don't worry we have more practice by the 65 00:05:02,230 --> 00:05:07,900 end of this and once you've downloaded 66 00:05:07,900 --> 00:05:14,350 the extra resources you will have 67 00:05:07,900 --> 00:05:14,350 mastered this sound. It's a very 68 00:05:14,350 --> 00:05:21,220 important sound. Now we're going to go 69 00:05:14,350 --> 00:05:21,220 to the minimal pairs. This will really 70 00:05:21,220 --> 00:05:27,490 help you to master the sound. On the 71 00:05:21,220 --> 00:05:27,490 left we have words that don't contain 72 00:05:27,490 --> 00:05:34,890 the sound // and on the right we have 73 00:05:27,490 --> 00:05:34,890 words that contain the target sound // 74 00:05:34,890 --> 00:05:40,720 So they're basically the same words 75 00:05:34,890 --> 00:05:40,720 except the words on the right have an 76 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:50,940 extra sound which is the target sound. So 77 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:50,940 listen to each pair and repeat after me. 78 00:05:50,940 --> 00:06:06,660 Drive, driver. Way, away. Bout, about. 79 00:06:08,630 --> 00:06:26,530 Let, letter. Short, shorter. Dress, address. 80 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:34,940 I hope that's made it a bit clearer 81 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:34,940 for you. Go back and practice the minimal 82 00:06:34,940 --> 00:06:42,260 pairs again and really start to 83 00:06:34,940 --> 00:06:42,260 understand this sound because it's so 84 00:06:42,260 --> 00:06:50,420 short and so quick it takes time for the 85 00:06:42,260 --> 00:06:50,420 ears to really grasp it. Now, this section 86 00:06:50,420 --> 00:06:56,810 is also very important: the target sound 87 00:06:50,420 --> 00:06:56,810 in use. So let's look at the first 88 00:06:56,810 --> 00:07:04,550 sentence. Every sentence we're focusing 89 00:06:56,810 --> 00:07:04,550 on contains the sound // as I've 90 00:07:04,550 --> 00:07:13,390 highlighted in each sentence. Sentence 91 00:07:04,550 --> 00:07:13,390 one listen and repeat after me. 92 00:07:13,390 --> 00:07:18,850 This is the best burger I've ever eaten. 93 00:07:21,100 --> 00:07:33,520 Sentence two. Listen and repeat. I'm 94 00:07:21,100 --> 00:07:33,520 going to America in April with Robert. 95 00:07:36,850 --> 00:07:45,800 Very good. And the last sentence. The 96 00:07:36,850 --> 00:07:45,800 scenery and the towns in Canada were 97 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:59,600 amazingly beautiful. Don't worry if it's very difficult for now to really grasp this sound. 98 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:08,520 Just start to notice it and download the PDF, which will help you take your understanding 99 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:15,320 to the next level, and the MP3 will really help you master the sound. 100 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:23,020 The MP3 is key because you need to get more and more exposure to this sound to really master it. 101 00:08:23,020 --> 00:08:32,860 So listen to the MP3s as many times as you can. This way, you'll train your ears to really notice the sound. 102 00:08:32,860 --> 00:08:41,280 This is the last vowel sound. Please try to master it before you move on to the next section. 103 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:47,300 The next section of this course is of course the consonants. Very important 104 00:08:47,300 --> 00:08:50,820 sounds in English. The consonants are coming next 105 00:08:50,820 --> 00:08:55,900 so master this sound and I'll see you in the next section.