Improve Pronunciation

Most ESL students want to improve their pronunciation.

There are many good videos on Youtube to help you.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1.  Rebecca Linquist. 

You can find her Youtube Channel here.  Her Youtube channel has many, many videos.

I like Rebecca Linquist because she gives very helpful, very specific instructions, and has a very sensitive approach.  She is always learning new things and then blending what she learns into new videos to help students.

Here is a video with mouth exercises to help you sound more American.

She also has many videos with advice for speakers of different languages.  For example, here is a video for speakers of Spanish and Tagalog:

2.  The Pronunciation Doctor - Marsha Chan.  You can find her Youtube channel here.

 

Marsha Chan is a professor at Mission College in Santa Clara.  I love her because she gives wonderful tips and advice - and she is funny.  Humor is a great way to relax - and being relaxed is a big help in learning a new language and improving pronunciation.

If you like her teaching style, you can ask your teacher to look at her blog with advice for ESL teachers.

Here is a sample of the Pronunciation Doctor:

 

3.  Amy Walker.  Here is her Youtube channel. 

Amy Walker is an actress and vocal coach.  She gives advice to develop many different accents - not only American.  She also gives advice for many different American accents (Southern, New York, West Coast, etc.).   And she gives advice for specific things like vowel sounds.

Here is a sample of her tips for American Accent - Vowel Sounds:

4.  Type, "American accent for (your language)" into Youtube and see what you find.

For example, when I type, "American accent for Chinese speaker," I find:

How about if I type, "American accent for Arabic speaker"?  I find our old friend Rebecca Linquist.  She has a lot of these videos.

Try it yourself.   See what you find on Youtube.   Try different videos.  Find what you like.

If you find something good, share it here on a comment.

Have fun and improve your English speaking power!

We're Here and Ready to Help You!

Too busy to come to school?

Working too much to attend class every day?

Taking care of young children?

Or maybe you come to class every day but you want more?

We have the answer for you:

       Study at home with Distance Learning!

Watch a dvd and do homework in the comfort of your home.  Then bring your homework to school for correction, advice and practice with your teacher once every week or two weeks.

If you are already enrolled in an ESL class at San Mateo Adult School, Distance Learning is free.

If Distance Learning is your only class, the fee is $30 per semester.

Interested?

Call 650 - 558 - 2128 or stop by Room 28 to make an appointment to get started.

Vacation Break

The last day of school is Friday, July 30th.

No classes for FOUR WEEKS in August.

The first day for Student Registration is Monday, August 30th.

The first day of class for Distance Learning and Citizenship is Monday, August 30th.

The first day for Regular ESL classes is Tuesday, August 31st.

If you need to visit the office in the SMART Center, you can visit August 2 - August 6 and
August 23 - August 27 from 8 am to 4 pm.

If you have questions about the Adult School or ESL classes, you can visit the SMART Center or call 650 - 558 - 2100.

Flea Market - Saturday July 17th 9 am to 2 pm

Read more about it here.

Make Learning English A Priority

What is a priority?

A priority is something that is very important to you.

How do you decide what your priorities are? And how do you manage many priorities in one life?

I will tell you a story.

A young man had many things to do. Everything felt important! He needed money. He needed a wife. He needed a job and he needed to exercise and he needed to take out the trash and call his mother and go to Safeway and buy medicine for his sick sister and tie his shoes and go to college. He needed so many things and he didn't have enough time and his live was a mess and he felt frustrated, bad, sad, mad and discouiraged. He needed help.

He went to visit his grandfather. "What should I do?" he asked him.

The old man gave the young man a jar and a pile of rocks, gravel, and sand.

"Put these things in the jar," he told his grandson

The young man tried to do this. He put everything in and shook the jar and he moved things around but he could not get everything in the jar.

"Dump it out," the old man told him. "Now give it here."

The old man put the biggest rocks in the jar first. Then he put in the smaller rocks. Then the gravel. He shook the jar a little so the gravel fell into the spaces between the rocks. Then he scooped up the sand and poured it in. The sand filled in all the little empty places.

The jar was completely full. Nothing was empty. Nothing spilled out.

"There," said the old man. "That is how you should live your life. Decide what is most important. What is the beginning of everything? What things make the foundation for everything else? Those are your priorities. Take care of them first. Then take care of the smaller priorities. Last, do the little things - if you have time. If you don't, don't worry about it. Worry never fixes anything. Worry keeps you busy so you don't have to fix something or accept that it is broken and move on."

The young man thanked his grandfather. He tried to follow this way. His life was better.

Many students tell me they need a better job. They want to help their families. They want a better life. If you live in the U.S., then English is the way to all these things. English is the foundation. English is communication. And communication is how we make our way in the world.

Make learning English a priority. Make time for watching your DVD and doing your homework a priority. English lessons will help you get a better job. English lessons will help you help your family. Watching TV in your first language will not do this. It is fun and it is good. But it is not the foundation to a better life.

Put learning English in the jar first.

Put Your Words On Paper

Learn more here.

Stand For Schools! Thursday 3:30 pm

Today - Thursday, March 4 - 3:30 pm

Students from across the district will be lining up on El Camino Ave

from Millbrae Ave to San Bruno.

Come and join us!

Stand for education.

Stand for yourself.

Stand for your family.

Stand for your community.

Stand for the future.

Our future.