Dr Chester's Spoken English for Chinese Speakers: Numbers

By Myrvin Chester

You may be quite good at writing English, and even fairly reliable when it comes to reading. However, when you actually talk to native English speakers, you find that they are always asking you to repeat yourself, and you may not get through to them at all. The problem is the way you speak the language. You are having problems with pronunciation.
This is a series of books that teaches English pronunciation [PRO-NUN-SEE-AYSH’N] (the way to speak the language) through various simple topics. It is aimed at non-native speakers of English who wish to improve their pronunciation of the language. This series is intended particularly for native speakers of the Chinese languages, and their particular problems with spoken English.
The book doesn’t use strange symbols and letters, and no technical terms, but ordinary English letters and sounds.
It assumes some proficiency with simple written English, perhaps to the British GCSE Level C standard.
This particular edition teaches spoken English through the topic of numbers and simple sums.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Myrvin Chester
• Release date: Feb 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311419255

Myrvin Chester

Myrvin Chester was a Principal Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton.He holds a PhD, and an MSc in Information Technology from the University of Nottingham, as well as a BSc in Psychology from the University of Birmingham.He has worked for the railways and an insurance company in Computing, and as a university lecturer. Now he is footloose and fancy free.He has lived in the Black country, London, and now Northampton, UK

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

You may be quite good at writing English, and even fairly reliable when it comes to reading. However, when you actually talk to native English speakers, you find that they are always asking you to repeat yourself, and you may not get through to them at all. The problem is the way you speak the language. You are having problems with pronunciation.

This is a series of books that teaches English pronunciation [PRO-NUN-SEE-AYSH’N] (the way to speak the language) through various simple topics. It is aimed at non-native speakers of English who wish to improve their pronunciation of the language. This series is intended particularly for native speakers of the Chinese languages, and their particular problems with spoken English.

The book doesn’t use strange symbols and letters, and no technical terms, but ordinary English letters and sounds.

It assumes some proficiency with simple written English, perhaps to the British GCSE Level C standard.

This particular edition teaches spoken English through the topic of numbers and simple sums.

CHAPTER 1 NUMBERS 1 TO 5

1 ONE

It is suitable to start our lessons in English with a section on the very first number – the number ONE.

This is also a very interesting number because it is a very interesting English word.

To begin with, the spelling of the word ONE is not much like the way it is spoken (pronounced).

A normal way to say the word is to pronounce it as WON. You may wonder where the W came from. – And so do I. English has a long history of being built up from the mixing of many other languages, so its pronunciation and spelling is very confused and confusing. However, even the history of the word ONE doesn’t really explain the way it is spoken. The best a Chinese speaker can do, is to take the way to pronounce a word on trust, and simply try to remember it. That’s what most native English speakers do anyway.

In fact, you will hear, from the TV and films, or if you visit English-speaking parts of the world, that even this simple word has many ways it is spoken. You might hear anything from WUN to WAAN. My proposal is to pronounce it simply as WON.

This may not be easy for the speaker of Chinese. The sound for W in English is not the same as for the Chinese languages. It is a harder (less soft), more solid sound. The lips are pushed forward a long way (almost like kissing). I suggest you practise the sound, and maybe listen to Kate Bush’s song Wow. I shall call this sound the WONDERFUL W.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow_(Kate_Bush_song) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RB4LmRoLek&NR=1).

The end of this small word may also cause problems. It is concluded with the sound N. The endings of English words are important. There is a tendency for Chinese speakers to miss out the ends of English words, which can make it difficult for people to understand them. I advise you to practise the endings of words very carefully.

In this case, the word ends with the sound for N. For this sound the tongue is placed at the back and top of the upper teeth and pulled back while breathing out through the nose. You may notice that the sound appears to come out of your nose. Try it as a hard sound to begin with. Later it can be softer, but do not lose it altogether! The word is pronounced WON, not WO’.

Do not add another vowel at the end of the word.