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Cockney Rhyming Slang- London’s Famous Secret Language

Cockney Rhyming Slang- London’s Famous Secret Language

Can you Adam and Eve it? Cockney Rhyming slang is without doubt an example of beautiful, creative and hilarious expressions of the English language. Both poetic and utterly strange, Cockney sees a combination of odd phrases used to replace simple every day words. Used since the mid-19th century by hard working class in the East End of London – the Cockneys, after which it is named — it is a treasure to behold. WHAT IS IT? Cockney Rhyming is a form of slang, almost like a code, that is commonly spoken in one area of East London. It involves saying a word, that means another completely dofferent thing just because […]

Trend – teaching pronunciation from TV

Trend – teaching pronunciation from TV

All language teachers are aware of the fact that pronunciation is extremely important while learning a new language. However, many of them do not teach it because they consider vocabulary and grammar more important. On the one hand, it is assumed that if a learner knows basic grammar and vocabulary, they still can communicate without problems, even with a poor pronunciation. On the other hand, ignoring the basic rules of pronunciation can cause many problems. Especially in English language it is very easy to confuse two words and articulate them in the wrong way, which may result in an unintentional offence even. It proves that pronunciation does matter. So how […]

10 tips on how to sound like a native English speaker

10 tips on how to sound like a native English speaker

Do you think that to have good English pronunciation you need to say every word per-fect-ly? Have you been told that you need to say each syllable in exactly the same way that it is written? There are no shortcuts to perfect pronunciation, however there are some ways you can practise more effectively and improve your skills faster. Follow our 10 top tips, start improving your pronunciation today and take a step closer towards your goal of perfect English pronunciation.   Listen to yourself Record yourself, play it back and see how it sounds. Slow down! You don’t need to speak fast, just be clear Picture it… Imagine how each […]

Silent letters in English

Silent letters in English

Silent letters are letters that you can’t hear when you say the word, but that are there when you write the word. Silent letters can distinguish between homophones, e.g. in/inn; be/bee; lent/leant. This is an aid to readers already familiar with both words. Silent letters may give an insight into the meaning or origin of a word, e.g. vineyard suggests vines more than the phonetic ‘vinyard’ would. Silent letters help to show long vowels e.g. rid/ride Silent letters help to show ‘hard’ consonants e.g. guest/gest They can help to connect different forms of the same word e.g. resign/resignation   Silent B Silent C Silent D Silent G Silent H aplomb […]