Listen and Learn: The Different Intonation of the Noun and the Verb

Intonation, the "music" of a language, is perhaps the most important element of a correct accent. Many people think that pronunciation is what makes up an accent. It may be that pronunciation is very important for an understandable accent. But it is intonation that gives the final touch that makes an accent correct or native. Often we hear someone speaking with perfect grammar, and perfect formation of the sounds of English but with a little something that gives her away as not being a native speaker.

The English Vowel SOUNDS

Many learners of English have a distinct accent because they pronounce English with the vowels of their language. They commit this error because the English vowels are "something like" the vowel sounds of their native language, but they are not the same!

It is not enough to listen to radio and TV. Most people will only hear the sounds of their native language and will not learn how to pronounce the different sounds of a new language such as English.

Aside from the possibility of living in Sweden or Finland (where Swedish is an official second language), or meeting someone important who knows to speak only in Swedish, youre probably looking for other reasons to convince you to go through the trouble of learning it as a second language. After all, Swedish is not as widely used as Chinese, Spanish or Englishits not even among the top 10 languages in the worldbut knowing how to speak the language does have its perks.

German is one of the most popular languages in the world. In fact, the Guinness Book of World Records has listed the German language as one of the three languages that are learned the most by people. It is also included in the ten most spoken languages in the world. In the European Union it is the second most known foreign language.German is also one of the agreed upon official languages of the EU and is also chosen, along with English and French, as one of the three working languages used in the European Commission.

The "explosive consonants"

Earlier we said that the vowels are an important factor in hearing a "foreign" accent. But it is not only the vowels. The consonants also must be mastered.

TESOL is an acronym for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. This is an internationally recognized qualification that enables you to be an English language educator in countries where the native language is not English.

Listen and Learn: Nouns and Adjectives one way; Verbs another

Chinese has "tones" but all languages have their own special intonation. The "music" of a language is its intonation and it is perhaps the most important element of a correct accent.

So, you want to learn to speak English. That is great. There are a ton of great resources out there that can help including over 49,000 ESL websites.

Now if you are like most other ESL students reading this article then you already have a fairly good notion of the English language. You most likely are looking for a place to practice and enhance your English skills. So, here are four easy steps to do just that.

Step Number One: Preparation

The Dutch language is spoken by more than 22 million people, most of them in countries like the Netherlands and Belgium. Given this statistic, Dutch can be considered as one of the more popular languages in Europe.

Before the 17th century the Dutch language was not yet standardized. There were many dialects in existence that it was beginning to pose a problem.

Some people decide to work abroad, some decide to study abroad, some just want to learn a foreign language, or just need to brush up on their current skills. There are any number of reasons that people what to learn a second language.

When it comes to choosing a school, the choices can be overwhelming. Here a few things to consider before you select a Language School.

School Reputation: