Week 10 Assignment - Individual Task

Reflection:

For my Individual Task number 10 I have chosen a grammar that includes Linking Words. I have watched video when the guy said that English people are just lazy to say some vowels and so on. For example they sometimes drop out every letter “t” in “bottle of water” I was just amazed by this and I wanted to practise those Linking Words because it’s very useful for us as a learners of English to know this.

Original link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmXUhKYKhBw

I hope you like it.

Thank you

Week 10 Assignment

Reflection:

This assignment is definitely difficult for learners because you just don’t know what will happen in the following scene. I remember when we had a class; I had some problems with The Simpsons scene. Honestly, I just didn’t know what to say! I have chosen a short clip from Family Guy series that I like very much. Even this short clip was fun to watch. I made some mistakes when I used a wrong tense and sometimes I said something ridiculous. But I hope that I did a good job in some positive ways.

Original link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehWFWQDqres

It was the last voice assignment for this semester and I’m looking forward my next voice assignments.

Regards.

Week 9 Assignment - Individual Task

Reflection:

Word stress is topic for my individual task for this week. When I was thinking about this exercise I thought it would be easy to do but after some words I realized how dumb am I actually. However, we should practise words like this because when you change a stress somewhere, the native speakers could not understand you. Well, some words were quite easy but words as ‘monogamy; autonomy; geometry’ were a little bit difficult for my tongue.

Words list:
biography, geometry, mythology, monogamy, astronomy, philosophy, telepathy, endoscopy, hypocrisy, democracy, analogy, biology, geology, urology, terminology, mythology, autonomy, economy, gastronomy

Thanks

Week 9 Assignment (Correction included)

Reflection:

Well, this assignment was really thought for me because I wasn’t prepared enough to speak about it but I guess that is the main purpose of this exercise to practise for our speaking examination.  When I firstly realized how this picture looks like. In my mind I said something like “What the hell is this?! “ So I tried to describe it anyway but luckily I created some sentences which actually make some sense. Actually I’m not fan of those pessimistic paintings. I expected some funny picture with some animals or smiling people but honestly not this. In this case was really hard to come with something quickly. But I hope that I did a great job.

 I know that I made some pauses between words. I tried to say "negative" in correct pronunciation and say some sentences better.

Thanks for your time!

Week 8 Assignment - Individual Task

Reflection:

For this individual task I’ve chosen dubbing of The It Crowd series especially Season 3: Episode 6 called Calandar Geeks. This scene was really funny for me and quite easy to record. I like the It Crowd series very much.

Here’s a link and you can compare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khyfYITIhV0

Thanks.

Regards

Week 8 Assignment

Reflection:

For this eighth assignment I’ve chosen The Simpsons series especially Season 9: Episode 5 called The Cartridge Family. Homer wants to buy a gun for himself in this episode because he wants to protect his family. But his family feels more at risk than unarmed.

The one difficult thing while recording was that the salesman has a little bit strange accent but I tried to imitate this in the best way I could. Anyway it was fun. I would like to do dubbing for my individual task, as well.

Here’s a link and you can compare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIpLd0WQKCY

Thanks.

Regards

Week 7 Assignment - Individual Task

Reflection:

My individual task for this 7^th week is focused on Tongue Twisters again and as I suggested lastly, it was also hard to say it correctly for the first time! I’ve chosen tongue twisters called Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers; Grandma Gabby Grammer grabbed a gram of gummy goulash; She sells sea shells on the seashore. The hardest one was definitely Peter Piper. I had some problems with letter “P”, you know. Anyway it was fun again!

Regards

Week 7 Assignment

Reflection:

Well, this assignment was quite easy and funny. In my opinion the main point of this task is trying to record exactly same version as the original. We had to be careful about pauses, speed and intonation. At first you have to write down what she is actually saying. After this part is main step to check parts when she is doing pauses, changes with intonation and so on. This assignment is important because our voice has to be intelligible for listeners and they could make that exercise easily. I hope that my version is good enough.

Regards

Week 6 Assignment - Individual Task

Reflection:

Well, I wanted to practise differences between British and American pronunciation deeply so I picked up some words from helpforenglish website. As I mentioned in previous task, differences definitely are large. However, now I understand that if we say some word with different pronunciation, the native speakers won’t understand what we are saying. I am looking forward to my next assignments.

Regards

Used words:

Car, start, fire, over, city, British, bottle, butterfly, twenty, hunter, concert, New York, Tuesday, duty, suit

Week 6 Assignment

Reflection:

At first I tried to create sentences which make sense. Some of them are quite funny. I am very satisfied with this week task because I could hear differences between British and American pronunciation and in some cases the differences are definitely large. In my opinion I prefer British pronunciation because you can hear their fluent, calm, slow language and it’s much easier to understand the meaning. I know that I had some problems with words like moustache, thirteen and I know that in American pronunciation I used /nju:/ instead of  /nu:/. I’ll have to practise this.

Sentences:

My brother has a beard.

It's November; Do you have a moustache or a beard?

My Aunt can't dance.

On Tuesday is your brother's concert in New York.

Did you said thirty or thirteen?

Regards

Week 5 Assignment - Tongue Twister

 

Reflection

Well, for this individual task I have chosen in my opinion very difficult tongue twister called “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck ...” When I was recording this task, it was just like nightmare! My tongue was actually really twisted and confused. But I think that I made it. I remember that during Phonetics classes these tongue twisters were fun, but now it wasn’t. At least I have practised my pronunciation somehow. I think that next week I’ll bring you another tongue twister. Stay tuned!

Regards.

Week 5 Assignment

Reflection:

Well, this assignment was definitely hard one because I don’t know if I distinguished weak or strong forms in these sentences right. I know that pronunciation is not 100% correct but I would like to improve in this task, of course. I guess that I have to practise because it’s really important if there is a weak or strong form. It definitely can change the meaning of the sentences. I’m looking forward to my next voice assignment.

Thanks for your time!

Regards

  

Week 4 Assignment - Connected Speech (Individual Task)

Reflection:

Mr. Vit recommended for this individual task to create a list of phrases from some favourite book or lyrics. I have chosen some phrases from songs of band called Arctic Monkeys, which is actually my favourite one. I hope that pronunciation of these phrases is satisfying. Here is the list of phrases:

Figure it out

Ice Bucket Challenge

Hear her say

Ghost in your room

Saw it

Making it

Take an oath

Replaced a kiss

Have it quicker

In my opinion the hardest phrase was “take an oath”. That word oath was difficult in connection with this phrase. However with this word I practised “Th” sound.

Week 4 Assignment

Reflection:

Well, this fourth assignment was fun for me. Pronunciation of these words wasn’t problem, as well. It’s hard to say something about these phrases but I think that my pronunciation is getting better at some point. Maybe “pumped up” was more difficult to say for my tongue. Anyway, I know that some phrases aren’t perfect but at least I tried. Practising is the best way how to improve something and of course it’s my duty if I would like to be successful with this JCA course. That’s all.

Thanks, Regards

Week 3 Assignment - 'th'

This week I’ve chosen task about practising voiced and voiceless ‘th’ word. I tried to do my best but at first I had some problems with recording. However, I hope that after some attempts I said some words perfectly. Anyway, I’m at the beginning of my journey and it needs more practising.

Regards

Week 3 Assignment

Here is my reflection for this week. This assignment was quite easy for me because I’ve heard about these words already but I know that there can be some mistakes, as well. I used recommended page forvo.com and some YouTube interviews and these webpages helped me to make pronunciation 100%.

And for my own words I tried to use some interesting words. In this case I haven’t problem I guess. Maybe the word ‘Achilles’ was though.

List of the words: Grey’s Anatomy, Battlestar Galactica, Grand Theft Auto, The Big Bang Theory, J. R. R. Tolkien, Rihanna, Sherlock Holmes, Avatar, Assassin’s Creed, Avril Lavigne, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Enter Shikari, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, Cavalry, War Thunder, Achilles, Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks, Django Unchained

Week 2 Assignment/Lazaretto

Hello everyone, here is my reflection for my second task for this week. I have chosen this song called Lazaretto that is actually my favourite from this artist. Actually I have never had problem with understanding of lyrics like in this case.  Jack White uses this quite easy words but he performs them faster than my tongue actually can manage it. When I tried to sing this song…well, it was just awful in every aspect. However, it needs practise and I would like to get better for example: to improve my pronunciation and listening. Anyway, if you are in favour with this artist. Here’s a link for you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI-95cTMeLM.

Regards

Week 2 Assignment - 15 Words

Hello everyone, here is my reflection for this week assignment. Well, at first it seems that these words are easy but after some time you will notice that even words like this have their own difficulties for our foreigners. Unfortunetely, I had problems with words like - analysis, course and laughter. I tried my best to figure it out with this task. I know that it’s not 100% right but anyway as I said I tried to do my best. I would like to improve it as soon as possible. But this gave me opportunity to realize what problems I have.

Regards

Week 1 Assignment - Introduction

OK, here is my reflection. Well, this interesting way of ‘blogging’ was new for me because last year we were only supposed to write our blogs instead of recording our voices. It was a little bit difficult because I recorded it many times. So after many attempts I was really angry but I knew that I have to make it somehow a tried to focus.  Anyway I know that I have a lot of mistakes in my speaking but I definitely want to improve and eliminate them. Maybe it was even strange to hear your own voice. However I’m looking forward to my next voice assignments.

Thanks for your time!

Regards,

Lukáš Beran

My Party

Hello my friends,

This is my last article of this  JCA1  semester course. I hope you will like it!

Two weeks ago I was in the bar with my friends. This bar is called Mundo which is situated in centre of Pardubice and is known as an international bar with owner from Mexico, where you can also meet some Erasmus students mainly from English and Spanish speaking countries who are attending our University, as well. It was normal evening party; we had a great time with friends and we drank beers so on. All at once our former teacher from the Secondary school who is English native speaker from the United Kingdom but living in Pardubice, came into bar.  

We were glad to see him again after a long time! It was great because I’ve been practising English and we discussed a lot of topics about actual news, our future plans, memories, gossips and University studies, of course. After few beers he went home so we managed that we will see again in near future.

But one funny thing actually happened that day! Few hours later came into bar also our former teacher but he’s from Chile! Actually, it wasn’t clear conversation because we spoke by three languages - mainly Spanish (but I forgot some words and phrases) so I used little bit of English and Czech.

When I have an opportunity to speak in English maybe I’m little bit shy but I’m trying to do my best to improve myself!

For the entire time my blog had 688 visitors. Thank you very much!

Stay tuned. I’ll come back.

Regards Lukas Beran

JCA1

Hello my dear friends,

I’m back after Christmas holidays. This article will be about JCA1 course and summary of my experiences from this subject. I’ve got only positive memories about it for sure!

I’m really glad for this opportunity to be a part of this University and course because it gave me a lot of new information about English language. I’ve learnt some new phrases, tricks how to improve my English knowledge and even better pronouncing of “TH” was really hilarious for me and my classmates, as well.

I admire our teachers for this course. Both of them are definitely experts of their profession. In future, I would like to be like them but it is impossible dream, I guess. But one teacher is using extra methods how to make our education funnier. For example, we had to set up blog where we put articles and when we have a class we discuss about our articles. Next unusual method is that our teacher brought guitar and our whole class sang with him two songs. We were surprised how good he is! We sang Christmas carols and dubbed tv serie Friends .

Yeah, but final tests are coming quickly and this fun has to be transformed into our knowledge and performed in front of teachers. I hope it’s going to be OK. I can fail, but these experiences will not be ever taken.

I wish you happy New Year 2014 full of success.

Thank you!

Regards