This is the Business English Podcast a very wise way to veer toward better English.
Welcome to the business english podcast.
From all ears english.
Get the english skills you need to achieve your dreams in global business for a presentation, a meeting or your office party.
This is real business english, with your favorite american hosts, lindsay and michelle, coming to you from new york city and colorado, usa.
You've worked for years on your English.
Your grammar is solid, your ideas are sharp, but somehow people still ask you to repeat yourself.
You know what you want to say, but your message doesn't always land.
You're not alone, and it's not your English knowledge, it's the rhythm beneath your words.
That's why we just created Global English Pronunciation, our newest course.
We'll see you next time.
Plus you get multiple opportunities to speak and practice with teachers and students every week.
Go to allearsenglish.com slash pronunciation.
That's allearsenglish.com slash P-R-O-N-U-N-C-I-A-T-I-O-N.
Hello there, Michelle.
How are you today?
I'm doing well, Lindsay.
How are you?
Good.
Michelle, what are we getting into on the show today?
Well so Lindsay, have you ever heard a student maybe have trouble distinguishing between the V and the W sounds in words?
Yeah, especially from certain native languages.
It can be really hard because sometimes we get confused and we're not exactly sure how to form that sound in our mouths.
Yeah, right.
I mean, these are definitely tricky phonemes, that can you know.
Sometimes give students with especially certain first languages difficulty, right.
Because you know sometimes the phonemes in their first language.
They might not have any distinction, or maybe one of them doesn't even exist.
I know.
Isn't that crazy?
Sometimes sounds don't even exist in other languages at all.
It's amazing.
Yeah, yeah.
Absolutely.
So we're going to be getting into this today.
The V and the W so important because if you mix them up things might get a little confusing right.
So especially in business, we want to make sure we're clear.
Yeah, especially in business.
We don't want to have any weird encounters where we've switched it and we've said a word that just doesn't make sense and we get a strange look and then we feel like something's wrong with us, right?
We don't get into that spin cycle that we get into mentally, right?
Especially when the stakes are high and maybe we're presenting to the executive team, like we've been talking about lately on this show.
Michelle, why are we talking about pronunciation this week?
This is a big pronunciation week on the show.
Yes, huge pronunciation week because We are so excited.
We have this new pronunciation course.
And we just think that this is going to give you guys a totally new look at pronunciation, because we're kind of opening this window, giving you a behind the scenes look about how English works.
Different kinds of languages if they're stress timed.
If they're syllable timed.
Lindsay, which one is English?
English is a stress-timed language, which is very different from languages like Spanish, Italian and others that are syllable-timed languages.
So this course is good for anyone, from any native language, but it will show you how to work within the stress-timed framework.
It's kind of like we take you backstage of English, backstage of the actual language, and we show you how to speak clearly.
There are eight secrets, eight modules in this course, And the difference here is we don't focus on teaching you the American accent or the British accent.
No, we think that English is so much bigger than any one accent.
And this course shows you how to speak clearly across multiple accents.
Okay.
Right.
Because, if you think about it, V and W, it's not about having the right.
You know the quote, unquote right accent or American accent or British accent.
It's about just getting these phonemes.
So that's really, really important.
Yeah.
And it's about getting to the point where you're no longer worried that someone is going to ask you to repeat.
That's the fear, right?
That's the fear.
What if I go present my research at a board meeting?
But and I have all the research, everything's ready.
Everything's perfect.
However, what if they keep asking me to repeat and repeat and repeat?
What am I going to do?
We're having these thoughts every day at work.
Right.
And either they're asking you to repeat or you just kind of look out and you can tell that they're, you know, trying to.
You know, maybe that maybe they almost have like a scrunched up look, because they're trying to.
Really they're trying to focus extra hard and see if they can understand.
You know, you can feel that and that shouldn't be in the way of your goals for work.
Oh, my God.
It's so true, Michelle.
So let's get pronunciation.
I think pronunciation is standing in the way for many of our students.
Let's move that obstacle out of the way. and open the road for career success.
That is the goal here for this course, right?
Right, perfect.
And today is just a little hint into one tiny piece of the overall course, but there's so much more there guys, so you're gonna have to go over to allearsenglishcom slash pronunciation to join the course.
We have a special introductory price this week only, okay?
Awesome, so excited for this one.
So yeah, super important, the V and the W and yeah, These two phonemes.
They can make the difference between some very important words, right?
So let's just go through.
We're going to do a couple sentences and show how it might actually change the meaning and what we really did want to say.
Okay, so you want to read the first one?
So are we saying this incorrectly?
We're actually making the mistake now, right?
We're making the mistake.
Okay, here's the first mistake.
We need to talk about how to avoid vase, right?
Right?
Okay.
So what did I screw up there, Michelle?
The vase.
You're trying to say waste, right?
So, right?
We don't want to avoid things we put flowers in.
We want to avoid wasting, wasting money, wasting materials, whatever it may be.
So waste, not vase.
Yes.
All right.
What's the next mistake?
All right.
It's important for my team to know they can always went to me if something is bothering them.
That doesn't sound right.
That doesn't sound right.
Something's wrong.
Right.
Right.
It almost sounds like I'm, because here I could see somebody even thinking it's maybe a grammar mistake.
Right.
Do they mean always go to me?
Did they say when?
So that's like somebody really confused.
That's a good point, because people might not automatically realize that the pronunciation is the problem.
And so they might start to end up in other tenses at other times.
And real confusion would come from this.
And this is the opposite of what we want.
What were you trying to say?
I was trying to say vent.
Right.
So they can tell me how they're feeling.
So I was trying to say it's important for my team to know they can always vent to me if something is bothering them.
Much more clear.
Here's the next mistake.
I want you to take ownership of this project.
So please take the veal.
No.
We don't take the veal.
There's no veal.
Yeah, we're not going to go hold up a plate of veal and say, please.
I mean, I guess, if you're at a catering hall and you're holding up the veal and you say, please take the veal,
But no.
So instead, I want you to take ownership of the project.
So please take the wheel.
The wha sound.
Right.
And that's kind of just an expression that means, you know.
Mm-hmm. take over and take responsibility.
You're driving, right?
The wheel.
So in the course, we do go into like exactly how to pronounce these sounds.
We do demonstrations, we do repetition, but just for a real quick primer here Michelle, what do we need to know about making these sounds?
Right.
So we're just going to start you off by explaining you know what the sound starts with the first basic way.
So how to distinguish them.
Um, especially based on what your mouth is doing to start off the phoneme.
So the V Lindsay, so where should your teeth be?
So your teeth should be touching the top of your bottom lip, right?
I'm going to have that sound.
It almost tickles when I vibrate.
We'll probably talk about the vibration a little bit later, but it should.
You should feel that it's a little bit of a tickle, right.
Right.
Right.
And it is vibrating, right?
Whereas the W here, you're almost making your mouth into a small O shape, right?
So what?
You're starting out what what, what and pulling it back so, and you're not touching your teeth to your lips.
Your teeth are just in neutral free, flying free, flowing.
Exactly exactly what.
Nothing is really touching the teeth, what?
It's all being done with the lips in the shape of the mouth right yep yep exactly, mm-hmm.
Okay Michelle, we are back from our quick break.
Let's try what we learned in the demos just now.
So you want to give the first sentence?
All right, here we go.
It's very good to meet you.
So we encourage you guys to try this, right?
Pause the podcast and try this.
Yeah, very, right?
Mm-hmm.
Um, I'm a little wary of this project.
What is that?
The W sound or the V sound?
That's the W. What?
What?
And also I mean another great thing for you to do is, if you are working on these, take these sentences and go in front of your mirror and see is your mouth in the correct motion, right?
Is it, is it how it should be?
Um, your lips, Exactly.
And that's one thing you can do when you're in the course, though.
We do have an AI tool that we teach you all of this.
And then you actually practice and you get a score.
So it will immediately show you an in-depth analysis of how well you pronounced each sound, each phoneme.
So that's cool, too.
Mirror's great, but AI is amazing.
Absolutely.
So here's another one.
You are a valued member of our team.
Yes.
Very, very common thing to hear in business.
Right.
A valued member of our team.
Remember, we want to make sure we feel that vibration.
Let's watch this presentation and then discuss.
That is the W sound.
Watch.
Right.
Good.
And then I wanted to make a teeny little combo sentence to put to kind of put everything all together.
Lindsay, you want to read it for us?
Here it is.
This Wednesday, we should volunteer and and be very wonderful.
A lot of V's, a lot of W's there, right?
Wednesday, volunteer, very wonderful.
You know, another good activity is to kind of just go back and forth quickly.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
Yes.
That's great.
We build up to that sentence, right?
Once we've practiced these sounds.
So good.
Yeah.
So that's just one part. of how to make these sounds.
Again, in the course, we go over the rest of it, but we gave you kind of the starting point here.
And guys, again, I think this is one of the most exciting courses that I think we have coming out.
It's just really pulling that curtain back, seeing how the language works and not focusing on the accent, but just focusing on avoiding getting that somebody looking at you like they don't understand or asking you to repeat.
That's what we want.
Yes.
Yes.
That's what we want.
We want our research, our work in our career to speak for itself.
And that means we need to speak clearly, to present that work and to represent ourselves in a way that people are no longer distracted by our unclear speech and They can hear what we're saying, and now they can see how the high level of work that we're doing in our career right.
Yeah.
That's the goal.
Okay.
Michelle, should we do a quick role play for our listeners?
Let's do it.
Here we are.
We are in a meeting.
Okay.
All right.
Let's do it.
Okay.
I'm very impressed with what I see from Tammy.
I agree.
I've watched her grow over the years and I vaguely remember her wanting to be considered for the promotion.
Oh, she's without a doubt very ambitious.
Yeah, so we have a lot of very, right?
And we do use very a lot, right?
Especially people who speak in hyperbole or just are excited about something.
You'll hear the word very, quite a bit.
So you started by saying, I'm very the sound.
I'm very impressed with what I see from Tammy.
That's the W sound.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
And then you said, I've watched her grow over the years.
And I vaguely, vaguely, vaguely remember her wanting to be considered for a promotion.
Wanting.
Good.
And then the last thing you said is she's without W. That's the W sound.
The W sound.
Without a doubt.
Very ambitious.
Right.
The very sound.
Okay.
Yep.
Yeah.
And this is a pretty typical.
I mean, the fact is, these sounds W and V are not that uncommon in English, Michelle.
So we need to make sure they're everywhere.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, so guys go over and get the course right now.
That is your next to do action.
After you finish this episode, go to allearsenglish.com slash pronunciation.
Like I said, we take you backstage of real English and we show you the secrets.
We show you the timing of the language, the heartbeat, the rhythm, um So that you're not locked into learning one accent and having to sound in a certain way.
Instead, let's be clear.
Let's make sure everyone understands us, and that reduces our anxiety when we're talking with native speakers.
Yeah, absolutely.
Love it.
Oh, guys, I'm really excited for this course.
And we're looking forward to hearing how it goes for you.
So go on over and get it today.
Yep.
Go to allearsenglish.com slash pronunciation.
We'll see you inside the community.
And of course, the live speaking events that are offered along with the course twice a week.
All right.
Excellent, Michelle.
Thanks for being here today.
I'll see you soon.
All right.
See you soon.
Bye, guys.
Bye.
Thank you for listening to Business English a podcast, just for you, the high achieving global professional.
Want more from All Ears English?
Don't miss our biggest and best podcast with 8 million monthly downloads.
Just search for the All Ears English podcast and hit follow to get four new episodes per week on fluency, American culture, grammar and so much more.
Or Tap the link in the show notes.
Remember, we believe in connection, not perfection when it comes to learning English.
Follow the All Ears English podcast now.
So fast.
Or like a month.
With OfferWatch.
So, wanna drive?
CarMax.
Pickup not available everywhere.
Restrictions and fee may apply.
