Fonetiks was originally conceived in 2000 as a response to new visa restrictions which made it increasingly difficult for some English language learners to come to study English in the USA, Britain and Australia. Fonetiks enabled these language learners to study native speaker pronunciation without leaving their homes, merely by mousing over the text on their computer screens.
* first, the whole passage is read at normal speed for you to listen for gist;
* second, each phrase is read slowly twice, with punctuation, as you write;
* then the whole passage is read again for you to check your work;
* finally, the written text is shown - count your mistakes.
In addition, you can subscribe to a free email newsletter that provides useful information about the English language in a lighthearted way. Maybe, you want to make new friends and practise your communications skills? In that case you should join the e-community by clicking on the friends link. You can also ask questions, get answers and support in the forums.
This is an exciting place to share your thoughts and ideas with people from all around the world. If you like learning new languages, you should explore the Pimsleur store where you will find a great variety of audio courses. Of course you can also read more about the people who are running English-test.net — in the e-business section you will get to know how this website came into existence and meet its founders. There are even two free e-books for you to download.
TRY IT HERE: Free English Tests for TOEFL, TOEIC, GMAT, MBA, ESL, EFL
HOW to use Shiporsheep:
Shiporsheeep uses a well-known language teaching device known as minimal pair practice to teach English speech sounds. This technique helps learners to distinguish between two different sounds by presenting two words which sound identical apart from the pair of sounds concerned.
Shiporsheep uses a patented technique allowing learners to hear words spoken instantly and naturally simply by mousing over them - no ‘click-and-wait’ is needed.
To use Shiporsheep, choose a page, click on it to open it, then mouse over each pair of words to hear the difference in pronunciation. Listen to each word & repeat it several times. If your computer has a microphone, you can record your own voice and compare it with the original, using Microsoft Sound Recorder (Go to Start - Programs - Accessories - Entertainment - Sound Recorder)
To use Shiporsheep, your computer must have sound, and Flash must be installed. Flash is installed on almost all computers, but if it isn’t, you can install it here.
I have spent 20 years in Australia, 2 years in Amsterdam and 3 years in Belgium, working in communication and the media…
I now reside here in the north of France, next to the Belgium border, where I work as an English teacher for adult education and ebusiness consultant.
English is a Global Language we all need to learn.
This blog will facilitate the learning with articles, links to other sites and resources available online.
Make sure you register/subscribe if you want to keep in touch.
Pierre
email: pgeslin@gmail.com
