24 March 2015 / by Elena Riches

'Schwa' - unstressed syllables

Before I was taught how to teach English, by Oxbridge TEFL, I had no idea that the word "schwa" existed. Today, I'm writing about the 'schwa', which isn't (incidentally) about the pronunciation of words such as 'Schwartz' and 'Schwarzkopf'...it's about pronouncing a sound, a sound that features a lot in the English language but, not in any other language.

The schwa (

LETTER - With this word, although the schwa sound comes in at the second "e" so that we say "letta", the problem is not so much the schwa but actually lies in the "r". Where Spanish speakers roll their r's it makes it impossible for them to pronounce it the way it should be due to this. If they tried saying it with an invisible "r", I think they'd get it right.

CHOCOLATE - It's never too LATE to learn how to pronounce "choclert" (with no rolling of the R, of course). The mispronunciation of this word kind of confuses me because it goes against the grain of the way it would be pronounced if it was a Spanish word...chock-o-la-teh, not chock-o-LATE.

CIRCUS - This is where the schwa is really dominant and one that probably confuses the hell out of non-native English speakers as it is neither pronounced "sir-cuss" nor "sir-couss".

COMFORTABLE - When students pronounce this word you ought to be forgiven for thinking that they're inviting you for dinner..."Come-for-table"...why, thank you for asking but I wouldn't feel "cum-fter-bul".

FAMOUS - Students are "fay-muss" for not being able to say this word correctly, simply because "ou" customarily looks like it should be pronounced "ooh".

MOUNTAIN - This is another word where the ending is pronounced as "tane" and understandably so when you have words like "attainable", "pertain", "tainted" etc, where the "tain" is pronounced as it is written.

It is unfortunate that the schwa sound doesn't belong to any particular vowel as this makes it very difficult to teach. You could explain to your students that vowels don't always sound like 'themselves' and sometimes a vowel can't remember the sound it's supposed to make, so it scratches its head and goes "uh?"

21

February 2014

English language acquisition. Metacognitive approach: I think I think...

by Radmila Gurkova

English language acquisition theories or understanding how learning process takes place can help us be better teachers. Developed by TEFL trainer Ana Garza ...

14

February 2014

Friday Meeting: Anticipating students problems

by Radmila Gurkova

Developed by TEFL trainer Gabriel Messina What is anticipating students problems and why analyze learners' linguistic production? One of the most important outcomes that we take from linguistic analysis in ESL practice is the ability to anticipate learners problems...

07

November 2013

TEFL Course October 2013: Our favourite P2 Topic activity

by Radmila Gurkova

Topic: The 127 Year Old Woman Objective: Discuss old age, how to take care of your body. Learn about food and China Level: Beginner Author: Guro Stuan ...

06

November 2013

How reliant are you on spellcheck, really?

by Radmila Gurkova

Check out this test to see how good your spelling really is! ...

22

October 2013

Why do we like this low level structure activity about numbers?

by Radmila Gurkova

Structure: Numbers Level: Beginner Author: Daniel Hermosilla ...

09

October 2013

Getting your NIE number and residency permit in Spain

by Radmila Gurkova

If you are looking to make your visit to Spain semi or fully permanent, one of the most important yet often frustrating tasks is applying for and getting hold of your NIE number. The NIE is absolutely essential if you have financial affairs in Spain, as you can see below. An NIE number is needed to: O...

03

October 2013

Barcelona vs. Madrid: Where should I do my TEFL in Spain?

by Radmila Gurkova

Barcelona and Madrid are Spain's largest, most popular and most exciting cities, boasting Spain's two best football teams. When considering doing a TEFL course in Spain, most people as a consequence look to graduating in either Barcelona or Madrid, cosmopolitan cities where there are more employment opportunities...

02

September 2013

Back to School: Job search and interview techniques

by Radmila Gurkova

September for most is back to school. For ESL schools and teachers alike, Septem...

29

July 2013

What Your College Degree Will Be Worth

by OxbridgeTEFL

Perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit etiam feugiat nunc ut. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam enim enim, pharetra in sodales at, interdum sit amet dui. Nullam vulputate euismod urna n...

12

July 2013

Doing a TEFL course by videoconference: Worth it?

by Radmila Gurkova

Upon beginning to research TEFL, you will see that there are a huge amount of courses ou...

Contact us

24 March 2015 / by Elena Riches

'Schwa' - unstressed syllables

21

14

07

06

22

09

03

02

29

12