Hearing the sounds of another language
Listen for differences between sounds in a new language and practise hearing words in short phrases. Listening and speaking can support each other as the learner practises.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Say whether two spoken words in the new language are the same or different
- Clap once per word in a short spoken phrase in the new language
- Point out a sound in the new language that the home language does not have
1 · Read
You have heard greetings in different languages. Now listen to pairs of words. If both words sound the same, say same. If you hear a change, say different.
To practise hearing words, ask a speaker to say a short phrase slowly, with each word clear. Clap once per word. A long word still gets one clap. Do not clap once per sound or word part.
A new language may use a sound your home language does not use. Ask a speaker to give an example. You can listen more than once and try saying it too.
For words with a small sound change, hear both again at a clear pace. Compare how they begin, how they end, and the sounds between.
If the speaker agrees, watching their lips may help you copy a sound. You cannot see every movement inside the mouth. Listening or asking for another model can help too.
A speaker can help you split a hard word into parts. Practise a part, add the next part, then try the whole word. Listen to the whole word again to check it.
Listen to both words, ask again when unsure, and count words rather than sounds when you clap.
Original lesson, questions and flashcards written for this learning dataset.
Four original reading activities and six original flashcards written for this learning dataset.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
This opens up
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.