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sharing the life stories of immigrants, expatriates, and refugees to the United States
Stay in touch with our latest educational videos on American English and culture. Subscribe to our newsletter and YouTube channel, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay up to date on all things FLYB!
The first thing English students learn about English nouns is that they become plural by adding -s. Then, they are confronted with all the exceptions!
These nouns take -es in the plural form: analysis, crisis, hypothesis, axis, nemesis, basis, thesis, parenthesis, synthesis, oasis, synopsis.
These nouns take -a in the plural form: criterion, phenomenon.
Some English words have the same spelling, but their pronunciation is different. We give some examples and a simple rule regarding nouns versus verbs.
Deep – deepen, bright – brighten. English has the power to make adjectives into verbs by adding two letters. Alan explains to his ESL students how to do this.
Alan discusses the differences between words that sound similar but are wholly different in their meaning. The examples presented in the video are 1) apart vs. a part, 2) a lot vs. allot, and 3) every day vs. everyday.
One of the harder English sounds to make is the 'th' sound. Alan gives tips on the two different pronunciations for this tricky American English pronunciation.
How do English learners make their speech more fluid and natural sounding? By linking adjacent words together. Alan gives some examples.
English learners tend to confuse these two words: Lend and Borrow. Learn their meanings here, and see examples of how to use them properly.
Do you use words like these: I’m, you’d, she’ll, who’s, didn’t, won’t, they’ve, we’re? If so, you're using contractions. This is a very normal way of speaking American English. Alan tells why and gives examples.
Learners of English often try so hard to pronounce words correctly that they over-pronounce them and end up sounding like robots. Join Alan for some tips on pronouncing English words smoothly and naturally.
One common confusion in English is misusing the verbs Lay and Lie. Even native speakers can get them wrong. Follow these simple rules so you don't end up with egg on your face!
What do you call an object that you don't know the name for? Alan gives several common and informal expressions that every learner of American English should know.
Would you know what I meant if I said “oops!”? What about “uh-oh!”? Sometimes, Americans use words that aren’t really words to communicate basic thoughts. Today’s video teaches you seven non-verbal expressions that you will hear from your neighbors and co-workers on a regular basis.
English learners often say things wrong like:
"I am interesting in American football." or: "The meeting was very bored this afternoon."
Find out why they're wrong and how to fix them with this simple grammar explanation.
Knowing your neighbors is a good idea in the United States. There are practical, social reasons for this. There are also language reasons.
Once you've understood the individual sounds of English (consonants and vowels), it's time to focus on the music of English pronunciation. Alan gives an introduction to English rhythms with this lesson on word stress.
An overview of the 24 consonants of American English, part 2. Alan gives examples of the "flowing" consonants. In the previous lesson, he went over the "stop" consonants of English.
According to Charlton Heston, “Political correctness is just tyranny with manners.” With all respect to the actor who played Moses in the iconic 1956 film, "The Ten Commandments," this information does not come down from God Almighty. It is instead the typical response by people who look a lot like Mr. Heston and (less famously) me: white, able-bodied, hetero, Christian males. Watch here to find out why we need to lose the expression "PC" altogether in the new millennium.
Feel Like You Belong is a sometimes serious, sometimes funny, always “touch-your-heart” real conversation about fitting into the American culture. It introduces guests who have made the immigrant journey to the United States. The stories–of both struggle and success–will help newcomers feel more confident in sharing their opinions and expertise, more likely to want to stay in the U.S., be more productive in their jobs, and fully invest in their communities.