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Minimal Pairs for Japanese Speakers Compiled by GROK AI and Dr Jeff Hawkins
Below is a focused list of minimal pairs targeting common pronunciation challenges for Japanese speakers learning English. These pairs differ by one sound to help with auditory discrimination and pronunciation practice. /r/ vs. /l/ - rice vs. lice - red / vs. led - berry / vs. belly - crow / vs. glow - right / vs. light - lock / vs. rock - pray / vs. play - wrist / vs. list /s/ vs. /ʃ/ - see vs. she - sue / vs. shoe - said / vs. shed - bus /vs. bush - sip / vs. ship - sign vs. shine - sock vs. shock - sell vs. shell TH vs. /s/** - think / vs. sink - thin / vs. sin - thigh /vs. sigh - path / vs. pass - thank vs. sank - theme vs. seem - tenth vs. tense - thumb vs. sum TH / vs. /z/ - then vs. Zen - bathe vs. bays - though vs. Zoe / - there vs. Zaire - these, belize - worthy - loathe vs. lows Vowel Contrasts"cat" vs. "get"
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Minimal Pairs Worksheet for Indian English Speakers
Objective: Improve phonemic awareness and pronunciation by distinguishing minimal pairs commonly confused by Indian English speakers. Instructions: 1. Read each pair of words aloud, focusing on the underlined sound difference. 2. Listen to a partner or audio (if available) and circle the word you hear. 3. Practice saying each pair to emphasize the sound contrast. 4. Complete the activities to reinforce learning. 1 Consonant Minimal Pairs Indian English speakers may confuse voiced and voiceless consonants (e.g., /p/ vs. /b/,/t/ vs. /d/) or sounds like /v/ vs. /w/ due to influences from languages like Hindi, Tamil, or Bengali, where these distinctions may not exist or are less pronounced. Minimal Pairs for Practice: 1. /p/ vs. /b/: • pat / bat • pin / bin • pig / big 2. /t/ vs. /d/: • ten / den • tip / dip • tan / dan 3. /v/ vs. /w/: • vine / wine • vest / west • vow / wow 1.1 Activity 1: Circle the Word Listen to your teacher or partner say one word from each pair. Circle the word you hear. Example: pat / bat 1. pin / bin 2. ten / den 3. vine / wine 1 1.2 Activity 2: Fill in the Blank Choose the correct word from the pair to complete the sentence. Say the sentence aloud. 1. I saw a (pig / big) in the field. 2. She wore a (vest / west) to the party. 3. The (pin / bin) is full of trash. 2 Vowel Minimal Pairs Indian English speakers may struggle with vowel length distinctions (e.g., // vs. /i/) or specific vowel sounds due to fewer vowel contrasts in some Indian languages. Minimal Pairs for Practice: 1. // vs. /i/: • ship / sheep • chip / cheap • bit / beat 2. /æ/ vs. /e/: • bad / bed • hat / hate • cat / Kate 3. // vs. //: • cut / cart • hut / heart • luck / lark 2.1 Activity 3: Matching Draw a line to match each word to its correct pronunciation. Practice saying each pair. Word Pronunciation ship /ip/ sheep /p/ bad /bed/ bed /bæd/ 2.2 Activity 4: Listening Discrimination Your teacher will say one word from each pair. Write the word you hear. 1. (bit / beat) 2. (hat / hate) 3. (cut / cart) 2 3 Interactive Game Minimal Pairs Bingo Instructions: Create a 4x4 bingo card with one word from each minimal pair (e.g., pin, ten, vine, sheep). Your teacher or partner will say a word. Mark the word you hear. The first to complete a row wins! Sample Bingo Card: pin vine bad cut ten west bed cart big wow hat luck dip sheep Kate lark 4 Production Practice Instructions: Work with a partner. Take turns saying one word from each minimal pair. Your partner guesses which word you said. Focus on clear pronunciation of the target sound. Example: Say ship or sheep. Your partner responds with the word they heard. 5 Tips for Indian English Speakers • /v/ vs. /w/: For /v/, your lips should touch your teeth with vibration (e.g., vine). For /w/, round your lips without teeth contact (e.g., wine). • Aspiration: Sounds like /p/, /t/, /k/ in English are aspirated (a puff of air) in words like pin or ten. Practice holding a tissue in front of your mouthit should move for /p/ in pin but not for /b/ in bin. • Vowel Length: Pay attention to short vs. long vowels. For // (ship), the vowel is short and lax; for /i/ (sheep), its longer and tense. 6 Resources for Further Practice • EnglishClub Minimal Pairs: Lists and audio for practice. • Pronunciation Pro: Audio and worksheets for vowel minimal pairs. • ESL Games: Interactive minimal pairs activities like card games. IELTS, CELPIP, and PTE Core: Which English Test for Canadian Permanent Residency?
Original text by Dr. Jeff Hawkins, Aardvark Learning Academy Edited by Grok AI Published: May 9, 2025 | Reading Time: 5-7 minutes Contact: +1 705-417-3276 | [email protected] Why Take an English Language Test? For immigration to countries like Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand, proof of English proficiency is often required. Tests like IELTS, CELPIP, or PTE Core assess your ability in four key skills: Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Listening. These tests are academically rigorous, even for immigration purposes, and evaluate your readiness to contribute to society in an English-speaking environment. No English as a Second Language (ESL) learner excels in all four skills, making these tests challenging. At Aardvark Learning Academy, we tailor our programs to address specific weaknesses, such as focusing on Listening for a student preparing for the CELPIP test. Overview of the Tests'IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Test-Taking Tips
How Aardvark Learning Academy Can HelpOur tailored ESL programs help you ace the IELTS, CELPIP, or PTE Core test, whether in-person or online. Most students achieve their target scores in just 32 hours of study. Contact us today to start your journey toward Canadian permanent residency:
Introduction
It is almost one year since Andre moved to Japan to teach English in a high school in Nara, which is know for old temples and beautiful moutains. Andre is a former Japanese Adult Language student at Aardvark Learning Academy. Kayo, Andre's Japanese teacher at Aardvark Learning Academy, contacted Andre to ask how he is doing! 1. What is your daily/weekly teaching schedule like? I go to two high schools in Nara Prefecture. I spend 3 days at one and 2 days at the other. I normally arrive at school around 8 am. I normally have 3-4 classes a day. I finish at 4:15pm but normally stay longer to talk with students. 2. What are your responsibilities at schools? I normally prepare lesson plans. I make 2-3 lesson plans a week. I normally do activities for the students. Focusing on speech. I help any teacher that asks for it. When I have free time I go to other classes and interact with students when appropriate. 3. Did studying Japanese help you start your life in Japan? How? Yes, it helped a lot. Although I knew very little when I left for Japan. Being able to order food was a big help. Also being able to know when being asked a question made early conversations smoother even if I didn't understand what was being said. I could also interact with students and they enjoy my low level Japanese. 4. What is the best part of living in Japan? I'm enjoying the convenience of travel. Being able to walk, bike, or take a train anywhere is very nice. I'm also enjoying the variety of foods. I've lost a lot of weight even though I still eat a lot. 5. Did you reconnect with Japanese students that you met at Guelph? (Andre made friends with Japanese exchange students at University goGuelph when he vounteered as a English conversation buddy.) Yes I did! We meet about once a month and go eat somewhere. They have also shown me around Osaka and Kyoto. It is nice being able to speak English with a Japanese person. They can explain Japanese culture and lifestyle to me. 6. Anything you would like to share. Learning as much Japanese as possible before coming is very useful. You don't need to read or write well, but being able to speak is the most beneficial. It will be easier to make friends and not get lost. Considering moving to Japan? Contact Aardvark Learning Academy to learn Japanese and travel in Japan with confidence!  Title: The Power of Shadowing for English and ESL Language Learners
Co-author: Dr Jeff Hawkins Email: [email protected] Phone: 705-417-3276 Source: Co-author with Microsoft Co-pilot. Read time: 10 minutes Lifetime Reward: Powerful self-study technique for English ESL language learners The Power of Shadowing for English and ESL Language Learners Shadowing in ENGLISH ESL is based on the idea the REPEATING words, phrases is a powerful technique for learning the language. This is the most used technique to learn any language in the world – for good reason…. it totally works. Beginners, intermediate and advanced learners can all gain significant benefits from Shadowing in English ESL. Even if you do not understand the words, you can improve LISTENING and SPEAKING and PRONUNCIATION dramatically through repeating the intonation, tone and pitch of the language. I mean, you use the SOUND system English language every time you use the Shadowing – Repeating technique. Secondly, human beings are curious by nature and once you are imitating a word, you will want to learn and discover the meaning behind what you are saying, singing or practicing in Shadowing. So that is a win-win. The best part is that there is NO COST, shadowing is Free. You can do it anywhere, at home, in the car, almost anywhere you are ALONE and have time and space to practice speaking, singing, listening to the radio. Any place you can hear and repeat the words out loud. What Is Language Shadowing? Put simply, language shadowing is repeating aloud what you hear, word for word, with as little delay as possible. Linguist and polyglot Alexander Arguelles is considered the inventor of language shadowing. He’s created a series of videos focused on teaching and demonstrating the technique. Arguelles defines shadowing as a language learning technique where the student listens to a recording of target language audio and simultaneously echoes what they hear. Shadowing is designed to force you to focus on the sounds of your target language and develop pronunciation that mimics a native speaker. How to Shadow Successfully: 7 Steps
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