Pronunciation Practice

Starting this fall semester, Nomen Global is offering an exciting new course: Pronunciation. For many students, pronunciation is very difficult. Many sounds in English do not exist in other languages; thus, it is difficult for many student to hear and produce these sounds. If you are going to study pronunciation, it will be a challenge, but not an impossible task! These 5 tips can help you on your way to more native-sounding English.

Read Aloud
When you read aloud, you are working the most important muscles involved with pronunciation--your jaw and your tongue. Even if you don't get the sounds exactly right, you are exercising those muscles that you need for new and different sounds. Remember, just as you go to the gym to exercise your arms and legs, you should take as many chances exercising the muscles in your mouth for pronunciation. Reading aloud is a great way for your to hear the flow of the language while working out at the same time.

Listen and Repeat
As you listen to TV or movie, repeat some of the things that you hear. The first step to being able to pronounce words correctly is hearing the differences in the sounds from your native language and English. Listen carefully to podcasts, articles, stories, dialogs, and other online materials and repeat some of the things you hear.

Record Yourself
Because it can be difficult to listen to yourself as you speak, record yourself to hear how you sound. Record yourself as you recite poetry or tongue twisters to see if you sound like a native English speakers. After several weeks of recording, you will be surprised how much you improve!

Use a Mirror
Using a mirror can be extremely helpful when learning new articulations. Watch what native speakers do and try to mimic their mouth in the mirror. Sometimes it is easy to hear the sound, but not so easy to make the "shape" in your mouth.

Learn to Laugh
Learning and creating new sounds can be difficult for the muscles in our mouths! Sometimes, we feel silly when we repeat certain sounds over and over. Sometimes, we look silly when we try to articulate a sound properly (think the TH sound!). But, we are all learning together! The most important rule in learning pronunciation is also learning to laugh at yourself! When you make mistakes, get over it and move on. When you feel silly, just laugh and keep practicing!

Learn more about pronunciation techniques with us at Nomen Global!

Student Spotlight: Tulio Magorga Lara

Tulio Magorga Lara is originally from Mexico. He came to Nomen Global to study English about a month ago and will stay here until late October. Tulio enjoys studying at Nomen Global because he believes that meeting people from all over the world is a great experience. Nomen Global has students from over 30 countries, so Tulio is having a great time. He also has enjoyed getting to the know the teachers. Tulio is learning English so that he can be eligible for a student exchange program at a private Mexican university. We wish you luck, Tulio!

After Tulio finished studying at Nomen Global, he plans to start a career in medicine in his country. Tulio has great plans for his future, but the journey has not been easy. Among many experiences, Tulio remembers the time he was stranded for 24 hours without money, food, water, or shelter! Luckily one of Tulio's strengths is his ability to adapt and change.

In his free time, Tulio enjoys reading books, jogging, reading the news, playing guitar, listening to music, hanging out with friends, drawing, and participating in outdoor activities. He obviously keeps his life active and busy--and will continue to do so in the future. He has goals to study medicine, graduation from medical school, travel to Europe, Australia, and other countries, and offer affordable healthcare to low-income families.

Though Tulio keeps busy, he keeps his pizza simple: pepperoni with extra cheese. Tulio is a well-rounded student who works hard to accomplish his goals. He is a social individual who has a desire to do good in society, to solve as many problems as he can, and to help those in need.

Meet Tulio and other thoughtful students like him at Nomen Global!

Capture the Flag

Today for our Monday Activity, we experienced the popular outdoor game, capture the flag. Capture the flag is a game played by two teams of people. We gathered at a nearby park and brought two flags. We separated into two teams and learned the rules of the game. Nomen Global students had a great time being stealthy, working together, and observing the other team. If you have never played capture the flag before, check out the rules below. (There are many variations of this game. You can adapt the rules how you like, but these are the basic rules).

Equipment: two flags and one large outdoor space

Players: enough people for two large teams

Object: to be the first to retrieve the enemy flag and return to safe territory

To begin playing capture the flag, find a large outdoor space. A large park or forested area works perfectly. Divide your group of friends into two teams. Usually the more people you have, the more exciting the game can be. Then divide the large park into two territories. These two territories can be divided by a tree line, a stream, a sidewalk, or an imaginary line that both teams recognize. 

Each team "owns" one side of the park. On their side, they need to hide their flag withing 200 feet of the dividing line. The flag must be visible, but it can be in an inconspicuous location. When both teams have secured their flags, they return to the dividing line. 

A signal will mark the start of the game. The object of the game is to enter enemy territory, retrieve the flag, and return to home territory. When team members cross the dividing line into enemy territory, however, they can be caught by enemy team members. If a member of the enemy team touches you, you can be taken to jail. The jail can be marked by a tree or a rock. A prisoner can be rescued by a fellow teammate if that teammate touches him or her. 

The winning team will be the first to successfully find the enemy's flag and return to safe territory. If neither team is able to capture the flag in a set amount of time, the game is won by the team with the most prisoners.

Have fun playing capture the flag! To learn more about Nomen Global and the activities we do, visit us at our Facebook page!

Olympic Games Idioms

The Olympic Games are some of the most-watched games in the world. They are currently taking place in London, England, this summer. The theme of this week's block is "Games." Do you know how many idioms come from some popular Olympic sports? Check out this list of idioms to see how they are used.

To learn more about idioms and other topics we teach, visit our website or 'like' us on Facebook.

Staff Spotlight: Kate Kelly Harline

Kate Kelly Harline is a native of Provo, Utah. Kate is one of our newest employees in the International Recruiting Department at Nomen Global. She also teaches a few English classes in the afternoon, including Idioms & Informal Usage and Extensive Reading. Kate has been with Nomen Global for only a few weeks, but she has already made a big difference to the staff and the students.

Kate has an extensive international background. She studied world religions and creative writing at Seattle Pacific University. She also lived in Southern France for a year and a half as a missionary for her church. She learned how to be competitive running cross country and track in high school and college. Kate also loves camping, hiking, reading, traveling, and meeting people. One of Kate's goals is go live in India for an extended period of time and attain Nirvana.

When asked about her greatest strength, Kate responded, "I have never met a jar that I couldn't open. I have strong hands." Kate has a great sense of humor and always makes her classes fun. Her favorite thing about English is making puns, or playing with words in a funny way. Kate's favorite quote, by Leo Tolstoy, also shows how much she loves life: "To know God and to live is the same thing. God is life."

Meet Kate and other enthusiastic teachers like her at Nomen Global!

Tubing down the Provo River

Provo, Utah, has experienced record-high temperatures this summer! We at Nomen Global are always looking for ways to cool down. This weekend, our students took to the refreshing Provo River to beat the heat. 

Tubing is a popular leisure activity to do in the summer. It involves an air-filled inner tube, a life jacket, a willingness to get a little wet, and good friends! We carpooled up Provo Canyon and received our tubes and our life jackets. We drove farther up the canyon to the spot where we would enter the river. We all made sure our life jackets were secure, then we jumped in the water! Even though it was very hot outside, the water was nice and cool. We spent the afternoon floating down the river with our good friends.

To learn more about Nomen Global and the activities we do, visit our Facebook page.

Poetry by Andrea

This block's theme is "Art." Art can take many different forms: drawing, sculpting, music, poetry, and much more. Many of you know that our teacher, Andrea, loves poetry. Last semester, Andrea entered an international poetry contest and won! Here is her winning poem. What do you think about it?

"September, beautiful month of my birth, is nigh, but I cannot feel glad."

September, drifting in with glow of moon,
you stifle Summer’s ardor. . . and she grieves.
In guise of fire, the Fall comes all too soon.

Your breath grows cool.  You’ll blow and loosen leaves.
The hills and woodlands will reflect new hues.
You stifle Summer’s ardor. . . and she grieves.

In Autumn’s chill, the colors are a ruse.
For as you pass, the trees are set ablaze.
The hills and woodlands then reflect new hues.

Though warmth may linger through your final days,
old Sun is waning, yet he still seems strong!
For as you pass, the trees are set ablaze.

September, you’re a melancholy song.
Though time be short, you paint a brilliant dusk!
Old sun is waning, yet he still seems strong.

October looms. . . Your ending will be brusque.
September, drifting in with glow of moon,
though time be short, you paint a brilliant dusk.
In guise of fire, the Fall comes all too soon.

Learn more about Andrea, her poetry, and what we teach at our website or 'like' us on our Facebook page.

Student Spotlight: Xavier Contell

Xavier Contell is originally from Barcelona, Spain. He started studying English at Nomen Global this block and will continue to study here until October. Xavier is studying in our TOEFL Preparation course. He chose to study for the TOEFL so that he can improve his English skills enough to do well on the test. One of Xavier's favorite things about Nomen Global is the excitement that everyone has to learn more English. He also enjoys getting to know people and cultures from all over the world.

After Xavier finishes studying at Nomen Global, he plans to take the TOEFL and enter one of the universities in the area: Utah Valley University or Brigham Young University. We wish Xavier the best of luck! He has already done so much to accomplish his goals, including obtaining a visa and moving across the world to study English. Xavier also aspires to have a good quality life, to be able to travel around the world, and to have a good house, car, family, job, and friends.

In his free time, Xavier enjoys hanging out and driving around. He likes music, movies, sports, video games, and having good conversations with people. Interestingly, Xavier also has a black belt in taekwondo! He is always happy and proud of the things that he has done.

Meet Xavier and other hardworking students like him at Nomen Global!

Grammar Guide: Irregular Comparative and Superlative

This block at Nomen Global, we are taking the time to appreciate the different types of art in the world. The best thing about art is that anyone can create it, anyone can look at it, and anyone can love it! 

Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms
While most adjectives follow the simple patterns of adding -er, -est, more, and most, a few adjectives take an irregular form:

Adjective        Comparative    Superlative

bad                  worse              worst

far(distance)     farther             farthest

far(extent)        further             furthest

good                better              best

ill                     worse              worst

late                  later                 latest or last

less                  lesser               least

little(amount)    less                  least

many               more                most

much               more                most

well                 better               best

• The best art is art that you create yourself.
• Art is so much more beautiful when you understand where it came from.
• The farthest I've traveled to view artwork is on a 12-hour plane ride across the world.
• Every day Sarah gets better at painting.

Learn more about grammar at Nomen Global!

Student Spotlight: Roman Khromenko

Roman Khromenko is from Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan. He has been studying English at Nomen Global for just one block, but will continue to study here for two semesters. He is studying English so that he is able to enter a university after he becomes even more fluent in English. Roman has enjoyed his experience so far: He likes the way the teachers teach. They explain things clearly and present the material so that everyone understands. Roman says he feels like the school is a big family for the students!

Roman has many goals for the future. He hopes to have healthy kids, a happy marriage, and a money-making job. He is also very proud of the accomplishments he has completed in the past. For Roman, obtaining a US visa was very difficult. He considers receiving his visa to study here one of his greatest successes.

In his free time, Roman enjoys playing sports. Among his favorite sports are tennis, rugby, American football, and baseball. He also enjoys eating meat (pork and chicken), fruit, fish, and seafood.

If you meet Roman, some interesting facts about him include that he believed he had brown eyes until he was 16 (they are green), that he watches fireworks every year on his birthday (May 9), and that he can't refuse someone's offer!

Meet Roman and other interesting students like him at Nomen Global!

Happy Pioneer Day!

Remember that tomorrow is Pioneer Day! It is a special holiday celebrated only in Utah to remember the pioneers who walked across the United States to build a home over 150 years ago.

To celebrate these people and all other pioneers who follow them, we have no school tomorrow! Enjoy your day off and take some time to think of pioneers that you know.

Grammar Guide: Superlatives

Ice skating usually makes people think of cold, winter outings. However, we at Nomen Global think ice skating is the perfect way to escape the summer heat! This summer has reached record-high temperatures all across the United States. While some of our students are used to hot weather, many of our students from around the world are looking for ways to cool down. Today, we will visit the Olympic 2002 site, Seven Peaks Arena, for a fun afternoon ice skating!

Superlatives
Unlike comparatives, we use superlatives to describe a relationship among three or more things. Comparatives describe that relationship between only two things. To form the superlative, you can either add -est or most. The rules for superlative are similar to the rules for comparative to decide which form to use.

In addition to adding -est or most, the superlative also usually has the word the in front of it to show that it is definite.

One-syllable adjectives
When an adjective has only one syllable, the adjective generally takes the -est form to compare three or more things. If the word ends in one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant before adding -est.

• Ice skating is the coolest way to get out of the summer heat.
• July in Provo is the hottest month of the year.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y When an adjective has two syllables and ends with -y, we generally drop the -y and add -est.

• Ice skating is not the easiest sport, but it is fun!
• The students at Nomen Global are the friendliest students in the United States!

Three- or more syllable adjectives When an adjective has three or more syllables, the adjective uses more to form the comparative.

• Seven Peaks is the most popular place to go in the summer months.
• Staying near ice is one of the most effective ways to stay cool in the summer.

Learn more about superlative adjectives and other grammar points at Nomen Global! Visit our Facebook page to see more from our activities.

Student Spotlight: Rawabi Alhulhim

Rawabi Alhulhim is from Saudi Arabia. She has completed one month of classes at Nomen Global and plans to remain here for one semester. Rawabi is studying English because she intends to return to Saudi Arabia to work with her family.

Rawabi enjoys studying at Nomen Global because she feels as though her teachers and the administration treat her with respect and cooperation. She feels very proud to have come to the United States; in fact, choosing to come here to study English is her greatest success! Rawabi hopes to become more fluent in English. Good luck, Rawabi!

After Rawabi studies at Nomen Global, she plans to attend a university. She hopes that her path will lead her to be as successful as her family. In her free time, Rawabi enjoys going to the movies and learning to play the guitar. She also loves eating Italian food, studying, and traveling.

Meet Rawabi and other inspiring students like her at Nomen Global!

Grammar Guide: Comparatives

A pioneer is someone who does something or goes somewhere for the first time. This block we are celebrating the pioneers that we know in our lives. Many of our students are pioneers themselves! They have come to a new country to study English and they are setting a great example to their families and their posterity. Similar to how a lighthouse guides the way for ships, pioneers guide other people to follow in their footsteps.

Comparatives
We use the comparative of adjectives when we describe the differences between two things. The comparative of the adjective can be formed in two ways: -er or more. The following rules can help you decide which form to use.

One-syllable adjectives
When an adjective has only one syllable, the adjective generally takes the -er form to compare two things. If the word ends with one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant before adding -er.

• Pioneers must be braver than followers.
• Susan became a pioneer in science because she studied harder than other students.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y When an adjective has two syllables and ends with -y, we generally drop the -y and add -er.

• Being a follower is easier than being a pioneer.
• Pioneers feel happier when they help other people.

Three- or more syllable adjectives

When an adjective has three or more syllables, the adjective uses more to form the comparative.

• Pioneers are more inspirational when they accomplish something that is difficult.
• Living in a new place is more difficult than living somewhere familiar.

Learn more about comparatives and other grammar topics at Nomen Global!

Teacher Spotlight: Scott Bowen

Nomen Global is pleased to welcome a new teacher to our faculty! Scott Bowen is originally from San Diego, California, but he has enjoyed traveling the world and living in Utah. He teaches Grammar Level 4 and Integrated Skills Level 3. Scott is also our new Activities Director! He will be in charge of planning and implementing all of our school outings and activities.

Scott lived in Italy for several years before he started teaching at Nomen Global. He learned Italian, taught English once a week, and did service throughout the country. Because of his love for Italy, Scott studied Italian at Brigham Young University. He uses his language-learning skills to improve his classrooms at Nomen Global. He has been teaching English here for 4 weeks, and we are excited to learn more from Scott!

Scott loves seeing the students at Nomen Global. They are from many different countries and bring a fresh outlook on life into Scott's classroom. His favorite aspect of teaching, however, is watching his students progress. His favorite aspect of English is slang and idiomatic expressions!

In the future, Scott plans to apply and be accepted to law school this fall. When he graduates, his dream is to live by the beach. Since Scott is from California, he is an expert surfer! He hopes to live by the beach so that he can continue his hobby.

Get to know more about Scott and other great teachers like him at Nomen Global!