“Success in spoken English lies in stress and vowel sounds: specifically, getting the
correct vowel sounds on the correct stressed syllables in a sentence, and joining
them together. This book will show you how to do that.” – Matt Purland englishbanana.com’s Talk a Lot
Spoken English Course

by Matt Purland

A Great New Way to Learn Spoken English

Elementary Handbook

• General Information about Talk a Lot Courses
• How to Use Talk a Lot Resources
• Focus on Connected Speech
• Focus on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
• 100% Photocopiable – Free Copying Licence Included!
• Focus on Connected Speech
• Focus on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
• 100% photocopiable – free copying licence included!

This book is dedicated with love and thanks as always to Anna and Julia, as well
as to Pat, who gave me my first full-time job teaching English, and to Helen, who
encouraged me to develop and explore and also:
ISBN-13: 978-0955701535

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is © Copyright the International Phonetic Association,
and is used in this book with kind permission.
English Banana.com Copying Licence:

You may freely print, copy, distribute, sell, and give away this book, subject to our Copying
Licence (see pages viii-ix) First published in the UK by English Banana.com 2009 1.3 – 09/09 (+ Consonant Clusters, Vowel Clusters, and The Magic “e” Rule)
1.2 – 08/09 (+ Big Word Game, and Talk a Lot Bingo!)
1.1 – 06/09 (+ Sound Connections Demo, Going Further, and Working Out Word Stress –
Two-Syllable Words where the First Syllable is a Schwa: L]L)
1.0 – 04/09 (Original edition)
© Copyright Matt Purland 2009

Talk a Lot

1.22 End of Course Oral Examination (Example)
1.26 Certificate Template #1
1.27 Certificate Template #2 B How to Use the Resources

2. Sentence Blocks

2.1 Instructions
2.7 Activity Template (Blank)
2.8 Sentence Blocks Q & A
2.9 Sentence Blocks – Six Great Tips for Students

3. Connected Sentence Cards

3.1 Instructions
3.2 Activity Template (Blank)
3.3 Sample Lesson Plan
3.6 Sound Connections Demo
3.15 Going Further

4. Connected Speech Templates

4.1 Instructions
4.6 Activity Template (Blank)

Sentence Focus
Activities
Talk a Lot

8. Discussion Questions

8.1 Instructions
8.2 Activity Template (Blank)

9. Agree or Disagree

9.1 Instructions
9.3 Activity Template (Blank)
9.4 How to Give a Small Group or Individual Presentation (Example and Notes)
9.6 How to Give a Small Group or Individual Presentation (Blank Outline)

10. Role Plays

10.1 Instructions
10.3 Role Plays – Mood Chart
10.4 Activity Template (Blank)

C Focus on Connected Speech

11. What is Connected Speech?

11.1 What is Connected Speech? (Student’s Handout)
11.3 The Techniques of Connected Speech
11.8 The Techniques of Connected Speech – Matching Game

12. What is Sentence Stress?

12.1 What is Sentence Stress?
12.6 Sentence Stress in Starting Sentences from Elementary Book 1