This is an English lesson designed to help you practice and improve your English listening and pronunciation skills. The listening lesson is a short story about something that happened in my life in Canada. There is also a short pronunciation explanation about a word or sound I used in the story.

Story: I love the Twilight Saga books and movies!
Pronunciation explanation: When the / ʃ / sound is spelled ‘ti’!

If you have trouble with your listening skills, here’s something that may help:
How to practice listening

Listen to the podcast:
*Try to listen at least once without looking at the words!

*music by Incompetech

Download the podcast in .mp3 from Podbean.com or itunes!

Listening Comprehension Questions:

1. When did I start paying attention to Twilight?

2. Where did Stephenie Meyer get the idea to write Twilight?

3. How many books have been sold?

4. Why do these books appeal to women?

5. What did I think of the ending?

Transcript:

(*Click on the links to learn more about the grammar, vocabulary and expressions used in the story!)

It’s hard to escape all the Twilight hysteria, but up until fall 2009, I wasn’t paying any attention to it! I knew the Twilight books were about a vampire, and lots of people liked the books, especially women – but that’s all I knew. Normally I’m not very interested in vampire stories. I mean, aren’t there enough books and movies about vampires already? Then, one day in late 2009, I saw part of the Twilight movie on TV and I was immediately hooked. I can’t explain why! I just can’t get enough of the books and movies.

In 2003, Stephenie Meyer had a dream about a human girl, Bella, who falls in love with a vampire, Edward. She turned her dream into a book, which then became a 4-book saga. All four Twilight books have sold over 100 million copies around the world. So far, 3 of the books have been made into very successful movies and filming has begun on the two movies based on the 4th book. In total, the movies have grossed over 1 billion dollars.

I’m inspired by the whole incredible story: before Twilight, Stephenie Meyer had never written anything in her life. Then, one morning she wakes up and creates a billion-dollar empire! She made a group of talented but relatively unknown actors into worldwide superstars, and saved a dying town. (Yes, Forks, Washington, the setting for the books, is a real town!) I think the books appeal to women because they’re written from the perspective of a teenage girl falling in love for the first time. Anyone who was ever a teenage girl can recognize the range of emotions Bella feels throughout the books.

Last week I finished reading Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final book in the Twilight Saga. It’s really intense and so much happens in the book. It was great, but I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. I won’t give it away, in case you haven’t read the books yet, but I thought it was kind of hokey. I’m not disappointed, as overall I thought it was an excellent book. Could it have ended any other way, though? I don’t think so. I don’t know how it could have been better. I do like the fact that there could possibly be more Twilight books in the future.

I’m Team Jacob, by the way. What about you?

Pronunciation: when ‘ti’ is pronounced / ʃ /

In a previous podcast, I told you how sometimes the / ʃ / sound can be spelled ‘ci.’

Did you know that the / ʃ / sound can also be spelled ‘ti’?

In the story, I used the word ‘attention.’ In most words that end in –tion, the ‘ti’ is pronounced / ʃ / (the syllable is unstressed, so the -on is pronounced ‘ən,’ not ‘on’):

nation
vacation
election
pronunciation
education
organization

*the ‘ti’ in question is pronounced / tʃ /

In words that end –tious, the ‘ti’ is also pronounced / ʃ /:

ambitious
nutritious
superstitious
cautious
pretentious

Other words where the ‘ti’ is pronounced include / ʃ /:

patient
negotiate
initial
partial
substantial

Vocabulary:

hysteria
It’s hard to escape all the Twilight hysteria…
= strong, uncontrollable excitment, (or any strong emotion that causes to act uncontrollably)

fall
…up until fall 2009…
= another word for ‘autumn’

“I just can’t get enough…”
= nothing can satisfy me, I just want more and more!

to fall in love
…a dream about a human girl, Bella, who falls in love with a vampire, Edward.
= to start experiencing love for someone

saga
The Twilight Saga / a 4-book saga
= a very long, complicated, detailed story with many different events

grossed
In total, the movies have grossed over 1 billion dollars.
= the amount of money made/earned before taxes and expenses are paid

relatively unknown
…a group of talented but relatively unknown actors…
= the actors had minor success, but were not as well-known as they are now

perspective
…they’re written from the perspective of a teenage girl…
= the story is told the way Bella (a teenage girl) sees things

hokey
…I thought it was kind of hokey.
= unrealistic, silly, not believable