美国教材对孩子学习英语的好处多多。
首先，学发音不用学音标，而是学习Phonics，也就是说他们是直接学习26个字母和字母组合与五十个音素之间的关系。
一、辅音字母的读音。
pbTocreatethesesounds,weuseourlipstostoptheair,andthenwepushthelipsapartagainwithapuffofair.Thebsoundisvoiced,andthepsoundisn't,makingthemavoiced/unvoicedpair.
bath,path
bull,pull
buy,pie
bride,pride
robe,rope
tdWhencreatingthesetwosounds,yourtongueshouldbrieflytouchthefrontofthetoothridge,thenletgowithasmallpuffofair.Thedifferencebetweenthesoundsistheuseofourvocalcords.Thedsoundisthevoicedsound,andthetsoundistheunvoicedsound.
dime,time
dense,tense
code,coat
tide,tight
spend,spent
k(qu)Thesoundismadeatthebackofourmouthbypressingourtongueupagainstthesoftpalate,thenlettinggowithalittlepuffofair.Itisanunvoicedsound.
kkitekisskeykingkangarookitchenkettlekick
ququestionquarrelquiltquietqueenquarter
fvThesesoundshappenwhenweplaceourbottomliplightlyagainstourupperteeth,andpushairthroughthesmallspacebetweentheteethandthelip.Thefsoundisunvoiced,andthevsoundisvoiced.
leaf,leave
few,view
refuse,reviews
proof,prove
szThezsoundandssoundarearticulatedinthesameareaatthefrontofourmouthasthetsoundanddsound,atthetoothridge.Thetoothridgeisthatarearightbehindourupperfrontteeth.Thezsoundisvoiced,andthessoundisunvoiced.
ssunsofasilversinksignsoapsixseven
zzerozipperzoozebra
rWhenspeakingwiththeGeneralAmericanAccent,Americansusearhoticr,whichmeanswesayitinallpartsoftheword,includingwhenitoccursafteravowelsound.Thetipofthetonguemayberaisedorlowered,somepeoplebunchthetongueupinthecenterofthemouth,andsomebunchthetongueupatthebackofthemouth.Theimportantfeatureofcreatinganrsoundisthattheverybackofourtongue,actuallydowninourthroat,isconstricted.
rroperockrainbowroseringrugrabbit
hThatsoundcomesfromwaydowninmythroat.I'mrestrictingthespaceinmythroatjustalittlebitwhilepushingtheairout.
hear,ear
heat,eat
his,is
hitch,itch
hold,old
jItbeginswithwiththetongueinthesamepositionasdsound,withthetipofthetonguerightbehindtheupperfrontteeth.Thenthesoundgetsreleasedinthesameplaceinsidethemouth.Thearearightbehindthetipofthetongueissoneartothetoothridgethatfrictionhappens.
jjeweljamjacketjuicejumpjellyjeepjar
mWecreatethatsoundbypressingourlipstogether,thesameaswedoforthebsoundandpsound.
mmotheremptycomingfromcolumn
nWepressthetipofourtongueagainstthetoothridge.Weuseourtonguetocompletelyblocktheairfromleavingourmouth,andwepushtheairoutournose.
ntuneduneloonnoon
lThelsoundhappenswayatthefrontofourmouth,withourtonguetouchingthetoothridgeinthesameplacewetouchitforatsound.
play,pray
climb,crime
arrive,alive
wInEnglish,thewsoundiscreatedbymakingasmallcirclewithourlips,thenstickingthemoutenoughsotheydon'ttouchourteethandcausefriction.Thenwevoicethesound.
Vest,west;vine,wine;verse,worse.
二、有些辅音字母有多个发音。如：字母c后面接a，o，u的时候，c的发音与字母k发音相同，叫做“hardcsound”，当字母c后面接e，i，或y的时候，通常c的发音与字母s发音相同，叫做“softcsound”。有时在e或i前面，c会发/ʃ/音。字母g后面接a，o，u的时候，所发的音叫做“hardgsound”，当字母g后面接e，i，或y的时候，有时g的发音与字母j的发音相同，叫做“软g音”。x在单词中间或结尾时发ks音，在单词中间时有时发gz音，在单词起始位置时发z音。y在单词起始位置时发音为辅音y，单词或音节中间或结尾时被当做元音，在重读开音节里发长元音i-e，在重读闭音节里和词末发短元音i。
三、辅音字母组合的发音也是有规律可循的。常见的辅音字母组合有：tr-dr，发音时舌身与r相似，舌尖贴上齿龈后部，气流冲破阻碍发出短促的t-d后立刻发r。ck只发一个k的音，但是它经常出现在短元音的后面，ng的发音是舌头抵住上颚后方所发出的鼻音，n在k之前也是这样发音的。
duck
lucky
knuckle
truck
bucket
clock
rock
shock
locker
pocket
Tocreatethengsound,pressthebackofthetongueagainstthesoftpalate,and,here'stheweirdpart,lettheairleavethroughyournose.
ringing
bringing
singing
longing
pink
bank
shrink
drink
cranky
四、复合字母构成的单音。digraph是两个（或三个）辅音字母在一起只发一个音，通常指以下四种组合：ch（tch），sh，wh和th。
chItbeginswiththetongueinthesamepositionasthetsound,withthetipofthetonguerightbehindtheupperfrontteeth.Thenthesoundgetsreleasedinthesameplaceinsidethemouthastheshsound.Thearearightbehindthetipofthetongueissoneartothetoothridgethatfrictionhappens.
chokechumpetchlunchrichsearch
shTocreatetheshsoundwemakeourlipsroundedandplacethetipofourtonguenearthebackofthetoothridgeandpushairout.
she,shoe,fish,crash
thThetipofyourtonguehastobetouchingthebackofyourupperfrontteethwiththetipofthetonguewhilepushingairoutbetweenthetongueandthebonyridgebehindtheupperfrontteethfeatherleatherfathermotherbrother
thbathbathmatthreethumbthirstythiefmouthteeth
whWhenthewhisfollowedbyeitherthelongosoundortheoosound,thenthewordisusuallypronouncedwithanhsound,andonlyanhsound.
who
whom
whose
whole
Mostwhwords(exceptthosefollowedbythelongooroosound)inAmericanEnglisharepronouncedwithanunvoicedwsound.
what
when
why
which
whale
wheel
white
where,wear
which,witch
whether,weather
whale,wale
五、在有些辅音字母组合中，其中一个字母是不发音的。
mb中的b是不发音的。
climb
doubt
debt
bomb
l不发音的情况：
would
could
should
talk
walk
half
talk
gn中的g是不发音的。
campaign
design
在n、s、t前面，p是不发音的。
pneumaticpneumoniapsychologypsychologicalpsychologistpsychicpsychiatricpseudonym
在一些字里的h是不发音的。
hhonorheirherbhourhaute
在法语字源的字里，词尾的辅音字母是不发音的：
balletdepotfauxpas
六、英语里元音的发音比较复杂，每个元音都可以发多个音，掌握了元音的发音规律才能对整个单词的发音有比较准确的掌握。元音字母有五个：a，e，i，o，u，另外y在一个单词的中间或结尾时也被当做元音。每个单词里都包含有至少一个元音，元音是单词的“最强音”。元音所发的音取决于该元音在单词中的位置或它是如何与其它元音组合的。一般来说，如果五个元音字母中的任意一个后面紧接着一个或几个辅音字母，这个元音字母就处于重读闭音节中，发成短音。
shorta(shorta):add,after,bath,plan,crash
shorte(shorte):end,enter,bend,yes,dress
shorti(shorti):it,ill,gift,since,drip
shorto(shorto):odd,on,box,lot,rock
shortu(shortu):up,us,jump,luck,fun
七、如果一个单词以字母e结尾，前面的元音发长音，叫做重读相对开音节（magice）。如果一个元音是在一个单词或重读音节的结尾，该元音也发长音，叫做重读开音节，所谓长音就是元音字母的名字。
a-ecapenametape(Iwouldmentionthattheendofthelongahasaverybriefshortisoundattached.)
e-ethese
i-ebitefivekite(Thelongiisa2-soundvowelthatendinabriefshortisound.)
o-erosenoserope
u-etubecubeJune(Noticethatthelongusoundu-ebeginswithaverydistinctysound.)
八、当一个单词或音节里有两个元音时，通常第一个元音发长音，第二个元音不发音，叫做voweldigraph。
aitail尾巴rain下雨paint油漆pain疼痛jail监狱nail钉子rail铁轨maid仆人
aybay海湾ray射线way路say说hay干草pay付钱May五月lay放置
eereeds芦苇eel鳗鱼bee蜜蜂peel剥皮jeep吉普车feel感觉see看见teeth牙齿
easea海meat肉peanut核桃peach桃子eagle鹰leaf树叶pea豌豆
eykey钥匙
oaroad路toast土司toad蟾蜍coal煤goat山羊boat船coat上衣soap肥皂
owrainbow彩虹pillow枕头yellow黄的window窗口hollow中空的bowl碗row划low低的
Theshortoosoundisconsideredabackvowelbecausethesoundoccursintherearofthemouth,usingthebackofthetongue.
good
look
book
foot
cookie
Thelongoosoundiscreatedwiththebackofthetongueveryhigh,almostlikeahardgsound,butthebackofthetongueandthetopofthemouthdonotactuallytouch.Atthesametimeasthetongueishigh,thelipsaremadeintoasmall,tightcircle.
soon
moon
tooth
food
school
Theaw/ausoundiscreatedwiththelipsopenandrounded.Thejawopens,themiddleareaandtipofthetonguearepushedlow,andthebackofthetongueisraisedandpushedback.
law,l-a-w
draw,d-r-a-w
jaw,j-a-w
yawn,y-a-w-n
crawl,c-r-a-w-l
fault,f-a-u-l-t
haunt,h-a-u-n-t
cause,c-a-u-s-e
taught,t-a-u-g-h-t
caught,c-a-u-g-h-t
Theshorteaisnotjustalongeheldforlesstime.Theshapeofthetongueisactuallydifferent.Tocreatetheshorteasound,mytongueismuchlowerinmymouth,andisonlyslightlyroundedupward.
already
health
death
dead
read
ready
九、双元音是两个元音音素组合在一起的，所以听上去有两个音，尽管这两个音并不是两个元音所单独发出的。
Theoi/oysoundandtheou/owsound.Luckyforyou,theseareusuallyprettyeasysoundsforESLstudents.Theyareboth2-soundvowels,meaningtheyareacombinationofavowelsoundandashortoosoundorshortisound.Canyouheartheshortisoundattheendoftheoisound(oisound)?Howabouttheshortoosoundattheendoftheowsound(owsound)?
oisound(oisound):boy,moist,choice,toy,coin
owsound(owsound):brown,mouse,count,house,town
十、元音字母与字母r结合起来后，发卷舌元音。
WhenItalkaboutr-controlledvowels,Iamtalkingaboutvowelsoundsa,e,i,oanduthataresaiddifferentlybecausetheyarefollowedbytheletterr.Or,tosayitanotherway,thersoundchangesthewaywesaythevowelsoundbeforeit.
Whichsoundschangewhenbeforeanrsound?Oneoftheeasiesttohearisthearsound.Thisisusuallyspelledas"a"plus"r"asintheword"car".C-a-r.Saythearsoundalone(arsound).Now,ifyoulearnedaBritishpronunciationofEnglish,youwereprobablytaughtnottosaythersoundattheendoftheword"car"unlessthenextwordbeginswithavowelsound.IntheUnitedStates,wealwayssaythersound.Otherwordswiththearsoundarefarm,start,andsmart.Saythosewordsafterme.Farm.Start.Smart.
Thenextr-controlledvowelisthe"or"spelling,whichsoundslikeor.
Mostnon-nativespeakersunderstandandexpectthelongersoundinwordsspelleder,ir,andur,Tocreatethelongersound,thetonguearchesupwardtowardthebackofthehardpalate.Thebacksidesofthetonguecurveupwardandtouchthebackteeth,whilethecenterofthetongueremainslower.Thetipofthetonguemayturnupward,butitmustnottouchthetoothridge.
her
jerk
verb
concern
stir
girl
shirt
confirm
burn
turn
curl
return
十一、五个元音字母在非重读音节中发弱元音。
