How a Chemist Gets a Reaction From a Class of English Learners

David Bennett taught science at a boys' school. Now he helps adults improve their American English. Also, advice about learning the language.
02 December 2007

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Correction attached

TEACHER: "OK."
STUDENTS: "The tip of the tongue to the teeth."
TEACHER: "Uh-huh, it's also a bit of a tongue twister."

STUDENTS: "Wake. Wake."

STUDENTS: "Wall."
DAVID BENNETT: "Wall, yes. What's the next one?"
STUDENTS: "Walk."
DAVID BENNETT: "Walk, yes walk."
ONE STUDENT: "Walk."
DAVID BENNETT: "Walk. There's no L sound in it at all. It's just walk. OK."
ONE STUDENT: "Warm."
ALL: " Warm"
DAVID BENNETT: "The room's warm. Warm. Warm. A duck has feet that are, that have, a web. Or a spider makes a web."

Correction: Nine-year-old Ukyeon Cho was misidentified in this story as Ukyeon Kim.