WORKSHEET – LESSON 1
Sound /æ/ as in cat
Name: Date:
---
🪞 1. MIRROR CHECK (Do this first!)
Action Done?
Open mouth wide (wider than Russian "а") ☐
Drop jaw down ☐
Tongue flat on the bottom ☐
Tongue tip touches lower teeth ☐
Lips relaxed (not rounded) ☐
Say /æ/ 5 times while looking in the mirror.
Is your mouth wide enough? ☐ Yes ☐ No
---
🔍 2. DISCOVER THE RULE YOURSELF!
Read these words aloud:
cat bat mat fat hat black happy lamp hand man
Answer:
1. What sound do you hear? (circle one)
Russian "А" / Something between А and Э / "Э"
2. Is the sound long or short? Long / Short
3. Do these words end with a vowel or a consonant? _________
---
Now compare:
| cat /kæt/ | cake /keɪk/ |
| hat /hæt/ | hate /heɪt/ |
| man /mæn/ | mane /meɪn/ |
Complete the rule:
| If A is followed by a consonant (cat) | → A sounds like /____/ |
| If A is followed by consonant + E (cake) | → A sounds like /____/ |
This is called closed syllable (cat) and open syllable (cake).
---
📝 3. PRACTICE: /æ/ or /eɪ/ ?
Word /æ/ or /eɪ/? Word /æ/ or /eɪ/?
bat ______ fate ______
cap ______ cape ______
mad ______ made ______
plan ______ plane ______
rat ______ rate ______
---
🗣️ 4. TONGUE TWISTERS
Repeat each 5 times. Start slow, then speed up.
✅ Tongue Twister
☐ A black cat sat on a mat.
☐ The fat cat sat on the black mat and ate a rat.
☐ Pat had a hat and a fat cat.
Circle all words with /æ/ in the second tongue twister.
---
📖 5. READ THE TEXT
“A fat cat sat on a black mat. The cat had a hat. The hat was flat. The cat was happy.”
1. Read aloud 3 times: slow → medium → fast
2. Underline all words with /æ/
3. Answer: Was the cat happy? _________
---
🎙️ 6. SELF-RECORDING
Record yourself on your phone (3 speeds: slow, medium, fast):
1. "A black cat sat on a mat."
2. "Pat had a hat and a fat cat."
Listen and answer:
Question Yes No
Was your mouth wide enough? ☐ ☐
Did /æ/ sound different from Russian "а"? ☐ ☐
Were all words clear? ☐ ☐
---
✏️ 7. WRITE YOUR OWN
Complete the sentences:
1. A _____ sat on the mat.
2. The _____ cat is very fat.
3. He is a _____ man.
4. She has a new _____.
---
📋 8. QUICK SELF-TEST
Word Circle if you hear /æ/
cat Yes / No
bed Yes / No
hat Yes / No
red Yes / No
black Yes / No
pen Yes / No
bag Yes / No
big Yes / No
How many correct? ____ / 8
---
📝 9. HOMEWORK (for next lesson)
# Task Done?
1 Learn 1 tongue twister by heart ☐
2 Record yourself (3 speeds) ☐
3 Listen and analyse your recording ☐
4 Find 5 new words with /æ/ ☐
---
🌟 10. MY PROGRESS
Skill Before (1–5) After (1–5)
Pronunciation _____ _____
Hearing /æ/ _____ _____
Confidence _____ _____
The rule I discovered today:
---
---
🎯 11. TEACHER'S NOTES
---
---
---
END
---
