“I wanted to go but couldn’t.” A series of ESL-derived exercises that decenter English. WORKBOOK by Jesse Chun

TONGUE RELAXATION EXERCISES

The tongue is very important when it comes to articulation of all kinds of sounds. So having a relaxed tongue that can move quickly and efficiently is a very good thing.

Let’s learn how to relax this very strong muscle.

Just how strong is the tongue?

Very.

It’s considered the strongest muscle in the body in relation to its size.

One way to see how strong it is is to put your pinky finger to the roof of your mouth, then pin the roof of your mouth with your tongue.



Like that.



Now, have a tongue versus pinky war.

If you're like me, your tongue wins every time, and your pinky hurts.

TONGUE RELAXATION PRACTICE Listen and follow. -:-- / -:--

CORRECT TONGUE MOVEMENTS Listen and repeat. -:-- / -:--

In the middle of the night, as most of New York slept, something big and bright lit up the Manhattan skyline for just seconds, a tightly kept secret to all but a handful of people. It was a tiny test for the huge public surprise four days later: the flipping of a switch at the Empire State Building to turn on its dancing new LED lights. They burst from the skyscraper while synchronized with R&B star Alicia Keys singing “Empire State of Mind” on nationwide radio.

What does Alicia Keys suggest the Empire State Building is a symbol of?



A way for Americans to have a landmark similar to other major global cities The iconic American capacity to push boundaries and break new ground in art and architecture Lights that are always on due to the number of New Yorkers who work night shifts That any person can use the new lights as a way to make a wish, as people do with other world landmarks