Detailed Review of Ship or Sheep - English Pronunciation Practice Book!

If you are looking for a book to improve your pronunciation, Ship or Sheep is definitely an excellent choice. With its well-designed and visually appealing content, accompanied by understandable illustrations, Ship or Sheep has attracted many learners. In the following article, PREP will help you understand the structure and content of the book in more detail.

I. Introduction to the Ship or Sheep coursebook

1. General Information

Ship or Sheep is a popular English learning resource used to improve pronunciation skills. The book was written by Ann Baker, a renowned author in the field of English language teaching, especially for those who have a non-native background.

First published in 1989, Ship or Sheep quickly became a valuable resource for English learners worldwide. The book focuses on improving accurate pronunciation skills and helping learners overcome common difficulties in pronouncing vocabulary and phrases. Ship or Sheep provides learners with a series of pronunciation exercises ranging from simple to complex, helping them practice and master the accurate pronunciation of consonants and vowels.

2. Targeted learners of Ship or Sheep

The Ship or Sheep book is suitable for various English learners, including:

• Basic English learners: For those who already have a basic vocabulary and knowledge of English, Ship or Sheep will help them improve their pronunciation skills, and speak more clearly and understandably in communication.
• Intermediate and advanced English learners: Even with higher proficiency levels, practicing correct pronunciation is still an important step in enhancing English language usage and communication skills. Therefore, individuals with an intermediate or advanced level of English should also use the Ship or Sheep book.
• English learners aiming to improve pronunciation: This book is for individuals who are in the process of learning English and want to focus on improving pronunciation and speaking skills. It provides in-depth exercises to help them make progress.
• English teachers and instructors: English teachers can use Ship or Sheep as supplementary material in teaching pronunciation to their students.
• English learners for work or travel communication: For individuals who need to use English for work or when traveling, Ship or Sheep is one of the standard resources to help them feel more confident in their communication abilities.

The Ship or Sheep book primarily focuses on pronunciation skills and is intended for those who want to develop accurate and standard English speaking abilities. If you belong to any of these target groups, quickly download the book and start learning!

II. Content Structure of the Ship or Sheep Book

Similar to Tree or Three that Prep reviewed in the previous article, Ship or Sheep consists of an appendix and the main content. The book focuses on how to pronounce syllables in English. To learn more, you can check the detailed table below!

III. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Ship or Sheep Book

Prep will provide the advantages and disadvantages of Ship or Sheep to help you leverage its strengths and avoid its limitations!

1. Advantages

Advantages of the Ship or Sheep book:

• Focus on pronunciation skills: Ship or Sheep specializes in and focuses on improving learners' pronunciation skills. This helps them enhance this important aspect that many other English learning materials cannot achieve.
• Provide diverse exercises: Ship or Sheep offers a range of pronunciation exercises, from simple to complex, helping learners progress step by step and reinforce their knowledge.
• Detailed instructions: Ship or Sheep comes with detailed instructions and illustrative examples, which helps readers understand how to correctly pronounce consonants and vowels.
• Easy to understand and practical: Ship or Sheep is written in an easily understandable manner and is suitable for the practical needs of learners. The book focuses on common and everyday pronunciation aspects in English.

2. Disadvantages

Disadvantages of the Ship or Sheep book:

• Limited in scope: Ship or Sheep primarily focuses on pronunciation skills and does not include much content on grammar or vocabulary. Therefore, if you are looking for a book to learn vocabulary or grammar, Ship or Sheep may not be the best choice.
• Lack of interaction and speaking practice: Ship or Sheep mainly consists of written and reading exercises, lacking interactive and real-world speaking practice.
• Suitable for basic to intermediate English learners: For individuals with higher proficiency in English, this book may be too easy for their level, and they may need to seek out materials that are more suitable for their proficiency level.

Overall, Ship or Sheep is an effective pronunciation learning resource for learners at the basic to intermediate level of English. It is particularly valuable for those who want to improve their pronunciation skills.

IV. Effective Ways to Study Ship or Sheep

How can you effectively use this book? Let's explore some study methods for Ship or Sheep below with Prep!

1. Allocate a suitable schedule

The structure of the book will guide you on how to pronounce vowels, and consonants, including the following sections: 

• Target sound
• Sound
• Dialogue
• Intonation of questions
• Spelling

The knowledge in Ship or Sheep is presented logically, accompanied by illustrative images. Therefore, you can study one sound in about 30 minutes if you are truly focused. Allocate one hour each day to study two sounds for the best results!

However, this depends on each individual's schedule, so you should balance your study time. Just strive to maintain regular daily study, and you will quickly develop your speaking ability.

2. Practice pronunciation along with listening skills

Speaking and listening are two complementary skills. If you are practicing speaking through Ship or Sheep, combining it with reviewing listening skills will greatly enhance your progress. When practicing listening, try to imitate the accent of characters in radio, podcasts, films, etc., to quickly develop the habit of speaking English fluently and naturally like a native speaker.

Below are some PREP’s suggestions on some English animated movies based on difficulty levels:

3. Find a study partner to improve your speaking skills

Speaking is a skill that requires a study partner to practice because its essence involves conversation, communication, and discussion. While you can still self-study on your own, having a partner is essential to make rapid progress and achieve fluent and natural conversational skills.

If you haven't found a study partner yet, you can visit the Virtual Speaking Room (VSR) by Prep. When practicing speaking with VSR, you can receive genuine feedback on pronunciation errors, word usage, and accurate speech delivery.

"Practice Speaking with Partner 9.0 IELTS. Self-study but not alone" - this is the slogan of VSR. Visit the Virtual Speaking Room from Prep, and you will undoubtedly have a great experience. The room may be virtual, but the knowledge is real!

V. Where to Buy Ship or Sheep Book?

Currently, there are many low-quality versions of the Ship or Sheep book on the market, so you need to be careful when purchasing. Below, Prep has compiled reputable online sources where you can buy the book. Take a look!

Additionally, Prep provides a link to download the Ship or Sheep eBook + CD so you can download it and start learning right away.

In this article, Prep has provided a detailed review of the Ship or Sheep book - an extremely popular pronunciation-learning resource. If you would like to learn more about any other book, please leave a comment, and Prep will provide an article as soon as possible. Wishing you the ability to communicate fluently like a native speaker!