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Listening To Connected Speech PDF
Listening To Connected Speech PDF
Aims
• to learn about the pronunciation of connected speech and how this can make listening
more difficult for learners
• to learn about techniques for helping learners to understand connected speech
Materials required
None
Appropriate for
Experienced teachers
Learners often find it difficult to recognise words and expressions when listening. One reason
for this is that words often change their pronunciation in fast, natural connected speech. Here
are some examples:
Problem Examples
1. Many grammar words have two possible • I’m a teacher. a = /ǝ/
pronunciations: ‘strong’ and ‘weak’. The
• Are you ready? are = /ǝ/, you = /jǝ/
weak forms are much more common in
• a cup of tea a = /ǝ/, of = /ǝv/ or /ǝ/
everyday speech and they usually use a /ǝ/
2. Speakers often join words together to • went in /wen.tɪn/ sounds like when tin.
make new syllables. This often happens
• make up /meɪ.kʌp/ sounds like may
when one word ends in a consonant and
cup.
the next words starts with a vowel. This is
• baked apple /beɪk.dæpl/ sounds like
called linking.
bake dapple.
3. Speakers sometimes add sounds • the_/j/_opera
between words to make them easier to say. • area_/r/_office
This often happens when one word ends in • no_/w/_idea
a vowel and the next word starts with a
vowel. This is called intrusion.
4. Speakers sometimes leave out sounds, • looked nice is pronounced without the
in particular /t/ and /d/, when they’re /t/ at the end of looked (so it sounds
between two other consonants. This is the same as look).
called elision. • can’t see is pronounced without the /t/
at the end of can’t.
• oldest friend is pronounced without the
/t/ at the end of oldest.
forms. For example, when we say of, we don’t say /ov/ , we say /ǝv/ or /ǝ/.
• If you want, you can ask learners to practise reading the extract aloud with weak forms –
but remember, the most important thing is for learners to be aware of weak forms so that
they can hear them more easily when listening in future.
Further reading
Brown, G., (1990), Listening to Spoken English (second edition), Pearson Education – chapter 4.
Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D.M., Goodwin, J.M., (2010) Teaching Pronunciation, Cambridge
University Press – chapters 5, 7.
Dalton, C., Seidlhofer, B., (1994) Pronunciation, Oxford University Press, chapters 3, 9.
Field, J., (2008) Listening in the Language Classroom, Cambridge University Press – chapters 9,
10.