THTR10019 Clear Speech and Communication Week 5 Worksheet

WEEK 5
How to articulate more clearly and accurately?
1. Uncertainty of the correct pronunciation of the word
2. Pace (too quick) or mumbling  Longer deeper breaths. Lengthen the vowel sounds.
3. Tight, inflexible articulators (lips, tongue, jaw)  Tongue-stretch; trills; lip trills.
Massage the muscles around your face, head, neck.
Pitch vs Intonation
- Linking sounds
- How to speak only the vowels without consonants  Tongue does not touch the
pallete.

Exercise 1: Connected Speech – Linking Sounds

Word 1 sound ending Linking sound Word 2 starting sound Result
/ɪ/ or /iː/ Vowel
E.g. high /haɪ/ E.g. up /ʌp/
/ʊ/ or /uː/ Vowel
E.g. do /duː/ E.g. it /ɪt/
/t/ /j/
E.g. didn’t /dɪdnt/ E.g. you /juː/
/d/ /j/
E.g. did /dɪd/ E.g. you /juː/

Read the following phrases aloud and identify what the linking sound for each phrase is.
stay [ ] up every [ ] afternoon say [ ] aloud

do [ ] it show [ ] up could [ ] you

go [ ] away try [ ] again grow [ ] up

the [ ] end you [ ] are way [ ] out

© Mark Wong 2020

THTR10019 Clear Speech and Communication Week 5 Worksheet

did [ ] you didn’t [ ] you mind [ ] you

Exercise 2: Speaking Practice (I)

Read the following sentences and determine where and what the linking sounds are.
1. How are you? (1)

2. You can do it! (1)

3. Did you attend yesterday’s lecture? (2)

4. The apple pie I had yesterday was simply amazing! (3)

5. They absolutely enjoyed last night’s concert! (2)

6. Why are you always late for class? (2)

7. They will only let you leave if you tell them the truth. (1)

Exercise 3: Speaking Practice (II) – Word & Sentence Stress Revision

The following excerpt is the Stanford Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs on July 12, 2005. Read
the speech aloud and select words in each sentence that can be stressed to further highlight and emphasize the
deeper meaning and intention of the speech. The full transcript and video of the speech can be accessed via this
link: https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/

[…]

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living
with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner
voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know
what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the
bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and
he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960s, before personal computers and desktop
publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in
paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: It was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great
notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course,
they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a
photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so
© Mark Wong 2020
THTR10019 Clear Speech and Communication Week 5 Worksheet

adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they
signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to
begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Exercise 4: Speaking Practice (III) – Aesop’s Fables

Story 1: The Lion & the Mouse

A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him
unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the
Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.

"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you."

The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally
let the Mouse go.

Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net.
Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly
found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until
it parted, and soon the Lion was free.

"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help
a Lion."

Lesson: A kindness is never wasted.

© Mark Wong 2020

THTR10019 Clear Speech and Communication Week 5 Worksheet

Story 2: The Fox & the Grapes

A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the branches of a
tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox's mouth watered as he gazed longingly at
them.

The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it
by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once
more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.

Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.

"What a fool I am," he said. "Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are not
worth gaping for."

And off he walked very, very scornfully.

Lesson: There are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach.

Story 3: The Crow & the Pitcher

In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher
with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the
Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst.

Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one.
With each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it was near enough so he could drink.

Lesson: In a pinch a good use of our wits may help us out.

Story 4: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

A certain Wolf could not get enough to eat because of the watchfulness of the Shepherds. But one night
he found a sheep skin that had been cast aside and forgotten. The next day, dressed in the skin, the Wolf
strolled into the pasture with the Sheep. Soon a little Lamb was following him about and was quickly led
away to slaughter.

That evening the Wolf entered the fold with the flock. But it happened that the Shepherd took a fancy for
mutton broth that very evening, and, picking up a knife, went to the fold. There the first he laid hands on
and killed was the Wolf.

Lesson: The evil doer often comes to harm through his own deceit.

© Mark Wong 2020

THTR10019 Clear Speech and Communication Week 5 Worksheet

Story 5: The Dog & His Reflection

A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as fast as he could go.
As he crossed a narrow footbridge, he happened to look down and saw himself reflected in the quiet water
as if in a mirror. But the greedy Dog thought he saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his
own.

If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But instead of thinking, he dropped his bone and
sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for dear life to reach the shore. At last he
managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized
what a stupid Dog he had been.

Lesson: It is very foolish to be greedy.

Exercise 5: Speaking Practice (IV)

In small groups, take turns to share each other’s topic with the rest of the group. The speaker will need to
reveal his/her chosen topic and explain why they have chosen it.

© Mark Wong 2020