Developing

Pronunciation

Learning Enhancement Team

LET@mdx.ac.uk
Developing Pronunciation:

‘I can’t understand other people’ Session Aims

— To understand what connected speech is

— To understand what techniques to employ
— To find out about different varieties of English
— To discuss accent and identity

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What is connected speech?
Aspects of connected speech include:
1. Weak forms of non-essential words
For example: and, of, have, should, etc.
2. Intrusion and linking: adding another sound to help the flow between words
For example: “I want to /w/ eat”, “I /j/ agree”, “Law /r/and order”, etc.
3. Elision: not pronouncing some sounds
For example: /t/ and /d/ at the end of words
4. Assimilation: changing the pronunciation of sounds for ease of flow
For example: /nd/ + /b/ = /mb/ “handbag” becomes “ham-bag”
/nd/ + /p/ = /mb/ “grandpa” becomes “gram-pa”

We will go on to understand and practice each of these aspects in this session

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Connected speech in the written form
The way we speak is different to how we write.

What does this say? Can you say it out load?

Ifwordswereprintedwithoutspacesbetweenthemtheywouldbepre
ttytoughtoread.

Listening to other people is often like reading a sentence without

spaces: complicated and needs time.

Now we will look at how to help with connected speech.

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Weak forms of non-essential words
Can you remember the examples?

• And: a chair and a table (a chair ´n a table)

• Of: a couple of workshops
• Have: Have you finished?
• Should: Well, you should have told me.

Practice:
Listen to BBC headline stories:
1. Write down the headline story.
2. How many words can you hear in the first story?
3. What words are weak when you listen again?
4. Read aloud the headlines stressing the weak forms. Does this sound right?
5. Read aloud the sentences with weak forms. Does this sound better?

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Intrusion and linking
Can you remember the explanation/examples?

Explanation: adding another sound to help the flow between words

Examples:
• /w/: “I want to /w/ eat”
• /j/: “I /j/ agree”
• /r/: “Law /r/and order”

Practice:
Link maze activity

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Elision: not pronouncing some sounds
Why do you think /t/ and /d/ are elided?

• Between a consonant cluster: Chris(t)mas, san(d)wich

• Part of word boundaries: mus(t) be, the firs(t) three

Can you think of another sound that becomes elided?

The schwa /ә/: int(e)resting, sim(i)lar

Practice:
1. Can you come up with more examples for each rule?
2. Listen again to the BBC headline stories.
Can you identify any examples of elision?

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Assimilation
This is when there is a change in the pronunciation of sounds for ease of flow.

Can you remember the examples for /nd/ and two other sounds?
Examples:
• /nd/ + /b/ = /mb/ : “handbag” becomes “ham-bag”
• /nd/ + /p/ = /mp/: “grandpa” becomes “gram-pa”

Practice:
Where do you think assimilation would occur, and why, in these examples?

1. Make sure everything’s in place, in case they arrive early.

2. Instead of taking the bus, let’s walk through Green Park and Hyde Park.
3. What would you prefer?
4. I spend half the year in Paris and the rest in Berlin.
5. Don’t you want to go out now?

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Assimilation answers and explanations
1. Make sure everything’s in place, in case they arrive early.
in place: /n/ + /p/ = /mp/ im-place
in case: /n/ + /k/ = /ŋk/ ing-case
2. Instead of taking the bus, let’s walk through Green Park and Hyde Park.
Green Park: /n/ + /p/ = /mp/ Greem-park

3. What would you prefer?

would you /d/ + /j/ = /ʤ/ wu-jew

4. I spend half the year in Paris and the rest in Berlin.

in Paris: /n/ + /p/ = /mp/ im-Paris
in Berlin: /n/ + /b/ = /ŋk/ im-Berlin
5. Don’t you want to go now?
Don’t you /t/ + /j/ = /ʧ/ Dough-chew

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Phonemic chart apps
We have used some phonemic chart symbols in this session.
Here are some links to practice those symbols and other sounds:

― British Council
― “Sounds Right”
― iPad App only

― Hear three words for each sound of the chart

— Macmillan Publishing
— “Sounds: The Pronunciation App”
— Android and iPhone

— Hear one word for each sounds of the chart

— For a fee get practice activities

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Phonemic Chart

Vowels
Consonants

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How can understanding connected speech help you?

1. Can you remember the four key aspects of connected speech?

2. Which aspect(s) do you think you need to work on?

3. Can you remember how we practiced that aspect?

4. What else do you think you should do?

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Looking at the big picture of pronunciation
Discuss and consider the following:

— different varieties of English

— accent and identity

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You and Pronunciation
What do you think about the following important questions when
discussing pronunciation. Discuss with your partner:

1. Do you want to ‘lose’ your accent? Is it even possible?

2. How does your language represent you?
3. Who decides what is right or wrong?
4. What does ‘intelligibility’ mean? Why is it relevant?
5. Do we use the same language in every situation – how do we
talk to our friends? A police officer? A doctor?

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 Kachru’s Circles
Outer Circle:
India, Singapore, some African countries..
Post-colonial
Inner Circle: English as an official / second language
UK, USA, Australia, Canada..
Traditionally monolingual
‘Native’ accent

Expanding Circle:
China, Russia,
South America,
Asia, EU…
Learning English
as a foreign
language
Business English
Other varieties

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Target & Expectation
There are a number of factors to consider when thinking about
pronunciation. For example:

― What is desirable socio-culturally?

 Where/how/in what context will you use English?

― What is achievable physically?

• What is your native language?

• How does it differ from English?

― Think about aiming for ‘mutual intelligibility’?

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Where now?
— Need more detailed assistance? Book a tutorial!
— Want feedback on a specific section? Drop in to Get Your Assignment
Ready!
— Want somewhere quiet to write, and get on the spot assistance? Try The
Writing Space!
— Got a few quick questions? AWL Office Hours at [The Study Hub] are for
you!
— AWL Open Workshops can be booked here!
• Suggestions:
– Using Your Voice Effectively
– How To Give Presentations

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Developing Pronunciation

“I can’t understand other people” Session

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