Diploma in

Comprehensive
English for IELTS

How to Sound English

 Discuss rising and falling intonation

Apply sentence stress

Know commonly mispronounced sounds

Objectives
 Why are you here?

General skills
IELTS preparation
development
 IELTS skills

Speaking Writing Reading Listening

Intonation
Listen to my voice

I am looking for a cat-friendly apartment

to rent. Do you have any apartments
available?
Listen again

I am looking for a cat-friendly apartment

to rent. Do you have any apartments
available?
 Intonation:
The rise and fall
of the voice
 How does your voice sound
in your native language?
Question • Does it stay flat?
• Does it go up and down?
 Chinese/
Korean: English:
Mandarin:

• Monotone • Tone changes • Tone helps add

• Few tone changes meaning of words meaning, but is
• E.g., ma not essential
Tone in
different
languages
Why is intonation
important?
• Incorrect intonation leads to
misunderstandings
• Shows certainty or uncertainty
• Shows whether we’re done with our
speaking turn
• Rising and falling
Rising intonation
• Uncertainty
• Asking questions
• Don’t want to be interrupted
 Uncertainty

What is John’s job?

I’m not sure, but I think he’s a doctor.

Asking questions
Do you have a spare pen?
No interruptions
• When we speak for an extended period of time
• Would not like to be interrupted
• In the middle of completing a thought
Falling intonation
• Shows certainty
• Known facts

Examples:

• ‘I went to work today.’

• ‘The sky is blue.’
• ‘My cat is overweight.’
Stress in sentences
What is stress in
sentences?
• Emphasis
• Stronger than the rest of the
sentence
• Can change the whole meaning
Did you borrow my pen yesterday?
Did you borrow my pen yesterday?
Did you borrow my pen yesterday?
Did you borrow my pen yesterday?
Sarah likes you.
‘Who likes me?’

Sarah likes you.

‘How does Sarah feel about me?’

Sarah likes you.

Pronunciation
Why is pronunciation
important?
• Accent ≠ incorrect pronunciation
• Incorrect pronunciation means
saying something in the wrong way
• Leads to confusion
 Why is
pronunciation
important?

Quote Coat
Commonly
mispronounced
sounds
• Some English sounds don’t exist
in your native language
• First step is to become aware
/th/

This Think
This Think
Schwa: ‘uh’
The ‘uh’ sound sometimes present
in words
Examples:
• Chocolate
• Memory
• Family
• Animal
Never emphasised
 Chocolate Memory

‘Choc-uh-late’ ‘Mem-uh-ry’
/i/
Fit

Kit

Sip
 Number 1
Can you hear
the difference?
Number 2
Can you hear One long sound, one
the difference? short sound
Listen again

Fit Feet
Feet
(Longer sound)
Fit
(Shorter sound)
If you prolong
the vowel…

Feet
(longer sound)
Huge difference!

Fit Feet
/w/
Water

Wild

Wash
Which
pronunciation
is correct?
 Number 1
Can you hear
the difference?
Number 2
Which one is correct?
Number 1!
Don’t use your
teeth and bottom
lip to say /w/
Round your lips
when you say /w/
Silent letters
Examples:
• Often
• Wednesday
• Thumb
• Foreign
Often
• We don’t always pronounce the [t]
• Some people do pronounce the [t]
Wednesday
• Lots of letters not pronounced
• Sounds like ‘Wensday’
Thumb
We don’t pronounce the [b].
Foreign
• We don’t pronounce the [g].
• ‘I speak a foreign language.’
 Challenge

Read the following:

You are great at playing the piano!
How old were you when you
started? I wish I could play. Can
you teach me one day?
• Stress?
• Rising intonation?
• Falling intonation?
#IntonationAndStress