01 English Pronunciation Workshop Anita L. Maloney, MSCCC/SLP [email protected].

01

English Pronunciation

WorkshopAnita L. Maloney, MSCCC/[email protected]

Agenda 1. Counting Syllables

2. Mouth Yoga

3. STRESS

4. Words and Sentences

01

Mouth Yoga!

TAKE NOTES!!!

Can you count syllables?

The longer the word the more syllables there are.

A syllable is a basic unit of speech generally containing only one vowel sound. The vowel may stand alone, have a consonant in front of it and/or have a consonant at the end.

For Example:

Vowel - 2 syllables VO - WELConsonant - 3 syllables CON - SO - NANTSpeech - 1 syllable SPEECHAccent - 2 syllables AC - CENT

Let the Games Begin

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

TOGETHER WE ARE ONE

SIMILARITIESWE ALL SPEAK.

WE ALL HAVE A UNIQUE VOICE.WE ALL HAVE A UNIQUE STYLE.

WE ALL WANT TO COMMUNICATE.

EVEN IF WE SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE ALL OF THE ABOVE IS TRUE.

AN ACCENT IS WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE.AN ACCENT IS YOUR SONG OR MELODY.

DIFFERENCES

ENGLISH IS NOT A PHONETIC BASED LANGUAGE.

ENGLISH IS A STRESS BASED LANGUAGE.

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS STRESSED.

ENGLISH HAS MANY INCONSISTENCIES.

WHAT IS STRESS ?STRESS when speaking is what we give emphasis or importance to.

At the single word level and single syllable level there is stress only in one place or on the whole word.

For Example:

CatMilkReadWriteRunPlay

Stress at the word level is generally on the first syllable of the word. This is due to the Germanic language base to English. However, due to other language influences such as French, Latin, Greek, etcetera,

the stress in an English word may vary.

eager engineer Egyptian unique

Suffixes create movement of

stress or a change in the

melody/rhythm of the word.

Examples of suffixes creating movement of stress.

democrat democratic democracyempath empathicempathy empatheticsympathy sympatheticphotograph photographic photography

For two syllable words, the stress is at the beginning for NOUNS

and ADJECTIVES and on the second syllable in VERBS

For words with suffixes* (-er, -est or -es, -ed, -ly, -ite), the stress

usually stays with the first syllable

Also for words with -ia, -ial, -ible, -ify, -logy, -ify, -ual, the stress

stays with the first syllable

For suffixes* -ate, -ize, -ist and –ous, the stress is on the second

syllable before the suffix (amputate, mysterious congratulate)

The stress is before the suffix* -ic as in optic, electric, basic

Suffixes* -tion, -ian, -ity create stress in the syllable before

(vacation, librarian, necessity)

*suffix - a word ending**prefix - a syllable or sound at the beginning of the word

Tips at the word level

EXAMPLES OF NOUN VS. VERB STRESS IN 2 SYLLABLE WORDS REVIEW

SUSPECT SUSPECT

CONFLICT

PROJECT

PERMIT

PRESENT PRESENT

PROJECT

CONFLICT

PERMIT

NOUNS VERBS

Let the Games Begin

COMPOUND WORDS

STRESS THE FIRST WORD

Let the Games Begin

EXAMPLES OF OTHER COMPOUND WORDS

Remember that the stress is on the first word in compound words. Compound words can be written as one word or in two words or with a hyphen.

Peanut ButterPost OfficeReal EstateFull MoonHalf Sister

Attorney GeneralDaughter-in-lawmass-produced

six-year-old

01

All languages have their own melody or rhythm. Listen…

REMEMBER YOU HAVE YOUROWN UNIQUE MELODY

WHEN SPEAKING.

TAKE NOTES!!!

The Music of Sentences

Stress in sentences = INFORMATION WORDS - Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, NegativesINFORMATION WORDS ANSWER THE QUESTIONS: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW.

Articles, pronouns, possessives, prepositions, auxiliary verbs and conjunctions are function words.

Unstressed words

EXAMPLES OF MESSAGES

I AM GOING TO COLLEGE NEXT YEAR.

MY SISTER IS PREGNANT.

MY BROTHER IS GETTING MARRIED NEXT YEAR.

I MISSED MY FLIGHT AND NEED YOU TO CALL ME.

THE TEACHER SAID THERE IS A QUIZ TOMORROW ON CHAPTER 22.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT?

I’m leaving on Monday and will be on vacation until Friday.

I need you to pick me up at school at 4:00 PM in front of the back gate.

The doctor called to cancel your appointment.

I feel sick and need a ride to the doctor.

Joe is not coming to the meeting because he is sick.

What’s important

?The messenger decides.

WHERE IS THE STRESS?

I never said I saw him take the money.

I never said I saw him take the money.

I never said I saw him take the money.

I never said I saw him take the money.

I never said I saw him take the money.I never said I saw him take the money.

I never said I saw him take the money.

I never said I saw him take the money.I never said I saw him take the money.

SUMMARY

1.WE EACH HAVE A UNIQUE EXPRESSION.

2.THIS EXPRESSION INCLUDES OUR VOICE.

3.THIS EXPRESSION INCLUDES OUR PRONOUNCIATION.

4.ENGLISH IS A STRESS BASED LANGUAGE.

5.ENGLISH IS DIRECT.

6.ENGLISH HAS MANY EXCEPTIONS EVEN WITH PRONUNCIATION.

7. USUALLY THE FIRST SYLLABLE IS STRESSED.

8. USUALLY THE CONTENT WORDS ARE STRESSED.

CONCLUSIONS

You have already improved your pronunciation as an English speaker by completing this workshop. KEEP PRACTICING!