Making pronunciation exercises more meaningful. Session agenda Why teach pronunciation? Connected speech / suprasegmental features Rhythm Stress Intonation.

Making pronunciation Making pronunciation exercises more meaningfulexercises more meaningful

Session agendaSession agenda• Why teach pronunciation?

• Connected speech / suprasegmental features

• Rhythm

• Stress

• Intonation

• Elision

Why teach pronunciation?Why teach pronunciation?• Avoids problems related to L1 influence

• Avoids misuderstandings

• Helps in accuracy and comprehension

• Improves listening

Why teach pronunciation?Why teach pronunciation?“Integrating pronunciation teaching fully with the study of grammatical and lexical features has the further incremental benefit that learners will increasingly appreciate the significance of pronunciation in determining successful communication.”

Kelly, Gerald: How to Teach Pronunciation

Connected speechConnected speech• Goes beyond the pronunciation of Goes beyond the pronunciation of

single soundssingle sounds

• Covers how the pronunciation of Covers how the pronunciation of different utterances interact with each different utterances interact with each otherother

• Refers to real-life communicationRefers to real-life communication

• Might change the “dictionary” Might change the “dictionary” pronunciation of wordspronunciation of words

Suprasegmental FeaturesSuprasegmental Features• It has to do with sentence-level It has to do with sentence-level

pronunciation (Check Thorbury’s “A-pronunciation (Check Thorbury’s “A-Z”)Z”)

Connected speechConnected speech“… “… refers to the way that speech refers to the way that speech

sounds are produced as part of sounds are produced as part of a continuous sequence, rather a continuous sequence, rather than in isolation”than in isolation”

Thornbury, Scott: An A-Z of ELTThornbury, Scott: An A-Z of ELT

RhythmRhythm

Stressed-timed languageStressed-timed language

Vs.Vs.

Syllable-timed languageSyllable-timed language

You and then it’s me and then it’s him and then it’s her

they LIVE in an OLD HOUSE

they LIVE in a NICE OLD HOUSE

they LIVE in a LOVEly OLD HOUSE

they’ve been LIVing

in a deLIGHTful OLD HOUSE

they’ve been LIVing

in a deLIGHTful OLD COTTage

they’ve been LIVing

in a deLIGHTful vicTORian COTTage

Order of Adjectives

(Connexion 1 – Lesson 5C)

StressStress

Word & Sentence StressWord & Sentence Stress

Intelligibility (the “surprise” technique – Intelligibility (the “surprise” technique – all levels)all levels)

Nouns & Verbs: IMport (n) / imPORT Nouns & Verbs: IMport (n) / imPORT (v) (Conn. 4)(v) (Conn. 4)

Full vs Weak formsFull vs Weak forms““She can swim faster than I can”She can swim faster than I can”

““She’s from Scotland. Where are you from?”She’s from Scotland. Where are you from?”

Word Stress

Functional / content words Functional / content words

I didn`t say he stole the moneyI didn`t say he stole the money

Sentence Stress

I I love love you (... and I want you to know this)you (... and I want you to know this)

I love I love youyou (I don’t love her) (I don’t love her)

II love you (He doesn’t!) love you (He doesn’t!)

Framework 4Framework 4

Student A Student B

It’s a pity you weren’t at the party. I WAS at the party.

Did you say you were at the barbecue?

I was at the PARty.

Did you say Enrico was at the party? I was at the party.

My old sister doesn’t live with my football coach

Intonation

IntonationExpressing attitudes: the gift game

I agree

I agree, but...

Please, tell me more!

I really couldn’t agree more!

I’m bored, not interested...

mmm

It’s 8 O’clockIt’s time to go home!

It’s time to go to work...Our holiday starts now!

We got married last year at this same time...

His surgery is starting now.My girlfriend has finally arrived from her

trip! I miss her so much!The funeral is starting

ElisionElision“Denda”

It rains a lot in Brazil...

ElisionExamples of elision

Complex consonant clusters:

- She acts like she owns the place

Schwa can disappear in unstressed syllables:

- I think you should call the police

-/v/ can disappear in of before consonants:

- It’s a complete waste of time!

Most common elision: /t/ and /d/ Most common elision: /t/ and /d/ within a consonant clusterwithin a consonant cluster

• Simple pastSimple past

I work today / I worked todayI work today / I worked today

• SuperlativesSuperlatives

The tallest building / The biggest carThe tallest building / The biggest car

Questions anyone?

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