andrea taylor and sean cavicchi pronunciation …pronunciation – the big picture andrea taylor and...

PRONUNCIATION – THE BIG PICTURE

Andrea Taylor and Sean Cavicchi

Why do we believe this is important for our students?

• Immigrants wanting to settle and integrate in

Nova Scotia

• Immigrants working in Nova Scotia

• Realities of listening and speaking in day to

day life

The goal of speaking naturally and fluently: realistic for learners?

• Like learning a new language (again)

• Overcoming the stigma of “bad English”

• Motivation

• Patterns can be reassuring

Setting our learners up for success

• Individual sounds (specific to student)

• Knowledge is empowering

• Communication breakdowns

• Strategies

• Improving listening comprehension

What are suprasegmentals?

(Source: dailycartoonist.com)

What are suprasegmentals?

• A speech feature such as stress, tone or word juncture that accompanies or is added over consonants and vowels

• Not limited to single sounds but often extend over syllables, words, or phrases

(Source: www.britannica.com)

Why should we teach suprasegmentals in our classrooms?

• Realities of spoken English

• Coping with conversation breakdowns

• Confidence

• Fun

What is prosody?

(Source: itre.cis.upenn.edu)

What is prosody?

• The rhythmic and intonational aspect of

language

• Musical signals

• Rhythm and melody, including intonation

(Gilbert, 2008)

• Aural “road signs” to help listeners

Win a new toy Yoda versus a new Toyota

Why should we teach prosody in our classrooms?

• Realities of spoken English

• Revisiting learned vocabulary

• Understanding

• Confidence

• Fun

Promoting learner autonomy

• Listening in real life

• Accessing materials easily

Emphasis/content words

• Please click the link below

http://youtu.be/xcUYuGdaC_k

Activity for teaching focus/content words: lower level

• Using pictures to illustrate how stress changes meaning: “John loves me.”

Activities for teaching focus/content words: upper level

• Finding patterns

Finding patterns

Identify the emphasis patterns. Below are two different conversations that illustrate a common rule. Why does person A highlight different information in her second sentence? A: Liljana lost her key. B: Who lost her key? A: Liljana lost her key. A: The manager’s position was given to Ulrike. B: What position was given to Ulrike? A: The manager’s position.

Finding patterns

Below are two more conversations that illustrate another common rule. Why does person B highlight different information in the second sentence?

A: I think the boss is away on holidays next week.

B: No. I heard the boss was on holidays this week.

A: Don’t forget that we have a meeting at twelve o’clock.

B: I thought our meeting was at one o’clock.

Finding patterns

Below are two more conversations that illustrate another common rule. Why does person B highlight different information in the second sentence?

A: That was a marvelous presentation.

B: That was a marvelous presentation.

A: That sounds like a great idea!

B: That does sound like a great idea!

Finding patterns

Below is a conversation that illustrates another common rule. Why do both people highlight different information in the second sentence?

A: I need to borrow some pens.

B: How many pens?

A: Well, not too many pens.

B: I have ten you can have.

A: Well, I only need eight. Thanks.

Read each sentence aloud and give strong emphasis to the word in italics. Match each sentence with its meaning.

1. I said she might consider a new

haircut. 2. I said she might consider a new

haircut. 3. I said she might consider a new

haircut. 4. I said she might consider a new

haircut. 5. I said she might consider a new

haircut. 6. I said she might consider a new

haircut. 7. I said she might consider a new

haircut. 8. I said she might consider a new

haircut.

a. Not just a haircut. b. It's a possibility. c. It was my idea. d. Not something else. e. Don't you understand me? f. Not another person. g. She should think about it. It’s a good

idea.

Clear Speaking online: Emphasis

Clear Speaking online: Emphasis

Thought groups (take a breath!)

• Please click on the link below

http://youtu.be/IqfO_1KM2NE

Activities for teaching thought groups: lower level

• Use music with repetitive lyrics: “Happy Together” by The Turtles

• Read a simple text aloud and have students mark thought groups

• Use simple, common number combinations to emphasize the importance of thought groups and how they sound (phone numbers, credit card numbers etc.)

Thought groups: lower level activity

Read the sequences of numbers naturally.

1. 902-555-6178

2. 1-800-555-6178

3. 4519 01 00618820 02

4. 02/17

5. 134 376 629

Activities for teaching thought groups: upper level

• Use song lyrics and music

• Use authentic conversations, mark thought groups and discuss meaning

• Use number/letter combinations to emphasize the importance of thought groups (especially over the phone!)

Activities for teaching thought groups: upper level

• Use common number/letter combinations to emphasize the importance of thought groups and how they sound (phone numbers, credit card numbers etc.)

1. PURCH010188005

2. 134 376 629

3. 0008 944 268

4. 7 11302779

5. February 6, 2011

Clear Speaking online: Thought groups

Clear Speaking online: Thought groups

Using authentic materials: real-life conversations

• Writing dialogues

• Transcribing dialogues

• Radio programs

• Television shows

• Commercials

Accessing samples of real life conversations:

• English in the Workplace dialogues at ISIS (lower

& upper levels)

• “Whaddaya Say” dialogues

• Using a digital recorder

• Rachel’s English: Imitation exercises,

“Contractversation” and “Real Life”

Rachel’s English: www.rachelsenglish.com

• Melody podcast: “Musical Language”

www.rachelsenglish.com/videos/podcast-

musical-language

Rachel’s Imitation

• Natural speech patterns

• Targeted repetition

• Imitating sounds vs. listening for words and

meaning

• Focus on pitch, melody and rhythm

Rachel’s Contractversations

• Writing vs. speaking: how to sound natural

and fluent

• Contractions and reductions in workplace and

everyday conversations

Rachel’s Real Life

• Accessing samples of authentic language

• Supported listening practice

• Thematic

How can we imitate on an online course?

• Recorded feedback • Web chats

Schwa/vowel reduction

• Please click on the link below

http://youtu.be/8Cw5WD38SGg

Schwa

• Most common vowel sound in spoken English

• Difficult to isolate and produce

• Exaggeration activities

• Lots of examples:

The letter a: about, banana, was

The letter e: the, open, travel, item The letter i: animal, family The letter o: above, gallon, dinosaur, another The letter u: particular

Clear Speaking online: Vowel reduction

Reduced speech

• Please click on the link below

http://youtu.be/DvRrv8Cy_TQ

Reduced speech

• Individual words sound like one word and

sounds are changed

• Frustrating for students

• Stigma of “bad English”

• Contractions

Teaching reduced speech

• Finding patterns

• Exploration activities

• Consonant combination sound patterns

• Comfort with speaking in reduced forms

• Value for listening in daily life

Clear Speaking online: Reduced speech

Linking

• Please click on the link below

http://youtu.be/IjZfJBDiqxI

Linking

• Individual words are joined together

• Similar to reduced speech, but sounds are

usually not changed

• Finding patterns

• Tricks for linking: /w/, /y/

• Contractions

Clear Speaking online: Linking

Clear Speaking online: Linking

Summary

• Suprasegmentals

• Prosody

• Focus-content words

• Thought groups

• Schwa/vowel reduction

• Reduced speech

• Linking

Ya’got’knee questions?

References

• Gilbert, Judy, 2008. Teaching Pronunciation: The Prosody Pyramid. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Hadley, A.O., 2001. Teaching Language in Context. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

• Wong, R. 1987. Teaching Pronunciation: Focus on English Rhythm and Intonation. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Regents.

Thank You Sean Cavicchi: scavicchi@isisns.ca Andrea Taylor: ataylor@isisns.ca