Tips and Techniques for Better Pronunciation

Evelyn Neame

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Syllable timedFence imageStr

Stress timed

(Grant, 2000)

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Stress Timed vs. Syllable TimedMarching photo

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Now you try!

(Celce-Murcia, 2010)

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Tap the Beat!

3 3

3 6

3 8

4 10

5 13

(Celce-Murcia, 2010)

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Content and Function WordsStrong Words (Content words) Weak Words (Function words)FriendsMy ofneeded have withhelp been theirAll somework

Strong WordsWeak Wordsnouns articles: the, an, amain verbs helping verbs: are, am, have, can, doadjectives prepositions: to, for, of, on, atadverbs conjunctions: and, or, as, thannot, can’t, isn’t pronouns: he, you, his, her, your, ourwho, what, when, where, howthis, that, these, thosemine, yours

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StressWhat is stress?L o n g e r, louder, difference in pitch

Where is the stress in these sentences?

She’s going to school tomorrow.His car is white.We’re leaving in a week.

She’s GOing to SCHOOL toMORrow.His CAR is WHITE.We’re LEAVing in a WEEK.

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Sentence or phrase stress

SATurday

OverLOOK

ElectrifiCAtion

WHAT a day.

Tell the COOK.

We’re taking a vaCAtion

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Zoom Principle

Rhythm & Stress

Prominence

Intonation

Individual Sounds

(Firth, 1995)

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ProminenceSUPER STRESS

Thought groupsImparts meaning

(FITho, 2009)

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ProminenceA: I’ve lost an umbrella.B: What kind of umbrella?A: A black umbrella. It had clouds on the inside. White clouds in a blue sky.

(Word Press, 2012)

New informatio

n

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ProminenceSUPER STRESS

What words are prominent?

new informatio

n

contrasting

information

emphatic stress

(FITho, 2009)

(Celce-Murcia, 2010)

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Intonation MattersA: ReadyB: NoA: WhyB: ProblemsA: ProblemsB: YesA: WhatB: Babysitter

?

?

?

?!

.

.

.

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Intonation: Uncertainty Yes/No questions

Are you going to the workshop tomorrow?

Statements as questions You’re going to the workshop tomorrow?

Tag questions, repetition questions It’s supposed to be plus five tomorrow, isn’t it?

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Intonation: Certainty Declarative statements: I am a teacher at LEX.

Commands: Shut the door.

Wh-questions: What time does the workshop start?

Some tag questions: It’s hot in here, isn’t it?

Lists I need to buy milk, eggs, bananas and apples.

(780) 456-1234

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Blending & Connected SpeechFaster, smoother, easier!

Linking: The smooth connection of soundsSend it, find out, keep up

Assimilation: The change in adjacent sounds to resemble each other more closelyGrandma, grandpa, sandwich

Deletion: The disappearance of a soundChocolate, vegetable, February (Celce-Murcia, 2010)

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Communicative ActivitiesBooking and paying for a flightChecking stock levels and ordering stockLocating subjects of interest in a libraryScheduling a meetingPolice officer stops driverSupermarket overcharges customerPassenger complains to airline

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Putting It All Together

Recycle activities

and concepts

Relevant and

communicative

Review

Practice

Fun!

Presenter Media (2012)

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Resources for StudentsPronunciation Power I & II: speaking and

listeningwww.englishaccentcoach.com: listeningwww.breakingnewsenglish.com: listeninghttp://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/eal/: listeningwww.talkenglish.com: listening and speakinghttp://www.eslyes.com: listeninghttp://www.listeningesl.com/: for advanced

learnerswww.learnenglishfeelgood.com/: listeninghttps://www.englishcentral.com

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ListeningWell Said, by Linda GrantYouTubeTV sitcom clips: Friends TV CommercialsMovie clips

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ReferencesAccent Master. (2008). English Pronunciation Lessons. Retrieved from http://

www.accentmasr.com/Lessons/lessons.htmCelce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D., & Goodwin, J. (2010). Teaching Pronunciation: A course

book and reference guide. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Grant, L. (2000). Well said: Pronunciation for clear communication. Boston, MA: Heinle.Firth, S. (1995). Pronunciation syllabus design. In P. Avery & S. Ehrlich (Eds.), Teaching

American English pronunciation (pp.173-183). Oxford: Oxford University Press.FITho. (2009). Bicep exercises. [Photograph]. Retrieved from

http://www.fitho.in/guide/exercise/biceps / Jones, M. L. (1996). Phonics in ESL literacy instruction: Functional or not? in Literacy

online. Retrieved from http://members.shaw.ca/elliottsite/pdfs/Phonics%20in%20ESL.pdf

Levy, S., & Shuman, I. (Producers) & Zwart, H. (Director). (2009). Pink Panther 2. [Motion Picture]. U.S.: MGM & Columbia Pictures.

Orsini, M. E. (2007). Working with pronunciation in TEACHERSHOUSE. Retrieved from: http://lilosainthesky.blogspot.com/2007/01/working-with-pronunciation.html

Presenter Media. (2012). Puzzle pieces house teamwork. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.presentermedia.com/index.php?target=closeup&maincat=clipart&id=4238

Word Press. (2012). Soft Choice. Retrieved from: http://blogs.softchoice.com/advisor/