King’s College London Pre-Sessional Programme
Fluency and Pronunciation: Lesson 1
Discussion: What is pronunciation?
Discuss these questions in small groups
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What is pronunciation?
What does it include?
How have you learned English pronunciation so far?
What have you found difficult about English pronunciation?
What have you found easy?
What are the main differences between English pronunciation and the
pronunciation of your language, and any other languages you have learned?
7. How important do you think pronunciation is?
8. Why do you think so?
9. How well would you like to pronounce English?
10. What can you do to improve your pronunciation?
[ From ‘ The Book of Pronunciation’ Marks & Bowen DDTDS 2012 ]
Features of pronunciation
What do the following words have in common?
be
leave
feel
field
ski
me
thief
pea
Answer
They all contain the same vowel sound:
the phonetic symbol /i:/
With thanks to Robin Yu in the production of these materials.
These are the phonetic symbols to help when you look up the pronunciation of a word.
iː
ɪ
e
æ
ɑː
ɒ
ɔː
ʊ
uː
ʌ
ɜː
ə
see
sit
ten
cat
father
got
saw
put
too
cup
bird
about
eɪ
əʊ
aɪ
aʊ
ɔɪ
ɪə
eə
ʊə
say
go
five
now
boy
near
hair
pure
p
b
t
d
k
g
tʃ
dʒ
f
v
θ
ð
pen
bad
tea
did
cat
got
chain
jam
fall
van
thin
this
s
z
ʃ
ʒ
h
m
n
ŋ
l
r
j
w
so
zoo
shoe
vision
hat
man
no
sing
leg
red
yes
wet
Useful Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/pronunciation
Task 1 – Magic ‘e’
Read out the words below and comment on the differences in pronunciation.
Some of the words do not exist but try to guess how they are said.
From Advanced Listening and Speaking, OUP
1. bat
bet
bit
bot
but
2. bate
bete
bite
bote
bute
3. batter
better
bitter
botter
butter
4. bater
beter
biter
boter
buter
Write the phonetic symbols for the different vowel sounds.
Which is the most common?
Task 2 – Minimal pairs (vowel sounds))
Listen to your teacher read out one word from the pairs in columns 1 and 2 and try to identify it.
Then do the same with your partner.
Use this column to mark your teacher’s
words.
1
2
Use this column to mark your own words
before reading them.
1
2
Use this column to mark the words your
partner says.
1
2
ship
sheep
ship
sheep
ship
sheep
knit
neat
knit
neat
knit
neat
pitch
peach
pitch
peach
pitch
peach
cut
cot
cut
cot
cut
cot
dug
dog
dug
dog
dug
dog
shut
shot
shut
shot
shut
shot
pet
pat
pet
pat
pet
pat
send
sand
send
sand
send
sand
then
than
then
than
then
than
bird
bored
bird
bored
bird
bored
fur
stir
for
store
fur
stir
for
store
fur
stir
for
store
With thanks to Robin Yu in the production of these materials.
Task 3 – Tongue twisters
Say the following sentences, taking care to make the sounds correctly.
Very few violins favour five velvet strings.
A bloke's back bike brake block broke.
Which witch wished which wicked wish?
Red lorry, yellow lorry. Red lorry, yellow lorry.
Task 4 – Common contractions
Say the following in connected speech:
1. I would not have thought so.
4. She should not have done that.
2. What do you think?
5. I might have guessed.
3. He must have been there.
6. Do you want to try to help?
Task 5 – Word stress
Put these words from the Academic Word List (sublists 1 & 2) into the column indicating their stress pattern.
estimate (v)
analysis (n)
indicate (v)
evaluation (n)
constitutional (adj)
variable (n/adj)
significant (adj)
acquisition (n)
appropriate(adj)
definition (n)
interpretation (n)
regulations (n)
previous (adj)
traditional (adj)
strategies (n)
Ooo
Oooo
oOoo
ooOo
oOoOo
OoOoo
Task 6 – Joining Words
From English Pronunciation in Use, CUP
Three sounds /r/, /j/ and /w/ are added between whole words to separate vowel sounds. Which sound is made in
each of the following cases?
1. grey and blue
2. you and me
3. where or why
4. here or away
With thanks to Robin Yu in the production of these materials.
Task 7 – Connected speech
What is the missing line from this (corny) joke?
1. Didn’t she want to?
A: I went to the Caribbean on holiday with my wife.
2. The West Indies?
B:
3. Did she want to stay?
A: No, she wanted to go.
4. Jamaica?
Extension Activities
Connected Speech
One reason why native speakers speak so fluently is that words within a speech unit are linked together - the sound at
the end of one word is linked to the sound at the beginning of the next word. As a result there is less hesitation. Here
are some examples.
one ͜ evening
a serious ͜ accident
the exact ͜ opposite
When a word ending with a consonant sound is followed by a word beginning with the same consonant sound, one
lengthened consonant sound is made.
some ͜ milk
glorious ͜ sunshine
it’s half ͜ full
A vowel sound at the end of a word is linked to a vowel sound at the beginning of the next by inserting a /w/ or /j/ (‘y’)
sound:
who ͜ is it?
/w/
Go ͜ away
can you see ͜ it?
/w/
/j/
It’s completely ͜ empty
/j/
Words ending with the letters –r or –re have a final vowel sound. For example, car, more, fur, other, fear, hair, pure.
When a word like this is followed by a word beginning with a vowel, a /r/ sound is inserted.
car ͜ engine
/r/
my other ͜ uncle
/r/
pure ͜ oxygen
/r/
With thanks to Robin Yu in the production of these materials.
Exercise 1: Inserting sounds before words - /w/ or /j/ ?
Look at the following phrases and decide whether /w/ or /j/ needs to be added as an intruding sound.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I agree, wholeheartedly
You are
I ought to be leaving now
Go on! Go in!
Are you inside, or are you outside?
Who is?
They are, aren’t they?
I think, therefore I am
Exercise 2: Looking for /r/ links
Mark all the possible /r/ links in these sentences containing idiomatic phrases. Say the sentences out loud and listen
and check your answers. Check that you know what the phrases mean!
Example:
I bought it on the spur of the moment.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
He’s got a finger in every pie.
It’s in the nature of things.
She’s without a care in the world
It’s as clear as mud.
It’s the law of the jungle.
Let’s focus on the matter in hand.
Is that your idea of a joke?
He’s a creature of habit.
Pride comes before a fall.
Get your act together!
With thanks to Robin Yu in the production of these materials.