ENG AG1, Spring 2009
English Pronunciation in Theory and Practice
INFORMATION ABOUT THE WRITTEN EXAM
Format
! group exam (take-home test)
! 3-5 members per group
Aims
!
!
!
!
to help you assess, consolidate and further your knowledge of various aspects of
English pronunciation
to help you increase your awareness of various aspects of English pronunciation
to help you assess and develop your ability to use various resources to learn (and, if
applicable, help others learn) more about English pronunciation
to stimulate collaborative learning and problem solving
Contents
! Section 1: Sound production and sounds in context
! Section 2: Stress and intonation
! Section 3: Varieties of English (including specialisation)
Aids
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English Pronunciation by Johansson/Rönnerdal
Longman Pronunciation Dictionary
other English dictionaries and pronunciation dictionaries
handouts, exercises, class notes and other course material
library and Internet resources
group exam helpline
Duration
! 3 – 11 February 2009
Language
! English (this applies both to my questions and to your answers and solutions)
Typical grade levels
! 60% ! G (pass)
! 70% ! G+ (pass with merit)
! 80% ! VG (pass with distinction)
Needless to say, all members of the group will get the same grade for their joint effort.
---AnL
ENG AG1, Spring 2009
English Pronunciation in Theory and Practice
SAMPLE TRANSCRIPTION TASKS
1.1
Make a broad IPA transcription of each of the following excerpts from Jerzy
Kosinski’s Being There (12 marks). Please indicate whether your transcriptions are
meant to represent [near-]RP or General American and don't forget to mark sentence
stress.
i)
He began to mumble words, then realized that Chance’s leg was still pinned. Frightened, he ran back to the
car and drove a few inches forward. Chance’s calf was freed. He tried to stand on both feet, but collapsed
onto the edge of the sidewalk. (p. 29)
ii)
The announcer explained that at that very moment the President of the United States was landing in the heart
of New York City. (p. 42)
iii)
‘You mean to say,’ the President muttered gravely […] ‘that this is all they have on him?’
‘That is correct, sir.’
‘Am I to assume that none of our agencies know a single thing about a man with whom I spent half an hour,
face-to-face, and whose name and words I quoted in my speech?’
1.2
Make a broad IPA transcription of the following limerick (5 marks). Please indicate
whether your transcriptions are meant to represent [near-]RP or General American
and don't forget to mark sentence stress.
Said a teacher in Karlstad called Andy:
"Go buy Longman - it will come in handy"
Said a student: "His breath!
It reminds me of death
Someone toss him a peppermint candy!"
ENG AG1, Spring 2009
English Pronunciation in Theory and Practice
Sample solutions to 1.1
i)
He began to mumble words, then realized that Chance’s leg was still pinned. Frightened, he ran back to the
car and drove a few inches forward. Chance’s calf was freed. He tried to stand on both feet, but collapsed
onto the edge of the sidewalk.
!"#$"%&'()*"+,"'-.-%,/"'01234"|"'5&*"'67,/8743"5,+"'+9:2*;74"'/&("0,4"';+7/"'<7*3"|"'=687+,*3"|""
"
#$"'6)*"'%)>"+,"5,"'>:26",*"'36,?@","'=AB2"'7*+974"'=C20,3"|"'+9:2*;74"'>:2="0,4"'=6$23"|"
#$"'+6873"+,"';+)*3"D*"'%,?E"'=$2+"|"%,+">,'/)<;+"D*+,"5$"'&3F",@"5,"';8730C2>"!"
GA: !"#$"%&'()*"+,"'-.-%,/"'01G234"|"'5&*"'6$2,/8743"5,+"'+9)*;74"'/&("0,4"';+7/"'<7*3"|"'=687+,*3"|"
#$"'6)*"'%)>"+,"5,"'>:26",*"'36H?@","'=AB2"'7*+974"'=C260,63"| '+9)*;74"'>)="0,4"'=6$23"|""
"
#$"'+6873"+,"';+)*3":2*"'%H?E"'=$2+"|"%,+">,'/)<;+":2*+,"5$"'&3F",@"5,"';8730:2>"!"
RP:
"
ii)
The announcer explained that at that very moment the President of the United States was landing in the heart
of New York City.
5$",'*8?*;,6"7>';</&7*3"3,+",+"'5)+"'@&6$"'-,?-,*+"5,"'<6&473!*+""
,@"5,"ABI*87+73"';+&7+;",@"0,4"'/)*37J"7*"5,"'#:2+",@"I*AB2"AC2>"';7+$"!"
GA:" 5$",'*8?*;,6"7>';</&7*3"3,+",+"'5)+"'@&6$"'-H?-,*+"5,"'<6&473!*+"(-,3&*+)"
",@"5,"ABI*87+K,3"';+&7+;"0,4"'/)*37J"7*"5,"'#:26+K",@"I*B2"AC26>"';7+K$"!"
RP:
"
iii)
‘You mean to say,’ the President muttered gravely […] ‘that this is all they have on him?’
‘That is correct, sir.’
‘Am I to assume that none of our agencies know a single thing about a man with whom I spent half an hour,
face-to-face, and whose name and words I quoted in my speech?’
!"AB"'-$2*"+,"';&7"|"5,"'<6&473!*+"'-.+,3"'(6&7@/$"|"5,+"'57;"74"'C2/"5&7"'#)@"D*"(#)7-"|""
'5)+"74"('5)+;)">,'6&>+"|"(');12""
,-"'87"+B",';AB2-"5,+"'*.*",@":26"(8?L,6)"'&73F!*;$4"'*,?","';7J(,/"'E7J",!"?+","'-)*"
"
075"'#B2-"87"';<&*+"'#:2=",*"'8?,"|"'=&7;"+,"'=&7;"|",*3"(#)B4"'*&7-",*3"'01234"87"
"
'>0,?+73"7*"-87"';<$2+9"!"
GA: !"AB"'-$2*"+,"';&7"|"5,"'<6&473!*+"(-,3&*+)"'-.+K,63"'(6&7@/$"|"5,+"'57;"74"':2/"5&7"'#)@":2*"(#)7-"|"
'5)+K"74"('5)+;)">,'6&>+"|"(');1G2"
,-"'87"+B",';B2-"5,+"'*.*",@":26"(8?L,6)"'&73F!*;$4"'*H?","';7J(,/"'E7J",%8?+K","'-)*"
07E"'#B2-"87"';<&*+"'#)=",*"'8?L,6"|"'=&7;"+,"'=&7;"|",*3"(#)B4"'*&7-",*3"'01G234"87"
'>0H?+K,3"7*"-87"';<$2+9"!"
RP:
"
ENG AG1, Spring 2009
English Pronunciation in Theory and Practice
Sample solutions to 2.1
Said a teacher in Karlstad called Andy:
"Go buy Longman - it will come in handy"
Said a student: "His breath!
It reminds me of death
Someone, toss him a peppermint candy!"
RP:
!";&3","'+$2+9,6"7*"'>:2/;+,3">C2/3"')*3$"|""
(,?"%87"'/DJ-,*"|"7+"'07/">.-"7*"'#)*3$"|"""
;&3","#;+AB23,*+"|"#74"#%6&E"|""
7+"67#-87*34"-$",@"#3&E"|""
;.-0.*"#+D;"(#)7-","#<&<,-7*+"#>)*3$"!"
GA: !";&3","'+$2+9,6"7*"'>:26/;+,3">:2/3"')*3$"|""
(H?"%87"'/C2J-,*"|"7+"'07/">.-"7*"'#)*3$"|"""
;&3","#;+B23,*+"|"#74"#%6&E"|""
7+"67#-87*34"-$",@"#3&E"|""
;.-0.*"#+C2;"(#)7-","#<&<,6-7*+"#>)*3$"!"
Sample deductions
-0.5 mark per unlikely absence or presence of sentence stress mark in 1.1
-1 mark per missing or misplaced sentence stress mark in 2.1
-0.5 or -1 mark per incorrect choice or use of phonetic symbol*
-1 mark per missing phoneme, including linking /r/
-1 mark per weak form used with stress mark
-1 mark per strong form used without stress mark
*) This depends on the extent to which your mistake affects the pronunciation and meaning of the word or
phrase (e.g."/;+&<3!"$nstead of /stept/ for ‘stepped’!-0.5; /#7;/ (=‘hiss’) instead of /#74/ for ‘his’!-1). Also,
repeating the same mistake (e.g. consistently using /7/ for /$/ for the final sound in very etc) couldn't cost
you"more than five marks overall, and no marks will be deducted for alternative pronunciations (including
assimilated, elided and contracted forms)"that are approved by Longman Pronunciation Dictionary
(2000)"and/or Introducing English Pronunciation by Johansson/Rönnerdal.
A. Lind, Karlstad University
ENG AG1, Spring 2009
English Pronunciation in Theory and Practice
TRANSCRIPTION ADVICE: SENTENCE STRESS AND WEAK FORMS
Pre-IPA Stage
1. Take turns reading out each text passage in order to get a feel for its rhythm.
2. Underline all words / syllables that you think should carry sentence stress. Example: "He
began to mumble words, then realized that Chance's leg was still pinned."
3. Now turn to the words that don't carry sentence stress and bracket the ones that you think
should be pronounced with a weak form. Example: "(He) began (to) mumble words, then
realized (that) Chance's leg (was) still pinned."
IPA Stage
!
Remember that many words, such as and, to and the various forms of have, do and be,
have various weak forms depending on the phonological context. Example: is is
pronounced /z/ in she's but /s/ in it's (since /t/ is voiceless) and the is pronounced /5,/
before consonant sounds and /5$/ before vowel sounds.
Also bear in mind that i) stress marks should be placed before the first phoneme of the
stressed syllable / word, ii) spoken syllable boundaries may differ from written ones, and
iii) there may be alternative pronunciations / transcriptions of the same word in the same
variety of English. Example: ex|press could be pronounced / transcribed as follows in
both British and American English:
!
Whenever in doubt, consult Longman Pronunciation Dictionary and/or your handbook.
!
A. Lind, Karlstad University
ENG AG1, Spring 2009
English Pronunciation in Theory and Practice
SHORT-LISTED VARIETIES FOR THE SPECIALISATION TASK
Aboriginal English
Australian English
Canadian English
Canadian English: Newfoundland
Canadian English: Quebec
Caribbean English: Jamaica
Caribbean English: other Creoles
East African English
English English: Cockney
English English: East Anglia
English English: Estuary English
English English: The Midlands
English English: The West Country
English English: Yorkshire
Hong Kong English
Indian English
Irish English: Northern Ireland
A. Lind, Karlstad University
Irish English: The Republic of Ireland
Malaysian English
Maori English
New Zealand English
Pakistani English
Philippines English
Scottish English
Singapore English
South African English
US English: Black English Vernacular
US English: New England
US English: New York City
US English: New Orleans
US English: The South
US English: Valley Speak
Welsh English
West African English