Andrea Taylor and Sean Cavicchi
PRONUNCIATION – THE BIG PICTURE
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I said she might consider a new
haircut.
I said she might consider a new
haircut.
I said she might consider a new
haircut.
I said she might consider a new
haircut.
I said she might consider a new
haircut.
I said she might consider a new
haircut.
I said she might consider a new
haircut.
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
902-555-6178
1-800-555-6178
4519 01 00618820 02
02/17
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
PURCH010188005
134 376 629
0008 944 268
7 11302779
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/podcastmusical-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: [email protected]
Andrea Taylor: [email protected]