Lecture II The Rhythmic Structure of English

1. Better English Pronunciation for CommunicationA Practical Course for Students of EnglishWang GuizhenFaculty of English Language & CultureGuangdong University of Foreign Studies

2. Lecture II The Rhythmic Structure of English • Rhythm and stress • Rhythm and the length of sounds • Rhythm and sound linking • Rhythm and assimilation • Rhythm and weak forms

3. Revision English Phonemes

5. English vowels & vowel classification The English pure vowels can be classified according to the height of the raised part of the tongue the part of the tongue raised the position of the lips

7. front central back high/close mid-high/half-close mid-low/half-open low/open

8. central back front high i: u: I Ʋ mid-high з: e ə ɔ: mid-low Λ ɒ α: æ low Vowel Charts: English Pure Vowels

9. bot b

10. English Consonants & Consonant Classification The English consonants can be classified according to place of articulation manner of articulation voicing, i.e. voiced or voiceless

12. English Consonants

14. Reading Practice I shall have to try and get some cash from our bank at lunchtime. Then we can let them have the money that they want as soon as they like. What are they asking us to pay them?

15. Reading Practice I shall have to try and get some cash from our bank at lunchtime. Then we can let them have the money that they want as soon as they like. What are they asking us to pay them? (15/41)

16. Part II The Rhythmic Structure of English • Rhythm and stress • Rhythm and the length of sounds • Rhythm and sound linking • Rhythm and assimilation • Rhythm and weak forms

17. s

18. Prototypical languages 70 Dutch British English 60 Variability Index German 50 French 40 30 Spanish 20

19. English Stress & Rhythm • |How did you |manage to |keep so |calm secs|.33 .33 .33 |.33 .33 .33 | .5 .5 | 1.0 ? • secs|.5 .25 .25 |.5 .25 .25 |.67 .33 | 1.0

21. Read aloud the following sentences: • Who is coming to the birthday party? 2. England was at war with America.

24. Who’s coming to the birthday par- ty? By a non-native speaker of English. Who’s coming to the birthday par- ty? By a native speaker of English.

28. was at war Fig 11: “was at war” in the sentence “England was at war with America”. -- (By non-native speaker of English)

29. Time Amptitude was at war Fig 12: “was at war” in the sentence “England was at war with America”. -- (By native speaker of English)

30. Amptitude was at war Fig: “was at war” in the sentence “England was at war with America”. -- (By non-native speaker of English) Amptitude was at war Fig: “was at war” in the sentence “England was at war with America”. -- (By native speaker of English)

31. I. Rhythm and stress Sentence stress has two main functions: 1. To indicate the important words in the sentence; 2. To serve as the basis for the rhythmical structure of the sentence.

32. Ex. 1 Content words are usually stressed and function • words unstressed: • I called her at home, but she was at school. • Keep her from moving so I can take her picture. • Nothinghappened to Tedduring the storm. • Take it or leave it; the choice is up to you. • Ex. 2 Content words are not always stressed: • -- Hello, I'm John. What'syour name? • -- My name's Frank. I'm Simon Brown's cousin. Where do you live? • -- Next door to the Browns'. Where do you live?

33. Ex. 3 The following sentences contain the same amount of stressed syllables. Read them at a steady, regular speed. • He asked me to give him a ticket. • He should ask if we could give him a ticket.

34. Ex. 4 Give suitable answers to the three questions you hear. • i) (No.) It's on the twenty-first. • ii) I've got a ticket. • iii) (No.) She sells clothes. • iv) (No.) He's got a cold. • v) (Yes.) (No.) We're not going till Thursday night.

35. Ex. 5 Respond to the two different things you hear. • i) He's got a new car. • ii) I've got some flowers. • iii) I've been to Paris. • iv) Then I'll have some soup. • v) He said he'd phone.

36. II. Rhythm and the length of sounds 1. Vowels are longer when final or followed by a voiced consonant than when followed by a voiceless consonant. 2. Vowels are longer in stressed monosyllables than when followed by an unstressed syllable or syllables. 3. Vowels are longer in stressed syllables than in unstressed syllables.

37. Table 3: Length of /i:/ in different phonetic contexts in accented monosyllables

38. III. Rhythm and sound linking 1. To blend or join the final consonant of one word with the initial word of the following word, as in "post‿office". 2. To link the final vowels /:/ and // to a following vowel by adding the /r/ sound, which is called linking-r, as in "her own", or intrusive-r, as in "the idea‿of". 3. To make smooth transitions when words are separated by more than two consonants, i.e. treat them as consonant sequences, as in "next‿topic". 4. To make smooth transitions when the preceding word ends with a vowel and the following word begins also with a vowel sound by adding a slight /j/ or /w/, as in "my‿arm”,”how often” . 5. To change the pronunciation of some final and initial consonants, as in "Did‿you …".

39. 1. ______________ 2. ______________ 3. ______________ 4. ______________ 5. ______________ 6. ______________ 7. ______________ 8. ______________ Ex. 6 Write down the phrases you hear.

40. Key: Ex. 6 • What of it? 2. It’s after nine already. 3. Come on in. 4. They looked as if they’re angry. 5. How much is it? 6. Are you sure about all of it? 7. She’s on the phone. 8. If it’s time, I’ll go.

41. Ex. 7 Read the following dialogues, paying special attention to the linking. 1. -- Can‿I help‿you, sir? --Yes, I'm‿in‿a rush I'm‿afraid. Can‿I have‿a piece‿of‿ apple cake please, with‿icecream? -- Certainly, sir. I'll‿ask the waiter to come‿over‿as soon‿as possible. 2. -- Switch‿off the light, David. It's‿almost‿eleven. -- I'm scared‿of the dark. I think‿I heard‿a noise. Look‿ over there! Something‿on the window ledge‿is moving!

42. 3. -- How‿often do‿I have to do‿it? -- You‿ought to do‿every‿exercise once‿a week. -- Do‿I have to do‿every‿exercise? -- Yes, it should take‿you‿about two‿hours. Though‿I don't suppose‿it will! 4. -- Actually, I‿ought to practise more regularly‿I suppose. -- Well, don't worry‿about‿it. I‿often forget myself. -- Perhaps we‿ought to try‿and go together.

43. 5. -- How‿is‿it going, Edward? -- Not bad‿at‿all. It's not‿exactly‿a busy place though. -- Where‿are you staying? -- Just‿a little pub‿on the‿edge‿of town. -- And what‿are you doing‿on your‿own? -- Not‿a lot‿actually. This‿evening there's‿a match‿ on TV, so‿I'll get‿a snack‿in town‿and watch‿a bit‿of football‿afterwards.

44. IV. Rhythm and Assimilation and Elision 1) ________________ 2) _________________ 3) ________________ 4) _________________ 5) ________________ 6) _________________

45. Key: Ex. 1. That man. 2. Of course. 3. We’ve phoned him. 4. That goat. 5. Good morning. 6. I can’t go.

46. Ex. 8 Fill in the blanks with the words you hear. 1) They're ____________ aren't they? 2) I can't find mine. Can I ____________? 3) I ____________ it. Do you? 4) Everyone can see that it ____________. 5) ________so often if you can manage by yourself. 6) That's the ____________ to start. 7) This is his ____________. 8) ____________ looks nice.

47. Key: Ex.8 1) They're _nice shoes__ aren't they? 2) I can't find mine. Can I ___use yours__? 3) I ___I don’t believe___ it. Do you? 4) Everyone can see that it ___it can’t be done___. 5) ___Don’t go____ so often if you can manage by yourself. 6) That's the ___right place___ to start. 7) This is his __own car___. 8) __That cup__ looks nice.

48. Ex. 9 Write down the words you hear. • Dropping of vowels and consonants within a word • 1) _______________ 2) _________________ • 3) _______________ 4) _________________ • Dropping of sounds at the word boundaries • 1) _______________ 2) _________________ • 3) _______________ 4) _________________

49. robbery nursery correct direction February suffering Get him a pen. Get another. Not alone. Take her along. He was annoyed. Rob him Key: Ex. 9

50. V. Rhythm and weak forms Ex. 10 Write down the phrases or sentences you hear. 1) ________________ 2) _________________ 3) ________________ 4) _________________ 5) ________________ 6) _________________