Connected Speech- weak forms

Jo Gakonga

What is connected

speech?

language

What is connected

speech?

What is connected

speech?

Hyde Park

/haɪbpɑ:k/

blue and green

/blu:wəngri:n/

handbag

/hæmbæg/

Let’s start with schwa

Schwa

Any vowel can be sounded as schwa

important material

Any vowel can be sounded as schwa

paper ferocious

Any vowel can be sounded as schwa

tangible giraffe

Any vowel can be sounded as schwa

introduce phonetics (but not phoneme..)

Any vowel can be sounded as schwa

pictureneighbour

In fact, most unstressed vowels sound like…

Homer Simpson = Oo Oo

Schwa in connected

speech

English is a

stress- timed language

There was a man from Hull

6 syllables

There was an old man from London

8 syllables

There was an extremely old man from Birmingham

12 syllables!

Can he move it?

Yes, he can!

Can he move it?

Weak form

/kən/

Yes, he can!

Strong form

/kæn/

Where are you going?

/weərəjəgəʊɪŋ/What do you do?

/wɒdəjədu:/

Which words in these sentences ‘weaken’ (change) to a schwa sound? What kind of words are they?

I can swim.

The water will be verycold!

He’ll be fine.

Some modals

Have you been to Australia?

It couldn’t have been me!

Auxiliaries - have

Pronouns

She is meeting Thelma at one.

It’s not long to wait now.

She’s coming from Birmingham

Auxiliaries – bePrepositions

Have weak formsNo weak forms

Content words Function words

NounsVerbsAdjectivesAdverbs

PronounsAuxilliariesModalsPrepositions

Bricks Mortar

Do we need to teach this?

Receptive or productive purposes?

Important for receptive purposes

A practical ideaor two…

Integrate pronunciation

The Book of Pronunciation by Jonathan Marks and Tim BowenDELTA Teacher Development Series

1. a) I didn’t know that. b) I didn’t know that he came from Sweden

2. a) She wanted to see him again. b) What’s the world coming to?

3. a) Have you seen Peter? b)What did you have for lunch?

Awareness raising activities

1. five /ə/ clock2. one /ə/ two days3. /ə/ cup /ə/ tea4. What /ə/ you doing?5. We definitely could /ə/played better.6. I haven’t seen /ə/ for ages.

Awareness raising activities

Production Jazz chants

Carolyn Graham

http://jazzchants.net

Production -Jazz chantsCan you understand me? Yes, I canDo you speak English? Yes, I doHave you ever been to England? Yes, I have.But the weather was very bad!

(Joe Avery’s Blues)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blVq-G1DBOQ

Thank you!

Jo Gakonga