Talk a Lot Foundation Course Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com i Lesson 4: Connected Speech Le sn 4: k Ne kt Tspeech Reference: Talk a Lot Handbook (English Banana.com, 2009) 3.1 Connected Sentence Cards 4.1 Connected Speech Templates 11.1 What is Connected Speech? 13.3-13.7 Analysis of Discussion Words Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Outline 4.1 Even with the stress and vowel sounds correct in a sentence, we still sound wrong when we don’t use connected speech, because we are speaking word by word _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.2 We speak English syllable by syllable, not word by word _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.3 However, English words don’t fit together very well. They are like badly-fitting puzzle pieces _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.4 We use the Features of Connected Speech to solve this problem. They can be learned using the mnemonic GLACIER _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.5 There are four possible sound connections between syllables _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.6 cc sound connections are the hardest to pronounce _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.7 The aim is to speak with only vc (vowel sound to consonant sound) sound connections between syllables, and we use connected speech techniques to achieve this _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.8 Friendly consonant sounds assist with cc sound connections, because they are happy to sit next to other consonant sounds _____________________________________________________________________________________________ What I found most surprising /interesting today: What I need to revise again after this lesson: Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech For more fun worksheets, games, and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Page 1 4.1 Even with the stress and vowel sounds correct in a sentence, we still sound wrong when we don’t use connected speech, because we are speaking word by word. The Jelly Cube Comparison: Imagine each syllable in a sentence as a wobbly cube of jelly. Inside some of them is a hard round centre. The syllables with the hard centres are the stressed syllables. The hard centre represents the vowel sound on the stressed syllable, and the wobbly jelly around it represents the consonant sounds. When a syllable is pronounced separately, all of the sounds – vowel sound and consonant sounds – can be pronounced clearly, but when syllables meet they squash together – like cubes of jelly do – and the consonant sound(s) on either side are affected. As they merge together, they may change or disappear completely. The unstressed syllables can be squeezed the most, because they don’t have a strong vowel sound (a hard round centre) but they cannot be left out – that would create a grammatical mistake. Furthermore, if you squeeze (reduce) a stressed syllable too much the hard centre will burst and the vowel sound will disappear, leading to miscommunication. The process of changing syllables so that they fit together well – like cubes of jelly that squeeze and merge together – is what we call connected speech. Writing Comparison: When we write with our normal handwriting we don’t print each letter separately. At school we are quickly taught to use joined-up handwriting. Sometimes people can’t read my handwriting if I write quickly or carelessly, but if I write each letter separately (e.g. on a whiteboard in a classroom) it is very easy to read it. It’s the same with connected speech. If I speak word by word – pronouncing each syllable, vowel sound and consonant sound clearly – it is easy to understand me, although I sound unnatural and not like a native speaker of English. The listener may experience fatigue listening to me, because they have to work much harder to identify the sound spine. If I speak quickly using connected speech, although I sound natural, it is much harder for people not used to listening to connected speech techniques to understand, or “catch” what I say. Examples: 1. The cat was sitting on the floor. 2. I’m working at the bank at the moment. Activity: • Show the sentence stress in the sentences above using real jelly cubes and hard centres! (Note: don’t eat the unstressed syllables until after the lesson!) 4.2 We speak English syllable by syllable, not word by word. We don’t pronounce every word individually, but rather connect words together syllable by syllable. Examples: 1. How common one-syllable words are in English. (See Talk a Lot Handbook p.13.3-13.7) 2. I. Don’t. Speak. Like. This, b_ wi thmor Fleu. Discussion Questions: 1. What do you know already about connected speech in English? Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech For more fun worksheets, games, and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Page 2 2. Do you connect syllables in a similar way in your first language? Say a sentence slowly in your language, and explain what happens between the syllables. 4.3 However, English words don’t fit together very well. They are like badly-fitting puzzle pieces. In spoken English, words don’t fit together properly. If I try to pronounce each word individually, I sound overformal and “foreign”. It is difficult to sound natural while speaking English because the syllables don’t connect together naturally. English spelling works against pronunciation by often preventing vc sound connections (see below). For example, there are too many words and syllables that both start and end with a consonant sound. In short, the syllables in our language don’t usually connect with vc sound connections – as we wish them to. Activity: • Practise reading the following sentences… a) word by word, b) syllable by syllable: 1. I’m working at the bank at the moment. 2. The cat was sitting on the floor. Which syllable connections cause a problem? Why? Discussion Questions: 1. Think about how you learned English. Were you drilled word by word, or in short chunks with several syllables in each? Do you speak word by word now? If so, how are you going to “un-learn” this habit? 2. When you speak in English, do you notice that sound connections between syllables are not smooth, but uneven? For example, you pronounce the phrase “buy it” like Bai it instead of Bai yit (i.e. without intrusion). Or, you pronounce the phrase “have to” like Hav too instead of Ha ftoo (i.e. without FCL)? 4.4 We use the Features of Connected Speech to solve this problem. They can be learned using the mnemonic GLACIER. Examples: Feature: Definition: Example(s) Glottal stop an empty space without sound: _ ____________________________________ Linking (FCL) syllables connect together ____________________________________ Assimilation a sound changes ____________________________________ Contraction a word is shortened ____________________________________ Intrusion a new sound appears – y, w, or r ____________________________________ Elision a sound disappears ____________________________________ R-linking syllables connect with a r sound ____________________________________ Activity: 1. Match a phrase to each feature of connected speech above: a) my mate Pat b) clean bike c) bad dog d) there is e) grey eyes f) like it g) it is Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech For more fun worksheets, games, and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Page 3 2. Work with a partner and think of some more example phrases for each feature. Discussion Questions: 1. Are you already familiar with any or all of these features of connected speech? If yes, where did you learn them? Are you already using any or all of them when you speak in English? 2. Do you use any of these features of connected speech in your first language? If yes, which ones? 3. How confident are you in deleting the t sound at the end of a syllable and inserting a glottal stop instead? (See Lesson 3.) How are you planning to include this technique, along with the other features of connected speech, into your normal English speech? 4. What strategies can you use to practise the features of connected speech and improve your spoken English skills? 4.5 There are four possible sound connections between syllables. vc (vowel sound to consonant sound) e.g. “my car” mai Kar = easy to pronounce vv (vowel sound to vowel sound) e.g. “we are” wee ar = difficult to pronounce cv (consonant sound to vowel sound) e.g. “it is” it iz = difficult to pronounce cc (consonant sound to consonant sound) e.g. “that book” that buuk = difficult to pronounce vc is the easiest and most natural sound connection for native speakers of English to pronounce. Summary of what usually happens with each sound connection: vc = OK – easy to pronounce cv = Final Consonant Linking (FCL) vv = Intrusion with y, w, or r cc = Elision, Glottal Stop, Assimilation, or FCL Examples: What we typically see with each type of sound connection: vc This sound connection is easy to pronounce. Feature of connected speech: none required! vv This sound connection is difficult to pronounce, so we add a new consonant sound between the two syllables: y, w, or r . See below for further details. Feature of connected speech: intrusion Example: Problem: Solution: buy it... Bai it Bai yit you and… yoo uhnd yoo wnd teacher is Tee ch iz Tee ch riz cv This sound connection is difficult to pronounce, so we often connect the consonant sound at the end of the first syllable with the vowel sound at the beginning of the next. Feature of connected speech: linking (FCL = Final Consonant Linking) Ending Sound: Example: Problem: Solution: d bed and… Bed uhnd Be dnd k take any… Teik e nii Tei ke nii m I’m only… aim eun lii ai meun lii sh push Alex… Push A lex Puu Sha lix t get up* Get Up Ge Tup *Generally speaking, phrasal verbs provide a good example of this Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech For more fun worksheets, games, and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Page 4 Activity: • Match these phrases to the three groups: vc, vv, or cv: 1. see Oliver 2. the day 3. nice office 4. no way 5. cup of 6. queue up 7. four events 8. put off 9. my car 4.6 cc sound connections are the hardest to pronounce. This is the most difficult type of sound connection, and therefore the most radical action is required – including the use of four different features of connected speech. Because cc connections are so hard to pronounce (the jagged edges of the badly-fitting puzzle pieces) we become impatient with our language and simply delete (elision and glottal stop), change (assimilation), or link (FCL) the problematic consonant sound at the end of the first syllable. In each case our aim is to change the sound connection to a vc sound connection. Examples: Here are some typical examples of things we do to make cc sound connections easier to pronounce: 1. Delete t or d at the end of a syllable when it meets another consonant sound. Use glottal stops _ to cut off the previous sound, leaving a tiny gap in place of the missing sound. Result = vc sound connection. Features of connected speech: elision and glottal stop Practise: art lesson great time bread bin closed bag • Write more examples: ____________________________________________________________ 2. Delete duplicate sounds that meet, e.g. in the phrase “black clock” there will be only one k sound where the syllables meet – at the beginning of the second syllable: Bla_ klok. Glottal stops may or may not be used in this kind of situation. Result = vc sound connection. Features of connected speech: elision and glottal stop Practise: rode down pack case big game closed door • Write more examples: ____________________________________________________________ 3. Delete h at the beginning of a syllable when the previous sound is a consonant sound, e.g. “Is he?” This gives us a cv sound connection, which can be remedied with FCL: i zee? Result = vc sound connection. Features of connected speech: elision and FCL Practise: put him deep hole push hard right heel • Write more examples: ____________________________________________________________ 4. Replace tt at the end of a syllable with f , then move it forward with FCL. It is easier to pronounce f next to another consonant sound, than tt , e.g. “both people” becomes: Beu Fpee pl . Result = vc sound connection. Note: although common, this is considered “sloppy” and less “correct” than Standard Pronunciation. Features of connected speech: assimilation and FCL Practise: bath time both people toothbrush cloth bag • Write more examples: ____________________________________________________________ Replace th at the end of a syllable with v , then move it forward with FCL. It is easier to pronounce v next to another consonant sound, than th , e.g. “with two” becomes: wi Vtoo . Result = vc sound Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech For more fun worksheets, games, and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Page 5 connection. Again, despite being widespread in various English accents, this is considered less “correct” than Standard Pronunciation. Features of connected speech: assimilation and FCL Practise: clothes hanger bathe for… youths that… soothe him • Write more examples: ____________________________________________________________ 1. When a l sound at the end of a syllable meets another consonant sound at the start of the next syllable, it often changes to w , which is then moved forward with FCL, e.g. “will you?” becomes: wi wyoo? or wi wy? (the pronoun “you” is reduced further). Result = vc sound connection. Features of connected speech: assimilation and FCL Practise: bulldog pull down you’ll be school bus • Write more examples: ____________________________________________________________ 2. We also use final consonant linking (FCL) with cc sound connections in other situations, for example: First Sound: Example: Problem: Solution: ch beach which… Beech wich Bee chwich g big dog Big Dog Bi Gdog k locked in Lokt in Lo ktin p escape the… uh Skeip th uh Skei pth 4.7 The aim is to speak with only vc (vowel sound to consonant sound) sound connections between syllables, and we use connected speech techniques to achieve this. We use connected speech to flatten out the irregularly shaped syllables and make vc sound connections between them. Physiologically, it is much easier for English native speakers to talk using vc sound connections, e.g. ma ma ma ma, than with the other kinds of sound connections. We are much more comfortable with consonant sounds at the start of a syllable – even several together – than at the end. This is a result of the way our tools for speaking – our mouths, tongues, throats, and lips, etc. have grown and developed since we were first able to hear English being spoken around us – i.e. in our mother’s wombs. Examples: 1. bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger 2. The perfect syllable for speaking in English is cv. It starts with a consonant sound and ends with a vowel sound, e.g. words like: “the”, “so”, “she”, “they”, etc. cv syllables in a sequence guarantee vc sound connections: CV CV CV CV CV CV CV CV CV CV CV, etc. 3. Examples of English words with only vc sound connections: Normal Spelling: NEA Spelling: ge ne ra tion je n Rei shn me lo dra ma tic me l dr Ma tik mo no po ly m No p lii Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech For more fun worksheets, games, and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Page 6 4. Examples of phrases with only vc sound connections: a) The baker flew to Paris. b) A new car for my mother. This contrasts nicely with tongue twisters – phrases that are deliberately difficult to say because of awkward sound connections: • Bugs black blood, bugs black blood, bugs black blood, bugs black blood • Round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran • Red lorry yellow lorry, red lorry yellow lorry • How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? In the list of the 100 Most Common Words in Written English that we looked at in Lesson 3, there are 31 one-syllable words that fit the cv pattern: the be to for he you do by they we say her she my there their so who go me no know year your see now two how way new day Try reading one of them individually, over and over, then several of the words in groups of five or ten. Easy isn’t it? Activities: 1. Think of some words with only vc sound connections. Practise repeating them. 2. Write your own phrases and sentences with only vc sound connections. Practise repeating them. 3. Find some more tongue twisters, or write your own. 4. Compare: sentences with only vc sound connections and tongue twisters. 4.8 Friendly consonant sounds help with cc sound connections because they are happy to sit next to other consonant sounds. Having talked a lot about problematic consonant sounds, there are a few consonant sounds which are quite happy to work with other consonant sounds. These are called friendly consonant sounds and they are: n, m, and ng (note that l can sometimes be a friendly consonant sound too) Friendly consonant sounds are our heroes in the world of consonant sounds, because when one of them occurs at the end of a syllable and a consonant sound follows, they make the sound connection easy – just like a vc sound connection. n, m, and ng “play nice” with other consonant sounds! This is because after making each of these sounds the tongue and mouth are in a neutral position, and therefore ready to pronounce any other sound. The tongue can rest on the friendly consonant sound without linking it to the beginning of the next syllable. Examples: 1. fountain, maintain, mountain, etc. Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech For more fun worksheets, games, and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Page 7 2. Let’s look at some examples of friendly consonant sounds in action. Try saying each phrase out loud. Notice how the syllables with n, m, or ng at the end are easy to pronounce beside the next syllable, which starts with a consonant sound. There is a smooth sound connection: n e.g. run towards, wanted, painted, can do, stranger, London m e.g. time to, him because, climb down, simply, come here ng e.g. ring true, sing five, going back, hang there, eating crisps, along with, penguin Note: the friendly consonant sounds n and m are only used with cc sound connections. When a friendly consonant sound occurs at a cv sound connection, FCL takes place, as in these examples: First Sound: Example: Problem: Solution: m I’m only… aim eun lii ai meun lii n bin out Bin aut Bi naut ng is different in that it cannot be moved forward with FCL. We simply have to rest on ng , whether a vowel sound or consonant sound follows, for example: First Sound: Example: No Problem: No Solution Required: ng ring up Ring Up Ri Ngup ng going out Geu wing Aut Geu wi Ngaut 3. High-frequency words in English that end with n, m, or ng: In the list of the 100 Most Common Words in Written English from Lesson 3, there are 11 monosyllabic high-frequency words that finish with either n, m, or ng . Their frequent reoccurrence has the effect of “oiling the wheels” of spoken English. The great thing is that these word are everywhere in English: (list position is shown in brackets) I’m (=2) an (32) am (=2), him (58) in (7), some (66) on (14), them (68) from (25) We can say that “and” (5) is an honorary member of this group too, because d is often deleted with elision, e.g. “fish and chips” = Fi shn Chipz . Activity: say what kind of word each one is, e.g. “in” is a preposition, etc. It is also worth noting that many common suffixes (i.e. word endings) finish with n, m, or ng: suffixes: -an, -ane, -com, -en, -ian, -im, -in, -ing (which changes to –in, see above), -ism, -on, -phone, -sion, -tain, -teen (i.e. every number from 13-19), -tion, -um, -ant (“t” is deleted with elision) There are also several common prefixes that end with n, m, or ng: prefixes: com-, con-, en-, im-, in-, non-, un-Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech For more fun worksheets, games, and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Page 8 If we extend the list of the most common words in spoken English to the top 1,000, there are many very common content words that also end with n, m, or ng , and most of them are one-syllable words too, for example: “thing”, “again”, and “time”, etc. Activities: 1. All of these content words are in the list of the top 1,000 high frequency words in written English1. Put them into four groups: same learn done again mum clean run soon come long gone home son young time game often brown nouns: main verbs: adjectives: adverbs: ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ 2. Look at how many numbers in English end with n, m, or ng : twelve of the first twenty numbers end with n : one, seven, nine, ten, eleven, all -teen numbers (13-19), twenty (twen + ty), seventy (seven + ty), hundred (hun + dred), thousand (with d deleted by elision), million, billion, etc. Note: among the friendly consonant sounds, the n sound is easier to pronounce with other consonant sounds than ng . An example of this is when we frequently change ng at the end of an -ing word (a gerund or verb participle) to n , for example: going changes to goin’, doing changes to doin’, etc. 3. List some more common words that end with n, m, or ng , and put them into different groups, according to the kind of word, e.g. nouns, main verbs, adjectives, as above. 4. Practise repeating these words which have only vc and friendly consonant sounds between syllables: Normal Spelling: NEA Spelling: can ce lla tion kan s Lei shn e mer gen cy i Mer jn sii im po ssi ble im Po s bl main te nance Mein t nns 5. Think of some more words which have only vc and friendly consonant sound connections. Practise repeating them. We can put these words together to make phrases with only vc and friendly consonant sound connections, e.g. • un ne ce ssa ry main te nance • pho to gra pher can ce lla tion • An im po ssi bly cha ri ta ble A me ri can pro fe ssor can ce lling an a ppear ance. • Mark the stressed syllables and practise repeating them. How do you feel? Compare them with the tongue twisters, above. • Write your own words and phrases. 1 Source: http://www.bckelk.ukfsn.org/words/uk1000n.html, accessed on 14.05.11 Talk a Lot Foundation Course Lesson 4 – Connected Speech For more fun worksheets, games, and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! Talk a Lot Foundation Course © English Banana.com Lesson 4 Page 9 Discussion Questions: 1. Were you aware of the friendly consonant sounds in English before doing this course? 2. What have you enjoyed the most so far about doing this course? What has been the hardest part of this course to learn so far? 3. How much do you think you have taken in so far, after the first four lessons? What do you need to look at again? Ask your teacher for extra help, where required. Homework: • Revise the lessons notes for Lessons 1-4. Complete any of the activities that you haven’t done yet. Make a note of any questions that come up as you work.