[ENGLISH PROFICIENCY 1] PISMP SCIENCE 2011 Graphic organizer on pronunciation

Pronunciation

The act of uttering with articulation; the act of giving the proper sound and accent; utterance; as, the pronunciation of syllables of words; distinct or indistinct pronunciation.

The mode of uttering words or sentences.

There are three levels of English Pronunciation: Level 1: People often dont understand what you want to say. Use the wrong sounds in English words. Level 2: People can understand what you want to say, but they have to concentrate to understand you. Level 3: People can understand you easily. Your pronunciation is clear and pleasant.

There are only two widely understood accents of English: 1. General American (GenAm) 2. Received Pronunciation (RP), spoken in Britain

List contains the main sounds of Received Pronunciation: a) b) c) d) Consonants Short vowels Long vowels Diphthongs

Worst error in pronunciation: Talking too fast because you think it sounds native Skipping sounds Misplacing the stress Using the wrong sounds in a word Confusing two different sounds

[ENGLISH PROFICIENCY 1] PISMP SCIENCE 2011 Graphic organizer on stress

Stress
The degree of force with which a syllable is uttered.

Sentence stress in English

Important rules about word stress

Word Stress

Is the music of spoken English Sentences stress can help you to understand spoken English, especially when spoken fast. Sentence stress is what gives English its rhythm or beat. Sentences stress is accent on certain words within a sentence. Sentences have two types of word: o Content words o Structure words Content words important words that carry the meaning or sense. Structure words simple words that make the sentences correct grammatically.

One word, one stress. (one word cannot have two stresses. So if hear two stresses, you have heard two words, not one word)

The stress is always on a vowel (a,e,i,o,u).

In English, do not say each syllable with the same force or strength. One word, stress one syllable. Say one syllable very loudly and all the other syllables very quietly. Syllables that are not stressed are weak or small or quiet. If use word stress in your speech, will instantly and automatically improve your pronunciation and comprehension.

[ENGLISH PROFICIENCY 1] PISMP SCIENCE 2011 Graphic organizer on rhythm

Rhythm

A division of lines into short portions by a regular succession of arses and theses, or percussions and remissions of voice on words or syllables. The pattern of strong and weak stress and short and long pronunciation.

Important for non-native speakers to understand and master the rhythm of English.

Wrong words are stressed in a sentence or if all words are pronounced with the same length or loudness, the speech will be difficult to understand.

Content words are most stress word in English and have rhythm. Pronounced louder and longer Usually in nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and pronouns. Example: o Nouns: Terry, car o Verbs: eat, drive o Adjectives: blue, large o Adverbs: quietly, equally o Pronouns: that, what

Function words are those words that are weaker and shorter (less stress/ rhythm). Usually include auxiliary verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, determiners and possessive adjectives. Example: o Auxiliary verbs: may, do o Prepositions: under, around o Conjunctions: but, not o Determiners: the, some o Possessive adjectives: my, your

[ENGLISH PROFICIENCY 1] PISMP SCIENCE 2011 Graphic organizer on intonation

Intonation

The use of pitch or tone in a sentence to convey meaning or emotion. Although the term when strictly used applies only to the pitch of speech, it is sometimes used loosely to indicate also the emphasis and pacing used in the spoken language.

Intonation (the rise and fall of pitch when speaking) English speakers use intonation and pitch to focus the listeners attention on what is important in the message.

Purpose of English Intonation: 1. Communicate meaning 2. Communicate emotions or moods 3. Stress for emphasis

Generally speaking, we can identify the following intonations:

Rising Intonation means the pitch of the voice increases over time []; Falling Intonation means that the pitch decreases with time []; Dipping Intonation falls and then rises []; Peaking Intonation rises and then falls [].

Intonation will usually rise on that word (or stressed syllable if more than one syllable) 6