Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension

  Teaching Emphasis, Grouping and Pause to First
                     Grade



MEI- 03 English Teaching Methods Speaking and
                 Listening Skills

        By Mitzy Glenn, María González and Deyanira Mora
Educational material created for ULATINA Centro Interamericano de Posgrados.2013   1
Relating Pronunciation and Listening
              Comprehension
• Intonation and Communication:
 Native speakers vs. nonnative speakers
• Language learners: frustrated, embarrassed,
  discouraged.
 Reading vs. speaking
Relating Pronunciation and Listening
              Comprehension

• Communication and comprehension= listening
  skills and pronunciation.
 Both parties
 Process of reassessment
 Matching systems of speech signals
Intonation: The “Musical” Signals of English
  • Elements:
   Pitch patterns (melody)
   Timing (rhythm)
  • Learners: “Speaking the new language with
    the music of the old language”
   Musical patterns:
  use and recognition=
  comprehension.
Marking New Information- Old Information
• Old information: ideas discussed or mutually
  understood.
• New information: new thoughts- main attention.
 Sentence stress: The shift of emphasis in a
  conversation- to follow each others’ thoughts
  (listener and speaker)



•    4 Physical signals:
1.    Pitch change
2.    Length of the vowel
3.    Clarity of the vowel: atom- atomic
4.    Loudness
Content words - stressed
   Words carrying the meaning   Example
   MAIN VERBS                   sell, give, employ
   NOUNS                        car, music, Mary
   ADJECTIVES                   red, big, interesting
   ADVERBS                      quickly, loudly, never
   NEGATIVE AUXILIARIES         don't, aren't, can't
Structure words - unstressed
   Words for correct grammar    Example
   PRONOUNS                     he, we, they
   PREPOSITIONS                 on, at, into
   ARTICLES                     a, an, the
   CONJUNCTIONS                 and, but, because
   AUXILIARY VERBS              do, be, have, can, must
Word Stress Rule
            Word type               Where is the stress?     Examples

                                                               center
                        Nouns       on the first syllable      object
                                                               flower
Two syllables
                                                              release
                        Verbs       on the last syllable       admit
                                                              arrange
                                                              desktop
                      Nouns
                                                            pencil case
                      (N + N)         on the first part
                                                             bookshelf
                     (Adj. + N)
                                                            greenhouse
                                                             well-meant
 Compound           Adjectives
                                                            hard-headed
                    (Adj. + P.P.)
                                    on the last part (the   old-fashioned
                                         verb part)         understand
                       Verbs
                                                             overlook
                   (prep. + verb)
                                                            outperform
Thought Groups and Pause
• Natural divisions we make when reading a text,
  speaking to other people, or giving a speech in
  front of a class.

• To divide the message people want to convey.

• Musical signals are used to mark the end of
  thought groups; the speaker marks the end of a
  group with a pause.
Thank you!



             10
References
Al-Sibai, D. (2004) Intonation:A Suprasegmental Aspect of the English Language.

Catford, J. C. (1992). Prosodic Features. In A Practical Introduction to Phonetics
(pp. 172-186). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Gilbert, J.B (1984) Clear Speech. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Hewings, M. (1995, August) Tone Choice in the English Intonation of Non-Native
Speakers. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching , 33, 251-265. Retrieved

Ranalli, J. M. Discourse Intonation: To Teach or not to Teach? Birmingham:
University of Birmingham. Retrieved May 14, 2004, from http://www. cels.bham. ac.uk
    /resources/essays/Rannali4.pdf

                                                                                                      11

Demonstration theory part. summary

  • 1.
    Pronunciation and ListeningComprehension Teaching Emphasis, Grouping and Pause to First Grade MEI- 03 English Teaching Methods Speaking and Listening Skills By Mitzy Glenn, María González and Deyanira Mora Educational material created for ULATINA Centro Interamericano de Posgrados.2013 1
  • 2.
    Relating Pronunciation andListening Comprehension • Intonation and Communication:  Native speakers vs. nonnative speakers • Language learners: frustrated, embarrassed, discouraged.  Reading vs. speaking
  • 3.
    Relating Pronunciation andListening Comprehension • Communication and comprehension= listening skills and pronunciation.  Both parties  Process of reassessment  Matching systems of speech signals
  • 4.
    Intonation: The “Musical”Signals of English • Elements:  Pitch patterns (melody)  Timing (rhythm) • Learners: “Speaking the new language with the music of the old language”  Musical patterns: use and recognition= comprehension.
  • 5.
    Marking New Information-Old Information • Old information: ideas discussed or mutually understood. • New information: new thoughts- main attention.
  • 6.
     Sentence stress:The shift of emphasis in a conversation- to follow each others’ thoughts (listener and speaker) • 4 Physical signals: 1. Pitch change 2. Length of the vowel 3. Clarity of the vowel: atom- atomic 4. Loudness
  • 7.
    Content words -stressed Words carrying the meaning Example MAIN VERBS sell, give, employ NOUNS car, music, Mary ADJECTIVES red, big, interesting ADVERBS quickly, loudly, never NEGATIVE AUXILIARIES don't, aren't, can't Structure words - unstressed Words for correct grammar Example PRONOUNS he, we, they PREPOSITIONS on, at, into ARTICLES a, an, the CONJUNCTIONS and, but, because AUXILIARY VERBS do, be, have, can, must
  • 8.
    Word Stress Rule Word type Where is the stress? Examples center Nouns on the first syllable object flower Two syllables release Verbs on the last syllable admit arrange desktop Nouns pencil case (N + N) on the first part bookshelf (Adj. + N) greenhouse well-meant Compound Adjectives hard-headed (Adj. + P.P.) on the last part (the old-fashioned verb part) understand Verbs overlook (prep. + verb) outperform
  • 9.
    Thought Groups andPause • Natural divisions we make when reading a text, speaking to other people, or giving a speech in front of a class. • To divide the message people want to convey. • Musical signals are used to mark the end of thought groups; the speaker marks the end of a group with a pause.
  • 10.
  • 11.
    References Al-Sibai, D. (2004)Intonation:A Suprasegmental Aspect of the English Language. Catford, J. C. (1992). Prosodic Features. In A Practical Introduction to Phonetics (pp. 172-186). Oxford: Clarendon Press. Gilbert, J.B (1984) Clear Speech. New York: Cambridge University Press. Hewings, M. (1995, August) Tone Choice in the English Intonation of Non-Native Speakers. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching , 33, 251-265. Retrieved Ranalli, J. M. Discourse Intonation: To Teach or not to Teach? Birmingham: University of Birmingham. Retrieved May 14, 2004, from http://www. cels.bham. ac.uk /resources/essays/Rannali4.pdf 11