Stress • Listen to the sentences below. Which words are stressed? Draw a circle over the words that have stress. Stress • the (content)words that have stress: important words/ word for new information Nouns and verbs are almost always pronounced strongly. Adjectives and adverbs • the (function)words that are not stressed: Prepositions (on/ in /out of/ etc.) auxiliary verbs (will /can/may/ etc.) Pronouns (you/they/I /he/she etc.) Conjunctions (and, so, because, if, etc.) English Rhythm (摘自劉振蘋教授) • (如何掌握英語的節奏感? • 很多同學唸英文的時候,喜歡一個字一個字的唸,仔細聽,好像每個 字的發音都很正確,但是整體連貫來聽,卻像是唸經,一點兒也不像 英文。 • • 這些同學都犯了一個毛病,那就是,他們忽略了英語是一個講究節奏 的語言。簡單地說,英語的「節奏」(rhythm),是由一個重音節和一 個(或一個以上)輕音節交互出現而形成的。以下句為例: • In recent years jogging has come to enjoy great popularity. • · ●· ● ● · · ● · ·● ● · · ●·· • (大圈: 重音節,小圈: 輕音節) • (Our Textbook: P 16) • (1) I finish at four, so I get home early. • · ● · ● · ·● ● ● • (2) Getting to work and getting around is sometimes busy. • (3) So, what’s it like living here? • (4) Going to work at seven or eight is just crasy. • • • • • • • • • • • • • 重讀的字是名詞 (years, jogging, popularity),形容詞 (recent, great) 和動詞 (come, enjoy),也 就是實詞 (content words) 類;輕讀的字是介系詞 (in, to) 和助動詞 (has),也就是功能詞 (function words) 類。全句有七個重音,因此有七個節拍。每一節拍必含重音節一個,但 輕音節卻不一定,可有可無,可多可少。唸時每一節拍的時間一樣長,因此,一拍裏 面,若輕音節數目不多,輕音節就唸得慢,語流的速度當然也較慢。反之,輕音節數 目愈多,輕音節就唸得愈快,語流的速度自然也會跟著快起來。 為了幫助自己把句子的節奏找出來,練習說英語時,可以用手來打拍子。 下面再談一些說英語時,有助於英語流暢的特別技巧。 (1) 連音 (linking)。如It’s an interesting game because it shows that reactions of people ︶︶ ︶ to different things and tells you a lot about the people themselves. 句中的「子音 ︶ ︶ 字尾」和 「母音字首」可以連在一起。 (2) 音的弱化 (reduction)。 如:(a) She’ll // make a cake. (b) You’re // just in time. (c) What have you // done? (d) You could have // said so. (e) That would // be good. (f) Give him // some. 句中功能詞的母音,通常會被弱化成 /,,/ 的音,而字首的子音有時會被消音。 (3)音的同化 (assimilation)。如:(a) Is this your // book? (b) Is your // brother coming? (c) What’s your // name? (d) Hide your // camera. 句中字尾的子音和字首的半母音 // 連讀時, 語音產生了同化的現象。這些特別技巧,並不困難,只要常常練習,就能圓熟。 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 談到語調 (intonation),一般同學都知道「123上升」和「231下降」的基本語調。但是英 文句子有長有短,想要一口氣、用一種基本語調唸完一個長句,幾乎是不可能的事。 所以有時必須將長句拆散成幾個「字羣」方可,每段「字羣」原則上以一口氣說完為 準,我們稱它為「氣羣」(breath group); 至於在文法上密不可分的一羣字,我們稱它為「意羣」(thought group)。例如下面這個 長句,就可以分成三個「氣羣」、七個「意羣」:Once upon a time / there was a farmer / who had two sons, / and they all lived together / in a little village / tucked away / in a great valley. 三個「氣羣」是: (1) Once upon a time there was a farmer who had two sons (2) and they all lived together in a little village (3) tucked away in a great valley. 七個「意羣」是: (1) Once upon a time (2) there was a farmer (3) who had two sons (4) and they all lived together (5) in a little village (6) tucked away (7) in a great valley. 仔細體會上述例句,可知在實際唸時,氣羣之間停頓 (pause) 較長,而意羣之間停頓則 較短。停頓處,為了表示語意未完,視情況需求,聲調須停在2或3 的音階上,等全句 最後一個字說出時,才降至1的音階。 下面再談「意羣」劃分的原則。究竟那些字羣可以自成一羣呢?簡單地說,主詞,述 語,副詞片語,介詞片語,分詞片語,含有who,that,which,when,where等關係詞 的子句等,均可自成一個單元。 同學若能持之以恆,每天找一小段文字來練習「斷句」,相信不久之後,英語就會和 英美人士說得一樣流利順暢了。 Tom’s Diner http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=8cy5Xn42Ymo • The first time • Listen attentively and • Take notes. Q1: What are the main ideas? Q2: What are the events or actions described in the song? Give some examples. Tom’s Diner • The second time: • Listen and find out the missing parts.