Module 1: What is Conversational English?
( 3 Hours Lesson)
At the end of the lesson, the students would be able to:
1. Differentiate between Conversational English and English learned from the classroom or
textbook.
2. Apply casual English in daily conversation at school or at work and in any social gathering.
3. Build confidence when connecting with other people locally or internationally.
4. Understand the reasons for conversing in English.
INTRODUCTION
We live in a global community filled with diverse cultures and languages. So often, we go
about our lives only speaking with others of our native language. When you learn a second
language, it exposes you to new experiences, opportunities, cultures, and friends
( www.acalanguage.com).
In this module, the subject matter is focused on the definition of Conversational English
and its advantages to students in preparation to their world of work. This is a 3-week lesson
prepared for the students to read, discuss, and interact with one another, participate in the
activities designed to enhance their critical thinking skills and conversational skills. Also, the
lessons will teach them the importance of conversational communication, and how to apply this
in their daily lives whether at home, school, workplace, and in every sector of the society where
they involve.
Further, the lessons will shed light to the students that conversational English
communication is easy to learn as long as they have constant practice and understanding of
principles and processes of casual speech. Like Purposive Communication, this will show that it
is an art, a science, a technique, and a process of sharing ideas, thoughts, and information both in
verbal and non-verbal expression.
The professor expects that at the end of module 1, the learner should better understand
the difference between the casual speech and learned English from the classroom and textbook.
Casual speech will allow them to adjust with audiences in multicultural settings.
Concept Grounding
What is Conversational English all about?
This is the language also referred to as “basic interpersonal communication skills”
(BICS) typically connected to the use of phrases and gestures that relate to immediate and concrete
social activities and exchanges. The speech people use when they talk to one another casually
(informally) is called conversational English. The language used by regular people isn't always
the same as the language you learn in a classroom or from a textbook.
Speaking English allows you to actually broaden your world, from job opportunities to
the ability to relate to people from every country. Knowing the language makes it much more
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interesting every trip. Anywhere you want to go in the world you can find someone who
speaks English.
Advantages of Conversational English
ACAL provides top 10 reasons why learning English will be the best decision you ever make.
1. Connect with New People
The world is a vast place, with over 7.5 billion people. More than 6,500 languages around
the world spoken by billions of people. Why close yourself off from the rest of the world by only
sticking with your native language? If you don’t know which language to start with, you can’t go
wrong with English. Spoken in many countries across the globe, English allows you to
communicate with a large number of people whether you’re learning a new language at school,
work, or as a hobby.
And of those, data from Ethnologue, 21st edition, English is the most widely-spoken
language in the world with over 1,121 million speakers (native & non-native). Now, that’s a lot
of new people to meet! In other words: English is everywhere.
“English is the third most common native language in the world.”
Learning English as a foreign language will allow you to communicate with native speakers
and ESL (English as a Second language). You will be able to gain a new perspective of the world,
enhance your ability to communicate and understand yourself and others better.
2. The Language of Business
There’s a reason why many call English the international language of business. Walk into
any job interview at a Fortune 500 company, and you’ll quickly understand why. Almost every
large corporation is rooted in strong English communication skills.
“The future of business lies in a global economy, and many employers now require employees to
speak English,” CNN Business stated. Translation? You must be able to negotiate with clients and
customers in English. Otherwise, your chances of success in the business world are slim.
3. Enjoy Travel Experiences
If you work abroad or want to travel the globe, learning English is a great choice. With so
many English-speakers worldwide, learning the language can help you communicate with locals
along the way. When traveling, it’s always wise to brush-up on the standard questions, greetings,
and phrases the local language. Doing so shows respect for the country you are visiting.
Basic knowledge of English is also needed to communicate with tourism-related
businesses. Paying for a hotel, ordering at a restaurant, or asking for directions is a lot easier.
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4. Make More Money
When you’re bilingual, you open up the opportunity for a higher earnings potential.
Research from Wharton and LECG Europe found that studying a second language is correlated
with about 2% more in annual income. And while that may not seem like a lot, the return on
investment over many years is much higher.
If you’re a foreign professional that is learning English as a second language, the payoff is
even higher. When bilingual English speakers return to their homeland, they often earn higher
salaries.
5. Be a Better Student
Many students around the world study English as a second language. When they do so, it
opens up promising academic and career opportunities in the future.
Do you hope to one day attend a prestigious university such as Harvard, Stanford, Oxford,
or MIT? Then, being proficient in the native tongue gives you a competitive edge.
6. Increased Brainpower
Many believe learning a second language increases mental flexibility. Studies show that
learning English as a second language can result in many cognitive benefits. Sharper memory,
increased creativity, and complex problem-solving skills, to name a few.
7. Enjoy Classic Literature & Films
Many of Hollywood’s most celebrated works of film and literature are made in English.
Forget translated copies. Everyone knows that there’s nothing quite like the original masterpiece.
The only way to truly experience a great work in film or literature is to experience it in its native
language.
8. Immigration Benefits
If you can’t speak English as an immigrant, it will put you at a significant disadvantage.
Likewise, if you aren’t fluent in English, it can limit your job opportunities. It can also lead to
social isolation.
Why? Because it’s very difficult to immerse yourself into a new culture when you can’t
speak the native tongue.
9. Stay Sharper for Longer
Picking up a new language is an excellent way to keep your mind sharper for longer. Many
attribute an ability to fight off symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease to high levels of
bilingualism.
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This research shows that bilingualism has a somewhat muted effect in adulthood but a
larger role in older age, protecting against cognitive decline, a concept known as ‘cognitive
reserve.’
10. Easy to Learn
One of the main reasons people dread learning a new language is the steep learning curve
involved. The good news: You may have an easier time than others if English is your second
language.
“You can choose an English class during summer or hire an English tutor at home.”
This is because English is closely related to many other languages due to its European
roots. German, Latin, and French speakers, for example, may find English easier to learn. But, if
you’re not a native speaker of those tongues, don’t lose hope! As with mastering, any foreign
language—consistent practice is critical.
Take advantage of the many resources and courses available that make learning English a
breeze!
Introductory Activity 1:
You will deliver this impromptu on why you like something or someone. Choose a
celebrity, song, class subject, favorite member in the family, favorite activity, etc. Just talk
freely without minding grammar structure. Just talk! (1 minute is enough).
Module 2: Principles in Learning Conversational English
( 3 Hours Lesson)
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Objectives:
1. Apply the principles in conversing in English.
2. Elaborate the principles of Conversational English and put into practice.
Introduction
While the conversation class may certainly be less rigorous than, for example, an
advanced writing class, it has its own set of problems. In a writing class, I know what the students
need, and the title “Advanced ESL Composition” alone suggests the curriculum: course readings
and several student essays on related topics over the course of the semester, in drafts increasing
polished and focused on structure, grammar, and punctuation.
A conversation class, however, is less defined. What exactly is a conversation class?
What is the curriculum? Sometimes there’s not even a course text available. Despite this initial
lack of clarity, however, there are general principles of best practice that a conversation class can
be built around.
In this module, the confidence of students in English conversation is constructed as they
learn the principles and apply these principles into actual practice.
Concept Grounding
9 Basic Principles To Follow in English Conversation
(Modified from https://busyteacher.org/14409-how-to-teach-conversational-englishbest-practices.html) How to Teach Conversational English by Stacia Levy , May 25, 2018
.
1. Focus on communication and fluency, not correctness.
You will always be surprised when in the first days of class you turn to your professor or
ask your classmates if they are holding the conversation “correctly,” if it is “right.” Rarely even in
our native languages do we concern ourselves if the conversation is proceeding “correctly”; the
point is if our meaning is coming through. This is what should be emphasized to you students: it’s
not a matter of “right” but whether or not your classmates understand you and can respond to you!
2. Lay the groundwork.
Before entering in academic conversations, students have to agree on some basic “rules for
engagement”: listening to each other courteously; listening actively by clarifying meaning and
asking for examples; advancing one’s own opinions clearly and politely while considering the
audience, etc. Most students will really know these rules already from their first languages—there
are probably some cultural universals in politeness—and can usually help in brainstorming five or
so rules to be displayed prominently in the class. More than five will likely be too many to focus
on and be useful.
3. Student directed: student choice of topics.
There are few things more uncomfortable than being in a conversation on a topic you either
intensely dislike or have nothing to say on.
Most native speakers will excuse themselves from such conversations as soon as possible.
Teachers should be wary of assigning controversial topics such as the legality of abortion or same
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sex marriage without gauging the climate of the class and having an idea of how receptive students
will be to such topics. Some classes are perfectly capable of holding a mature conversation on
these topics, others not depending on their language and cross-cultural and interpersonal skills.
Teachers should ask themselves the following: Are my students capable of listening to their peers
on the topic without erupting in anger? Can they advance their own opinions without undue
embarrassment? One way around this concern is allowing students to come up with their own
topics to use over the course of the term. Have them work in groups, write agreed-upon topics
on index cards, and collect them. They do not have to be “academic” topics like the validity of
global warming but almost anything students are interested in and can discuss for an extended time,
such as favorite music. One class session or part of one in brainstorming topics will likely yield
enough topics for the term, and the instructor can just draw an index card to use during discussion
time.
4. Small group/pair work
Conversation occurs in small, not large groups. Having students work in small
groups or pairs is usually more productive for a number of reasons: students are less selfconscious if they are “performing” in front of a small group rather than large, and they have
more chance to speak in a smaller group. In addition, conversations generally occur in smaller
groups, as any party or meeting will demonstrate—people gather in small groups to talk when
given the opportunity. Setting aside regular time for students to get into groups for discussion
will help them develop their conversation skills.
5.r
Rotate partners
Some teachers assign conversational partners or groups for the term, and this has
advantages, such as students get to know each other better this way, and they can quickly get
into their groups when asked to, easing transitions.
However, there also are advantages to occasionally rotating partners or groups,
perhaps every few weeks. In this way, students get to know more of their peers and get
exposed to more ideas while still having the structure provided by having a stable group for a
period of time.
6.Learn Strategies
Too often conversations even between native speakers fall flat because the participants don’t
know conversation strategies. In addition, there is a difference between an everyday
conversation and an academic conversation. Many if not all of our students can carry on an
everyday conversation without much difficulty: “What would you like for dinner?” “I dunno. Pizza?
Chicken? What do you want?” Much of our day-to-day “conversation” goes on in exchanges like
this and requires few strategies. But to have a real “conversation” on the topic of food choices, for
example, the conversational partners will have to know different strategies for introducing the
topic, drawing each other out, asking for opinions, advancing their own, using examples, and so
forth.
7. Equip yourselves with vocabulary
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It seems elementary, but it is often forgotten that students may not be participating because
they simply don’t have the vocabulary to enter a specific conversation. Introducing some key
phrases and words related to the topic will help this. For example, on the topic of different types
of vacations today, students should learn words like “condo,” “time share,” “hotel,” “motel,”
“extended stay,” “business class,” and “coach.”
8. Apply both formal and informal conversation skills
There are specific strategies for entering, extending, and ending conversations both
formally and informally. For example, with “Hey, Diana! How was your vacation to Hawaii?” I
am signaling to Diana that I’d like to open an informal and probably brief conversation on the
topic of her vacation that might extend a little into my vacation and vacations in general. However,
with “What do you think about how we vacation today? Hasn’t it changed quite a bit from even
ten years ago?” I am signaling a different kind of conversation—more in-depth and analytical as
the conversation participants consider different types of vacations, and more academic. Knowing
these strategies for different types of conversations will help students avoid confusion and even
annoyance and gain experience in different types of conversations.
9. Participate and understand conversation. Assess your speaking ability informally.
Because the focus of instruction, and of conversation itself, is on communicating meaning
rather than on correctness, students should be assessed mostly informally. The instructor may sit
in on conversations, and get an idea this way on the degree of participation of each student.
Students can also be asked to hold a conversation in front of the teacher or class and be assessed
by a rubric on the degree of responding to and advancing topics, on use of strategies
and vocabulary, and so forth. Finally, more formal quizzes and tests can also be given in the form
of listening to taped conversations and answering questions about topic, vocabulary, responses,
strategies, and so on.
Learning conversational English can seem challenging because at first blush it seems as if
there are few principles to guide you. However, keeping in mind such strategies as employing the
words to say or vocabulary, establishing small groups, and learning conversational strategies, there
is plenty to say and do in the conversation class!
Activity:
Pick out some lines from any English movie with a vocabulary not used or frequently used in
our conversation. State what movie and state the name of the actor or actress. What does it
mean in our local language? Reenact by sending your audio/ voice record.
Module 3: Building Vocabulary in Conversational English
Using Slang Words in a Conversation
( 3 hours Lesson)
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Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
To employ slang words in casual talk.
To broaden the learners’ vocabulary using slang language.
To bring learners closer to the world of Native English speakers.
To talk confidently during casual conversations.
Introduction
This module prepares and equips the learners the needed vocabulary for conversation.
The lesson here focuses mainly on slang words and it is necessary to be employed in the daily
English conversation at school or work. Since learners are exposed to internet use especially
in communication, slang words should be better understood.
The professor expects that at the end of the lesson the students can speak English with
confidence and with more understanding of the slang terms.
Concept Grounding
What is a Slang Word?
https://www.mondly.com/blog/2019/11/26/45-popular-slang-words-from-arounnd
world-and-their-meanings/
Diana in Language Tips
the-
Lexico powered by Oxforddefines “slang” as “a type of language consisting of words
and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing,
and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people”. For example, the
slang words and phrases we are going to talk about today are defining for two generations known
as “millennials” and “gen z” – but mostly “gen z” because – let’s face it – today’s teenagers have
come up with tons of new slang terms that even I, as a millennial, have trouble understanding.
Praised be the mighty internet for slang dictionaries!
So whether you millennial desperately trying to stay cool – like me, a Gen X-er striving
to understand the new generations or a baby boomer who wants to be the GOAT (Greatest Of All
Time) grandpa or grandma, you’ve come to the right place. Why? ‘Cause we’re about to
absolutely slay this list of popular slang words! And not just with English slang terms, but also
with Spanish, French, German and even Japanese slang. You never know when you might need
them. So… Yas! Let’s do this!
As technology advances and we get closer to the possibility of a Black Mirror-esque
scenario becoming real, the world enters a new chapter dominated more and more by the internet
culture. Most of our social interactions are now influenced by memes, dynamic social media
platforms and our desire to be unique, heard and belong to a certain group of people who we
perceive as “cool”. And slang words are a great way to show everyone around us just that!
Why is it important to learn foreign slang words?
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Slang is a crucial part of any language. Just think about how criminals started using slang
so police or other people who are not in their crime circle would not understand what they are
saying. Isn’t that great evidence of how creative people can It may be indecent, colorful or
obscene, but slang is a be? Regardless of their social status or intentions.
But besides being understood only within a particular group, slang can also be general.
For instance, almost every native English speaker knows that to be “filthy rich” doesn’t mean to
be dirty, but to have a lot of money. In this situation, slang changes its objective of being limited
to a certain group to, as Eric Partridge observes, easing the social intercourse and to reducing the
solemnity, the pomposity, the excessive seriousness of a conversation. So slang brings us closer
and enriches the language.
That being said, let’s continue with some very common slang words in some of the most
spoken languages in the world. Slang you’ll probably hear and later use if you decide to learn
any of these languages.
Tired of learning textbook English that you never use in real life conversations?
This is a HUGE problem with most traditional English courses. No matter how dedicated you are
to learning the English language, new and unfamiliar slang words will always appear in
everyday conversations. Chances are, you’ve seen these words being used in social media
content or in everyday American conversations.
Does Gen Z slang sometimes look like some secret unbreakable code to you? Well, you
are not alone. But TBH (To Be Honest), once you get the hang of it and realize how relatable and
fun it is, it becomes quite addictive to use in your day-to-day conversations.
So get ready to hear new meanings for words you thought you knew and prepare for heavy
eye-rolling every time you’ll use your newly acquired lingo around teens. Here are some of the
most common slang words used in the English language today:
“Cool” Slang words that are used in Real American Spoken English (Here is
a list of 40 popular slang words to help you master
American Conversational English)
https://www.spokenenglishpractice.com/american-conversational-english/
Asap – This is an acronym for, “As soon as possible”. It is often just expressed verbally as
‘asap’. Ex: “How soon do you need the car?” “Asap!”.
Awesome- (adj) The use of the word ‘awesome’ in American language has received a lot of
attention lately. While the word actually means ‘exciting’ or ‘awe inspiring’, it is very frequently
used as a sarcastic phrase to sum up just about any emotion- negative or positive.
Bestie- (noun) Meaning best friends. Ex: “She’s my bestie”.
BAE – (noun) BAE is an acronym that stands for “before anyone else”. It could refer to your
significant other or best friend. Example is Jenna is my BAE.
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Boo – (noun) Boo is very similar to Bae. It usually refers to boyfriend or girlfriend (or wife/husband). Example
is Love you Boo!
Brah – (pronoun) Brah is another way of saying “are you serious” in Conversational American
speaking.
Bombed- (verb) Usually used in an academic setting, ‘bombed’ means to completely fail
something. It is also used as a verb to say you are getting very drunk.
Bye, Felicia. A cold way of dismissing someone.
– You were rude. I’m gonna leave now.
– Bye, Felicia!
Chick- (noun) Another word meaning young female, generally referring to females the ages of
12-40 years old. ‘Chick’ is most often used between people who know each other. However, it
can also be used to imply a female you have no connection with.
Chill- (adj, verb) Another common colloquial word in American informal vocabulary. ‘Chill’ can
describe something that is relaxed, easy, and fun. It can also be used as a verb meaning you
are relaxing, and being easy going.
Dime- (adj) While not as common in modern spoken English, the word ‘dime’ is sometimes
used to describe a female who is sweet, good looking, and kind.
It stems from the expression, “She’s a ten!” Meaning she is given a ‘score’ of 10/10. In American
money a dime is worth $0.10, hence, the word ‘dime’
Dope- (adj) A general word that describe anything or anyone as being very fun, exciting, or
cool. For example, you can say “Kevin is fun to hangout with. He is dope”.
Drop- (verb) A word used when enlightening someone with information. Often heard in the
expression, “let me drop some knowledge on you”.
Also used in reference to releasing music in the expression, “I’m gonna drop this mixtape”.
Extra ( Adj.) When someone is “extra”, it means they are unnecessarily dramatic, excessive,
over the top or a “drama queen”.
She invited the entire school to her birthday. She’s so extra!
Fly- (adj) A description word meaning, “really young and hip”. Often used while describing
someone’s clothing attire.
Fire- (adj) Saying something is ‘fire’ means it is outstanding. You can use this slang word to
describe everything from food to music.
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GOAT – (adj) GOAT is an acronym that stands for greatest of all time. In conversational English
or in the world of social media, this is a very commonly used expression. For example, you can
say “these sneakers are GOAT”
Goals – (verb, adj) If you see someone commenting #goals on a Facebook photo, it is a subtle
way of saying they are jealous and want a similar experience
gotcha – (exclamation) You would you this word on it’s own to acknowledge that you
understand something someone is saying
Hangry. When you are so hungry that you are angry! (probably the most relatable slang
word Gen Z taught us).
I’m so hangry right now I could eat five burgers in one sitting!
Hitched- (verb, adj) In slang, ‘hitched’ means two people have married.
Jacked- (adj) A word describing someone who exercises a lot or who has large muscles. For
example “Tom spends a lot of time in the gym – explains why he is so jacked up now”
Lit – (adj) Lit has a very similar meaning to poppin. You can say “the club was lit” – meaning the
club was fun!
Low Key – (adj) If you see someone says “let’s keep it low-key” for now, it means they don’t
want to tell everyone about it.
Another example is: “It is a low key event attended by only a few of my best friends” – means it
is an event that was exclusive to a small group.
Lowkey & highkey. Lowkey is the opposite of highkey and it can be used as a way of
saying that you liked or done something secretly, modestly or quietly.
I lowkey rooted for Danaerys to remain on the iron throne.
Paul is highkey trying to learn Spanish for Elena.
Mood – (verb) Mood refers something that is relevant/ Used to express something that is
relatable. For example, in informal English someone could say “My 2018 mood is all about self
improvement and growth.
– Ugh! I wish I was in Bora Bora right now.
– Mood!
Nada- (pronoun) Used instead of the word, “nothing”. However, it is generally used as the
answer to a question rather than in the middle of a sentence.
Nerd out – (verb) To ‘nerd out’ means to get so enthralled and engaged in a seemingly nerdy
or geeky activity or topic.
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On fleek – (adj) On fleek is another way of saying something or someone is attractive
or fashionable. If you are hanging out with someone who uses a lot of slang, you might hear
them so “Yo brows are on fleek” – which means your eye brows look great!
On point – (adj) On point is a colloquial way of saying that something or someone is attractive
or fashionable. For example, you can say, “Her makeup was on point”
Poppin’- (adj) This word is used to describe a social event that is doing very well. Often used in
terms of parties, gatherings, or clubs.
Ride or Die (adj) – Originally a term that bikers used, ride or die is used in American Spoken
English to refer to best friend, lover or partner. For example, you can say, “Lori and I have gone
through some stuff but she is my ride or die”
retweet (verb)- Originating from the online news and networking service Twitter, the linguistic
expression, “Retweet”, in conversation means the person agrees with you.
Saying this in informal conversation is a form of validating what someone is saying.
Salty ( Adj.) You can say someone is salty when they get upset or angry over something minor.
Nick is so salty since his parents took away his car!
Shook( noun). When someone is shook it means they are shocked or incredibly surprised.
– Did you see? The new season of Lucifer just landed on Netflix!
– OMG I’m shook! I need to watch it ASAP!
sick – (adj) You would think this word has a negative connotation, however, ‘sick’ is similar in
meaning to, “very exciting!”, “amazing!”, etc.
While it can be used to describe a person, it is most often used in American slang English to
describe experiences or things that someone thinks is amazing.
Squad – (adj) Squad refers to your group of friends in slang English. When someone says “this
is my squad” they are referring to a group of friends.
Swing- (verb) The term ‘swing’ has multiple informal meanings in the English language. One
meaning is used when telling someone you will come by their house or workplace for a short
period of time by saying, “I’ll swing by”.
Another informal meaning of the word ‘swing’ is to explain your sexual orientation. If someone
asks if you are a homosexual, you may respond by saying, “I don’t swing that way”.
Slide- (verb) This word is used for it’s literal meaning ‘glide’, but used in terms of a person
becoming apart of another person’s life. Ex: “I’m going to slide into her life.”
Swag- (noun) ‘Swag’ has two informal meanings in English. One meaning refers to the free
objects you receive at promotional events.
Another is in reference to the manner in which someone carries themselves.
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Slaying it – (noun) ‘Slay” or “slaying it” means doing really well. In American colloquial English,
you may hear someone say ” Mark is slaying it as a…
Shook (verb). When someone is shook it means they are shocked or incredibly surprised.
– Did you see? The new season of Lucifer just landed on Netflix!
– OMG I’m shook! I need to watch it ASAP!
Tea ( noun). When someone is “spilling the tea”, it means they are gossiping.
What happened at Jessica’s birthday party? Come on, spill the tea!
To flex (To-V phrase)Another way of saying someone is showing off.
Nowadays, teens have started using the slang phrase “weird flex but OK” as a snarky and
mocking response to someone bragging about something considered questionable, bizarre or
unusual.
– Andrew’s trying to flex with that new no-name smartphone of his.
– Yeah. Like weird flex but OK.
To ghost someone (To-V phrase)When you cut off communication with someone you’re no
longer interested in.
OMG! Did you hear Cristina ghosted Matt?
To clap back( To-V phrase). To respond to another person’s criticism.
Maria is quick to clap back at everyone who says she doesn’t have a nice British accent.
turn up- (verb) To “turn up” means to party very hard, usually with the implication of drinking
alcohol.
Yolo- (phrase and expression) ‘Yolo’ is short for the phrase, “You Only Live Once”. This
phrase is popular with teenagers and young adults.
It’s meaning is implying that you should live your life how you want because you only get one of
them. The phrase is shortened to ‘yolo’ in verbal conversation.
10 English slang terms you need to know in 2020
By Sonja (Language learning·Last updated: 02/19/2020)
https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/language/10-english-slang-terms-you-need-to-know-in-2020/
With a new year comes a whole host of novel, oft-perplexing slang terms. Just as quickly as
they fly in, they seem to disappear, banished to the depths of “cringeworthy” terms that ought not
be uttered. When learning English, it’s often hard to stay on top of which slang terms are in and
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which are best left buried in the previous year. But don’t fret – we’ve got you covered! Here’s
the latest instalment in our “slang for the year ahead” series, featuring terms that range from
funny to just plain weird.
1. Hate to see it
A relatable combination of cringe and disappointment, this phrase can be used as a reaction to a
less than ideal situation. Say your friend cheated on a test and was caught red-handed, you might
drop a “hate to see it”. Mix it with a sigh and a sympathetic shrug and you’ll be on your way.
2. Ok, boomer
This particular phrase caused a bit of a ruckus on social media. When dismissing someone older
(most commonly from the Baby Boomer generation), millennials and Gen Z-ers have taken to
throwing out an “ok, boomer”.
For example, if an older individual corners you to say, “When I was your age, we read books and
went outside instead of staring at screens for hours on end.” your response might be “Ok,
boomer”. A somewhat sassy, yet overall good-natured way to respond to respond to jibes from
older folk.
3. Cap
To “cap” is essentially to lie. This particular phrase can be used in situations of scepticism (“he’s
capping”) or to convince someone of the legitimacy of your statement (“no cap”). As an added
bonus, if you feel that your friend isn’t quite telling the truth, you can simply send them the
baseball cap emoji and still get your message across.
4. Basic
This word has been on the scene for a while, but seems to have stood the test of time. “Basic” is
most commonly used to refer to things that can be deemed tragically mainstream. It has a bit of a
sarky connotation, so it goes perfectly with a moody eye-roll.
5. Retweet
I know what you’re all thinking, this one is practically ancient. But instead of referring to the
actual act of retweeting someone’s Twitter post, this term has more recently been used to voice
agreement. So if someone says something you completely agree with, instead of saying “yes, I
agree” you simply say “retweet”. Because who really has the time for three-word sentences
anymore?
6. Fit
On the subject of saving time, “fit” means outfit. The “out” was hastily removed at some point,
for reasons that remain somewhat unclear. So instead of complimenting someone on their outfit,
you can simply state “cute fit”, to the same effect.Learnmore
7. Fr
Another abbreviation, “fr” is a shortened “for real”, which can mean a multitude of things from
emphasising that what you’re saying is true, to questioning the accuracy of someone’s story. This
one is, of course, limited to text conversations. Unless you’re feeling brave and would like to
attempt pronouncing this out loud.
8. Canceled
While this word used to typically refer to things like trains or TV shows, these days anything can
be canceled. If a celebrity says something scandalous or turns out to be a problematic individual,
they may be pronounced “canceled”. Burger King accidentally puts meat in a veggie burger?
14
They’re canceled. Whether or not these people/things/institutions continue on after this unofficial
canceling is, mostly, irrelevant.
9. Clout
According to the Oxford Dictionary, one of the official definitions of this word is “power and
influence over other people or events”. What it’s come to mean on social media isn’t worlds
apart from that, primarily referring to influencers’ and YouTubers’ fame. Someone who is a
“chasing clout” is therefore someone who is simply after more followers or looking for more
opportunities that will get them clout.
10. And I oop
This gem came from this video of Jasmine Masters, one of the contestants on the popular show
RuPaul’s Drag Race. Masters was about to get started on another sentence when she suddenly
injured herself, so her next sentence abruptly cut off, and thus “And I oop-” was born. This is
mostly used to accompany a blunder. For example if someone drops their phone, they might say
“and I oop”.
Activity:
Create a dialogue of any scenario of your choice using the above slang words. Choose a
pair of 2 or 3. Each participant must pick 5 slang words to employ in the conversation.
Send your dubbed convo via our GC.
15
Module 4.
American Idioms
(3 Hours Lesson)
Objectives:
1. Know and identify the idioms.
2.Appreciate the importance of idioms
3.Construct sentences using idioms.
4. Employ idioms in a conversation.
Introduction ( English Language Learning: Knowing the Importance of Idioms
www.ascenglish.com › blog › 2019/05 ›.
Every language has its own unique collection of sayings and phrases. These
expressions often contain meanings that may not be obvious by simply looking at the
individual words contained therein. We call these expressions “idioms.”
Understanding Idioms Can Boost Your Conversational English Skills. You may
encounter idioms most often in spoken written conversation.
Idioms can help improve your conversational skills because it shows native speakers
that you understand the cultural meaning and context behind the idiom you're using.
Idioms are a type of figurative language that can be used to add dynamism and character
to otherwise stale writing. You can also use idioms to: Express Complex Ideas in a Simple
Way.What Is an Idiom? Learn How to Use Idioms in Writing - 2021 ...www.masterclass.com › articles ›
what-is-an-idiom-learn 8 Nov 2020
This lesson explains the importance of idiomatic expressions in conversational English as
the focus of the subject. The professor expects that the learners will be speaking and writing
dialogues employing these terminologies.
Concept Grounding
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a group of words that are used as a common expression whose meaning is
not deducible from that of the literal words. Idioms are used frequently in both written and
spoken English. So let’s take a look at the most popular idioms and common idioms in the
English language and what they mean.
What Is the Purpose of Idioms in Speaking and Writing?
16
Idioms are a type of figurative language that can be used to add dynamism and
character to otherwise stale writing. You can also use idioms to:
1. Express Complex Ideas in a Simple Way. Oftentimes, idioms can help express a large or
abstract idea in a way that is succinct and easy to understand. For instance, you could say that
two things are impossible to compare to one another, because they possess different traits or
meanings. Or you could simply say that it’s like “comparing apples to oranges.” In this case,
the use of an idiom helps to express the same idea in a much simpler way.
2. Add Humor To Your Writing. Idiomatic expressions can help transform flat description
with the help of a funny turn-of-phrase. For instance, rather than describing someone as being
not very smart, you could say that he is “not the sharpest tool in the shed” or “not the brightest
star in the sky.” In addition to conveying that the subject in question is not intelligent, the
inherent comparison of a person’s brain to a toolbox or a star is unexpected and humorous.
3. Keep Your Reader Stimulated. By inserting an idiomatic phrase into your writing, you
force the reader to shift from thinking literally to abstractly. This can help keep the reader stay
focused and excited, as they must activate a more conceptual part of their brain in order to
comprehend the idiom’s meaning. By describing someone taking on a larger task than they
may have been prepared for as “biting off more than they can chew,” you encourage the reader
to conjure a visual image in their head, which can help keep them engaged in your writing.
4. Establish a Point of View. Since idioms are often used to express commonly shared or
universal ideas, there are often dozens of idioms that apply to the same concept. However,
depending on which idiom you choose, you can convey an entirely different attitude about the
subject about which you are writing. For example, there many different idioms that express the
concept of death. If you were to write that someone “passed away,” you are using an idiom to
describe death in a graceful, delicate way. Alternatively, you could say that a person “kicked
the bucket,” a much harsher and cruder way of describing the act of dying. Though both idioms
ultimately mean the same thing, they convey completely different attitudes towards death.
5. Evoke a Specific Region. Certain idioms are unique to different areas of the world. For
instance, “that dog won’t hunt” is a common idiom in the Southern United States that means
that something doesn’t work or make sense. On the other hand, if someone were to refer to a
mess or a debacle as a “dog’s dinner,” they are likely British. In fiction writing, the strategic
employment of specific idioms can often add a regional flavor and authenticity to your
characters.
Here are some common idiom examples:
Idiom: “You can’t judge a book by its cover”
Meaning: Don’t assume you know something based solely on its outward appearance.
Idiom: “Every cloud has a silver lining.”
Meaning: Good things come as a result of bad things.
Idiom: “Once in a blue moon”
Meaning: Very rarely
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Idiom: “Back to the drawing board”
Meaning: Restart a process from the beginning.
Idiom: “We'll cross that bridge when we come to it”
Meaning: We’ll worry about that problem when it arises.
Idiom: “A penny saved is a penny earned”
Meaning: It’s just as useful to save money as it is to make money.
Idiom: “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
Meaning: Don’t rely on something good happening until it has already happened.
Idiom: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”
Meaning: It’s better to have something that’s small but certain than the possibility of
something greater that may never materialize.
40 POPULAR IDIOMS AND THEIR MEANINGS
by Greg Secrist | Dec 21, 2020 | GrammarSpot | 73 comments
https://www.bkacontent.com/40-popular-idioms-and-their-meanings/
A blessing in disguise
Meaning: A good thing that initially seemed bad
A dime a dozen
Meaning: Something that is very common, not unique
Adding insult to injury
Meaning: To make a bad situation even worse
Beat around the bush
Meaning: Avoid sharing your true viewpoint or feelings because it is uncomfortable
Beating a dead horse
Meaning: Giving time or energy to something that is ended or over
Bite the bullet
Meaning: To get an unfavorable situation or chore over with now because it will need to get
finished eventually
Best of both worlds
Meaning: The choice or solution has all of the advantages of two contrasting things at the same
time
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Biting off more than you can chew
Meaning: Not having the capacity to take on a new assignment or task that is just too taxing
By the skin of your teeth
Meaning: Just barely making it
Don’t judge a book by its cover
Meaning: Not judging something by its initial appearance
Doing something at the drop of a hat
Meaning: Doing something at the moment of being asked
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Meaning: Not to count on something happening until after it’s already happened
Caught between a rock and a hard place
Meaning: Making a choice between two unpleasant choices
Costs an arm and a leg
Meaning: Something that is overpriced or very expensive
Cutting corners
Meaning: Not performing a task or duty correctly in order to save time or money
Devil’s advocate
Meaning: To take the side of the counter-argument, or offer an alternative point of view
Feeling under the weather
Meaning: Not feeling well, or feeling sick
Fit as a fiddle
Meaning: Being in good health
Getting a taste of your own medicine
Meaning: Being treated the way that you have been treating others
Getting a second wind
Meaning: Having energy again after being tired
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Giving the benefit of the doubt
Meaning: Believing someone’s story without proof even though it may seem unbelievable
Giving someone the cold shoulder
Meaning: Ignoring someone
Going on a wild goose chase
Meaning: Doing something that is pointless.
Heard it on the grapevine
Meaning: Hearing rumors about someone or something.
Hitting the nail on the head
Meaning: Performing a task with exactness
Killing two birds with one stone
Meaning: Accomplishing two different tasks in the same undertaking
Letting someone off the hook
Meaning: Not holding someone responsible for something
Letting the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Sharing information that was intended to be a secret
No pain, no gain
Meaning: You have to work hard in order to see results
On the ball
Meaning: Doing a good job, being prompt, or being responsible
Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that doesn’t happen very often
Piece of cake
Meaning: A task or job that is easy to complete
Pulling someone’s leg
Meaning: Joking with someone
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Speak of the devil
Meaning: When the person you have just been talking about arrives
Stealing someone’s thunder
Meaning: Taking credit for someone else’s achievements
Straight from the horse’s mouth
Meaning: Reading or hearing something from the source
The last straw
Meaning: The last difficulty or annoyance that makes the entire situation unbearable
The elephant in the room
Meaning: An issue, person, or problem that someone is trying to avoid
Throwing caution to the wind
Meaning: Being reckless or taking a risk
Your guess is as good as mine
Meaning: To not know something
20 Familiar English Idioms
A snowball effect
Meaning: Something has momentum and builds on each other, much like rolling a snowball
down a hill to make it bigger
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Meaning: Apples are healthy and good for you
Burning bridges
Meaning: Damaging a relationship beyond repair
Every dog has his day
Meaning: Everyone gets their chance to do something big
Fit as a fiddle
Meaning: Excellent health
21
Go down in flames
Meaning: To fail in a spectacular manner
Getting a second wind
Meaning: Having energy again after being tired or worn out
Having your head in the clouds
Meaning: Day dreaming, not paying attention
He/She is off their rocker
Meaning: Someone who is acting crazy or not thinking rationally
It’s always darkest before the dawn
Meaning: Things always get worse before they get better
It takes two to tango
Meaning: One person usually isn’t the only responsible party
Like riding a bike
Meaning: Something that you never forget how to do
Like two peas in a pod
Meaning: Two people who are always together
Run like the wind
Meaning: To run really fast
Through thick and thin
Meaning: Everyone experiences hard and good times
Time is money
Meaning: Work faster or more efficiently
Weather the storm
Meaning: Enduring a trial or hardship
Can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs
Meaning: You can’t make everyone happy
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You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink
Meaning: You can’t force someone to make what is seemingly the right decision
Clouds on the horizon
Meaning: Trouble is coming or is on its way
Activity: Prepare for an Oral Test on Idiomatic Expressions. Give at least 15 and
Use them in the sentence.
23
Module 5
The English Sound System: IPA Symbols
( 3-Week Lesson)
Objectives:
1. Identify the distinctive features of vowels and consonants.
2. Describe vowels and consonants according to their characteristic features and the
condition necessary for their production.
3. Use the IPA to facilitate clear and accurate production of vowels and consonants.
4. Pronounce vowels, diphthongs and consonants clearly and accurately in isolation and in
context.
Introduction
This module is provided as the springboard of students to prepare them for the
conversational aspect. All enrichment exercises serve as the pedagogical aids in the student’s
oral competence. At the end of the lesson, the learner is expected to apply the principles and
rules in the correct pronunciation.
The use of the International Phonetic Alphabets should be emphasized to effectively
guide the students in the correct sounds of General American English variance.
Concept Grounding
International Phonetic Alphabets are set of symbols designated to show the pronunciation
without respelling and without diacritical marks.
Image of International Phonetic Alphabets
24
Ɛ
Readings/Discussion
How the International Phonetic Alphabet
Can Help Us Teach Pronunciation(Posted on February 4,
2016 | by Pearson)/Professor John Caine
SUNY, Suffolk Community College
How can students begin mastering the art of pronunciation autonomously? There is a very
helpful tool that can be utilized in classrooms, one we may not be familiar with or may not have
thought of using: the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This resource is especially useful
when helping students with consonants.
Here is what the IPA gives you to help distinguish consonant sound formation. At first look you
may ask, as I did, what does all this mean and how can this help me? One good reason to
understand the IPA is that many dictionaries use the IPA symbols.
Most languages have only pulmonic consonants. (Wondering what pulmonic means? Of course
you are, you teach English. The Wikipedia definition is: A pulmonic consonant is
a consonant produced by air pressure from the lungs, as opposed to ejective, implosive, and click
consonants.)
The IPA helps us with three important areas: place of articulation, manner of
articulation, and voicing.
25
The basics are: In order to make sounds, we need to manipulate the structure of our mouth,
tongue, teeth, and throat. We produce different sounds by manipulating our mouth, tongue, teeth,
and throat to various places to induce some type of obstruction in the airflow. The various
obstructions help produce the various sounds.
Place of articulation has two categories: Active and Passive Articulators. These are listed on the
chart as Bilabial, Labiodental, Dental, Alveolar, Postalveolar, Retroflex, Palatal, Velar, Uvular,
Pharyngeal, and Glottal Consonants. These various airflow obstructions are all listed at the top of
the IPA chart. Thank goodness not all of these are needed in the English language! But, we
should be aware that these do exist in other languages, some of which may be the native
languages of our English language learners.
Next is manner of articulation, which is listed on the left-hand side of the chart. This tells us
how much airflow is being obstructed. Near total obstruction is listed at the top and a minimal
amount near the bottom.
The nasal sounds, we need to observe that many of us have used exaggerated examples of nasal.
If we say the word nasal, we are diverting the air totally from the throat directly through the nose
to produce the “n” sound. Nice! Now try “m.” You’ll notice that some of the air flows into the
closed mouth before exiting through the nose. The tongue, lips, and teeth are positioned
differently: meditate, moving, muscles.
Then the Plosives stop the airflow altogether and allow pressure to build up and then be released
in an “explosive” manner. English has six plosive consonants: p, b, t, d, k, and g.
Finally, we have voicing. Voicing is the differentiation between similarities of place and manner.
For example, let’s take the consonants p and b. We produce both consonants using the same
place and manner structures. However, p and b are differentiated by the production of a nonvibrated p and a slightly vibrated b. Try it. Say both consonants and feel the difference in your
throat. In class, have your students try the same exercise.
The letter p is unvoiced, and production of the sound is from the mouth; but b is “voiced,” and
production of this sound is from the mouth and the throat.
The IPA is a system for representing phonetic sounds with symbols. We read the chart above
from left to right: place, manner, and articulation practice. In other words, what are the
placements of our lips, teeth, tongue, and throat as we form these sounds? This is important
because letters in English can have different phonetic sounds or no sound at all. Therefore,
spelling is not a reliable source for pronunciation. Let’s take “c” for an example in the
words catch and nice. The “c” sound is different in each word, and “tch” has yet another sound.
The IPA helps us to differentiate these sounds.
Fricatives are pronounced by bringing the bottom lip into contact or near contact with the upper
teeth, as for the fricative “f” in English fat and puff.
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No matter how many times we repeat the words fan and van, it will not help students
understand or distinguish the physical characteristics of sound production unless we help them to
physically reproduce the mechanics. We can easily do this by having you place your top teeth
over their bottom lip. To produce the voiceless “f” sound, simply blow air through their teeth.
To produce the “v” sound, first put you hands on you throats, then demonstrate the voiced
vibration. You distinguish between the two sounds and exaggerate the vocalization; you can
always scale back once you get used to differentiating the sounds.
We have only discussed a small section of the IPA. However, this small sample should give an
idea of how the IPA works and how you can help yourselves using this pronunciation tool. Most
students are hardworking, self-motivated individuals. Helping them to help themselves and
others with pronunciation is well worth the extra time and effort.
References
A nice guide to blends is one created by Randy Stark, Reno, Nevada, 1999.
A few helpful references for understanding and utilizing the IPA characteristics are:
http://www.reddit.com/r/artifexian/
http://www.manythings.org/e/pronunciation.html
http://iteslj.org/links/ESL/Pronunciation/
Posted in adult education, Community College, ESL, Higher education, listening, professional
development, pronunciation | Tagged International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA, Professor John Caine
Let’s have the drill by observing the points of articulation. Please note the rules as you read
before you proceed to the exercises.
The Sounds of English:
The speech phones, or sounds of English, can be classified into vowels and consonants and
diphthongs. A vowel is a voiced sound produced without obstruction in the mouth or constriction
of the breath stream. That is to say, vowels can be produced without articulation of the tongue,
lips, or throat. They are merely a manipulation of the airstream. Diphthongs are a combination of
two vowels produced as a single sound. Consonants are produced with the breath stream obstructed
to produce friction either by completely stopping or narrowing the passage for a length of time or
diverting the sound through other passages.
The vowel Sounds:
When creating a vowel there are several factors that go into producing the sound. The
tongue will bunch up towards the palate in front, middle or back. This causes the mouth’s size to
vary and thus the sound produced. We can classify our vowels as front, middle and back vowels.
Lips also play a part in producing vowel sounds. The lips may be rounded or spread, closely
rounded or in a smiling position. Note though that when looking for an American accent one must
be aware of the fact that Americans do not move their lips very often. In fact lip movement should
be limited.
27
There is also a variation in tenseness between vowel sounds. For some sounds the mouth
may need to be tenser than other sounds. Vowels may also very in the distance between the upper
and lower front teeth. They can be narrow, wide, and half.
Vowels also differ in their length. They can be long or short.
Types of vowels:
1. Front vowels- sounds formed in front of the mouth or the tip of the tongue.
2. Central vowels- sounds formed in the middle of the mouth
3. Back vowels- sounds formed with the back of the tongue arched toward the back roof of the
tongue.
4. Diphthongs- a combination of two vowel sounds that glide to form a new vowel sound with
the first vowel given more prominence.
Type of Vowel
Front Vowels
Mid Vowels
Back Vowels
Diphthongs
IPA Vowel Chart
Name of Vowel
IPA Symbol
Long e
i
Short i
I
Short e
ε
Short a
æ
Schwa (neutral vowel) ə
Short u
^
Schwa+r
ɝ
Long oo
u
Short oo
U
Short o
ɒ
Circumflex o
ɔ
Italian a
ɑ
Long a
eɪ
Long i
aɪ
Circumflex a
εa
Long o
ou
Long u
ju
au
ɔi
Keyword
eat
hill
bet
map
about (əbaut)
but
bird
cool
took
pot
Fall
far
late
kite
care
boat
feud
plow
toy
28
***The following
charts may be useful in thinking about pronunciation (especially that of
an American accent) and are taken from the book American Accent Training. ***
Tense Vowels/ Long Vowels—Your lips should have to move to produce these noises
Symbol
ā
Sound
εi
Spelling
Take
Example
[tāk]
ē
ee
Eat
[ēt]
I
äi
ice
[is]
ō
ou
hope
[hōp]
ū
ooh
smooth
[smūth]
ä
ah
caught
[cät]
æ
ä+ε
cat
[kæt]
æo
æ+o
down
[dæon]
Lax Vowels/ Short Vowels—Produced by a combination of tongue and throat
Symbol Sound Spelling Example
29
ε
eh
[gεt]
i
ü
ih
it
ih+uh took
[it]
[tük]
ə
uh
[səm]
get
some
Semivowels
Symbol Sound Spelling Example
ər
er
her
[hər]
ə
l
ul
dull
[dəl]
Individual vowel sound practice:
Sound: i (ē)
Words:
Even
Each
Easy
Either
Evening
Creature
Thieves
Three
Dream
Teacher
Shriek
Piece
Read
Key
Fourteen
Minimal Pairs:
Seat- sit Eat- it
Deepdip
Leaklick
Keenkin
Sleepslip
Heel- hill
Reachrich
Thesethis
Eachitch
Sentences:
1. A cool breeze began to blow from the east.
2. Why can’t I eat this meat? It is too rich to eat in this heat.
3. She was very eager to meet the new dean.
Sound: i (I)
Words:
rich
Critic
Nymph Bitter
Stiff
Dimmer
Pill
Dignity
Fish
Gift
Panic
Strict
Symptom
Hypocrite
Picnic
Minimal Pairs:
Pill-peel
Mill-meal
Ship-sheep Hill-heal
Lip-leap
Sick-seek
Bit-beet
Rim-ream
Still-steel
Hid-heed
Sentences:
30
1. The house is situated on top of a hill
2. Is this your ring? No it isn’t. It’s too big for my finger.
3. He has lived in the more interesting cities of the world.
Sound: ε
Words:
End
Guess
Edge
Deck
Every
Else
Beckon
Men
Beck
Shell
Dress
Said
Set
Dead
Elegant
Minimal Pairs:
Red-laid
Flesh-flash
BackMess-mass
bake
Test-taste Hem-ham
Fed-fade
Bed-bad
Debt-date Beck-back
Sentences:
1. The scent of hay was heavy in the air.
2. He will enter engineering school in February
3. Many guests had arrived, but there was no one to let them in.
Sound: æ
Words:
Aunt
Action
Apple
Land
Patch
Angry
Matter
Absent
Candy
Shack
Example
Stamp
Baggage
Wagon
Began
Minimal Pairs:
Cop-cap
Rackwreck
Bond-band
Land-lend
Shock-shack Pan-pen
Bottle-battle Band-bend
Cot-cat
Shall-shell
Sentences:
1. The magician made the cat vanish into thin air.
2. Where’s your dad? Dad’s sitting behind the fat man.
3. Will you hand me a match? I’m sorry, but I don’t have any matches.
Sound: ə
Words:
Afraid
Bacon
Circus
error
Appear
Soda
Compare
cover
Alone
Occur
telephone
purpose
Sentences:
1. The debtor failed to attend the conference.
2. Don’t leave the cactus on the sofa.
3. My husband loves to eat bacon with soda.
31
Sound: ^
Words:
us
under
much
cut
but
love
mud
some
done
won
trouble
enough
country
subway
public
Minimal Pairs:
cup-cap-cop
but-bat-bought
us-as
truck-track
drug-drag
cub-cabcob
cut-cat-cot
hum-ham
luck-lack
dumb-dam
Sentences:
1. We were unable to catch either the bus or the subway.
2. Mother was upset when she heard of uncle’s accident.
3. Something must be done at once to help them.
Sound: ɝ (ər)
Words:
birth
circle
fender work
nature hurt
urchin junior
colonel gurgle
spurn
flirt
worth
burn
dollar
Minimal Pairs:
curse-cars
firm-farm
worm-warm fur-far
heard-hard
curvecarve
Tongue Twister:
A foolish young fisher named Fisher once fished for some fish in a fissure, til a fish with
a grin pulled the fisherman in. Now, they’re fishing the fissure for Fisher.
Sound: u (ū)
Words:
movie soup
soon
ooze
sue
Dewey
tooth
jewel
room
grew
afternoon
glue
blue
blew
prune
Minimal Pairs:
whose-hues food-feud
moos-mews ooze-use
Sentences:
1. Is it true that you had the flu? No, it was June who had the flu.
2. What is the matter with you, Sue? I’m losing a tooth.
3. What are you chewing? I’m chewing some new food.
Sound: U (ü)
Words:
pull
cook
butcher
took
hood
bullet
stood
woolen
bouquet
32
push
sugar
bush
gook
ambush
shook
Minimal Pairs:
full-fool
soot-suit
hood-who’d
pull-pool
could-cooled
stood-stewed
look-Luke
Sentences:
1. Could we look at the bulletin board before we decide? We could, if it were put up in time.
2. Did you put the sugar in the pudding? Not yet; the pudding must cook a little longer.
3. Where’s Ruth? She’s looking at the full moon in the brook.
Sound: ɒ (ä)
Words:
boss
office
loft
clock
plot
polish
shock
dock
doctor
holiday
blonde
lost
Minimal Pairs:
rot-rat
ox-ax
lock-lack
rock-rack
Tongue Twister:
One doctor doctors another. Does the doctor who doctors the doctor, doctor the doctor the
way the doctor is doctoring doctors? Or, does he doctor the doctor the way doctor doctors
doctors?
Sound: ɔ (ä)
Words:
small
salt
Paul
fraud
cause
asphalt
author autumn
launch gauze
fought
automobile
pauper
bought
authentic
Minimal Pairs:
walk-woke
saw-sow
law-low
called-cold
pause-pose
ball-bowl
call-coal
bought-boat
Sentences:
1. A large audience listened to the auctioneer.
2. We ought to go to the audition tonight.
3. Where’s Paul’s daughter? She’s down the hall. You ought to talk to her.
Sound: ɑ
Words:
bar
scarf
garden
sardines margarine cardinal
psalm
sergeant
heart
Minimal Pairs:
barn-burn
card-curd
park-perk
guard-gird
farm-firm
are-err
star-stir
mark-murk
Sentences:
1. What novel is popular now? I’m not sure. Consult that chart.
2. Are you fond of modern art? To be honest, no, I’m not.
33
3. The yard was so dark, Carl was almost afraid to cross it alone.
Sound: eI (ā)
Words:
Ache
Able
Eight
Paper
Neighbor Veil
Reign
Wait
Daze
Pay
Away
Survey
Sleigh
Sustain
Tray
Minimal Pairs:
Late-let
Dane-den
Mate-met Rake-wreck
Gate-get
Waste-west
Tale-tell
Main-men
Date-debt Bait-bet
Paragraph:
The fragrance of the forest when it wakes at dawn. The fragrance of a trim green village
lawn. The hearing of the murmur of the rain at play. These things are beautiful, beautiful as day!
(Orwick Jonns).
Sound: ɪ (i, äi, ai)
Words:
by
fine
side
abide
right
bride
hide
blight
thigh
dried
alive
apply
ally
kite
consign
Minimal Pairs:
ride-raid
mine-main
while-whale bite-bait
fight-fate
mice-miss
rhyme-rim
fight-fit
lice-lace
signsane
heighthit
light-lit
Sentences:
1. What kind of ice cream shall I buy?
2. I like my five pot mice.
3. He tried to find some high priced ivory.
Sound: εa
Words:
chair
despair
hair
glare
spare
dare
wear
square
air
care
affair
wear
scare
scarce
bear
Minimal Pairs:
where-there fail-quail
square-stare bear-tear
care-dare
flair-frail
basebare
fairy-faring raingrain
Sentences:
1. The bear declared to the hare, “This lair you have to spare or suffer impairment beyond
compare.”
2. Beware of the mare that has a square pear. Dare to prepare for devil-may-care airs.
3. Their chairs need repair because they aren’t square.
34
Sound: ou (ō)
Words:
boat
hope
row
crow
Oreo
owe
doe
photo
rope
float
mow
no
Minimal Pairs:
coal-call hole-hall
owe-awe role-roll
robe-rob node-nod
soap-sop note-not
coast-cost
boat-bought
ode-odd
coat-cot
Sentences:
1. Bob cut off all the old brown branches
2. The boys were served Oreos and oatmeal.
Sound: ju
Words:
feud
mute
huge
hue
cute
few
Sentences:
1. We have to stop the mute family’s feud.
2. I have seen only a few cute fellows.
3. The bird’s hue is quite cute.
Sound: au (ɔu)
Words:
ounce flower endow
oust
douse
prowl
outset gown
bough
ours
allow
eyebrow
cow
now
avow
Sentences:
1. I have plowed the ground around the house.
2. She shouted loudly when she saw a mouse.
3. The boy scout bowed to the crowd.
Sound: ɔi
Words:
adroit
coin
toys
enjoy
joy
voice
coil
poise
loiter
cloister
annoy
destroy
convoy
alloy
decoy
Sentences:
1. Noisy Roy likes oysters.
2. He gave the boys money to buy toys.
35
3. He voiced his annoyance at the noisy boys.
Consonant Sounds:
Voicing Consonants:




Voiced consonants are produced with the vibration of the vocal cords.
[b], [d], [g], [v], [ð], [z], [ʒ], [l], [m], [n], [ŋ] are the voiced consonants
Voiceless consonants do not produce a vibration in the vocal cords
[p], [t], [k], [f], [ɵ], [ʃ], [g], [tʃ], [h], [w] are the voiceless consonants
Points of Articulation







Bilabial- upper and lower lips
Labio-dental- tongue and teeth
Alveolar- tongue and gum ridge
Alveopalatal- tongue and alveopalatal region
Palatal- tongue and palate
Velar- tongue and velum
Glottal- vocal folds
Manner of Articulation






Stops/ Plosives- characterized by an oral block, building up of pressure and a
sudden explosive release of air.
Fricatives- sounds produced when the breath stream passes through a narrowed
opening a friction sounds result.
Nasals- sound produced by the blocking of the oral passage and diverting of the
vocalized breath through the nasal passage.
Affricates- steps that move toward a fricative position
Laterals- sound produced by closing the center of the oral passage and opening
the sides.
Glides (semi-vowels) - sounds produced with the tongue starting at a position and
gliding rapidly to another.
36
Consonant
Type
Stop-Plosives
Fricatives
Nasals
Name of
Consonant
b
p
t
d
k
g
f
v
th
th
s
sh
z
zh
r
h
m
IPA Consonant Chart
IPA
Keyword
Symbol
b
boy
p
pat
t
ten
d
dig
k
kill
g
go
f
fan
v
vine
ɵ
thin
ð
this
s
sat
ʃ
shell
z
zoo
ʒ
rouge
r
r
h
h
m
man
37
n
ng
j
ch
l
w
wh
Affricates
Laterals
Glides
Points of
Articulati
on
n
ŋ
dʒ
tʃ
l
w
hw
Lips
Manner of Bilabi
Articulati al
on
Stops
Fricativ
es
Nasals
Lateral
Glides
Sound: b
Words:
bat
brine
bell
bird
brag
LipTongu
Teeth e
Labi
odenta
l
nose
drink
jam
chain
late
well
why
Tongu
eVelum
Laryn
x
Lingu
adental
Tongue Tongue Tongu
-Gum
-Hard
e
Ridge
Palate
blade
–
Palate
Alveol Post
Palata
ar
Alveol l
ar
Velar
Glotta
l
k
g
voiceless p
voiced b
voiceless
f
ɵ (th)
t
d
s
voiced
v
ð (th)
z
voiced m
w
rabbit
about
disturb
bread
robust
job
cab
jibe
bridge
curb
ʃ [sh]
tʃ [ch]
ʒ [zh]
dʒ
[dzh]
h
ŋ
n
l
r
j (y)
Minimal Pairs:
Bail- pail
bat-pat
dub-pub
bass-pass
bane-pane
base-pace
bay-pay
bare-pare
lab-lap
beet-peat
Sentences:
1. Have you baked the beans? Not yet. I broke the baking dish and must buy another.
2. Have the bills been paid? All but the butcher’s bill.
3. The boy hid behind the back fence.
Sound: p
Words:
paper
keeper clap
peak
people heap
pony
suppose wipe
38
picture
place
open
carpet
jump
shop
Minimal Pairs:
path-bath
pear-bear
palm-bomb gap-gab
cap-cab
rip-rib
poor-boor
peat-beat
peak-beak
pet-bet
39
Sentences:
1. Drops of water keep dropping on the roof.
2. Did you practice your piano piece? Yes, I practiced practically all morning.
3. The paper was printed and published without profit.
Sound: t
**The American T: The American T is strongly influenced by its position within a word or
sentence. Generally:
1. T is T at the beginning of a word or in a stressed syllable
2. T is D in the middle of a word
3. T is held at the end of a word
4. T is held before N in –tain and –ten endings
5. T is silent after N with lax vowels
Rule 1:
 When T is at the top of an intonation “staircase” or a stressed position it should pop.
o Ted took ten tomatoes. (T is T because at the start of a word)
o He was content with his contract. (T is T because of intonation and word-stress).
 T replaces D in the past tense, after and unvoiced consonant (f, k, p, s, ch, sh, th)
o Laughed (læft), picked (pikt), hoped (houpt), washed (wɑʃt), etc…
o Halved (hævd), rigged (rigd), nabbed (næbd), etc…
o EXCEPTIONS: Wicked, naked, crooked, etc…
T is T sentences:
1. It took Tim ten times to try the telephone.
2. Stop touching Ted’s toes.
3. Turn toward Stella and study her contract together.
4. Control your tears.
5. It’s Tommy’s turn to tell the teacher the truth.
Rule 2:
1. An unstressed T in the middle of a staircase between two vowels sounds should be
pronounced as a soft D.
T is D Sentences:
1. Betty bought a bit of better butter. (Bedy bɑdə bida bedər budər)
2. What a good idea. (wədə gudai dēyə)
3. Set it on the metal gutter. (sedidæn ðə medl gədr)
Rule 3:
2. When T is the last letter of a word the T is held. By held we mean that the tongue moves
into place behind the teeth onto the Alveolar ridge. However, the air is not released. T as
in Tom has a pop, T in Betty still has air that flows in a different way over the tongue. T
as in Hot is held and no air is released from the mouth.
T is held sentences:
1. She hit the hot hut with her hat.
2. We went to that Net site to get what we needed.
3. Pat was quite right, wasn’t she?
Rule 4:
40

This rule is based on the fact that T and N are located close in the mouth. If you have an
N immediately after a T you don’t pop the T. The tongue is in the T position, but you
release the air with the N, not the T. There is no T or ə, which is a common mistake. Be
sure that you tongue does not release from the top of your mouth before you drop to the
N or a word like button would sound like but-ton.
T is held before N sentences:
1. He’s forgotten the carton of satin mittens.
2. Students study Latin in Britain.
3. The frightened witness had forgotten the important written message.
Rule 5:
 The T is totally taken out of words where a lax vowel (ə, ɪ, ε, U) and N come before a T.
Look at the following examples:
Interview (inεrvju),internet (inεrnε), international (inεrnæʃunəl)
T is Silent Sentences:
1. He had a great interview. (Hi hædə grai inεrvju)
2. She’s at the international center. (ʃis æðəj inεrnæʃunəl sεnər)
3. It’s twenty degrees in Toronto. (əts twεni dəgriz n Torɑnto)
Words:
Minimal Pairs:
ten
might
receipt
bet-bed
latter-ladder
teach
sister
get
tie-die
ten-den
table
little
fast
time-dime
feet-feed
tell
potato shirt
writingto-do
riding
team
biting
great
battle-bottle trust-thrust
Sentences:
1. Tony laughed and laughed at the kitten.
2. There is water in the bottom of your boat.
3. I just wrote a letter to my sister.
Sound: d
Words:
die
door
down
dress
draw
ready
under
candy
garden
ardent
heard
hand
could
crowd
fraud
Minimal Pairs:
medal-metal
dear-tear
wadingwaiting
dean-teen
dame-tame
down-town
pedal-petal
bidingbiking
mad-mat
doubt-tout
Sentences:
1. Did they catch the mad dog? Yes. He was hiding in the garden.
2. You went for a drive today, didn’t you?
3. His departure was delayed by the unexpected downpour.
Sound: k
41
Words:
come
call
queen
couch
can
escape
beacon
recourse
weaken
camp
make
dike
hook
thank
cures
Minimal Pairs:
coat-goat
pick-pig
rack-rug
clue-glue
crow-grow
class-glass
cranecreasegrange
grease
lock-log
call-gall
Sentences:
1. The colonel succumbed to a sudden heart attack.
2. My colleague in the press was very critical during the conference.
3. The Cardinal encouraged the couple to go back to their conjugal home.
Sound: g
Words:
Minimal Pairs:
guess
ago
gherkin
ghost-coast
gore-core
glade
bugle
snag
gale-cale
goal-coal
green
stagger rogue
chug-chuck
gave
buggy sprig
game
legal
vague
Sentences:
1. Can’t you go to the game with us? Sorry, I guess we’ll have to get together another time.
2. What grows best in your garden?
3. I had a vague feeling that he was beginning to get interested in my proposition.
Sound: f
Words:
for
found
fought
first
fox
offer
infamous
barefoot
different
afraid
laugh
loaf
rifle
suffer
cough
Minimal Pairs:
file-vile
calf-calve
face-vase
grief-grieve
fear-veer
proof-prove
file-vile
sheaf-sheave
fine-vine
leaf-leave
Sentences:
1. Be careful not to frighten the butterflies.
2. Did you ever find a four-leafed clover?
3. What seems fine at fifteen seems foolish at fifty.
Sound: v
Words:
voice
vault
variety
veil
vent
cover
savage
never
oval
rival
glove
village
sleeve
glove
believe
Minimal Pairs:
vault-bolt
vanishbanish
vote-boat
vein-bane
van-ban
saver-saber
42
veil-bail
revel-rebel
curve-curb
vow-bow
Sentences:
1. I believe I can visit my aunt this vacation.
2. I believe I gave the envelope to Vera.
3. Violets never grow on vines.
Sound: ɵ (should be pronounced like an S but with the tongue between the teeth).
Words:
bath
theme
think
theater
thaw
anything
cathedral
earthquake
nothing
faithful
myth
south
fourth
growth
sloth
Minimal Pairs:
three-tree
thread-tread
thank-tank
both-boat
thigh-tie
thick-tick
path-pat
oath-oat
faith-fate
bath-bat
Sentences:
1. Was the earthquake in the north or south?
2. The three thieves were caught on the third of this month.
3. I am through with the thread and thimble.
Sound: ð (This should be pronounced like D but with the tongue between the teeth)
Words:
Minimal Pairs:
though bother unclothe
lothe-load
though-dough
thus
feather scythe
they-day
there-dare
their
lather
smooth
those-dose
scythe-side
that
feather bathe
then-den
than-Dan
than
another teeth
lather-ladder thine-dine
Sentences:
1. It is hard to breathe in this air.
2. They think that it is a bother to bathe every day.
3. There is another path farther ahead.
ð vs. ɵ
When producing these two sounds students may get their sounds confused. ð may degrade into a
D sound while ɵ may turn into a S. To avoid this, students should be encouraged to think about a
snake’s tongue darting in and out of the mouth. Students may also benefit from a mirror to speak
into, allowing them to see their tongue between the teeth. Americans typically will run their
words together, especially around TH sounds. In the following passage listen to the way the
reader runs the words together to help in making all the TH sounds possible.
The throng of thermometers from the Thuringian Thermometer Folks arrived on Thursday. There
were a thousand thirty-three thick thermometers, though, instead of a thousand thirty-six we
were expecting, not to mention that they were thick ones rather than thin ones. We thoroughly
thought that we had ordered a thousand thirty-six, not a thousand thirty-three, thermometers, and
43
asked the Thuringian Thermometer Folks to reship the thermometers; thin, not thick. They
apologized for sending only a thousand thirty-three thermometers rather than a thousand thirtysix and promised to replace the thick thermometers with thin thermometers.
ð=17 ɵ=44
Sound: s
Words:
Minimal Pairs:
same
sister
dress
brace-braise cross-craws
said
eraser
peace
price-prize
vice-vies
small
lesson
stop
sip-zip
bus-buzz
stand
missing wants
seal-zeal
loose-lose
snow
gasoline pass
grace-graze sluicesloughs
Sentences:
1. Does your sister still like to sew?
2. I saw six birds in that small nest.
3. The policy was suggested in an essay of peace.
Sound: ʃ
Words:
Minimal Pairs:
shop
bushel
radish
seen-sheen
Swiss-swish
shot
ashes
finish
Sam-sham
seep-sheep
shelf
motion bush
gas-gash
sock-shock
shawl
cushion plush
class-clash
lass-lash
shoulder mention sash
sin-shin
sell-shell
Sentences:
1. His action was both foolish and rash.
2. She spent her vacation at the seashore.
3. I had no wish to make an issue of the matter.
Sound: z
Words:
zero
easy
zebra
crazy
zest
daisy
zone
loser
pleasant
because
tease
rise
Minimal Pairs:
cease-seas
place-plays
price-prize
rice-rise
close-to
sue-zoo
close
ice-eyes
seal-zeal
Sentences:
1. The bees buzzed busily among the flower.
2. Water freezes at zero degrees Centigrade.
3. I enjoy classical music more than jazz.
**S vs. Z
44
As a general rule, like sounds will follow like sounds. Thus, S will sound S (an unvoiced sound)
when it follows an unvoiced consonant. Conversely, S will sound Z when followed by a voiced
consonant. On the whole there are a lot more Z than S sounds in English.
Sound: ʒ
Words:
seizure
pleasure
rouge
prestige
measure
decision
position
camouflage
corsage
azure
leisure
lesion
beige
usual
negligee
Minimal Pairs:
glacier-glazier
Confucianconfusion
rues-rouge
bays-beige
dilutiondelusion
Sentences:
1. The excursion proved to be as pleasurable trip.
2. The seizure of private property greatly aided the regime.
3. His position and prestige make his decision final.
Sound: r
Words:
wring
ready
race
stream
round
deride
tyranny
morrow
already
divorce
wear
stair
bear
whisper
dear
Minimal Pairs:
wait-rate
twice-thrice
week-reek
quest-crest
won-run
twig-trig
quitterwail-rail
critter
wed-red
twain-rain
Sentences:
1. He carried the parrot around everywhere.
2. Marie wore a red dress to the party.
3. Do not run across the narrow bridge.
**The American R is produced totally within the mouth with no articulation points. In that
regard the R is like a vowel. To achieve a proper American R it is helpful to imagine that your
hand is your tongue. Lay your hand out flat, palm up. This simulates your tongue when saying
“ah”. Now if you slightly curl your fingers upwards that will show how the Americans make
their Rs.
Sound: h
Words:
hear
hide
high
hand
haughty behold
ahead
behave
mahogany
behave
rehearse
overhaul
lighthouse
unhook
prehistoric
Minimal Pairs:
hit-it
heat-eat
ham-am
heart-art
45
hear-ear
horse-oars
hate-eight
heel-eel
hat-at
Sentences:
1. I can’t help being happy.
2. He held his head high despite his many failures.
3. Henry had a huge hole in the heel of his stocking.
Sound: m
Words:
match empty
might
timber
mouse animal
mesh
symptom
mob
hammer
hold-old
rhythm
bosom
gem
chasm
dome
Sentences:
1. Remember that men are only mortals.
2. You need to come to my summer home.
3. I sometimes climb mountains in my dreams.
Sound: n
Words:
never
name
new
notch
next
under
panel
pony
any
keener
again
green
barn
fine
own
Sentences:
1. Isn’t it fun to spend the night on a train?
2. The kitten cannot run in the garden.
3. Nine fancy brown hens ran out of the barn into the rain.
Sound: ŋ
Words:
singer
seizing
working
anchor
tongue
sphinx
songster
saying
springy
trunk
jungle
ankle
asking
wringer
youngish
anger
banker
trunk
Sentences:
1. We were hoping to get the remaining single seats.
2. The lungs are essential in singing.
46
3. I have a feeling that we’re taking the wrong road.
Sound: dʒ
Words:
judge
soldier
jewel
reject
jaw
major
jail
manager
jury
engine
damage
page
stage
cage
language
Minimal Pairs:
wades-wage aids-age
weds-wedge raids-rage
buds-budge heads-hedge
lards-large
rids-ridge
Sentences:
1. The pigeon jumped into the cage.
2. She gave a jar of jelly to the soldier.
3. Register by the agent’s lodge by the bridge.
Sound: tʃ
Words:
change
cherry
choice
chew
chalk
teacher
touchy
feature
pitcher
orchard
church
wretch
couch
speech
pitch
Minimal Pairs:
chew-shoe
choke-joke
chin-shin
chain-Jane
cheap-sheep choice-Joyce
cheat-sheet
march-Mars
Sentences:
1. The feature of the show was a series of etchings.
2. He also chose a gold chain which matched his watch
3. The actual capture of the criminal took place only after a long and tiring chase.
Sound: l
Words:
loss
long
light
legal
locative
belong
believe
careless
asleep
folder
girl
call
fall
cell
rule
Minimal Pairs:
load-road
feel-fear
loot-root
wall-war
lay-ray
fail-fare
lake-rake
roll-roar
lime-rhyme deal-dear
Sentences:
1. Please light the candle on the table
2. I belong in this village, I believe
3. He fell into the lake and yelled for help.
Sound: w
Words:
went
forward
water
between
awake
reward
walk
would
word
stalwart
bewail
backward anyway
wayward unwise
47
Minimal Pairs:
west-vest
went-vent
worse-verse
wiper-viper
wary-vary
wane-vane
wine-vine
waltz-vault
Sentences:
1. The winding pathway led to a waterfall, where we decided to wait for a while.
2. We might be wise to wire them, rather than to wait for their answer.
3. Wishing for wealth is one way to waste time unwisely.
Sound: hw
Words:
where
whistle
whimsical
wheel
everywhere
who
whale
whisper
why
wheat
whirl
what
whine
whir
wheeze
Minimal Pairs:
whirredwhich-witch
word
whet-wet
where-wear
whey-way
Sentences:
1. Who is whipping the white horse?
2. The wheel came off with a whirling
sound.
3. Why isn’t the wheat grown
everywhere?
48
Module 6
The Rhythm of Speech
( 2-Week Lesson)
Objectives
1. Identify and recognize the stress and intonation patterns of spkoen english.
2. Describe and compare alternating stress patterns, the basic intonation patterns, and the
intonation patterns for specific structures.
3. Speak larger forms of structure with correct stress and intonation.
4. Carry on conversations using stress and intonation to convey desired meanings.
Introduction
This is a 2-week module that discusses the importance of applying correct intonation
and stress in speaking English. Intonation refers to the pitch that is used to speak. English
has a particularly wide pitch range that allows speakers to vary their pitch by making it rise
or fall when expressing an utterance (e.g. sentence or question). Stress refers to an increased
loudness for a syllable in a word or for a word in a phrase, sentence, or question.
Intonation and stress are important for learners to know because they assist in
communicating additional meaning to an utterance. It helps to strengthen a specific meaning,
attitude, or emotion in an utterance. A speaker can use intonation and stress to inform the
audience that a particular part of what the speaker is saying is important or worth attending
to.
Regarding intonation, a speaker can raise or drop the pitch in order to express
different meanings. For example, the question “why is experiential learning taught like this?”
can be said in two different ways to express two different meanings. The speaker can use a
falling pitch at the end of the question on the word “this” to express a genuine question.
Alternatively, the speaker can use a rising tone on the word “this” to express surprise or
disagreement.
Regarding stress, a speaker can say a syllable of a word or a word in an utterance
louder than other parts of the utterance to emphasize its importance to the audience. The
exercises provided here will allow students to speak with the correct rhythm and melody
pattern of the spoken English.
Concept Grounding
Suprasegmentals in Sense-Groups
Intonation- One of the main differences between the way an American talks and the way the rest
of the world talks is that they don’t really move their lips. They create most their sounds in the
throat, using the tongue very actively. If you hold your fingers over your lips or clench your jaws
when you practice speaking American English, you will find yourself much closer to nativesounding speech than if you pronounce every…single…sound…very…carefully.
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If you can relate American English to music, remember that the indigenous music is jazz. If you
listen to American speech music, or intonation, you will hear that Americans have a melodic, jazzy
way of producing sounds.
Because most Americans came from somewhere else, American English reflects the accent
contributions of many lands. The speech music has become much more exaggerated than British
English, developing a strong and distinctive intonation. If you use this intonation, not only will
you be easier to understand, but you will sound much more confident, dynamic, and persuasive.
Intonation, or speech music, is the sound that you hear when a conversation is too far away to be
clearly audible but close enough for you to tell the nationality of the speakers. The American
intonation dictates liaisons and pronunciation, and it indicates mood and meaning. Without
intonation speech would be flat, mechanical, and very confusing for your listener.
American intonation is based on what can be described as a “staircase intonation”. When they say
their words you can imagine that they come out as if they were bounding lightly down a flight of
stairs. Every so often, one jumps up to another level, and then starts down again. Americans also
tend to stretch out their sounds longer that you may think is natural. To start, lengthen your vowel
sounds and put them on two steps of a stair.
Example: we’re here
we
‘re
He
Re.
As a rule, when you have a word ending in an unvoiced consonant (t, k, s, x, f, sh) you will notice
that the preceding vowel is said quite quickly or on a single step. When a word ends in a vowel or
a voiced consonant (b, d, g, z, v, zh, j) the preceding vowel is said more slowly (two stairs). This
can be seen in the way that Americans differentiate the words seat (one step) and seed (two steps).
Failing to do this will cause your listener to mishear you or—worse—think you are upset.
Accent or Stress:
How exactly does one create intonation though? What changes when you go to the top of the
staircase or when you put stress on a word? There are 3 ways to stress a word:
1. Volume- By getting louder you can emphasize a word; however, this is a very
unsophisticated way of doing it.
2. Length- By stretching a word you will draw attention to it, the result though will be
that people will think you are insinuating something.
3. Pitch- this is the most refined way to accomplish intonation. There are 4 pitch levels
used in American speaking low, normal, high, and extra high.
You may find it helpful to use a rubber band in practicing pitch changes. Start by twisting the
rubber band into a ∞ shape. When you wish to change your pitch stretch the rubber band.
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Intonation Continued:
Intonation or pitch change is primarily used to introduce new information. This mean when you
make a new statement you will stress the nouns:
Dogs eat bones.
Mike likes bikes.
Elsa wants a books.
Adam plays pool.
Bobby needs some money.
Susie combs her hair.
John lives in France.
Nelly teaches French.
Jean sells some apples
Bill and I fix the bikes.
Pronouns though are old information. They represent an object which has already been brought up.
Because of this when there are pronouns Americans will stress the verb.
He sees her.
She sees him.
They call them.
She sells them.
They have one.
She should call someone.
Depending on the situation, a work may be stressed for any of the following reason:
1. New Information: As already stated, Americans often use intonation to highlight new
words in a sentence. Ex. It sounds like rain.
2. Opinion: It sounds like rain, but I don’t think it is. The intonation shows your listener that
despite what your senses tell you, you know it isn’t true. Often used with It feels like… It
tastes like… It seems like…
3. Contrast: He likes rain, but he hates snow. The intonation underscores the contrasting
ideas.
4. Can’t: Contractions (wouldn’t/ shouldn’t) and negatives (no, not, never) are important
words because they change the meaning of a sentence. Americans will not normally
emphasize these words though. The exception to this is can’t. It can’t rain when there’s
no clouds.
Intonation is a powerful tool and one that can change the whole meaning of a sentence. By moving
the accent or stress on a word whole secret meanings may be unlocked.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
I didn’t say he stole the money. (Someone else said it)
I didn’t say he stole the money. (That’s not true at all)
I didn’t say he stole the money. (I only suggested the possibility)
I didn’t say he stole the money. (Think someone else took it)
I didn’t say he stole the money. (May he just borrowed it)
I didn’t say he stole the money. (Perhaps it was some other money)
I didn’t say he stole the money. (Could have been jewelry)
English is a chronological language which is indicated by the range and depth of our verbs. Some
languages, like Japanese for example, are very concerned about the relations between people. In
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comparison, English is a very democratic language. Time is a major factor in English. Despite the
fact that English is chronological, intonation-wise the words that make up our verbs are very
unimportant. “Dogs eat bones” is the basic sentence. “The Dogs will have eaten bones” sounds
surprisingly similar. Americans will not change the big words of the sentence just because the time
of action changes or an article is added.
Dogs
bones
Eat
Dogs
The
will
Bones
have
eaten
the
As you can see the example above, the lowest part of our sentence is on the second “the”. An
American would not say that word as THEE, but instead as thə. This is a created by the absence
of lip, tongue, jaw, and throat movement. This is called a reduced sound and indicative of the
American sound.
American intonation is made up of peaks and valleys- tops and bottoms of staircases. To have
strong peaks, you must also have deep valleys. In these deep valleys reside the most reduced sound
the schwa (ə). The position of a syllable is more important that spelling as an indication of correct
pronunciation. For example, the words photograph and photography each have two O’s and an A.
The first word is stressed on the first syllable so photograph sounds like [fod’græf]. The second
word is stressed on the second syllable, photography, so the word comes out [f’tahgr’fee]. The
following words are usually reduced in any form:
1. To (t’, tə, d’, də)
2. At (‘t, ‘d, əd)
3. It (‘t, ‘d, əd)
4. For (fr)
5. From (frm, fr’m, frəm)
6. In (-n attached to preceding word)
7. An (ən)
8. And (‘n’, ən)
9. Or (r)
10. Are (r)
11. Your (y’r)
12. One (w’n)
13. The (th’)
14. A (-ə attached to previous word)
15. Of (ə, ‘v)
16. Can (k’n)
17. Had (‘d attached to previous word)
18. Would (wud)
19. Was (w’z)
20. What (w’t, w’d)
21. Some (s’m, səm)
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Blending, Word Connections, Liaisons
As the previous bit of information shows us, words in English begin to flow together
and into one another. Each sentence should begin to sound like one long word. There
are 4 ways of connecting words:
1. Consonant + Vowel: Words are connected when a word ends in a consonant
sound and the next word starts with a bowel sound, including the semivowels
W, Y, and R. Ex. My name is (mai nay-miz). Hold on (hol-don).
2. Consonant + Consonant: Words are connected when a word in a consonant
sound and the next word starts with a consonant that is in a similar position. Ex.
I just didn’t get the chance (I jusdidn’t getthe chance). I’ve been late twice
(I’vbinlattwice).
3. Vowel + Vowel: When a word ending in a vowel sound is next to one beginning
with a vowel sound they are connected with a glide between the two vowels. A
glide is either a slight Y or W sound. If a word ends in O your lips are going to
be in the forward position making W a good choice for connector. After a long
E your lips will be pulled back far enough to create a Y glide. Ex. Go away
(gowaway). I also need the other one (Iyaslo need theyother one).
4. T, D, S, or Z + Y: When the letter or sound of T, D, S, or Z is followed by a
word that starts with Y, or its sound, both sounds are connected. These letter
and sounds connect not only connect with Y but they do so as well with the
initial unwritten Y.
a. T+Y=CH: Can’t you do it? (Kæn chew dowit?)
b. D+Y= J: Did you see it? (Didjə seeyit)
c. S+Y=SH: Let him gas your car for you (Leddim gæshur car fr you)
d. Z+Y= ZH: How’s your family? (Howzh’r famlee?)
Learn These 4 Word Stress Rules to Improve Your Pronunciation
To communicate clearly when you are speaking in English, it’s important to stress the
correct syllables in each word. This is called word stress, which means pronouncing
one syllable of a multisyllabic word with greater emphasis (stress) than the other
syllables in the word. Here are four general rules to keep in mind about word stress as
you practice pronunciation:
1. Stress the first syllable of:
*Most two-syllable nouns (examples: CLImate, KNOWledge)
*Most two-syllable adjectives (examples: FLIPpant, SPAcious)
2. Stress the last syllable of:
*Most two-syllable verbs (examples: reQUIRE, deCIDE)
3. Stress the second-to-last syllable of:
*Words that end in -ic (examples: ecSTATic, geoGRAPHic)
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*Words ending in -sion and -tion (examples: exTENsion, retriBUtion)
4. Stress the third-from-last syllable of:
*Words that end in -cy, -ty, -phy and -gy (examples: deMOCracy,
unCERtainty, *geOGraphy, radiOLogy)
*Words that end in -al (examples: exCEPtional, CRItical)
5. Generally, compound nouns receive the primary stress on the first
component, while compound verbs receive the primary stress on the second
component.
* ICEcream
* LIGHThouse * SUpernatural
* get UP
* turn OFF
* carry ON
6. Generally two-syllable word/nouns receive the primary stress on the first
syllable while verbs receive the primary stress on the second syllable.
Nouns
Verbs
REcord
reCORD
DEsert
de SERT
PREsent
preSENT
SURvey
surVEY
7.
Numbers ending in -teen and -ty may receive stress on the first syllable.
However, to avoid mistakes in listening, it is better to place the primary stress on
the first component for numbers ending in -ty and primary stress on the second
component for numbers ending in -teen.
FORty
fourTEEN
Keep these simple rules in mind and you will soon find your pronunciation
better.
Activity
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