Help students develop awareness of pronunciation features in connected speech from "summary" of Teaching American English Pronunciation - Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers by Susan Ehrlich,Peter Avery
To effectively teach American English pronunciation, it is essential to help students develop an awareness of pronunciation features in connected speech. This involves focusing on the way sounds change and interact when spoken in natural, continuous speech. By drawing attention to these features, students can improve their overall pronunciation and fluency. One key aspect of connected speech is the phenomenon of linking, where sounds at the end of one word blend into sounds at the beginning of the next word. This can result in changes to the sounds themselves, such as the pronunciation of the final consonant in "good job" becoming a /dʒ/ sound when followed by "at" (e. g. "good job at it"). By highlighting these patterns, students can learn to recognize and reproduce them in their own speech. Another important feature of connected speech is the reduction of certain sounds in unstressed syllables. For example, the word "probably" is often pronounced as "prolly" in casual speech. By practicing these reductions, students can sound more natural and native-like in their pronunciation. Intonation also plays a crucial role in connected speech, influencing the overall meaning and communicative effect of a sentence. By teaching students to pay attention to intonation patterns, they can learn to convey different emotions, attitudes, and intentions through their speech.- Developing awareness of pronunciation features in connected speech is essential for students to improve their spoken English skills. By focusing on linking, reductions, and intonation, teachers can help students become more fluent, natural, and effective communicators in American English.
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