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Better English Pronunciation for Communication

A Practical Course for Students of English

ByWang Guizhen

Faculty of English Language & CultureGuangdong University of Foreign Studies

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Revision: a stressed syllable

ba NAAAA na (short) (long) (short)

/ ə / / ɑ:/ / ə / Reduced vowel Full vowel Reduced vowel

ba nana

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Reading aloud:The stress pattern of a word

 1          potatoes ____________2          bananas ____________3          computer ____________4          oranges____________5          monitor ____________6          customer ____________7          understand ____________8          remember ____________9          another ____________10      devotion ____________ 

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Reading aloud:The primary stress in a word.

1.  blueprint ________________2.  driveway _______________________

3.  motorboat _______________________

4.  textbook _______________________

5.  beefsteak _______________________

6.  notebook _______________________

7.  greenhouse _______________________

8.  forestfire _______________________

9.  Football _______________________

10.paperback _______________________

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Pronunciation is important.

发 音 很 重 要

r r r R r r r R r

R R R R R

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Reading aloud – Identify words that are stressed first.Pay special attention to the pronunciation of

stops.

1. Fast-food restaurants are very popular.2. The service is fast.3. The food is inexpensive. 4. This is more important than the quality of the food.5. These restaurants are also popular.6. The food is always the same. 7. They eat at a company’s restaurant.8. The restaurant are in the north or south of the city.9. The food will be the same. 10. If they eat in New York or London, it will still be the same.11. Fast service is important in the United States. 12. Low cost is also important in the United States.13. About 50 percent of married women work outside the home.14. Many married women with children are working outside the home.15. They are too busy and too tired to cook dinner every night.

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Reading aloud – Fast food

Fast-food restaurants are very popular because the service is fast and the food is inexpensive. For many people, this is more important than the quality of the food. These restaurants are also popular because the food is always the same. People know that if they eat at a company’s restaurant in the north or south of the city, the food will be the same. If they eat in New York or London, it will still be the same.

Fast service and low cost are important in the United States. One reason is that about 50 percent of all married women with children work outside the home. They are too busy and too tired to cook dinner every night.

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Unit 3

English Consonants: Fricatives & Affricates

/f/ /v/ /θ/ /ð/ /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /h/

/ʧ/ /ʤ/

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Place of articulation

Manner of articulation

Bilabial Labio-Dental

Dental Alveolar Palato-alveolar

Palatal Velar Glotal

Plosive (清 ) (浊 )

pb

td

kɡ

Fricative (清 )

(浊 )

fv

θð

sz

ʃʒ

h

Affricate (清 )

(浊 )

ʧʤ

Nasal m n ŋ

Lateral l

Approximant w r j

English Consonants

Pronunciation Power demo

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What are fricatives?

Fricatives are made by partially blocking the airflow, thus causing the friction-like noise characteristic of these sounds.

/f/ /v/ /θ/ /ð/ /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /h/

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What are affricates?

Affricates are sounds produced by blocking off the breadth-stream between the tongue and gum ridge, for a stop and a fricative. The term means a “blend”: consisting of a stop and a fricative.

/tʃ/ /dʒ/

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On-line Exercises

What did you hearSame or different?Listen & chooseListen & respond Listen for stress

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Read the following sentences.

Did they watch the film on television or on video?

The accident happened in January, in the afternoon.

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Listening Exercise – Sound discrimination

1. fine vine 2. fast vast 3. leaf leave 4. rifle rival 5. first thirst 6. free three 7. seem theme 8. mouse mouth 9. day they 10. word

worthy

11. loose lose12. lacer laser13. glacier glazier14. assure azure15. shoe chew16. cash catch17. choke joke18. batches badges19. washed watched20. share chair

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  Listening Exercise – Sounds for information

1. A. Yes, did you win it? B. Yes, it's really cheap.

2. A. Call a doctor! B. Call a waiter.

3. A. No, he isn't. B. No, she isn't.

4. A. A movie. B. My car.

5. A. No, not a lot. B. It's his favourite cereal.

6. A. A place to walk. B. A successful result in an exam.

7. A. Yes, it's free. B. Yes, it's three.

8. A. I'm sorry to hear that. B. She's lucky.

9. A. Yes, the whole village was in flames.

B. Yes, it's a silver frame.

10. A. Did you see the wind making things roll?

B. Wind from the south always brings nice weather. 

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Listening Exercise – Sounds for information

1. Isn't this a good prize?2. There's something in my ice!3. Is he busy?4. What were you washing?5. Does Jack eat mush?6. What does "path" mean?7. Did you say the number is free?8. The news brought her great pressure.9. Did you see the frame?10. We didn't expect such a southern wind.

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Speaking Exercise -- sounds for information

1. They laughed for a long time.They last for a long time.

2. He said "free", didn't he?He said "three", didn't he?

3. We need someone to clean the dishes.We need someone to clean the ditches.

4. How much did the sink cost?How much did the zinc cost?

5. All the kids were laughing at the choke.All the kids were laughing at the joke.

6. They were glad to see the ships.They were glad to see the chips.

7. Nobody saw the fawns in the grass.Nobody saw the thorns in the grass.

8. It is difficult to explain the loss.It is difficult to explain the laws.

9. Let's look at the other hearth.Let's look at the other half.

10. The sudden wind brought heavy rainfall.The southern wind brought heavy rainfall.

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Speaking Exercise – sounds in perception and production

1. a. What does "faith" mean? Belief.b. What does "face" mean? Surface.

2. a. How do you spell "math"? MATH.b. How do you spell "mass"? MASS.

3. a. How do you like Rod's place? I've never been to his place.b. How do you like Rod's plays? Most of them are very good.

4. a. Did anyone explain the loss? Yes. It was a terrible loss.b. Did anyone explain the laws? Yes. It was quite complicated.

5. a. Where's the other half? It's in the desk.b. Where's the other hearth? Look for the fireplace.

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Speaking Exercise – sounds in perception and production

6. a. What was the price? You mean the net price?b. What was the prize? A prize cup.

7. a. How are you going to saw the frozen meat? We need a tool.b. How are you going to thaw the frozen meat? Put it into the microwave-oven.

8. a. What does "fear" mean? To be afraid.b. What does "veer" mean? To change direction fast.

9. a. Do you have a view? Yes, I can see the lake.b. Do you have a few? Yes, I have at least ten.

10.a. What does "chatter" mean? To talk fast.b. What does "shatter" mean? To break glass.

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Speaking Exercise – sounds in perception and production

1. a. What does "faith" mean? Belief.b. What does "face" mean? Surface.

2. a. How do you spell "math"? MATH.b. How do you spell "mass"? MASS.

3. a. How do you like Rod's place? I've never been to his place.b. How do you like Rod's plays? Most of them are very good.

4. a. Did anyone explain the loss? Yes. It was a terrible loss.b. Did anyone explain the laws? Yes. It was quite complicated.

5. a. Where's the other half? It's in the desk.b. Where's the other hearth? Look for the fireplace.

6. a. What was the price? You mean the net price?b. What was the prize? A prize cup.

7. a. How are you going to saw the frozen meat? We need a tool.b. How are you going to thaw the frozen meat? Put it into the microwave-oven.

8. a. What does "fear" mean? To be afraid.b. What does "veer" mean? To change direction fast.

9. a. Do you have a view? Yes, I can see the lake.b. Do you have a few? Yes, I have at least ten.

10.a. What does "chatter" mean? To talk fast.b. What does "shatter" mean? To break glass.

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Reading aloud – Slow food

Italians know and love good food. It’s at the heart of their culture. They don’t like to rush through meals, either.

In 1986, something happened in Italy. A McDonald’s opened in Rome. Many Italians were surprised and angry. They thought, “This is an attack on Italian culture!” One man, Carl Petrini, decided to fight back. “Fast food is the enemy,” he said. He started a group called Slow Food. Today, about 80,000 people from over 100 countries belong to the group. It began as a humorous but determined attempt to preserve Italian foods and support small restaurants from the pressures of international fast food companies. It has grown into an international movement to preserve local foods and culinary traditions and to conserve agricultural biodiversity.

Fast food is reaching more and more parts of the world. But Slow Food is getting its message to more and more people, too.

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Reading aloud – Identify words that are stressed first.Pay special attention to the pronunciation of fricatives & affric

ates.

1. Italians know and love good food. 2. It’s at the heart of their culture. 3. They don’t like to rush through meals.4. Something happened in Italy. 5. Many Italians were surprised and angry. 6. Petrini decided to fight back. 7. “Fast food is the enemy,” he said. 8. He started a group called Slow Food. 9. It began as a humorous but determined attempt.10. They want to preserve Italian foods.11. It has grown into an international movement.12. They are trying to preserve local foods and culinary traditions.13. They are trying to conserve agricultural biodiversity. 14. Fast food is reaching more and more parts of the world. 15. Slow Food is getting its message to more and more people.

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Listen & Imitate

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Listen & Imitate

D: What’s your day like today, Gloria? G: I'll have a busy day. First I have to answer a lot of letters, then I have a meeting with Professor Ding at 11 o’clock. Then I have to finish my report. What about you, David? D: I'll have meetings all day! And I’ll also have to finish my report tonight! G: Poor you. Enjoy your meetings anyway.

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Listen & Imitate

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Listen & Imitate(A = Shop assistant W = Mrs. White)

A: Good afternoon. Can I help you? W: I want to buy something for my niece. A: Some silk? W: No, not silk. I’ve bought a lot of silk already. A: Perhaps you’d like some cotton? W: Yes. A: What kind would you like? W: Hm… something pretty, for a little girl, who is younger than my daughter here. A: How about this green print? W: Er … This is good for winter wear. Have you got anything lighter? A: Er … W: For summer wear, you know. A: How about this? This blue and white print is very nice for summer wear, I think. W: Hm … yes, I’ll take some of this. A: How much do you want? W: Well, enough for a dress – so, 2 1/2 metres will be fine.

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Task 1: Talking about your job/work.

Student A = a Chinese Student B = a Canadian friend of the Chinese Take turns to be A and B

Situation:

Take turns to be Student A, talking about your job with a Canadian friend studying/working in Guangzhou. Focus on what you are going to do tomorrow. Try to speak fluently and naturally.

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Task 1: Talking about your job/work.

Student A = a Chinese Student B = a Canadian friend of the Chinese

Take turns to be A and B

Student A Student B

1. doctor teacher 2. nurse doctor 3. teacher student 4. student student 5. shop assistant waiter

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Fricatives: /f/ /v/ /θ/ /ð/ /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /h/

Affricates: /ʧ/ /ʤ/

ReviewEnglish Fricatives & Affricates

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Labiodental ( 唇齿音 ): /f/ /v/ Dental ( 齿音 ): /θ/ /ð/

Side view for the articulation of /f/ /v/ /θ/ /ð/

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Alveolar ( 齿槽音 ): /s/ /z/ Postalveolar ( 后龈音 ): /ʃ/ /ʒ/

Side view for the articulation of /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/

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Postalveolar ( 后龈音 ): /tʃ/ /dʒ/

Side view for the articulation of /tʃ/ /dʒ/

Postalveolar ( 后龈音 ): /ʃ/ /ʒ/

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Assignment

1. On-line exercises

2. Presentations1. Reading aloud the passage on p.31

2. A one-minute mini-talk: I am looking for my … (p.35)

34gzwang@mail.gdufs.edu.cn