What separates good Englishspeakers from very good ones?

Paul StapletonDepartment of English Language Education

March 5, 2016

Preamble

• What separates good English speakers from verygood ones

• "speakers" –• focus is on second language speakers so "learners" is a

better word

• "good" –• probably "natural" would be a better word because

there are many Englishes

Introduction

• Goal today:• Interactive:• Cover a wide range of English language issues where fairly high-

level learners differ from native speakers;• Address fossilized errors;• This does not assume that speaking like a native speaker is a goal.• Contrastive in nature focusing on English-Cantonese.• Selections today are based on very personal, eclectic observations

• Pronunciation (not pronounciation)• Vocabulary• Grammar• Native speaker "mistakes"• Idioms• Humor

Correct English?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pts9YBJlxdI

• 1:00

Posh or not

• If we play well and they play well we can beat themyou know cause we knew we were the betterteam...we done that and we come back from the 1-nil deficit and the character shone through

• It’s a special moment, it’s a special moment for thecountry, special moment for Seb and the team,special moment for myself to be involved in this.

Pronunciation

• Consonant clusters• Vowel length• Past tense• Contractions• Intonation• Stress-timed vs. syllable-timed

Most difficult word

• What do you think is the most difficult word topronounce in the English language?

The most difficult word in English

• Why is English sometimes sohard to pronounce?

• ⅓• ⅕• ⅚• [sIksθs]• CVCCCC• “asked” [æskt]

Task: Consonant clustersPartner A

• How do you spell…:

• …Grow• …Bloom• …Free• …Fly• …Clock

Task: Consonant clustersPartner B

• “How do you spell…:

• …Grass• …Free• …Frame• …Flute• …Crown

Vowel length• Perhaps the most characteristic feature of a

Cantonese accent in English is the clipping ofvowels on words ending in a consonant.

• “Voiced” consonants (g,d,b,z,v) at the end of aword require the vowel to be longer.

• “Unvoiced” consonants (p,t,k,s,f) at the end of aword produce short vowel sounds.

• Compare these two words and listen to the vowelsound.

Dog or dock?

1. Dock 2. Dog

Pig or pick

1. Pig 2. Pick

Vowel Lengthening

• Pick-pig• Lived-lift• Lock-log• Tab-tap• Miss- Ms.• Lake-leg• Save-safe

• Feet-feed• Knees-niece• Lice- lies• Plays-place• Proof-prove• Belief-believe• Excuse (n)-excuse (v)

Lengthening Exercises

• Example:• Question: What’s a cap?

• Answer: A kind of hat.

• Question: What’s a cab?• Answer: A taxi

Lengthening ExercisesPartner A

• What’s a seat?• What’s a seed?• How do you spell “tight?”• How do you spell “tide?”• What does "wrote" mean?• What does "road" mean?

Lengthening ExercisesPartner B

• What is a rope?• What is a robe?• What is the opposite of “bright?"• What does “bride” mean?• How do you spell “beg?”• How do you spell “bake?”

Regular past tense

• Walked (t)• Liked (t)• Laughed (t)• Closed (d)• Filled (d)• Smiled (d)• Agreed (d)• Hugged (d)• Planned (d)

• Decide• Want• Need• Add• Start• Rent• Visit• Crowd (adjective)• Naked (adjective)

Past tense exercise

• Wash• Cause• Arrange• Load• Cause• Calculate• Subtract• Practice• Multiply

• Plant• Wait• Work• Divide• Open• Save• Add• Record

Pronunciation (lazy English and

Cantonese)• Elision• Bus uncle 1:10• http://youtu.be/EsYRQkmVifg

Reduced wordsHow many syllables?

• Comfortable• Laboratory• Temperature• Family• Vegetable• Sixths• Asked• Him/her

Contractions

• Cannot• Is not• I have• He is• Could have• Would have• Should have• Should not have

• Can’t• Isn’t• I’ve• He’s• Could’ve• Would’ve• Should’ve• Shouldn’t have

Schwa

ə• The most common sound in English;• Most unstressed syllables have this sound• “professional”• [prəˈfɛʃ(ə)n(ə)l]

Informal contractions

• You yə• Going to gonna (Careful: I’m gonna)

• I’m going go to school.• I’m gonna school.

• Want to wanna (Careful: s/he wanna)• Got to gotta (Careful: s/he’s gotta)• Do you jə (Careful: What jə)• What do you Wədəyə• Should have shoulda (Careful: use past participle)• Should not have shouldna (Careful: use past participle)

Pronounce the following names

• Leicester• Warwick• Brisbane• Newquay• Plymouth• Toronto• Dictation time

Dictation

• Do you like it• jə laikit

• Is he busy• izzybizzy

• What are you going to do tonight?• You should not have eaten so much.• Ed edited it

Intonation

• Name your four favorite fruits.• “I like oranges, apples, bananas and mangoes.”

Would you like coffee or tea?

Coffee or tea?

• Would you like coffee or tea?• Two stress and intonation patterns…• …and different expected answers.

• Would you like coffee or tea? (Choose one)

• Would you like coffee or tea? (yes or no)

DetourEpistemic particles in Cantonese (NOT Mandarin)

• 係啩(gwa) doubt• 係咩(me) surprise• 係喎(wo) agree• 係喇(la)• 係嘅(ge) (obedience)• 係啦(ya)

• Yeah, I guess so.• Is that right?/Really?• Yeah, that's right.• By the way,• Ok ok• Really/yes

[kən] vs. [kænt]

StressObama speech

• Good morn—ing Mis—ter—Sta—ple—ton

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A8TiUpKDVg

English sentence stress rules

• Content words are emphasized• Nouns, main verb, adverbs, adjectives

• Structure words are de-emphasized• Pronouns, prepositions, articles, “be” verbs, conjunctions, auxiliary

verbs

• But sometimes these are stressed for emphasis:• I said the book was “on” the table, not “under” it.

Contrasts with Cantonese

• Specific sounds (th) (David Beckham)• Consonant clusters• Clipped versus non-clipped (lengthening)• Reduced words• Intonation• Syllable-timed versus stress-timed

Subtleties of Vocabulary

• A few words I have noticed used in an unusualsense.

Overuse of conjunctions• Hong Kong observatory weather report, Feb. 14, 2016:• "A maritime airstream is affecting the coast of Guangdong.

Locally, it was foggy this morning. The visibility in the harbour fellbelow 1000 metres. Besides, the cold front over inlandGuangdong is moving southwards gradually. It is expected tocross the coastal areas during the day."

• Besides• Always the final point;• Spoken rather than written;• Only used when trying to persuade or make a point;• It has a very narrow meaning and can only replace

"moreover,""also,"etc. in special situations.• But, should we respect Hong Kong’s special use of “besides”

under the thinking of World Englishes?

Besides (correct usage)

• Sorry, I can’t come tonight. My daughter is sick andI need to take her to the doctor. Besides, I justfound out my husband has to stay late at the office.

None of my business

• None of my business

Never mind

Already

• 已經 (emphatic in English)

Spot the unusual usage

• Paul: Has John come in to work yet this morning?• Office staff: He hasn't come back yet.

• Correct version: He hasn't come in/arrived yet.• 返

Spot the unusual usage

• Let's think about it first.• 睇下先

Grammar

Reported vs. direct speech

• 2個月之前

• Two months ago• 2個月之後

• In two months• Reported speech versus direct speech

Translating from Chinese

• Although I speak excellent English, but I still makegrammar mistakes.

How …spell, write, say?

• 你點串?• 你點寫?• 你點講?• How do you spell it, write it, say it?

Uncountable nounsAll are incorrect except one

• furnitures

• equipments• machineries

• staffs

• suitcases• luggages

• sceneries

• jeweleries• researches

• evidences

• vocabularies• damages (not in legal sense)

• experiences (as abstract noun)

“Do you know what…

• …is the mistake in this sentence?”• “Do you what the mistake is in this sentence?”

Troublesome uncountable nouns

The logic of uncountables

The illogic of uncountables

Native speaker "mistakes“(If you make these mistakes, you know that you are getting more like a

native English speaker)

• Less/fewer: "There were less people thanyesterday."

• Comparatives: "We have to make America moresafe."

• Superlatives: "It was very terrible."• very terrible/amazing/fantastic/unique/ excellent

/wonderful /outstanding

Idiomatic speech

• Expressions that tend to be highly idiomatic

Idiomatic stress“The price of property went

up/down again.”• Tell me about it.• What else is new?• Are you eating another

piece of cake!• You should talk.

Special effects• Note most of these only

convey meaningeffectively with theproper stress.

Agreeing expressions

• “They say next summerwill be even hotter.”

• I wouldn’t be surprised.• “These cha siu bau are

delicious.”• You can say that again.

• Both the contractionand the stress makethese expressionseffective.

Disagreeing expressions

• “Donald Trump is anidiot.”

• You’d be surprised. Heknows exactly what he’sdoing.(polite)

Disagreeing expressions

• “The riot in Mongkok has actually destroyed the pan-democrats.”

• That’s what you think. It’s actually made thenstronger. (strong)

• “CY Leung and the Democrats will soon reachagreement.”

• Don’t hold your breath. (showing doubt)

Unnaturalwithout thecontractions

or stress

I don’t know.• “Do you think Hillary will become the

first female president?”

• Your guess is as good as mine.

• I haven’t got a clue.

• How should I know. (strong)

• That’s a good question. (uncertainty)

I don’t want to tell you.

• It’s a long story.• Reply: I see.

I’ve got time.

Conditions of life

I told you soIt serves you right(Don’t) rub it in

• 我都話㗎嗱

• 你自已攞嚟衰

• 唔好落井下石

UnderstatementEuphemism

• Often used to avoid saying unpleasant words.• Expensive

• A: Was the restaurant reasonable?• B: It wasn’t the cheapest in the world. (negative + superlative)

• Stupid (negative + using stereotypes of smart people)

• He’s no genius/rocket scientist/brain surgeon.

• Ugly• She’s no Miss Universe.• He’s no Brad Pitt

UnderstatementEuphemism

• A: “Did you enjoy the train trip?”• B: “Put it this way. Next time I will fly.”• A: “Did you enjoy Paul’s public lecture?”• B: “Put it this way. I’ll be sleeping in next Saturday.”

And when someone gives you anunnecessary warning…

• “…and when you buyclothes in a streetmarket, don’t acceptthe first price they offer.

• I wasn’t born yesterday.• I am not as stupid as

you think.

Humorous ways to say “stupid”

• His elevator doesn’t go to the top floor.

• A few cards short of a deck.

• Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

• http://dan.hersam.com/lists/not_bright.html

Fixed expressions for universalconditions• You get what you pay

for• Either when showing

satisfaction ordissatisfaction for aproduct or service thatyou buy

Inside language IImmodesty

• You ain’t seennothin’ yet.

• Eat your heart out.

Inside language IIbased on iconic names and a book• Murphy’s Law

• Catch 22

• When bad luck strikesin succession

• difficult situation fromwhich there is noescape because ofmutually conflicting ordependent conditions

Q:“Will the budget be approved?”A: “It’s a slam dunk.” (100% certain)

Think outside the box.(come up with new ideas)

It’s a train wreck.(a disastrous situation)

Deciphering lyrics

• Jimi Hendrix• http://youtu.be/VFHPg

oZlSWY• 0:43-46 second mark,

what are the lyrics?• 'Scuse me, while I kiss

this guy.• 'Scuse me while I kiss

the sky.

How to become a better speaker

• Expose yourself to an English-speakingenvironment;

• Increase awareness of how English is used naturallyby becoming a focused listener.

• Take some chances.

Thanks for coming out to Taipo!