Connected Speech

12/27/2015
Help
Connected speech 2 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC
Log in
Sign Up for a Free Account
LearnEnglish Kids
LearnEnglish
LearnEnglish Teens
Connected speech 2
1
96
35
8615
Submitted 10 years 10 months ago by admin.
An advanced student of mine speaks both clearly and

usually correctly, but can often sound over formal and at
times stilted.
He has learnt his English "through the eye" and has trouble
interpreting the utterances of native speakers who do not monitor
their output. His delivery is an attempt at a precise version of every
sound. With native speakers, articulatory precision is a stylistic device,
a conscious choice if we want to emphasize a point, be insistent or
threatening. In normal social interaction though, this is not usually the
case and articulatory
imprecision is the more natural and functional option.
Aspects of connected speech
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/connected-speech-2
1/6
12/27/2015
Intrusion and linking

Elision
Working on connected speech
Integrating work on connected speech
Conclusion
Aspects of connected speech

Speech is a continuous stream of sounds, without clear-cut
This
site uses
to help
borderlines
between
them, cookies
and the different
aspects of connected
Yes,
I agree
speech help
to explain
whyuseful
written to
English
from
spoken
make
it more
y ou.is so different
English. B y c ontinuing to br ow s e the s ite w e
under s ta nd this is a c c epta ble to you.
No, I want to find
So, whatLea
is itr nthat
native
speakers
do when
stringing words
a bout
ma na
ging c ookies
.
outtogether
more
that causes so many problems for students?
Intrusion and linking

When two vowel sounds meet, we tend to insert an extra sound which
resembles either a / j /, / w / or / r / , to mark the transition sound
between the two vowels, a device referred to as intrusion. For
example:
Intr uding / r /
The media / r /are to blame.
Law(r)and order.
Intr uding / j /
I / j / agree.
They / j /are here!
Intr uding / w/
I want to/ w/eat.
Please do/ w/it.
Word boundaries involving a consonant and a vowel are also linked, as

we tend to drag final consonants to initial vowels or vice versa. For
example:
Get on. ( geton )
Not at all. ( nota ta ll )
Its no joke. ( snow joke)
Elision
2/6
12/27/2015
As I have mentioned, a native speaker's aim in connecting words is

maximum ease and efficiency of tongue movement when getting our
message across. In minimizing our efforts, we weaken our articulation.
If articulation is weakened too much, the sound may disappear
altogether, a process known as elision. It is the vowels from
unstressed syllables which are the first to be elided in non-precise
pronunciation.
Common sound deletions
A syllable containing the unstressed "sc hwa " is often lost. For
example,
int(e)rest,
sim(i)lar,
lib(a)ry,
diff(e)rent,
t(o)night.
/ t / and / d /
With consonants, it is / t / and / d / which are most commonly
elided, especially when they appear in a consonant cluster. For
example,
chris(t)mas
san(d)wich
The same process can occur across word boundaries, for
example,
mus(t) be
the firs(t) three
you an(d) me
we stopp(ed) for lunch
/h/
The / h / sound is also often deleted. For example,
you shouldnt (h)ave
tell (h)im.
Working on connected speech

If your learners have not worked on these forms before, you might
wish to set some lesson time aside to work specifically on these
features of connected speech. One way of introducing them to sound
deletions could be to write a few short phrases on the board. For
example:
3/6
12/27/2015
Thats an interesting idea.

Are you coming out tonight?
Its the tallest building.
You must tell him.
Try if possible to use language you have recently been working on in

the classroom. Then ask the class to count the number of sounds in
each word, and write the numbers which they give you on the board
above the
words, like this:
Y ou must tell him
Now play a recording of the phrases, or read them yourself, and ask
the learners to listen again and write down how many sounds they
hear. Prompt them if necessary, asking if, for example, the "t" is really
pronounced twice between "must" and "tell", or only once.
Drill the phrases then ask the students to practise these phrases
themselves.You could also read out the phrases, once using the
elided forms, then again in a more clipped, emphatic manner.
Ask the learners which sounds more natural. Highlight that the
features of connected speech not only make the phrase more
natural sounding but that it is also easier to pronounce the words in
this way.
Exercises like this help to show learners the differences between

written and spoken English, and they highlight the importance of
listening to words rather than relying on their written forms.
Integrating work on connected speech
It is a good idea to try and integrate work on connected speech into
everyday lessons. When studying grammar for example, dont focus
solely on the form of the words, draw attention to the way they are
pronounced in
natural conversation.
4/6
12/27/2015
Superlatives, for example, provide practice of sound deletions. You

could write a few phrases on the board:
The Nile is the longest river in the world.
The Vatican is the smallest country in the world.
Ask the students to listen to the sounds while you repeat the
phrases a few times and see if they can spot the disappearance of
the "t" on the superlative adjective.
Drill the phrases, chorally and individually. Students might like to
write their own general knowledge quiz, using questions such as,
"Which is the tallest building in the world?".
As they read their questions, make sure they elide the final "t"
(unless of course, the next word begins with a vowel).
Such exercises provide practice of both grammatical form and
pronunciation, and the repetition helps students to begin using
these features of connected speech in a natural manner.
Anything which you have recently been working on in class can be

used as a basis for pronunciation work. For example, a useful way of
practising the intruding sounds / r /, / w / and / j / is when studying
phrasal verbs.
Do/ w /up
lay / j / up
Go/ w /away
Go / w / out
Drill the verbs chorally and individually before providing a more
personalized practice activity in which students ask each other
questions using the verbs you are focusing on.
Phrasal verbs can also be used to show how we tend to link final
consonants and initial vowels across word boundaries.
Get out ( getout )
Put on ( puton )
Come out ( c umout )
Conclusion
Students often find pronunciation work fun and stimulating, as well as
valuable. However, they will need time and confidence in order to
assimilate the features of connected speech and to make them their
5/6
12/27/2015
own. Research does suggest though, that by simply drawing students'

attention to these forms, you are giving them considerable help
towards making sense of the language they hear.
Further reading
Sound Foundations by Adrian Underhill
Pronunciation by Dalton and Seidlholfer
How to Teach Pronunciation by Gerald Kelly
Teaching English Pronunciation by Joanne Kenworthy
Vanessa Steele
Tags
Pronunciation
(/category/articles-site-
structure/articles/pronunciation)
Add new comment

Log in (/user/login?
destination=comment/reply/425%23comment-form) or
register (/user/register?
destination=comment/reply/425%23comment-form) to
post comments
Terms of Use Privacy Freedom of information Frequently asked questions Accessibility Cookie Policy Contact us
British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN, UK
BBC World Service, Bush House, Strand, London WC2B 4PH, UK
6/6

Connected Speech

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Connected Speech

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Connected Speech

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

12/27/2015

Connected speech 2 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

Sign Up for a Free Account

Submitted 10 years 10 months ago by admin.

An advanced student of mine speaks both clearly and

Connected speech 2 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

Intrusion and linking

Aspects of connected speech

No, I want to find

Intrusion and linking

Word boundaries involving a consonant and a vowel are also linked, as

Connected speech 2 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

As I have mentioned, a native speaker's aim in connecting words is

Working on connected speech

Connected speech 2 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

Thats an interesting idea.

Try if possible to use language you have recently been working on in

Y ou must tell him

Exercises like this help to show learners the differences between

Connected speech 2 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

Superlatives, for example, provide practice of sound deletions. You

Anything which you have recently been working on in class can be

Connected speech 2 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

own. Research does suggest though, that by simply drawing students'

Add new comment

You might also like