The American Accent Guide

239 Pages·2016·17.07 MB·English

The American Accent Guide
A
COMPREHENSIVE COURSE
on
THE SOUND SYSTEM
of
AMERICAN ENGLISH
by
BEVERLY A. LUJAN, M.S. ccc/sip
Speech- Language Pathologist
Edited by
C.J. S.Wallia,Ph.D.
Editor, IndiaStar Review of Books
Instructor, Publishing & Editing Program,
U.C. Berkeley extension
Berkeley, California USA
ISBN 0-9634139-6-1
© Copyright2006
Lingual Arts
P.O. Box 522168
Salt Lake City, Utah 84152
All Rights Reserved. Printed intheUnited States ofAmerica. No part ofthis manual oraccompanying
audio materials may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, audio dubbing orotherwise, without prior written permission fromLingual
Arts, Inc.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TOMY MOTHER
My deepest gratitude to those who contributed their talent and support in this
endeavor. First and foremost to T.C. Van Ausdal and her abundant talents and
skills. Other contributors included Jan D. Mayer, Rob Ronald, Rod Burkholz, Brent
Marshall, Christine Thurmond, Amy Norris, Nathan Martinez, Dennis Misurell,
Mark Cantor, Rebecca Waddups, Adam Blackwell, Ron Carpenter, Jeff Hansen,
Mike Maughn, Laura Bedore, and Milan Claudio.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beverly A. Lujan, M.S. - ccc/sip
Beverly Lujan is from a bilingual family and has always had a great interest in
diverse cultures and languages. She brings particular sensitivity to the problems
that non-native speakers sometimes have in speaking the English language clearly
and effectively.
Beverly studied Linguistics at San Diego State University and attained BS and MS
degrees in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Utah. Her research,
teaching, and work in American English speech have focused on the problems of
non-native speakers and of speech/ language-challenged individuals.
She has been a practicing speech therapist for over 18 years, counseling hundreds
of non-native speakers of English in Utah from 26 countries around the world.
She taught American English pronunciation to international students at Hawthorne
University. She founded the Lingual Arts School in Salt Lake City that has
conducted courses and seminars on accent modification for corporate, government
and educational clients. As a clinical supervisor at the University of Utah, she
mentored graduate students to provide training in assessment and instruction
on accent reduction. She also taught English speaking skills in the public school
system. She is certified by ASHA (The American Speech-Language and Hearing
Association) and is a member of TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages).
Ms. Lujan developed The American Accent Guide as a direct result of her experience
in teaching English to non-native speakers. The exercises contained in the Guide
were developed as part of her work in the field.
Beverly A. Lujan offers speech evaluation and
personalized speech coaching for individuals, educational, and corporate clients.
See details at the end of this book.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION xi
THE PROGRAM xi
APPLICATION xi,
THE PREMISE xi, THE DIALECT xii
THE APPROACH xii, THE LAYOUT xiii
Suggestions for the Student xv
Explanatory Notes .................... ...... xix
Glossary ... ............................................................... xx
SECTION 1 OVERVIEW OF AMERICAN ENGLISH SPEECH PATTERNS
INTONATION & STRESS 1.1
INTONATION 1.1 STRESS 1.2
AT THE WORD LEVEL 1.2
BEYOND THE WORD LEVEL 1.4
FALLING AND RISING INFLECTION 1.5
Questions 1.5
PRIMARY STRESS AND FINAL INFLECTION 1.6
STRESS FOR EMPHASIS 1.7
Stress for Emphasis and Final Inflection 1.7
RHYTHM 1.8
Reductions 1.9 Linking 1.9
Practicing Rhythm and Stress 1.10
SECTION 2 THE ENGLISH VOWELS
INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH VOWELS AND DIPHTHONGS 2.1
THE IPASYMBOLS FOR VOWELS 2.1
PRODUCTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF VOWELS 2.2
LENGTHS OF VOWELS AND DIPHTHONGS 2.3
THE SIMPLE VOWELS 2.4
THE SCHWA VOWEL 2.4
IAI THE STRESSED SCHWA (up) 2.5
lal THE UNSTRESSED SCHWA (YJ2on) 2.5
Iii (bee) 2.6
/I (bit) 2.7 Contrast: li/- /II 2.8
Contrast: /1/- IA! 2.9
v
The American Accent Guide
COMPREHENSIVE
THE SIMPLE VOWELS (Continued)
hi (bgt) 2.9 Contrast: hi-I /\1 2.10
lrel (bgt) 2.11 Contrast: hl- lrel 2.12
Contrast: IreI- 1/\1 2.12
101 (bgll) 2.14 Contrast: 10/- lre/ 2.15
Contrast: 101- 1/\1 2.16
I'J I (QMght) 2.17 Contrast: I'J 1- 1/\1 2.18
lul (book) 2.18 Contrast: lul - IAI 2.19
lul (soon) 2.20 Contrast: lu/- lul 2.21
larl (athIT) 2.21 ,2.24
IArI (hgr.) 2.21 Contrast: IAr/- letl 2.23
Contrast: IArI- IorI 2.23
THE DIPHTHONGS 2.25
leII (bflit) 2.25 Contrast: Iel - Iell 2.26
larl (bitg) 2.28 Contrast: Iall - Irei 2.29
loul (Qwg) 2.29 Contrast: loul - 101 2.30
laul (out) 2.31 Contrast laul - loul 2.32
I'JII (bQJi.) 2.32
BONUS EXERCISES 2.31
MINIMAL PAIRS - Vowels/Dipthongs 2.33
SECTION 3 WORD STRESS
STRESS AND MEANING 3.1
COMPOUND WORDS 3.1 TWO-PART VERBS 3.2
Two-Part Verbs as Idioms 3.4
PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES 3.5
PREFIXES AND WORD STRESS 3.5
SUFFIXES AND WORD STRESS 3.7
Meanings Determined by Stress onthe Suffix 3.7
SUFFIXES AND STRESS PLACEMENT 3.8
PROPER NAMES, TITLES, TIMES 3.21
Abbreviations 3.22 Times and Dates 3.22
BONUS EXERCISE 3.23
Practice Word Lists:, ABBREVIATIONS 3.23 COMMON PREFIXES 3.23
COMPOUND WORDS 3.24 VERB &NOUN-STRESS PATTERNS 3.25
Two -Three Syllable Words 3.25 Three -Four Syllable Words 3.25
Three -Five Syllable Words 3.26
VI
SECTION 4 THE RHYTHM OF AMERICAN ENGLISH
IDENTIFYING SPEECH RHYTHM 4 .1
REDUCED FORMS AND RHYTHM 4.3
REDUCING FUNCTION WORDS 4.4
Simplifying Vowels 4.4 The English Articles 4.4
Underlying Rules for Use ofArticles 4.5
Simplifying Consonants 4.10
BONUSEXERCISES 4.14
REDUCED WORD GROUPS 4.15
Combining Consonants 4.15
Linking with the Tapped t 4.16
Common Two-Word Reductions 4.16
BONUS EXERCISES 4.18
Omissions of hand t 4.19
CONTRACTED FORMS ... .............................. ..... ..... 4.20
BONUS EXERCISES 4.23
REDUCED SEGMENTS WITH CONTRACTED FORMS 4.2.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 4.26
Conversational Exercise 4.28
SECTION 5 THE AMERICAN ENGLISH CONSONANTS: The Stops &The Continuants
INTRODUCTION 5.1
THE IPASYMBOLS FOR CONSONANTS 5.1
CLASSIFICATION OFCONSONANTS 5.2
Tongue Tip Placement 5.3
Use of Voice for Consonants 5.3
Aspiration 5.3
/p, bl It, dl Ik, gl THE STOP CONSONANTS........ 5.5
INITIAL STOP CONSONANTS 5.5
FINAL STOP CONSONANTS 5.6
MIDDLE STOP CONSONANTS 5.7 Middle t,d 5.7
The Glottal Stop 5.7 The Tapped t 5.8
LINKING: STOP CONSONANTS - VOWELS 5.9
LINKING: CONSONANTS -CONSONANTS 5.10
THE SUFFIX -ed 5.11
Stop Consonants + Suffix -ed 5.11
Contrast: Voiceless -ed - 'Voiced -ed 5.12
Linking: Suffix -ed - Vowels 5.12
Linking: Suffix -ed - Consonants 5.l3
BONUS EXERCISES 5.13
MINIMAL PAIRS -FINAL STOP CONSONANTS 5.16
SILENT SPELLINGS - p, b t,d k, g 5.17
Vll
The American Accent Guide
COMPREHENSIVE
THE CONTINUANT CONSONANTS
18, '01 (thin,then) 5.18
Contrast: 181- It! 5.19 Contrast 1'01- Idl 5.20
Contrast 181- Isl 5.21 Contrast 1'01- Izl 5.22
Sound Clusters 18,'01 5.22
PRACTICE WORDS 5.24
BONUS EXERCISES 5.25
If, v] 5.26
Contrast IfI - Ivl 5.26
Contrast If. vi - 18,'01 5.27
Suffix -s, Suffix -ed 5.27
Contrast: Ivl -/bl 5.28
Irregular Plurals Ilvzl 5.29
PRACTICE WORDS 5.29
BONUS EXERCISE 5.30
SECTION 6 THEAMERICAN ENGLISH CONSONANTS: The Sibilants
Is, zl 6.1
IJ,31 (share, rouge) ItS,d31 (0air,jam) 6.2
INITIAL SIBILANT SOUNDS 6.3
151BLENDS 6.5
FINAL SIBILANT SOUNDS 6.6
Contrast: Isl - Izl 6.6 Contrast: If!- Itf! 6.8
Contrast: Itf/ - Id31 6.8
Contrast: 131- Other Sibilant Sounds 6.9
STOP CONSONANTS + S 6.10
Suffix -s 6.10
Contrast: Suffix -s Voiceless - Suffix -SVoiced 6.11
CONSONANT CLUSTERS WITH Isl 6.14
Contrast Isl Clusters 6.14
Ipsl -Ibzl 6.11 Iksl -Igzl 6.12
Iksl -Iskl 6.12 Itsl -Idzl 6.13
Suffixes:
-es 6.15 -ize 6.16 -tion,- sion, -cian 6.17
-cial, -tial 6.17 -cious, -tious, -xious 6.17
-sian,-sion 6.18 -geous,gious 6.18
-est 6.19 -ist 6.19
Vlll
THE SIBILANT SOUNDS (Continued)
SIBILANTS +Suffix -ed 6.18
Contrast: I-stl - I-zdl
Linking Sibilants - Other Sibilants 6.21
Linking Sibilants + Suffix -ed - Vowels 6.22
Conversational Exercise 6.23
Silent Spellings of S6.24
Spelling "ch" Pronounced IfI 6.24
MINIMALPAIRS-FINALSIBILANTSOUNDS 6.24
SECTION 7 THE AMERICAN ENGLISH CONSONANTS: The Glides &The Nasals
Irl 7.1
Irl BLENDS 7.2
Contrast Irl Blends: Voiceless -Voiced 7.3
MIDDLE Irl BLENDS 7.4 FINAL //rl BLENDS 7.5
Contrast: Irtl -/rdl Contrast Irsl -lrzI
More Practice Words - Irl Blends 7.6
BONUSEXERCISES 7.6-
/1/ 7.8
THE CLEAR III 7.8
LONG VOWEL +III 7.8
III BLENDS 7.9
Contrast III Blends: Voiceless -Voiced 7.10
FINAL III 7.10
Afinal consonant +III
THE BACK III I 7.11
Contrast: III-I rl 7.12
Contrast: III Blends - Irl Blends 7.12
The Suffix -ly 7.13
Conversational Exercise - Sounds Irl & III
SilentI 7.14
MOREPRACTICEWORDS - Irl&III 7.14
BONUSEXERCISES 7.14
Iwl 7.15
Contrast: Ivl -Iwl 7.16
BONUSEXERCISE 7.17
Ijl (yet) 7.17
Contrast Ij/- Id31 7.17
Ihl 7.19
Silenth 7.19
BONUSEXERCISE 7.19
IX
The COMPREHENSIVE American Accent Guide
THE NASAL SOUNDS
Iml, Inl 7.20
Contrast: Iml - Inl 7.20
Contrast: Voiceless -Voiced Endings 7.21
Contrast: III - Inl 7.21
!r)I (si!JJ:} 7.22
Contrast: Inl - IrJI 7.22
Contrast: Ink! - IrJI 7.23
.Contrast Suffix Endings -s, -d 7.23
The Suffix -ing 7.24
Contrast Endings -nking - nging 7.24
BONUS EXERCISE 7.24
SECTION 8 MORE ON STRESS AND INTONATION
INTONATION AND MEANING 8.1
Polite Tones 8.1 Mildly Rising Inflection 8.2
Sharply Rising Inflection 8.3 Swinging pitch inflection 8.3
Sharply Falling Inflection 8.4
VARIATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS 8.5
Yes/No Question Form with Falling inflection 8.5
Declarative Form with Rising Inflection 8.5
wh Questions with Rising Inflection 8.5
VARIATIONS IN STRESS 8.5
Stress on Descriptive Words 8.7
Degrees of Stress 8.8
Conversational Exercise 8.8
Stress with Lower Pitch 8.9
PRACTICING STRESS FOR EMPHASIS 8.10
CLARIFYING AND EXPLAINING 8.10
INTONATION AND PAUSES . 8.12
MESSAGES THAT REQUIRE PAUSES 8.13
Addressing the Listener by Name 8.13
Responses beginning with YesorNo 8.14
Messages with Tag Forms 8.14
PAUSES IN LONGER SENTENCES 8.16
Compound sentences 8.16
Parenthetical Statements 8.17
STATING OPTIONS 8.18 Two Options 8.18
Conversational Exercise 8.18
More than Two Options 8.19
STATING ITEMS OR SEQUENCES 8.19
Indefinite Listings or Choices 8.20
Conversational Exercise 8.20
DESCRIPTIONS, DIRECTIONS orINSTRUCTIONS 8.21
Conversational Exercises - Putting itAll Together... ... 8.21
BONUS EXERCISES 8.20
x