The Groundwork of Other Aspects of Connected Speech

8/14/2019 The Groundwork of Other Aspects of Connected Speech

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The groundwork of other aspects of

connected speech.

Jos Ribamar de Castro


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It is useful to make a distinction

between careful speech and rapid

speech.The features we are going to

look at will usually be more evident in

rapid,everydayspeech.


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Assimilation

Describes how sounds modify each other

when they meet,usually across wordboundaries,but within words too.

* Can you see that boy over there?

* Whosa cute baby then?

Some rules for assimilation

1. The phonemes /t/,/d/ and /n/ oftenbecome bilabial before /p/,/b/ and /m/:

Hesa rather fat boy ( /p/)


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Hesa very good boy. (/b/)

There are ten men in the class,and twowomen. (/m/)

2. /t/ assimilates to /k/ before /k/ or

/g/. /d/ assimilates to /g/ before /k/ or

/g/:

Where has that cat been all night? (/k/)

It was a very good concert. (/g/)


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3. /n/ assimilates to /n/(velar nasal)

before /g/ or /k/:Ivebeen going out too much lately

(/n/)

Hesbringing his own car. (/n/)

4./s/ assimilates to / / (palato-

alveolar) before another palato-alveolar):

I really love this shiny one over there.


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5. /z/ assimilates to / / (palato-

alveolar) before / / (palato-alveolar.)

We found this lovely cheese shop inParis.

The above examples are cases ofanticipatory assimilation, where one

sound changes to another because of

the sound which follows.

Now letssee some cases of

coalescent assimilation,where two


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sounds combine to form a different

one:6. /t/ and /j/ coalesce to form /t /

(palato-alveolar.)

You went to France last year,didnt

you?

7. /d/ and /j/ coalesce to form /d /(palato-alveolar.)

Would you like a cup of tea?


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Elision

This term describes the disappearance

of a sound.Some rules for elision

1. The most common elisions in Englishare /t/ and /d/,when they appear

within a consonant cluster.

We arrived the next day. (/t/ is elided)

We bought a lovely carved statuette.


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2. Complex consonant clusters are

simplified.She acts like she owns the place! (/kts/

simplified to /ks/)

George the Sixthsthrone (/sIks 0r/

simplified to /sIks 0r/)

3. Schwa can disappear in unstressedsyllables.

I think we should call the police.


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4. /v/ can disappear in of,before consonants.My birthdayson the 11th of November.

Linking and intrusionWhen two vowels meet,speakers often link

them in various ways.

1. Linking /r/Some accents are rhotic

car, carve. (pronounce the /r/ sounds)

Others are non- rhotic (dontpronounce the /r/sounds)

car,carve


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Her English is excellent.

2. Intrusive /r/

When there is no written (r) but wepronounce it.

I saw it happenPa and Ma came to the party.

3. Linking /j/

I agree, wholeheartly.

I think,therefore I am. (Descartes)


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4. Linking /w/

You are /ju:wa:/

Go in! /gouwin/5. Juncture

I scream / Ice-cream

The great apes/ The grey tapes

Can I have more ice?/ Can I have more

rice?Itsno joke / snow

Itstough / stuff


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5. ContractionsIm, youre, hes, shes,were..

Imnot, you arent, we arent....Cant, wont....

Wouldve, Couldve....

Couldnt, wouldnt......


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6. Strong and weak formsThere are a large number of words in English

which can have a full form and a weak

form.For example,compare the use of the word

canin the following sentences:

She canswim faster than I can. (the first can is

the weak form and the second can is the full

form.) Weak forms are an important feature of

ordinary,everyday speech and students should

have the opportunity of becoming attuned to

them.


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To sum up,attempting to teachproductive competence in connected

speech,however,successful this turnsout to be,is a very good way of

enhancing students understanding of

fast and fluent connected speech.

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The Groundwork of Other Aspects of Connected Speech