How to Improve your Pronunciation? STRESSANDINTONATION Level 3 Conversation Margaret McLay

Stress and Intonation Stress is linked to meaning. English speakers stress the words that carry the most meaning. These rules can help you to decide how to stress words. Stress practice will help your conversation skills!

Stress and Intonation Intonation is like the music of language. Every language has its own intonation.

Stress and Intonation Understanding Syllables for Word Stress To understand word stress, it helps to understand syllables. Every word is made from syllables. Each word has one, two, three or more syllables.

Stress and Intonation Word Stress Rules: There are two simple rules about word stress: 1/. One word has only one stress. 2/. We stress vowels, not consonants

Stress and Intonation Word Number of Syllables Dog1 QuietQui-et12 Green1

Stress and Intonation Some Rules to Remember….but there are many exceptions and many more rules! Stress on the first Syllable Stress on the first Syllable RuleExample Most 2-syllable nouns CHIna, TAble, EXport Most 2-syllable adjectives SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy

Stress and Intonation Stress on the last Syllable Stress on the last Syllable RuleExample Most 2-syllable verbs to exPORT, to deCIDE, to beGIN

Stress and Intonation Practice I_agzpI&NR=1

How do we produce stress? 1. LOUDER (more air = more volume) 1. LOUDER (more air = more volume) 2. LONGER 2. LONGER (s-t-r-e-t-c-h out the word, especially the vowel sound) 3. PAUSE (before or after the stress to make it stand out) 3. PAUSE (before or after the stress to make it stand out) 4.Higher in Pitch 4.Higher in Pitch

How do we produce stress? Try this with your partner, the word teacher Longerteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee cha tea Highercha Louder TEA cha cha all three combinedTEA eeeeee

Stress Words in a conversation S ome general rules Stress content words and not function words. Stress content words and not function words. The most important word has the most stress. The most important word has the most stress. When a conversation begins, the main focus word is the final content word. When a conversation begins, the main focus word is the final content word. New information usually gets the main stress. New information usually gets the main stress.

Stress in a conversation S ome general rules Content Words include: (Main) Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, Negative Auxiliary Verbs, Demonstratives, and Question Words Content Words include: (Main) Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, Negative Auxiliary Verbs, Demonstratives, and Question Words Function Words include:Pronouns, Prepositions, Articles, Conjunctions, Auxiliary Verbs, (Main) Verb “to be” Function Words include:Pronouns, Prepositions, Articles, Conjunctions, Auxiliary Verbs, (Main) Verb “to be”

Content Words Stress Main Verbs, go, talk, writing Nouns student, desk Adjectives, big, clever Adverbs, quickly, loudly Negative Aux. Verbs can’t, don’t, aren’t Demonstratives, this, that, those Question Words, who, which, where

Function Words No Stress Pronouns I, you, he,they Prepositions on, under, with Articles the, a, some Conjunctions (FANBOYS) but, and, so Auxiliary Verbs can, should, must Verb “to be”is, was, am

Intonation and Stress Practice 1 Identify the Function and Content Words

Examples Examples I am talking to the clever students. I am talking to the clever students. You’re sitting on the desk, but you aren’t listening to me. You’re sitting on the desk, but you aren’t listening to me. He’s writing quickly, so it’s difficult for him to hear me. He’s writing quickly, so it’s difficult for him to hear me.

With a partner try to put stress on the correct words. Tell Ann to call me tomorrow. Susan got doughnuts instead of bagels today. Where is my red hat?

Stress timed – only certain types of words are stressed and words in between are compressed. Stress timed – only certain types of words are stressed and words in between are compressed. We are studying English today at school! Word Stress, which syllables?

Practice 2 Activity 1

There are four basic types of word stress that lead to proper intonation in English. There are four basic types of word stress that lead to proper intonation in English. tonic stress tonic stress emphatic stress emphatic stress contrastive stress contrastive stress new information stress new information stress (as mentioned before) (as mentioned before)

tonic stress tonic stress Tonic stress is the syllable in a word which receives the most stress in an intonation unit (sentence). Tonic stress is the syllable in a word which receives the most stress in an intonation unit (sentence). An intonation unit has one tonic stress. It's important to remember that a sentence can have more than one intonation unit, and therefore have more than one tonic stress. An intonation unit has one tonic stress. It's important to remember that a sentence can have more than one intonation unit, and therefore have more than one tonic stress.

Tonic stress Tonic stress Examples in bold/underlined. Examples in bold/underlined. He's waiting He's waiting / for his friend. He's waiting / for his friend / at the sta tion. He's waiting He's waiting / for his friend. He's waiting / for his friend / at the sta tion. The final tonic stress in a sentence receives the most stress. In the above example, 'station' receives the strongest stress. The final tonic stress in a sentence receives the most stress. In the above example, 'station' receives the strongest stress.

2. Emphatic Stress 2. Emphatic Stress If you decide to emphasize something, you can change the stress from the principal noun to another content word such as an adjective (big, difficult, etc.), intensifier (very, extremely, etc.) If you decide to emphasize something, you can change the stress from the principal noun to another content word such as an adjective (big, difficult, etc.), intensifier (very, extremely, etc.) This emphasizes the word. This emphasizes the word.

2. Emphatic Stress 2. Emphatic Stress For example: For example: That was a difficult test. - Standard statement That was a difficult test. - Standard statement That was a difficult test. - Emphasizes how difficult the test was That was a difficult test. - Emphasizes how difficult the test was There are a number of adverbs and modifiers that have emphatic stress. There are a number of adverbs and modifiers that have emphatic stress. extremely terribly completely utterly especially extremely terribly completely utterly especially

Contrastive Stress Contrastive Stress Contrastive stress is used to point out the difference between one object and another. Contrastive stress is used to point out the difference between one object and another. Contrastive stress tends to be used with words such as 'this, that, these and those'. Contrastive stress tends to be used with words such as 'this, that, these and those'.

Contrastive Stress Contrastive Stress For example: For example: I think I prefer this color. I think I prefer this color. Do you want these or those curtains? Do you want these or those curtains?

For example: For example: Where are you from? Where are you from? I come from Seattle, in the USA. What do you want to do? What do you want to do? I want to go bowling. When does class begin? The class begins at nine o'clock.

Practice 2 Activity 2 Practice 2 Activity 2

The COOKIE JAR Students sit in a circle, or at desks Students sit in a circle, or at desks Assign numbers to everyone Assign numbers to everyone Clap and snap fingers all together, in rhythm Clap and snap fingers all together, in rhythm Start chanting the following rhyme Start chanting the following rhyme

The COOKIE JAR CHANT Who took the cookie from the – cookie jar? Who took the cookie from the – cookie jar? Number one took the cookie from the – cookie jar. Number one took the cookie from the – cookie jar. Who me? Who me? Yes, you. Yes, you. Not true! Not true! Then who? Then who? Number seven took the cookie from the – cookie jar. Number seven took the cookie from the – cookie jar. Who me? Who me? Yes, you. Yes, you. Not true! Not true! Then who? Then who? Number four took the cookie from the – cookie jar. Number four took the cookie from the – cookie jar. Etc. etc.

It is important to remember to identify a content word and to stress the correct syllable.

Homework HCC Learning Web Syllable and Word Stress This Presentation is on the HCC Learning Web