SPEAK LIKE AN AMERICAN Paula Konfara West Bloomfield Schools 1 Why do I want to sound like an American The WHAT factor Clarity 2 I am not sure I heard what you said or said what you heard ID: 655832
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THE KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING AND BEING UNDERSTOOD
SPEAK LIKE AN AMERICAN
Paula Konfara
West Bloomfield Schools
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Why do I want to sound like an American?
The “WHAT” factorClarity
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I am not sure I heard what you said or said what you heard.
Your brain is only trying to help you.
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But I have baggage . . .
Americans are too casual, loud and unsophisticated.My speaking isn’t the problem; it’s Americans’ listening.My accent is my identity.
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What is Accent anyway?
Voice QualityIntonation LiasonsPronunciation
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1. VOICE QUALITY
DEEP THROATY SOUND WITH PITCH CHANGES LOW FREQUENCY STRONG CONFIDENT “DADDY” VOICE“STAIRCASE” INTONATIONPROJECTIONUNDERLYING HUM
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Play around with your voice. Experiment with frequency. Pretend you are a man, a woman, Mickey Mouse.
Go from a nasal /ae/ to a throat a as in on to a chest schwa or /ae/.Pretend you have a cold and speak.Plug your nose and experiment with sound.
Voice Quality Activities Page 1
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Voice Quality Activities Page 2
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I got it!
Whatever
What a good idea!
Feeling Uneasy
Depressed
Surprised
Cheerful
Impatient
Doubtful
Say “Okay” with the meaning of :
Try with other common expressions.Slide9
2. INTONATION
STRESS: Louder Longer Change PitchREDUCTIONS: Softer Quieter ConnectedPAUSES: Have meaning and provide time to breathe
THE MUSIC OF THE LANGUAGE
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3. LIASONS
Have to becomes “hafta”Got to becomes “gotta”Want to becomes “wanna”
WORDS ARE CONNECTED IN SO MANY WAYS. HERE ARE A FEW VERY COMMON ONES
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4. PRONUNCIATION
23 Vowel sounds with the /ae/ being fairly unique and vowels before ‘r’ problematic. Variance in tongue positions and the lengthening of many vowels. The softening of consonants.
We are NOT a phonetic language. We have:
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How can I sound like an American?
Learn the 90% rule. Be understood 50% more often.
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The 90% Rule?
90% of the time Americans stress the last content word (message) in each intonation group (thought group).Function words are not usually stressed
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STRESS?
LouderLongerPitch Change
NOT THAT KIND
I am talking about the kind of stress that creates the music of English. It has three components. Words or syllables become:
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Content Word Group Class Activity Page 1
This is at sharp! (zat)
FUNCTION WORDS are reduced and connected.
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meeting 4PM
CONTENT WORDS carry the message, usually providing
new information.
Content Word Activity Page 2
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INTONATION UNITS
“Each intonation unit is set off by pauses before and after, contains one prominent element, has an intonation contour of its own, and has a grammatically coherent internal structure.” ---Celce-MurciaWe generally stress the last word in a thought group because we are an end-focused language.
Americans speak by thought group NOT word by word.
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Intonation Class Activity
1. Go to school.
2. Take a class.
3. Educate your children. 4. Volunteering can be rewarding.5. Don’t forget, getting a good education is a privilege.6. Reading is a great way to improve your vocabulary. 7. Meeting people from all over the world makes my job interesting.
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It’s always about the message.
ContrastOpinion (emphatic stress)Can’t
10% is:
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What’s your message?
90% of the time Americans stress the last content word in each thought group.
“As I was SAYING, you are so PURPLE”
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