GET RID OF YOUR ACCENT ADVANCED LEVEL, PART II Linda James and Olga Smith 2025-05-12 Last updated on 2025-06-06 GET RID OF YOUR ACCENT ADVANCED LEVEL, PART IIThe English Speech Trainning Manual Part IIContents1.Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 12.Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns ..................................................................................................................... 42.1.Lesson 1: Consonant clusters ................................................................................................................. 52.2.Lesson 2: Voiced and unvoiced endings for plurals and third person singular ........................................................... 102.3.Lesson 3: Past tense verbs ending in “ed” .................................................................................................. 142.4.Lesson 4 : Glottal Stops /?/ .................................................................................................................. 182.5.Lesson 5 : Neutral vowel (schwa) /ə/ ....................................................................................................... 192.6.Lesson 6 : Strong a n d weak forms of words .............................................................................................. 243.Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns ................................................................................................................. 293.1.Lesson 7: Consonant elision ................................................................................................................. 303.2.Lesson 8: Liaisons - Compound nouns ..................................................................................................... 333.3.Lesson 9: Liaisons - Phrasal verbs with adverbial particles and prepositions ............................................................. 353.4.Lesson 10 : Liaisons - Continuous verbs with adverbs or nouns .......................................................................... 373.5.Lesson 11: Liaisons - Words with prepositions ............................................................................................. 403.6.Lesson 12: Liaison of vowel to vowel ....................................................................................................... 433.7.Lesson 13 : Linking /r/ ....................................................................................................................... 463.8.Lesson 14 : Intrusive /r/ ..................................................................................................................... 504.Part 3: Flow oxf Speech ............................................................................................................................. 534.1.Lesson 15: Natural flow of speech .......................................................................................................... 544.2.Lesson 16: Sentence stress .................................................................................................................. 574.3.Lesson 17: Intonation and inflection ........................................................................................................ 594.4.Lesson 18: Onomatopoeia ................................................................................................................... 675.Part 4 : 4Ps .......................................................................................................................................... 695.1.Lesson 19: 4Ps (Power, Pause, Pace and Pitch) ............................................................................................. 705.2.Lesson 20 : Power ............................................................................................................................ 715.3.Lesson 21: Pause ............................................................................................................................. 765.4.Lesson 22 : Pace ............................................................................................................................. 805.5.Lesson 23: Pitch .............................................................................................................................. 855.6.Lesson 24 : Summary of the 4 Ps ............................................................................................................ 876.Part 5 : Additional Speech Exercises ............................................................................................................... 906.1.Warm-up exercises .......................................................................................................................... 916.2.International Phonetic Alphabet ............................................................................................................ 986.3.Consonant comparisons ................................................................................................................... 1066.4.Pronunciation of London Underground stations and place names ....................................................................... 1126.5.Pronunciation o f British place names .................................................................................................... 1146.6.Strong and weak forms chart .............................................................................................................. 1151. Introduction1.IntroductionWhy we wrote this bookFollowing the tremendous success of our first book, “Get Rid of your Accent”, w e launched a series o f accent reduction courses for diplomatsand professionals. Many o f our students had reasonably good pronunciation with a few problem sounds, and just needed to fine tune some ofthe details, such as:•usage of neutral vowels,•linkage,•liaisons, and•intonation, sentence stress and usage of pauses.We decided to create a complement to our first book with all the things mentioned above, plus:•usage of voiced and unvoiced consonants,•consonant clusters,•intrusive vowels, and•glottal stops.The difficulty with English pronunciation comes from the fact that English inherited many foreign words and names, and kept foreign spelling,but partly or completely anglicised their pronunciation. That’s why we also included:•pronunciation of London Underground stations,•British geographic names, and•names of colleges and places of historic interest.For Personal Use Only11. IntroductionWe have also discovered that many non-native English speakers use old-fashioned, outdated expressions that they’ve taken from varioustextbooks. Some of them also try t o create their own expressions by combining words using correct grammar. That makes them sound veryforeign, because English expressions are not based on correct grammar, but just spring up creatively over time and are then copied by others.Native English speakers tend to hear whole phrases, rather than separate words.All of our students had one goal in common: t o blend into a n English-speaking society in a most natural way, using good colloquial speech.What we decided to do in this book was to collect expressions that native speakers o f English u s e nowadays. We put them into our sentences,passages and mini dialogues. Our new book will help you to uncover the most current form of this dynamic language.A short history of English pronunciationYou m a y notice that the English pronunciation of certain words - especially place names - is not the same as the spelling of the words. Whyis this?Many English words are imported from foreign languages, often when speakers of the language immigrated to or conquered part of England.Germanic peoples, Vikings, and of course the French, who conquered all of England, Wales and Scotland after invading in 1066, are the best-known examples.When native English people adopted the words, they anglicised them. For many centuries, the people speaking the newly adopted words wereilliterate. They never saw, and wouldn’t have recognised, the spelling of the words they were saying. So the pronunciation evolved, for hundredsand hundreds of years, completely unconstrained by the way the word was actually spelled.For Personal Use Only21. IntroductionThis is why, just for one example, Worcester is usually pronounced “Wooster”, or Leicester is pronounced “Lester”. In general, it’s oftenvery difficult for a foreign-born person who has seen a place name in print to recognise the same place name when a native English speakerpronounces it.In the last couple of centuries, as literacy became the norm, some pronunciations have drifted back towards the way a word is spelled. Contactwith foreigners causes some English people to try to say words the way they’re pronounced in the original language, even though this can soundpretentious. (The French phrase “horsd’œuvres”, or appetizers, is pronounced in many different ways for this reason). But place names are deeplyembedded in the speech of the indigenous population. So it’s unlikely we’ll hear English people saying “Warsester” any time soon.Americans, from a much younger country, were never as illiterate as the medieval English, and were never conquered. So Americans tendto pronounce words in a way much closer to their spelling. But in the UK, American pronunciations, word choices and spellings are somewhatlooked down on, and foreign-born speakers who accidentally pick them up often try to get rid of “Americanisms” and return to the originalEnglish phrasing, spelling and pronunciation.Methodology used in this bookWe believe that the best way to write a training manual is to base it on practical work, and the best way to learn language skills is by theregular, daily practice of these exercises, so eventually the correct pronunciation becomes second nature to the speaker. We use mini dialogues,short passages, and sentences for you to incorporate the fine points in your speech.We show how the meaning of a sentence can be changed by placing stress on different words. We use a selection of poetry and prose, wherewe show how you can use the 4 Ps power, pitch, pace and pause to create an impact with your speech.We support all exercises with recordings on the accompanying CDs.For Personal Use Only31. IntroductionWho this book is forNative English speakers include:•Pronunciation and speech teachers•Actors with non-RP accents who wish to widen their range•Hollywood actors who need to develop a British accent•Professionals for whom a high standard of English and clarity of speech are important•Public speakersNon-native English speakers include:•Students•International businessmen and executives•Diplomats•Call centre employees•Intelligence agents•Skilled professionals: teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, journalists, etc, who wish to advance in their profession in Britain, the UnitedStates, Canada, Australia and other countries where English is an official or business language(e.g. India)•People who work in service and hospitality industries and need to communicate with good English•Public speakers.2.Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsFor Personal Use Only42. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns2.1.Lesson 1: Consonant clustersConsonant clusters can be quite difficult to pronounce for both native and non-native English speakers. The tip of the tongue needs to betightly controlled in the following clusters.Do not change /s/ as in “sing” into /ʃ/ as in “shall” in consonant clusters: “str”, “spr”, “scr”, “spl”.A1🎧 Exercises for consonant cluster “str”Practise by breaking the word down, as in the examples below, starting the word with the third consonant of the cluster, then adding the second andfinally the first.streetreettreets---treetstreetstressresstresss---tressstressstrategyrategytrategys---trategystrategystrangerangetranges---trangestrangestrongrongtrongs---trongstrongstraightraighttraights---traightstraightA2🎧 Sentences for consonant cluster “str”Practise by breaking the word down, as in the examples below, starting the word with the third consonant of the cluster, then adding the second andfinally the first.For Personal Use Only52. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns1.Simon reckoned that at a stretch, his strategy would put him streets ahead of his rivals.2.The strong, silent stranger stared straight ahead across the room at the stripper.3.The strength of feeling showed in the strained expressions of the protestersA3🎧 Exercises for consonant cluster “spr”Practise by breaking the word down, as in the examples below, starting the word with the third consonant of the cluster, then adding the second andfinally the first.springringprings---pringspringspreadreadpreads---preadspreadsprawlrawlprawls---prawlsprawlsprayrayprays---prayspraysprainrainprains---prainsprainsprinklerinkleprinkles---prinklesprinkleA4🎧 Sentences for consonant cluster “str”Practise by breaking the word down, as in the examples below, starting the word with the third consonant of the cluster, then adding the second andfinally the first.1.With a final sprint, the hurdler won the race but sprained his ankle.2.The hostess served spring greens and brussels sprouts with her roast beef.3.The lawn was sprayed with water and sprinkled with fertiliser.For Personal Use Only62. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsA5🎧 Exercises for consonant cluster “scr”Practise by breaking the word down, as in the examples below, starting the word with the third consonant of the cluster, then adding the second andfinally the first.screamreamcreams---creamscreamscreenreencreens---creenscreenscreechreechcreechs---creechscreechscraprapcraps---crapscrapscratchratchcratchs---cratchscratchscrambleramblecrambles---cramblescrambleA6🎧 Sentences for consonant cluster “scr”Practise by breaking the word down, as in the examples below, starting the word with the third consonant of the cluster, then adding the second andfinally the first.1.screaming and screeching in public is not really done.2.The film director decided to scrap the screenplay and re-write the script.3.Simon scratched his legs as he scrambled through the scrubland.A7🎧 Exercises for consonant cluster “spl”Practise by breaking the word down, as in the examples below, starting the word with the third consonant of the cluster, then adding the second andfinally the first.For Personal Use Only72. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patternssplashlashplashs---plashsplashsplitlitplits---plitsplitsplendidlendidplendids---plendidsplendidsplutterlutterplutters---plutterspluttersplinterlinterplinters---plintersplintersplurgelurgeplurges---plurgesplurgeA8🎧 Sentences for consonant cluster “spl”Practise by breaking the word down, as in the examples below, starting the word with the third consonant of the cluster, then adding the second andfinally the first.1.On his birthday, Richard splurged on a splendid meal.2.The news of the couple’s split was splashed all over the newspapers.3.The car engine spluttered and then splattered oil across the road.Tasks: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note consonant clusters. Make u p your own sentences using theexamples1.To be streets ahead of somebody.Meaning: To be superior compared to somebody.2.To have a screw loose.Meaning: To be irrational or mentally unstable.3.To scrimp and save.Meaning: To economise.For Personal Use Only82. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns4.Split second. Meaning: A very brief period of time.5.To start something from scratch.Meaning: To start something from the very beginning6.To pull a few strings.Meaning: To use connections for getting a job, a promotion, etc.For Personal Use Only92. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns2.2.Lesson 2: Voiced and unvoiced endings for plurals and third person singularRule: If the sound before the ending is unvoiced, then the ending will be unvoiced too. If the sound before the ending is voiced, then the endingwill be voiced.Unvoiced consonants are made purely with breath, voiced consonants are made with breath and sound.A9🎧 Unvoiced Consonants/p/ - put - /pʊt//t/ - two - /tuː//k/ - cake /ˈkeɪk//f/ - fish /fɪʃ//θ/ - think /θɪŋk//s/ - sip - /sɪp//ʃ/ - shall - /ˈʃæl/A10🎧 Voiced Consonants/b/ - but - /bʌt//d/ - do - /duː//g/ - go - /ɡəʊ//v/ - very - /veri//ð/ - that -/ðæt//z/ - zoo - /zuː//ʒ/ - measur e - /ˈmeʒə//dʒ/ - judge - /dʒʌdʒ//m/ - money - /mʌni//n/ - no - /nəʊ//n/ - sing - /sɪŋ//l/ - light - /lait//r/ - river - /ˈrɪvə//j/ - yes - /jes//w/ - was - /wɒz/Note: All vowels and diphthongs are voicedFor Personal Use Only102. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsA11🎧 Comparison: [s] and [z][s]VerbsbreaksrantsjumpsskipsgallopsPluralsbitscatshatsgnatsnuts[z]VerbsbringsreadsjivesskidsgivesPlurals bedskegshandsgnomesneedsA12🎧 Sentences: [s] and [z]Listen and repeat the following sentences, noting unvoiced and voiced ending.1.Sticks(s) and stones(z) may break my bones(z) but names(z) will never hurt me.2.Sweet words(z) butter no parsnips(s).3.The most successful performer acts(s), dances(z) and sings(z) to a very high standard.4.Among his many tasks(s), the busy chef chops(s), whisks(s), sieves(z), roasts(s) and grills(z).5.It’s been raining cats(s) and dogs(2) in London, all my clothes(z) are soaking wet.For Personal Use Only112. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsRule: An extra syllable is formed by the short vowel /ɪ/ (as in /pit/) in plurals and words in the third person singular ending in “es”.The result is that the “es” is pronounced as a voiced /ɪz/.A13🎧 Words: [s] and [z]Listen and repeat the following words, noting the /ɪz/ ending.Plurals ending in /ɪz/sexes, noises, roses, promises, courses, cases, bases, tortoises, sentences, expenses.3rd person singular endingin /ɪz/chases, refuses, excuses, produces, divorces, studies, uses.A14🎧 SentencesListen and repeat the following sentences, noting /ɪz/ ending.1.Mark refuses to buy his wife her favourite pink roses .2.Under certain circumstances, the accountant uses excuses for claiming excessive expenses.3.In certain cases, judges hand down severe sentences to hardened criminals.4.In the course of the hunt, hedges and fences proved too high for the horses.Task: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.On the horns of a dilemma.Meaning: In a very tricky situation - not knowing which way to turn.For Personal Use Only122. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsIn a m expected to produce t h e name of our new team leader tomorrow; I just can’t choose between Brown or Thomson - I’m on the hornsof dilemma.2.Let’s run this up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it.Meaning: I have this idea - will anyone agree with it.Miss Jones from the furniture department has come up with this scheme - let’s run this up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it.3.To blow hot and cold.Meaning: He constantly keeps changing his mind.One day my boss promises me a rise and the next day he changes his mind - he keeps blowing hot and cold.4.To be three sheets to the wind.Meaning: To be very drunkHaving consumed a whole bottle of wine, by the time he rose to make aspeech he was already three sheets to the wind.5.boldtext[Pigs might fly!]Meaning: It’s highly unlikely!When the fortune teller told m e that I would definitely win a million pounds on the lottery I thought - oh yes, and pigs might fly!For Personal Use Only132. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns2.3.Lesson 3: Past tense verbs ending in “ed”“ed” at the end of a word can be pronounced as /t/ or /d/, depending on the sound preceding.Rule 1: If the sound preceding the “ed” is any voiced sound, with the exception of /d/, the “ed” is pronounced /d/ (voiced).A15🎧 Words for voiced ending /d/Listen and repeat the following words, noting the voiced /d/ ending.hummed, clothed, muddled, dragged, breathed, cradled, bobbed,used, survived, planned, listened, declared, transferred, featured .A16🎧 Sentences for voiced ending /d/Listen and repeat the following sentences, noting unvoiced and voiced ending.1.The mugger pummeled and punched his victim before he seized his wallet.2.The doctor examined the patient, listened to his breathing and declared him fit for work.3.The baby chuckled and gurgled when he was tickled.4.Bruised and battered, the boxer lay motionless on the canvas .For Personal Use Only142. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsRule 2 : If the sound preceding the “ed” is any unvoiced sound, with the exception of /t/, the “ed” is pronounced /t/(unvoiced).A17🎧 Words for unvoiced ending /t/Listen and repeat the following words, noting the unvoiced ending /t/ ending.kicked, crashed, pressed, pumped, cuffed, fished, tossed, brushed, splashed,coughed, washed, pitched, hopped, rushed, reached, kissed, packed, laughed.A18🎧 Sentences for unvoiced ending /t/Listen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way1.When pressed by the police, the thief confessed everything at once.2.The stallion kicked out, tossed his mane and galloped away.3.At the circus the children laughed and clapped at the clowns’ routines.4.The hungry chickens pecked and scratched the ground for food.For Personal Use Only152. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsRule 3: If the “ed” is preceded by /t/ or /d/, an extra syllable is formed by a short vowel /ɪ/ as in / pit/. The result is that the “ed” ispronounced as a voiced /ɪd/.A19🎧 Words for voiced ending /ɪd/Listen and repeat the following words, noting the voiced /ɪd/ ending.acted, studied, hunted, decided, painted, headed, started, departed, shouted, pointed, deserted, knitted,chatted, mended, landed, applauded, waded, handed, disbanded, needed, pleaded, divided, parted, eroded.A20🎧 Sentences for voiced ending /ɪd/Listen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way1.At the cross-roads, the hiker consulted his map, headed towards the hills, then decided to take the lower road.2.Having reflected, the suspected criminal handed himself in at the police station because he wanted to clear his name.3.The pilot acted on impulse and crash-landed on a deserted island.4.The old ladies chatted and knitted as they waited for their tea to arrive.Task: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.A copper-bottomed case.Meaning: A rock solid case.The barrister told the judge that the plaintiff definitely had a copper-bottomed case.For Personal Use Only162. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns2.A well-heeled couple.Meaning: A rich couple.The wealthy shoe shop owner and his wife were known locally as a well-heeled couple.3.No strings attached.Meaning: It’s free of any complications.Miss Morris, would you like to come out to dinner tonight - purely platonic - no strings attachedFor Personal Use Only172. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns2.4.Lesson 4 : Glottal Stops /?/A glottal stop occurs when the vocal chords clamp together for a split second, blocking the passage of breath in the throat. (You can feel thishappening if you strain or lift something heavy). It is important to keep the breath flowing freely in a phrase or sentence before words startingwith a vowel. The phonetic symbol for the glottal stop is /?/.In some British regional accents, glottal stops often replace the “t”, “p” and “k” consonants. This is to be avoided.e.g., “What a lot of bottles” becomes: /wD? a lb? av bo?|z/.The glottal stop is often inappropriately used to give extra emphasis to a word which starts with a vowel.A21🎧 SentencesListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way, keeping a smooth flow of breathbetween the words.1.I ate an egg and an apple after boarding the aeroplane.2.It’s absolutely awful the way some people emphasize the wrong word i n a sentence.3.Oh Adrian, it’s unbelievably expensive shopping in Oxford Street.4.Of all the animals in the London Zoo, the most interesting are the elephants and the antelopes.For Personal Use Only182. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns2.5.Lesson 5 : Neutral vowel (schwa) /ə/The schwa is the most used vowel sound in English. It can be found in many words, always in an unstressed position. Its use makes speech morefluent and natural.Speech organs position:Jaw is half open, relaxed tongue and lips.Middle of the tongue is halfway up.Tongue is not going forward.The sound is very short.A22🎧 Words forListen and repeat the following words, noting the /Iz/ ending.community, London, effort, suppose, observe, seven, woman, construction, convince,given, support, dozen, intuition, driven, featrued, treasrued, wondrued, announcement.A23🎧 Class of words that have the neutral vowel schwa /ə/:For Personal Use Only192. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns1.Endings of names:Margaret /ˈmɑːɡrət/ Deborah /ˈdebrə/Barbara /ˈbɑːbrə/ Richard /ˈrɪtʃəd/2.UK Counties ending in “shire” will have [ə] after “sh”:Derbyshire /ˈdɑːbɪʃə/ Hampshire /ˈhæmpʃə/Lincolnshire /ˈlɪŋkənʃə/ Hertfordshire /ˈhɑːtfədʃə/3.Names of places ending in “mouth” will usually have [ə] after “m”:Bournemouth /ˈbɔːnməθ/ Dartmouth /ˈdɑːtməθ/Portsmouth /ˈpɔːtsməθ/ Falmouth /ˈfælməθ/4.Names of places ending in “ford” will have [ə] after “f”:Guildford /ˈgɪlfəd/ Oxford /ˈɒksfəd/Stamford /ˈstæmfəd/ Bedford /ˈbedfəd/5.Names of places ending in “borough” will have [ə] after “r”:Scarborough /ˈskɑːbrə/ Loughborough /ˈlʌf bərə/Wellingborough /ˈwelɪŋbərə/ Borough /ˈbʌrə/6.Names of places ending in “ham” will have /əm/ at the end:Birmingham /ˈbɜːmɪŋəm/ Nottingham /ˈnɒtɪŋhəm/Oldham /ˈəʊldəm/ Clapham /ˈklæpəm/7.Prefix “St.” is pronounced with the schwa:St. Albans /sənt ˈɔːlbənz/ St. Pauls /sənt ˈpɔːlz/St. Ives /sənt ‘aɪvz/ St. George /sənt ‘dʒɔːdʒ/For Personal Use Only202. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsA24🎧 SentencesListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way. Schwa is highlighted1.The fast train from Clapham Junction to Wokingham is made up of eleven carriages.2.It was obvious to the panel that the second candidate was streets ahead of the others because of the way he delivered his presentation.3.On their visit to London, the tourists from Japan were very impressed with St. Paul’s Cathedral.A25🎧 Dialogue: A tutorialListen and repeat the following dialogues, noting not only the highlighted schwa, but also inflection and intonation.HE: Miss Masters, taking all things into consideration, I don’t think you’ve got a leg to stand on with that excuse.SHE: Sir, I’m not trying to pull the wool over your eyes - it’s more than my job’s worth.HE: In that case, we must agree to differ.SHE: Very well, I’ll clear my desk straight away.For Personal Use Only212. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsA26🎧 Dialogue: Going outSHE: Darling, should I wear the red dress or the black one tonight?HE: You look good in both of them.SHE: Oh, for heaven’s sake, you must have a preference.HE: I don’t really. There’s nothing to choose between them. It’s six of one and half a dozen of the other.Task: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.Haven’t a leg to stand on.Meaning: There is no basis for your arguments.2.To pull the wool over somebody’s eyes .Meaning: To deliberately obscure the facts.3.It’s more than my job’s worth.Meaning: It’s not worth it.I’m sorry guv’nor, I cannot let you park in the managing director’s space - it’s more than my job’s worth.4.It’s six of oneandhalfadozenoftheother.Meaning: It’s the same(Idiomatic expressions from dialogues)For Personal Use Only222. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns5.A different kettle of fish.Meaning: A totally different situation.You can’t compare an amateur production to a professional one - it’s a totally different kettle of fish.6.To make a mountain out of a mole hill.Meaning: To make a small incident out to be bigger than it is.You’re making a mountain out of a mole hill, you’ve only stubbed your toe, you haven’t broken your leg.7.A cock and bull story.Meaning: A lot of nonsense.What a ridiculous excuse - I’ve never heard such a cock and bull story in my life!8.It’s time t o grasp the nettle.Meaning: It’s time t o tackle a difficult problem.Now look here, team, this problem has been rumbling on for years, it’s time to grasp the nettle and sort it out once and for all.9.To cost an arm and a leg.Meaning: To cost a lot of money.The way things are going, dear, this forthcoming wedding is going to cost me an arm and a leg.For Personal Use Only232. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns2.6.Lesson 6 : Strong a n d weak forms of wordsCertain words have two pronunciations. One we call the strong form, which is usually only used when the word is on its own or when it isstressed in a sentence. The other pronunciation, the weak form, is often used in a phrase or sentence if the word is unimportant and thrown away .There is no consistent rule as to when you would use a strong or weak form. I t depends on what message a speaker wishes to convey to his/her listener.You will see from the sentences below, that we use the strong form when the word is important for the sense of the phrase. We use the weakform, on the other hand, when the word is unimportant and not stressed in a phrase.A27🎧 SentencesListen carefully and repeat the sentences, noting the pronunciation of the strong and weak forms of the word. Colloquial and idiomatic expressionsare italic font. Weak forms are underlined1.At the end of the day, Linda was right about that.2.To tell the truth, I’m not very keen to meet him.3.It’s as true as I’m standing here that my ex-husband has a girlfriend who is three years younger than me.4.It’s the height of bad manners to interrupt when someone is speaking.For Personal Use Only242. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsA28🎧 ComparisonsListen carefully and repeat the sentences, noting the pronunciation of the strong and weak forms of the word.1.Prepositions and pronounsStressed position/Strong form,pronounced with a full vowelUnstressed position/Weakform, pronounced with /ə/I said I want eggs and bacon! [æ]I’ll have fish and chips.What are you driving at? [æ]I’m not driving at anything.As you already know…. [æ]it’s as simple as that.Did you really think that? [æ]Yes, I thought that it was alrightWhat is he thinking of? [ɒ]He is not thinking of anything.Where has she come from? [ɒ]She comes from London.I would… but I can’t. [^]We can but hope.What are you doing that for? [ɔː]It’s for you.Have you seen her [ɜː]I saw her just now.Is that you? [u:]Who do you think you are?Where are you going to? [u:]I’m going to work.Is it us or them? [e]We could always ask them.A29For Personal Use Only252. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patterns🎧 Comparisons: Present tense verbsListen carefully and repeat the sentences, noting the pronunciation of the strong and weak forms of the word.Stressed position/Strong form,pronounced with a full vowelUnstressed position/Weak form,pronounced with /ə/ or not at allAm I wrong? [æ]I’m not sure .Can we make this work? [æ]Well, we can try.Shall we catch this bus? [æ]We shall have to.Has he arrived yet? [æ]He has just come in.Have you finished? [æ]Yes, I’ve just finished.Had you any idea? [æ]We’d no idea at all.Are you sure he was there? [ɒ]Well, he was supposed to be.Are you leaving? [a:]Yes, we are going now.Were they pleased? [3:]They were very pleased.This is definitely the solution. [e]It’s working well.A30🎧 Comparisons: Contractions of the verb “have”Listen carefully and repeat the sentences, noting the pronunciation of the strong and weak forms of the word.Stressed position/Strong form, pronounced as /hæv/Unstressed position/Weak form, pronounced as /əv/Might you have known this?Well, I might’ve done.For Personal Use Only262. Part 1: Difficult Speech PatternsStressed position/Strong form, pronounced as /hæv/Unstressed position/Weak form, pronounced as /əv/Could they have lied to you?They could’ve done, I suppose.Would you have done that?I think he would’ve.Should we have left earlier?Perhaps we should’ve.A31🎧 PassageListen carefully, repeating one section at a time, noting how many times we use the weak form of the word. Read the whole passage without referringto the CD, again, always working towards fluid, connected speech. The weak form of the words is underlined.“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,I’ve lots of exciting things to tell you about our new product. Because it’s so new it’ll have to be referred to as “Product X”. Can you hear meat the back? I can’t speak too loudly in case there’re industrial spies about. I would love to have brought a sample of our new secret product toshow you but I couldn’t because the inventor wouldn’t release it, as it’s very secret. So you’ll have to take my word for it.I’ll try and describe it to you. It’s quite simply the most dramatic and innovative invention since t h e electric kettle.I hope I don’t give too much away if I was to say I’m not sure how we could’ve managed if it hadn’t been invented.Many of you will have seen similar products on the market. That’s not to say they aren’t quite good but I can state, without fear of contradiction,that “Product X” is streets ahead of our competitors.Because of the superior quality of “Product X” we shall have to launch a highly sophisticated advertising campaign. For a start, we shall probablyneed a celebrity, possibly someone from “Big Brother”, to front a TV commercial. I can tell you no expense is going to be spared in the world-For Personal Use Only272. Part 1: Difficult Speech Patternswide exploitation of our product; and , ladies and gentlemen, when we’ve achieved total market domination, you’ll be able to stand tall and saywith pride, I was there when “Product X” was launched!“Task: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.It’s swings and roundabouts.Meaning: I t could work whichever way you tackled it.We’ll put both your suggestions to the board: which one will they chose? It’s swing and roundabouts.2.It’s in the lap of the Gods.Meaning: It’s out of our control.Well, I’ve done all I could to win this contract - now it’s in the lap of the Gods.3.It’s good riddance t o bad rubbish.Meaning: It’s good to get rid of something or someone of no use.Quite frankly I can’t wait to see the back of him - it’s good riddance to bad rubbish!For Personal Use Only283. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns3.Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsFor Personal Use Only293. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns3.1.Lesson 7: Consonant elisionIn good, natural speech, not every consonant is pronounced. Speech should flow smoothly. When a word finishes with the same consonant thenext word starts with, we glide the two sounds into one with a slight pressure hold.Similarly, if a word finishes with a consonant made with the same speech organs in the same position a s the consonant starting the next word,we lose the first consonant. Consonants /t, d, l, n / are made with the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge.A32🎧 Words pairsListen and repeat the following word pairs, noting that each pair sounds like one word.hot ͜ tea, dead ͜ duck, don’t ͜ dare, red ͜ lion, soap ͜ powder, bus ͜ stop,Prime ͜ Minister, real ͜ loser, with ͜ them,look ͜ closely, stop ͜ please!A33🎧 SentencesListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way1.Mad ͜ dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.2.The horse was too tired just ͜ to trot ͜ to Teddington.3.I need ͜ to know what ͜ train to catch.4.Big ͜ goats and black ͜ cats don’t mix.5.I love thick ͜ cream with my spotted ͜ dick pudding.6.Don’t ͜ take the second ͜ turning after the lamp ͜ post or you’ll get ͜ lost.7.Have you had ͜ dinner? If not try some pork ͜ crackling.For Personal Use Only303. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns8.Because I don’t ͜ know my pin ͜ number I can’t draw any money out.A34🎧 Dialogue: Flat SearchListen and repeat the following dialogues, noting not only the consonant elision, but also inflection and intonation.HE: What sort of property are you looking to rent, Madam?SHE: Well - in a nutshell, something small and reasonable.HE: If you said large and expensive perhaps I could possibly accommodate you.SHE: There must be something you could find for meHE: We do have a small studio flat in Surbiton in need of some attention.SHE: Do you think it would suit me?HE: It’s up to you, Madam. Personally, I wouldn’t ͜ touch it with a bargepole.For Personal Use Only313. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsTask: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.the worst case scenario.Meaning: All things considered, this would be the worst that could happen.If we have to cancel this holiday, the worst case scenario is that would lose our deposit.2.Not ͜ to put too fine a point on it.Meaning: Without being too precise or pedantic.Not ͜ to put too fine a point on it, in my opinion the man is a complete idiot!3.I wouldn’t ͜ touch it with a bargepole.Meaning: I wouldn’t g o anywhere near it.This divorce case has too many complications, I wouldn’t ͜ touch it with a bargepole.4.Let’s get to grips with ͜ this.Meaning: Let’s look at all the facts and try and solve the problem.We’ve had so many problems with ͜ this project for so long now, it’s time we got ͜ to grips with it and sorted it out.For Personal Use Only323. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns3.2.Lesson 8: Liaisons - Compound nounsThe English tend to speak in phrases, often linking the words together. To sound fluent in English, liaise words that belong together in a phrasegliding from one word to another, almost pronouncing them as one word. One of the group of words we liaise is compound nouns.A35🎧 Compound noun word pairListen and repeat, liaise words in a pair, pronounce them as one word.tennis ͜ court, football ͜ pitch, rugby ͜ match, dish ͜ washer,management ͜ accountant, disc ͜ jockey, sports ͜ car, golf ͜ club,tennis ͜ racket, civil ͜ servant, travel ͜ agent, foreign ͜ exchange,bath ͜ towel, rowing ͜ boat, chartered ͜ accountant, bank ͜ manager.A36🎧 Sentences forListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way1.My golf ͜ coach advises me to take up ballroom dancing to help me with my game ͜ plan.2.After leaving university, the graduate couldn’t decide whether to become a brain ͜ surgeon or a disc ͜ jockey.3.With your breakfast ͜ cereal you can have skimmed ͜ milk and stewed ͜ prunes but not a chocolate ͜ bar.4.To book your package ͜ holiday see your local travel ͜ agent and order your foreign ͜ currency.5.I can’t go to the rugby match because I scheduled a meeting with my bank ͜ manager.Task: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examplesFor Personal Use Only333. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns1.It’s a dog ‘ s breakfast.Meaning: Essentially, it’s a mess.I’ve looked at the architect’s ͜ plan for our new conservatory and in my opinion it’s dog’s ͜ breakfast.2.To live in a dream world.Meaning: To be out of touch with reality.If your brother, with two left feet, thinks he is going to be a ballroom ͜ dancing champion, he’s living in a dream ͜ world!3.A ball park figure.Meaning: An approximate figurestudied all the specifications for the new stadium, I estimate the cost, giving you a ball ͜ park figure, to be £300 million.For Personal Use Only343. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns3.3.Lesson 9: Liaisons - Phrasal verbs with adverbial particles and prepositionsThe second group of words we liaise is phrasal verbs with their adverbial particles and prepositions.A37🎧 Phrasal verbsListen and repeat, liaise verbs with adverbial particles and prepositions, pronounce them a s one word.speak ͜ up, get ͜ down, settle ͜ down, cheer ͜ up, get ͜ out, back ͜ off, shut ͜ up, write ͜ off, write ͜ down,save ͜ up, rub ͜ off, walk ͜ away, jump ͜ off, eat ͜ up, wash ͜ up, reach ͜ out, bend ͜ down, drive ͜ away, carry ͜ on .A38🎧 Sentences with Phrasal verbsListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way1.Don’t dive ͜ off the end of the pier because you might be swept ͜ away by the tide.2.The cook decided to heat ͜ up the casserole before she set ͜ off for home.3.You must always look ͜ out when you step ͜ down from the kerb.4.The sergeant major told the soldiers to shut ͜ up, fall ͜ out and polish ͜ up their boots.For Personal Use Only353. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsTask: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.To go all round the houses.Meaning: You are going round in circles, not getting to the point.After listening to your talk on Consonant Elision, I was extremely disappointed because you’d gone ͜ all ͜ round the houses and hardlymentioned it.2.Take a leaf out of my book.Meaning: Do what I would do in this situation.I know you are crazy about this girl but if you take ͜ a ͜ leaf out of my book you’ll forget all about her and take ͜ up golf instead!3.Wake up and smell the coffee.Meaning: Be alert to what’s happening around you.This firm is sliding into bankruptcy and you seem to be totally unaware of what’s happening - wake ͜ up and smell the coffee!4.To get out of bed on the wrong side.Meaning: Things are just not going right today.You’re rather grumpy this morning, did you get ͜ out ͜ of bed on the wrong side?5.To beat about the bush.Meaning: To be vague.Oh, for heaven’s sake, darling, don’t beat about the bush - just propose and get ͜ it ͜ over ͜ with.6.To be clutching at straws.Meaning: You’re grasping at the smallest thing to try and save the situation.If you seriously think that issuing the men with a different colour uniform is going ͜ to avert the strike, you’re clutching ͜ at straws.For Personal Use Only363. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns3.4.Lesson 10 : Liaisons - Continuous verbs with adverbs or nounsThe third group of words we liaise is continuous verbs with adverbs or nounsA39🎧 Continuous verbs with adverbsListen and repeat, liaise verbs with adverbs, pronounce them as one word.Generally ͜ speaking, fast ͜ moving, great ͜ looking, spending ͜ wisely, thinking ͜ deeply, wandering ͜ aimlessly,speaking ͜ clearly, walking ͜ briskly, denying ͜ vehemently, following ͜ blindly, agreeing ͜ unanimously.A40🎧 Sentences with verbsListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way1.This jacket costs a pretty penny, but because I’m spending ͜ wisely it’ll last me for years.2.We couldn’t make head nor tail of the professor’s lecture for t h e simple reason, that he was gabbling ͜ inaudibly.3.Speaking ͜ frankly, the exorbitant fee you are charging for this work suggests to me that you are pulling ͜ a ͜ fast one.4.Off the top of my head, I would say we’re in danger of jumping ͜ blindly into what seems to be a doubtful enterprise.For Personal Use Only373. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsA41🎧 Continuous verbs with nounsListen and repeat, liaise verbs with adverbs, pronounce them as one word.Encouraging ͜ feedback, going ͜ bankrupt, raising ͜ objections, swallowing ͜ food,drinking ͜ water, cooking ͜ a ͜ meal, managing ͜ a ͜ company, weighing ͜ up ͜ facts.A42🎧 SentencesListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way1.At the end of the day weighing ͜ up ͜ all ͜ the options, we will have to dismiss him.2.I know sales haven’t been great, but in a manner ͜ of ͜ speaking, we are making ͜ money.3.His first wife was obsessed with aerobics and now he’s gone and married a martial arts fanatic - he’s gone out ͜ of ͜ the ͜ frying ͜ pan and intothe fire.4.Gentlemen, this company is going ͜ bankrupt and there is nothing we can do about it; in a word, we are up the creek without a paddle.For Personal Use Only383. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsTask: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.Out of the frying pan and into the fire.Meaning: Going from one bad situation t o another.2.In a manner of speaking.Meaning: One way of saying it3.To be up the creek without a paddle.Meaning: To be in an impossible situation with no escape.For Personal Use Only393. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns3.5.Lesson 11: Liaisons - Words with prepositionsThe fourth group of words we liaise is prepositions and nouns.A43🎧 Words with PrepositionsListen and repeat, linking prepositions with nouns.in ͜ addition, from ͜ London, in ͜ town, from ͜ home, in ͜ context,in ͜ a ͜ way, on ͜ television, on ͜ the ͜ radio, at ͜ the ͜ cinema,in ͜ the ͜ woods, on ͜ the ͜ news, in ͜ the ͜ papers, with ͜ the ͜ rest, out ͜ of ͜ the ͜ country.A44🎧 Sentences: liaise prepositions and articles with nounsListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way1.If you look carefully, from ͜ a ͜ distance you can just see the bus stop by ͜ the ͜ theatre.2.Arriving in ͜ the ͜ countryside, the final group of walkers strode purposefully into ͜ the ͜ woods with ͜ the ͜ others.3.Despite being under ͜ the ͜ instruction of his tutor, the student failed to hand in his essay on ͜ time.4.Due to signal failure, the express train from ͜ Liverpool was unable to stop at ͜ the ͜ station ͜ platform.For Personal Use Only403. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsA45🎧 Dialogue: A Matter of DisagreementSHE: From where I’m standing, the situation is quite clear.HE: Without ͜ stating the obvious, I think it needs further discussion.SHE: It seems ͜ to ͜ me that we are poles apart on this issue.HE: In ͜ that case, we must agree to disagree.A46🎧 Dialogue: A Tall StorySHE: I can’t believe Nigel actually said that.HE: Are you inferring he was economical with ͜ the ͜ truth?SHE: that’s putting it mildly.HE: agree. He’s heading for ͜ a fall.For Personal Use Only413. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsTask: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.Dead in the water.Meaning: It’s ground to a halt.As far as this company is concerned we’re not proceeding with this contract - it’s dead in the water.2.Reading between the lines.Meaning: Interpreting what hidden meanings may lie between the actual spoken or written words.Although I received very positive and encouraging feedback after my presentation, reading between the lines, I think they thought it was rubbish!1.Let’s just go with the flow.Meaning: Well g o along with what everyone else is doing.I feel this is not the time to raise objections to this motion; I think for now we should just go with the flow.2.It’s all water under the bridge.Meaning: It’s past history, no longer important.It’s no use bringing it up again, it happened a long time ago and it’s no longer relevant - it’s all water under the bridge.For Personal Use Only423. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns3.6.Lesson 12: Liaison of vowel to vowelRule:When a word ends with a vowel, and the following word starts with a vowel, we link them together and pronounce them as one word.A47🎧 Words pairsListen and repeat, linking vowel to vowel.go ͜ out, throw ͜ away, so ͜ easy, be ͜ aware, how ͜ about, stay ͜ awake, show ͜ approval,go ͜ away, go ͜ abroad, so ͜ honest, my ͜ own, by ͜ and ͜ large, byall ͜ means.A48🎧 SentencesListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.1.Every Tuesday ͜ evening we both go ͜ out to our yoga class.2.Auntie ͜ Emily and her nephew ͜ Andrew are rolling in money.3.He told her to go ͜ away and stay ͜ out of trouble.4.Before you sayanything you should be ͜ aware of the effect it may have.5.Say ͜ it, don’t spray ͜ it!For Personal Use Only433. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsA49🎧 Dialogue: A Dreaded VisitListen and repeat the following dialogues, noting not only the consonant elision , but also inflection and intonation.SHE:What would you sayif I told you Mother wants t o come and stay for the weekend?HE: Between you ͜ and me ͜ and the gatepost, I could think of quite a few things to say.SHE: Isn’t it about time you two buried the hatchet?HE:The question is — where would I like to bury ͜ it?SHE: Well, tough luck! She’s coming!HE: Over my dead body.SHE: If necessary.For Personal Use Only443. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsTask: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.In this day ͜ and age.Meaning: In this particular period in our history.In this day ͜ and age people are far more likely to text or send an e-mail than to write a letter.2.To be ͜ one over the ͜ eightMeaning: To be very drunkAs the bridegroom weaved his way from side to side down the aisle and then fell flat on his face, it was evident that he was one over the͜ eight!3.To be worlds a part.Meaning: We couldn’t disagree more; we are diametrically opposedI can see no way that management and the trade union can ever be reconciled - they ͜ are worlds apart.4.To hold out the ͜ olive branch.Meaning: Make a conciliatory gesture t o make peace.Our two families haven’t spoken t o each other for nearly ten years; I believe it’s time to hold out the ͜ olive branch and put our differences aside.5.To play ͜ it by ͜ ear.Meaning: To act according to the situation.Since we ͜ are not in full possession of all the facts yet, we shall have to play ͜ it by ͜ ear and see how the situation develops.For Personal Use Only453. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns3.7.Lesson 13 : Linking /r/When the letter “r” ends a word and is followed by a word starting with a vowel, the “r” sound may be pronounced. This helps to make yourspeech more fluent and connected.A50🎧 Words pairs:Link words in a pairs by pronouncing /r/ sound.car ͜ insurancecar ͜ accidentunder ͜ arrestunder ͜ agefar ͜ awaypower ͜ engineeditor ͜ in chargefair ͜ enoughA51🎧 SentencesListen and repeat the following sentences, noting that the highlighted linking “r” is pronounced.1.Where are ͜ you working today?2.Her car ͜ is in the garage all day.3.I’ll love you for ever ͜ and ͜ ever ͜ and ever!4.We were better ͜ off last year.5.My mother ͜ and father ͜ and brother ͜ are coming to stay.6.I saw Doctor ͜ Andrews today.7.I’ll have butter ͜ and jam on my toast.8.She gave me more ͜ and more homework.For Personal Use Only463. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns9.Thank you so much for ͜ everything.10.We’re ͜ away in Winchester ͜ all next week.A52🎧 Dialogue: Bolshoi BalletListen and repeat the following dialogues, noting linking “r”.HE: Once and for ͜ all, I do not want to go and see the Bolshoi Ballet! It’s just not my cup of tea.SHE: But they’re ͜ in a class of their ͜ own.HE: As far ͜ as I’m concerned, they can stay on their ͜ own.SHE: Look, I’ve already booked the tickets. We’re going!HE: Not for ͜ all the tea in China.For Personal Use Only473. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsA53🎧 Dialogue: University for SebastianSHE: We have to think seriously which university would suit Sebastian best. He’s very bright, you know. What about your ͜ old college, Caius?HE: Yes, Cambridge would be marvelous, but is it far ͜ enough away?SHE: Don’t be so horrid! Where would you like him to go? Nottingham, Derby, Birmingham, Manchester? Edinburgh even? Is that far ͜ enoughaway?HE: I was thinking more ͜ along the lines of Harvard or Yale.SHE: You’re ͜ impossible! Anyway, it’s all speculation. After ͜ all, he’s only 18 months old!For Personal Use Only483. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsTask: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.With out fear of contradiction.Meaning: This i s a rock solid proposition that no one could possibly disagree withMay I say, without fear ͜ of contradiction, that no-one else in this company has won more ͜ orders than I have.2.For old time’s sake.Meaning: Because of shared experiences.You and I go back a long way, I know my daughter ͜ isn’t the greatest actress in the world but for ͜ old times sake couldn’t you give her the part?3.I n a class of his/her/their own.Meaning: An outstanding performer in art,sport etc.It’s a universally accepted fact that as an artist Coco Chanel was in a class of her ͜ own.4.To be up for it.Meaning: Ready and willing for action.Right men- we attack at dawn tomorrow! Are you up for ͜ it?5.Not for all the tea in China.Meaning: However much you offered, I wouldn’t do it.(expression from the dialogue “Bolshoi Ballet”)For Personal Use Only493. Part 2: Connected Speech Patterns3.8.Lesson 14 : Intrusive /r/Do not put an /r/ sound between words ending in “aw” (long vowel/ɔː/) or the neutral vowel /ə/, spelt “a”, and the following word starting witha vowel. It’s easier and lazier, but it’s not good English.A54🎧 SentencesListen and repeat the following sentences, noting that a line indicates where you should not put an intrusive “r”.1.I saw_ a ship at sea.2.I used raw_ eggs in my cake mixture.3.Let me draw_ it for you!4.George Bernard Shaw_ is a well-known playwright.5.I’ll have a soda_ and water, please.6.She was in awe_ of him.7.The idea_ of it appalled her.8.Olga_ and Linda_ are going home.9.China_ and India_ are on my holiday list.10.He was given a quota_ of ten tickets.For Personal Use Only503. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsA55🎧 Dialogue: You can’t tell a book by its cover.Listen and repeat the following dialogue, noting that a line indicates where you should not put an intrusive “r”SHE: Between you and me and the gate post, I think that Amanda_ is up to something.HE: What are you driving at?SHE: I saw_ a man leaving her flat at five o’clock in the morning!HE: He’s probably come to read the gas meter.SHE: Look, I know what I saw.HE: Amanda? The very idea_ of it is laughable.SHE: Well… you can’t judge a book by its cover!For Personal Use Only513. Part 2: Connected Speech PatternsTask: Read the following idioms and colloquial expressions with examples. Note voiced and unvoiced endings. Make up your own sentencesusing the examples1.To be up to something.Meaning: To do something secretly.2.What are you driving at?Meaning: What are you hinting at ?3.You can’t judge a book by its cover.Meaning: Appearances can be deceptive.4.Between you m e and the gatepost.Meaning: Just between the two of us.For Personal Use Only524. Part 3: Flow oxf Speech4.Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechFor Personal Use Only534. Part 3: Flow oxf Speech4.1.Lesson 15: Natural flow of speechIn natural speech, it’s important not to emphasize or stress too many words in a phrase or sentence. As a general rule, we tend to pick outthe words which convey the meaning, and lean on them, giving them a little more vocal energy. The rest of the words, we “throw away” anexpression used by actors. This often means neutralising vowels, increasing the pace and diminishing the volume.Task: Read the following sentences and dialogues out loud several times, giving the highlighted important words a little extra length and vocalpower. Always make sure the “throw-away” words flow smoothly towards the stressed words. Stressed words are underlined.A56🎧 Sentences1.You know because I’ve already told you that I didn’t want to go.2.The cat who was called “Ginger” was the terror of the neighbourhood3.If it hadn’t been for the rain, the wedding would’ve been perfect.4.From my point of view, the whole affair should’ve been better managed.5.The sport was at its height, the sliding was at its quickest, the laughter was at its loudest, when a sharp smart crack was heard. (PickwickPapers by Charles Dickens).For Personal Use Only544. Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechA57🎧 Dialogue: Flat SearchHE: Good morning, Sarah. Take a seat. Now I’ve read your essay on Shakespeare’s Comedies. I found it very amusing.SHE: Thank you, sir. Actually, it wasn’t meant to be funny.HE: In that case, perhaps, you have an undiscovered gift that you could develop.SHE: It’s very kind of you to say that, sir. So you mean you think I could become a successful TV comedy writer?HE: Well, I’m thinking more in terms of children’s comicsA58🎧 Dialogue: Flat SearchHE: Good afternoon. I’ve just got a few hours t o spend in London. I wonder if you could tell me what to see!SHE: Well, i t depends what your interests are. We have museums, art galleries, theatres, concert halls.HE: Well, it’s just general sightseeing, reallyFor Personal Use Only554. Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechSHE: I n that case I suggest you take a stroll from here to Piccadilly Circus, and from there to Leicester Square, taking in the National Galleryon your way. There’s always Covent Garden, of course, with the marvelous market and restaurants.HE: I see.SHE: From there just hop on a bus to Baker Street and call in at Madame Tussaud’s, finishing up at Regent’s Park for a trip round the London Zoo.HE: Oh dear, that all sounds so exhausting. I think Ill just go and have a cup of tea insteadFor Personal Use Only564. Part 3: Flow oxf Speech4.2.Lesson 16: Sentence stressTo convey the meaning in a sentence, native English speakers usually stress important words and throw away small, unimportant words.“Throwing away” means these unimportant words are not given the same length and vocal energy.Task: Practice the following exercises, noting how emphasizing a word i n a sentence can change the intonation, as well as the meaning.Sophie might walk to the cinema in Hammersmith.Sophie might walk to the cinema in Hammersmith.Sophie might walk to the cinema in Hammersmith.Sophie might walk to the cinema in Hammersmith.Sophie might walk to the cinema in Hammersmith.Stress AnalysisBy stressing “Sophie”, we make it clear it was not Helen.By stressing “might”, we make it clear it is not definite that she willBy stressing “walk”, we make it clear she is not driving.By stressing “cinema”, we make it clear she is not going to the theatre.By stressing “Hammersmith”, we make it clear she is not going to Chiswick.For Personal Use Only574. Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechA59🎧 SentencesRepeat the sentence, stressing a different word each time.1.We will be driving to Somerset next week.We will be driving to Somerset next week.We will be driving to Somerset next week.We will be driving to Somerset next week.We will be driving to Somerset next week.2.Will you come and dine with me tomorrow?Will you come and dine with me tomorrow?Will you come and dine with me tomorrow?Will you come and dine with me tomorrow?For Personal Use Only584. Part 3: Flow oxf Speech4.3.Lesson 17: Intonation and inflectionIntonationIntonation is the rise and fall of pitch in a phrase or sentence. Each person will unconsciously copy the speech patterns of his native languageor dialect, starting from the time he first begins to talk.In the British Isles there are many variations of intonation in all areas of regional speech. Compare, for example, someone who comes fromLiverpool with someone born in Birmingham. Different languages will have their own patterns of intonation, which in most cases will be verydifferent from Received Pronunciation (RP).There are books which deal with the complexities of intonation in great depth. We are taking a more practical approach rather than an academicone. In our book, we have sentences, prose passages and poetry recorded in Received Pronunciation by professional English actors. As well aspractising the various speech patterns, we recommend that students also pay attention to the intonation and copy it.The most successful way to achieve RP intonation is to listen to audio books read by English actors, copying and repeating each small sectionat a time.Another way of acquiring English intonation is to live in the country and absorb the tunes and rise and fall of the language.InflectionInflection refers to the gentle rise and fall of the voice in a word or syllable.On listening to English speakers it is important to have what we call a “good ear”. In other words, to be able to hear the differences in the riseand fall of the voice.For Personal Use Only594. Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechThere are six basic inflections, but within these there are many varieties.A60🎧 Examples of inflectionListen carefully and repeat1.Simple Rising followed by Simple Falling.HE: Is it lamb or pork?2.Circumflex Rising followed by Circumflex FallingSHE: It’s beef.HE: It’s beef.3.Compound Rising followed by Compound Falling.SHE: I think so.HE: Oh!A61For Personal Use Only604. Part 3: Flow oxf Speech🎧 Dialogue 1Listen and repeat, taking note of how the six inflections are used in colloquial speech.SHE: Do you think it will rain today?HE: It might snow.SHE: Snow? Oh no! I’m flying to Rome at six.HE: Keep your fingers crossed.SHE: OK.A62🎧 Dialogue 2SHE: Are you going out then?HE: I might.SHE: Where to?HE: The park.For Personal Use Only614. Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechSHE: The park?HE: May be.Task: Taking a section at a time, listen to the following extracts and repeat, taking note of the different inflections.For Personal Use Only624. Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechA63🎧 Extract from Shakespeare’s play As you Like itAll the world’s a stage,And all the men and women merely players:They have their exits and their entrances;And one man in his time plays m a n y parts,His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.And then the whining school-boy, with his satchelAnd shining morning face, creeping like snailUnwillingly to school. And then the lover,Sighing like furnace, with a woeful balladMade to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,Seeking the bubble reputationEven in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,In fair round belly with good capon lined,With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,Full of wise saws and modern instances;And so he plays his part. The sixth age shiftsInto the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wideFor his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,For Personal Use Only634. Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechTurning again toward childish treble, pipesAnd whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,That ends this strange eventful history,Is second childishness and mere oblivion,Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.For Personal Use Only644. Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechA64🎧 A monologue:MABEL CHILTERN: Well, Tommy has proposed tome again. Tommy really does nothing but propose t ome. He proposed to me last night in the music-room,when I was quite unprotected, as there was anelaborate trio going on. I didn’t dare to make thesmallest repartee, I need hardly tell you. If I had, itwould have stopped t h e music a t once. Musicalpeople are so absurdly unreasonable. They alwayswant one to be perfectly dumb at the very momentwhen one is longing to be absolutely deaf. Then heproposed to me in broad daylight this morning, in front of that dreadfulstatue of Achilles. Really, the things that go on in front of that work ofart are quite appalling. The police should interfere. At luncheon I sawby the glare in his eye that h e was going t o propose again, and I justmanaged to check him in time by assuring him that I was a bimetallist.Fortunately I don’t know what bimetallism means. And I don’t believeanybody else does either. But the observation crushed Tommy for tenminutes. He looked quite shocked. And then Tommy is so annoying inthe way he proposes. If he proposed at the top of his voice, I shouldnot mind so much. That might produce some effect on the public. Buthe does it in a horrid confidential way. When Tommy wants to beromantic he talks to one just like a doctor. I am very fond of Tommy,but his methods of proposing are quite out of date. I wish, Gertrude,you would speak to him, and tell him that once a week is quite oftenFor Personal Use Only654. Part 3: Flow oxf Speechenough to propose to any one, and that it should always be done in amanner that attracts some attention. (An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde)For Personal Use Only664. Part 3: Flow oxf Speech4.4.Lesson 18: OnomatopoeiaThe definition of onomatopoeia is quite simple: words which sound like their meaning.To quote the eminent speech teacher, Wilton Cole, “English is an extraordinarily onomatopoeic language and a good use of this technical meansof vocal expression can heighten the value of a word or passage very considerably.”This will particularly apply to any form of public speaking o r story telling and make your speech more colourful. Listen carefully to the followingwords on the CD and then repeat, making sure all the sounds are fully articulated, although some will be more emphasized than others .Notice the effective use of onomatopoeic words by D.H. Lawrence in his poem, “Humming Bird”.A65🎧 Onomatopoeic words and their definitionsListen and copy the sounds in the following onomatopoeic words.•ATISHOO - sound of a sneeze•BEEP -sound of a carhorn•BUZZ - hum of a bee•BUBBLE - sound made of air in liquid•BASH - a crashing blow•CUCKOO - bird sound•CHEEP - sound of a small chick•CRACKLE - sharp noises, fire or paper crushed•CRUNCH - crushing o r crackling sound•CLUNK - resounding metallic noise•DING-A-LING - sound of bellsFor Personal Use Only674. Part 3: Flow oxf Speech•FIZZ - hissing or bubbling sound•GROWL - hostile, angry sound (of animals)•GURGLE - throaty, bubbling noise•HICCUP - spasm of the diaphragm, resulting in a sharp sound•HISS - sound of a prolonged “s”•JANGLE - discordant, jarring noise•KNOCK-KNOCK - tapping on wood•MEOW - mew of a cat•MOO - noise made by a cow•PLOP - object crashing into water•POP - light, explosive sound•PURR - low, vibrant sound (esp. cats)•PING - short, high-pitched, resonant sound•RATTLE - succession of short, sharp sounds•RUMBLE - deep, resonant sound•RUSTLE - crisp, rubbing sound (e.g. paper)•SNAP - sudden, sharp, crackling sound•SHUSH - sound to silence or calm someone•SPLASH - to scatter liquid•SIZZLE - hissing, frying sound•SQUELCH - sucking noise on wet ground•THUD - dull, heavy sound•TICK-TOCK - ticking of a clock•WHISPER - speak in soft, hushed tone•WHACK - sharp, resounding blow•WHIZZ - a loud buzzing sound•ZIP - short, sharp, whizzing sound•ZING - high-pitched buzzing sound•ZOOM - buzzing or humming soundFor Personal Use Only684. Part 3: Flow oxf SpeechA66🎧 PassageListen a n d repeat, noting the sounds in t h e underlined, onomatopoeic words.It was breakfast time in the kitchen of Honeycomb Cottage, the home of Professor Stutter ( a world authority on the Science of Speech). On thestove in a pan of hot fat the bacon sizzled. Alongside, a pan of boiling water for his breakfast egg bubbled furiously. The Professor splashed agenerous portion of semi-skimmed milk on to his Crunchy Puff cereal, which responded with a satisfying snap!, crackle!, pop!“Ah”, said the Professor, as he flung open the window and heard the familiar call of the cuckoo in the distance (Cuckoo! Cuckoo!). “What aperfect day!”.At that precise moment, Cuddles the cat padded in with a plaintive miaow, which swiftly turned into an ear-piercing screech as the Professorinadvertently trod on his tail. Startled, the Professor staggered back, knocking the pan of boiling water into the frying pan, which produceda ferocious fizz as the water plopped onto the hot bacon. Attempting to steady himself, his hand accidentally hit the cereal bowl, sending itwhizzing through the air and scattering the contents everywhere. He landed with a squelch on the soggy cereal. “Not such a perfect day afterall”, he reflected ruefully.5.Part 4 : 4PsFor Personal Use Only695. Part 4 : 4Ps5.1.Lesson 19: 4Ps (Power, Pause, Pace and Pitch)IntroductionThere is nothing attractive about a monotonous voice - a voice which runs along on the same level all the time. This voice is not interestingto others and can never hold their attention for long. The voice drones on without any light or shade, or modulation, as we call it in speechModulation simply means changing the voice to make it less monotonous to listen to.We can use what we call the 4Ps to help make the delivery more energized and dynamic.The use of 4 Ps is particularly important for prepared speech for more formal settings, where you are addressing an audience. For example:giving a presentation, reading aloud reports and minutes for board meetings, debating, telling a story, broadcasting etc.Actors will spend a considerable amount of time in their training working on modulation to apply to their performances.For Personal Use Only705. Part 4 : 4Ps5.2.Lesson 20 : PowerThere will be times when it is necessary to change the amount of volume we use when speaking. In normal conversation no effort or changeswill b e required. When communicating with an audience, however, the amount of projection of the voice ( o r loudness) obviously depends onthe situation you are in: how big is the room, how many people are you talking to, how far away are they, are you inside or out in the open?The basis for all speech is breath. In normal, everyday speech, we use a small volume of breath to pass through the vocal chords to create sound.When we need to increase the volume and produce louder speech, we need to increase the breath capacity in the lungs, allowing the voice to beprojected forward with energy and attack.Below are a few basic breathing exercises to practise to increase the capacity in the lungs. Before starting them always check your posture.Posture PreparationStand in a good centred position with feet firmly on the floor, slightly apart, relaxing the knees and hips, and keeping the shoulders down, freefrom any tension. Feel your spine straightening with your head balanced on the neck, as if it was attached t o the ceiling by a piece of elasticcoming from the top of it.Breathing exercises:Exercise 1: Looking in the mirror, take a deep breath, in through the nose, for a count of 3 , filling the lungs and feeling the chest expandingsideways and upwards. You should also feel the stomach area move outwards when you breathe in. Then slowly release the breathe through anopen mouth for 3 counts on a whispered “AH” sound. As the lungs gradually empty, feel the chest relaxing and the stomach area return to itsnormal position.Exercise 2: (to be repeated 5 times): Repeat the above exercise, but this time count out loud 1, 2, 3 as you breathe out, feeling the energy andFor Personal Use Only715. Part 4 : 4Pspower of the voice being directed across the room. Each time, always use up all the breath in the lungs. Continue counting out loud a s youbreathe out, adding 1 count each time, until you reach the count of 10.Exercise 3: Repeat the exercise but this time instead of counting, vocalise the days of the week in one breath, followed by the months of theyear in one breath.Exercise for Louder SpeechListen and repeat the following exercises, using the full power of your voiceA67🎧 SentencesListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural waySuddenly a loud voice shattered the silence. “Halt! Who goes there?” No reply came. “Friend or Foe?” Still no reply. Finally, “Halt! Or I’ll No relA shore rang out, Then silence.For Personal Use Only725. Part 4 : 4PsA68🎧 PoemCannon to right of them,Cannon to left of them,Cannon i n front o f t h e mVolley’d & thunder’d;Storm’d at with shot and shell,Boldly they rode and well,Into the jaws of Death,Into the mouth of HellRode the six hundred.(The Charge of the Light Brigade, by Alfred Lord Tennyson)A69🎧 Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend m e your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good isoft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar.”For Personal Use Only735. Part 4 : 4PsExercise for Quieter SoundsExercise 1: There are times when speaking quietly can be a very effective means of adding colour to the voice. When using less voice, it isessential to maintain the energy in the consonants so that the speech, though quiet, is always clear and articulated. Listen and repeat the followingexercises, noting how effective the use of softer speech can be.A70🎧 SentencesSh! Sh! Don’t say a word! Don’t make a sound! There’s someone coming. Oh no! They mustn’t see us! Quick! Hide!A71🎧 PoemThere’s a whisper down the line at 11.39When the Night Mail’s ready to depart,Saying “Skimble where is Skimble has he gone to hunt the thimble?We must find him or the train can’t start.”(Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, by T.S. Eliot)A72🎧 PoemThere is a silence where hath been no sound,There is a silence where no sound may be,For Personal Use Only745. Part 4 : 4PsIn the cold grave - under the deep deep sea,Or in wide desert where no life is found,Which hath been mute, and still must sleep profound.(Silence, Thomas Hood)For Personal Use Only755. Part 4 : 4Ps5.3.Lesson 21: PauseThe use of pause can be a very effective means of engaging with the audience for t h e public speaker. For all practical purposes w e may classifypauses under three headings: grammatical pause, pause for effect, pause between paragraphs and verses.1.Grammatical pauseThis is indicated by the punctuation. It can also be a useful tool for slowing down a rushed or garbled presentation. If you know you have atendency t o speak too quickly and consequently your audience is confused about what you are trying to say, the following exercise should provehelpful.Task: Read this passage out loud and when you come to a comma, vocalize “ONE”. When you come to a full stop, vocalize “ONE, TWO, THREE”.Then repeat the passage, not counting out loud at the punctuation, but leaving suitable pauses there.A73🎧 PassageThere stood t h e doll’s house, / a dark spinach green,/picked out with bright yellow./// Its two solid littlechimneys,/ glued on to the roof,/ were painted redand white,/ and the door/, gleaming with yellowvarnish,/ w a s like a little slab of toffee./// Fourwindows,/ real windows,/ were divided into panes bya broad streak of green.///There was actually a tiny porch,/ too,/ paintedFor Personal Use Only765. Part 4 : 4Psyellow,/ with big lumps of congealed paint hanging along the edge.(The Dove’s Nest and Other Stories, Katherine Mansfield?)2.Pause for effect (or, Dramatic pause)Pause for effect is used to make a word stand out or to help build up the dramatic tension.A74🎧 SentencesListen and repeat, noting the length of the pauses you hear in the sentences.1.“And the winner of the Oscar for best actress is a a a a a Kate Winslet!”2.“ I don’t understand. You mean you love a a a a a me?3.“The door slowly opened and there stood a a a a a Dracula!”4.“Chairman of the Jury, do you find the prisoner guilty or not guilty?” a a a a a “Guilty, your honour.”For Personal Use Only775. Part 4 : 4Ps3.Pause between paragraphs in prose or between verses in poetry.This pause is important to separate different ideas and give your audience time to take in each point before moving onto the next.A75🎧 Children’s StoryListen and repeat, noting the pauses between paragraphs.Once upon a time there was a little girl named Red Riding Hood, who lived with her mother in a cottage by the forest.///She was called Red Riding Hood because her proudest possession was a beautiful red cloak with a hood which her mother had made for her.////One day she went to visit her grandmother, whose house was in the middle of the forest. She was taking her some freshly baked bread.////No sooner had she entered the forest when who should she meet but a seemingly friendly wolf.For Personal Use Only785. Part 4 : 4PsA76🎧 PoemListen and repeat, noting the pauses between short verses.What is this life if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare .////No time to stand beneath the boughsAnd stare as long as sheep or cows.////No time to see when woods we pass ,Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.No time to see in broad daylight,Streams full of stars, like skies at night.A poor life this if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare.(Leisure, William Henry Davis).For Personal Use Only795. Part 4 : 4Ps5.4.Lesson 22 : PaceIf you listen carefully t o people speaking, you will notice that not everyone is speaking at the same pace. Some speakers’ delivery will be fasterand others slower.There are many reasons for this, the main ones being:1 . Temperament/personality/backgroundSomeone who is uptight and tense, and shows signs of being unconfident and anxious will tend to speak rather more quickly than someone whois relaxed and laid-back.Similarly, a person who i s extremely intelligent and bursting with ideas will often tend to gabble as the thoughts come tumbling out.On the other hand, a person whose thought processes are much slower will have a much more measured delivery.2 . GeographicalListen to the native speakers from different countries and you will hear that not all languages are spoken at the same pace.Climate can also affect the amount of energy in the speech organs and therefore the rate of delivery. In hot countries this may result in muchslower, relaxed speech.Compare, for example, a Texan drawl with a pacy, energized New York Bronx accent.For Personal Use Only805. Part 4 : 4PsIn rural areas of the British Isles, where the tempo of life is much slower than in the inner cities, the resultant pace often reflects this. Comparethe slower, more relaxed speech of an older resident of a quiet hamlet in Cornwall with the quick-fire, energized speech of a Cockney market-trader from the East End of London.3.Expressing emotion.An effective speaker gets variety of pace by using heightened emotion such a s anger, happiness, fear etc. t o speak more quickly. When expressingsomething sorrowful or thoughtful, the pace will be slower.There i s nothing worse, when trying to impart a great deal of information t o your audience (whether in a business meeting, a lecture room,a court of law or in a recording studio), than discovering that because you are speaking so quickly, very little of this information i s beingunderstood. Often the first thing that happens when a speaker is nervous and not at ease, is that he tends to gabble.It is always better to concentrate on speaking more slowly when addressing an audience, particularly if you are not speaking in your nativetongue.Fast pace exercise: Listen and repeat the following examples, a small section at a time. Take care with your articulation when using the fastpace, to make your speech clear and crisp.For Personal Use Only815. Part 4 : 4PsA77🎧 SentencesListen and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way1.“How dare you talk to me like this - I’ve told you before I’ll not stand for this sort of behaviour from you or from anyone - get out of my sightimmediately.”A78🎧 PoemAnd ere three shrill notes the pipe uttered,You heard as if an army muttered;And the muttering grew to a grumbling;And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling;And out of the houses the rats came tumbling.Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats,Grave old plodders, gay young friskers,Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins,Cocking tails and pricking whiskers,Families by tens and dozens,Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives-Followed t h e piper for their lives.(The Pied Piper of Hamlyn, Robert Browning)For Personal Use Only825. Part 4 : 4PsSlow pace exercise: Listen and repeat the following examples, a small section a t a time. Use the punctuation to slow yourself down.A79🎧 Sentences“As I gaze now across the still, silent waters of the lake, my mind drifts back to happier times, when h e and I were young. Now it’s no longer us- it’s only me and instead of happiness, a n almost overwhelming sense of loss envelops me. I cannot bear to stay here a moment longer.”For Personal Use Only835. Part 4 : 4PsA80🎧 PoemREMEMBER me when Ia m gone away,Gone far away into the silent land;When you can no more hold me by the hand,Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.Remember me when no more day by dayYou tell me of our future that you plann’d:Only remember me; you understandI t will be late to counsel the nor pray.Yet if you should forget me for a whileAnd afterwards remember, do not grieve:For if the darkness and corruption leaveA vestige of the thoughts that once I had,Better by far you should forget and smileThan that you should remember and be sad.( Christina Georgina Rossetti)For Personal Use Only845. Part 4 : 4Ps5.5.Lesson 23: PitchNo two speakers will have the same pitch level. By that, w e mean speaking with a higher or lower voice.A child’s voice is naturally much higher than a n adult’s, and when he or she reaches puberty, the pitch will start t o drop. In the case of a boy,this can be very sudden, when his voice breaks. With girls i t will be a gradual change. With the approach to old age often the pitch will start torise again as the lung power decreases.The pitch of the voice changes with different emotions. For example, when a speaker is expressing anger, excitement or surprise the pitch willrise, but when expressing deep, sensitive, sorrowful feelings the pitch will fall.For the public speaker, it’s important to use pitch changes to hold the attention o f your audience. There i s nothing m o r e boring than hingmore boring the listening to someone droning in a monotone.Bellow are some technical reasons for changing the pitch:1.When starting a new paragraph or a new thought, lift the pitch slightly.2.When reading poetry aloud, lift the pitch slightly when starting a new verse.3.Slightly lower the pitch when using parenthesis.The human voice has a possible pitch range of over two octaves. That is between sixteen and twenty white consecutive notes on a keyboard. Ofcourse, we very rarely use all these notes but it’s possible for a speaker to increase his pitch range with exercises.For Personal Use Only855. Part 4 : 4PsExtending pitch range exercisesExercise 1: Starting on your highest possible note, repeat the word “kitty” as you gradually come down in pitch passing your comfortable naturallevel and continuing down until you can go no further. Repeat, starting at your lowest note and using the word “goddy” gradually working yourway up until you can go no higher. Amid for approximately 16 words each way.A81🎧 SentencesListen and repeat, noting how pitch can vary to create mood and atmosphere variety.You’ve been to see Ben, haven’t you? What did he tell you? It’s something wonderful, I know it is. He is coming to see me, isn’t he? Isn’t he?What? Oh, no, that’s terrible. I can’t believe it. It just doesn’t make sense. He was so full of life.A82🎧 PoemListen and repeat, noting how pitch can vary to create mood and atmosphere.The land’s sharp features seemed to beThe Century’s corpse outleant,His crypt the cloudy canopy,The wind his death-lament.The ancient pulse of germ and birthWas shrunken hard and dry,And every spirit upon earthSeemed fervourless as I.For Personal Use Only865. Part 4 : 4PsAt once avoice arose amongThe bleak twigs overheadIn a full-hearted evensongOf joy illimited;An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,In blast-beruffled plume,Had chosen thus to fling his soulUpon t h e growing gloom.(The Darkling Thrush, by Thomas Hardy)A83🎧 PoemListen and repeat, noting how pitch can vary to create mood and atmosphere.Everyone suddenly burst out singing;And I was filled with such delightAs prisoned birds must find in freedomWinging wildly across the whiteOrchards and dark green fields, on, on,And out of sight.(Everyone Sang, Siegfried Sassoon)5.6.Lesson 24 : Summary of the 4 PsWe have dealt with each of the 4P s separately and given you examples to practise.For Personal Use Only875. Part 4 : 4PsIn the following poem, “Humming Bird”, the speaker uses all the 4 Ps to create mood and atmosphere, thus making it more interesting for thelistener.A84🎧 PoemListen and repeat, using changes of pitch, pace, power and pause.I can imagine, in some other world,Primeval-dumb, far backIn that most awful stillness, that only gasped and hummed,Humming-birds raced down the avenues.Before anything had a soul,While life was a heave of matter, half inanimate,This little bit chipped off in brillianceAnd went whizzing through the slow, vast, succulent stems.I believe there were no flowers then,In the world where the humming-bird flashed ahead of creation.I believe he pierced the slow vegetable veins with his long beak.Probably he was bigAs mosses, and little lizards, they say, were once big.Probably he was a jabbing, terrifying monster.For Personal Use Only885. Part 4 : 4PsWe look at him through the wrong end of the long telescope of Time,Luckily for us.(Humming Bird, by D.H. Lawrence)For Personal Use Only896. Part 5 : Additional Speech Exercises6.Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesFor Personal Use Only906. Part 5 : Additional Speech Exercises6.1.Warm-up exercisesThe following exercises should be practised on a regular daily basis. This will help to strengthen and give flexibility to the speech organs andultimately t o ensure better articulation and clearer speech.A12🎧 Tongue exercisesAll exercises to be repeated 4 times.1.Point the tongue, holding it still. Then relax the tongue back in the mouth .2.Point the tongue. Circle very slowly once to right. Repeat to left.3.Point the tongue. Circle 3 times quickly to right. Then left.4.Stretch the tongue towards the nose, then the chin.5.With tip of tongue behind bottom teeth, push back of tongue forwards and backwards.6.Flick pointed tongue sideways, touching corners of lips. Gradually quicken.7.Tap tip of the tongue against alveolar (teeth) ridge. Repeat and quicken.8.Finish off with rhythm exercises for /t/, /d/, /l/, /k/, /g/.For Personal Use Only916. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesTap tongue tip against alveolar ridge.B1🎧Repeat once from left to right. Do the same for /d/ and /l/ sounds.ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttTap the back of the tongue on soft palate.(keeping tongue tip behind bottom teeth)B2🎧Repeat once from left to right. Do the same for /g/ sounds.kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkLip exercisesAll exercises to b e repeated 4 times.For Personal Use Only926. Part 5 : Additional Speech Exercises1.With jaw closed, spread lips back to a broad smile, and then bring forward to a tight [u:] position as in “June”.2.Repeat exercise 1, but with jaw open about 1″ (2.5 cm).3.Make a chewing motion in all directions.4.Keeping the bottom lip still, raise top lip towards nostrils. Bring lips together again. Quicken.5.Keeping top lip still, move bottom lip down. Bring lips together again. Quicken.6.Move top and bottom lips alternately. Quicken.7.To relax the lips, blow through them very gently.8.Finish off with rhythm exercises for [p], [b], [m] and [w] sounds.B3🎧Repeat once from left to right. Do the same for /b/, /m/, /w/ sound.ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppFor Personal Use Only936. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesArticulation and RP ExercisesB4🎧Put consonants /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/ in front of the following six vowel sounds.Repeat once from left to right./uː//əʊ//ɔː//ɑː//eɪ//iː//puː//pəʊ//pɔː//pɑː//peɪ//piː//buː//bəʊ//bɔː//bɑː//beɪ//biː//tuː//təʊ//tɔː//tɑː//teɪ//tiː//duː//dəʊ//dɔː//dɑː//deɪ//diː//kuː//kəʊ//kɔː//kɑː//keɪ//kiː//guː//gəʊ//gɔː//gɑː//geɪ//giː/For Personal Use Only946. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB5🎧Put consonants /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/ after six vowel sounds.Repeat once from left to right./uːp//əʊp//ɔːp//ɑːp//eɪp//iːp//uːb//əʊb//ɔːb//ɑːb//eɪb//iːb//uːt//əʊt//ɔːt//ɑːt//eɪt//iːt//uːd//əʊd//ɔːd//ɑːd//eɪd//iːd//uːk//əʊk//ɔːk//ɑːk//eɪk//iːk//uːg//əʊg//ɔːg//ɑːg//eɪg//iːg/B6🎧Put consonants /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/ in front of, and after six vowel sounds.Repeat once from left to right./puːp//pəʊp//pɔːp//pɑːp//peɪp//piːp//buːb//bəʊb//bɔːb//bɑːb//beɪb//biːb//tuːt//təʊt//tɔːt//tɑːt//teɪt//tiːt//duːd//dəʊd//dɔːd//dɑːd//deɪd//diːd//kuːk//kəʊk//kɔːk//kɑːk//keɪk//kiːk//guːg//gəʊg//gɔːg//gɑːg//geɪg//giːg/For Personal Use Only956. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB7🎧Repeat the following combination of consonants and vowels three times.uːst - stuːəʊst - stəʊɔːst - stɔːɑːst - stɑːeɪst - steɪiːst - stiːuːkt - tuːəʊkt - təʊɔːkt - tɔːɑːkt - tɑːeɪkt - teɪiːkt - tiːB8🎧 PoemWhisper the following passages once, then repeat slowly with vocalized energy.To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock,In a pestilential prison with a life long lockAwaiting the sensation of short, sharp shock,From a cheep and chippy chopper on a big, black block.(W.S Gilbert)For Personal Use Only966. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB9🎧 PoemWhisper the following passages once. Then repeat slowly with vocalized energy.You’re a regular wreck with a crick in your neck,And no wonder you snore, for your head’s on the floor,And you’ve needles and pins from your soles to your shins,And your flesh is a creep, for your left leg’s asleep,And you’ve cramp in your toes, and a fly on your nose,And some fluff in your lung, and a feverish tongue,And a thirst that’s intense, and a general senseThat you haven’t been sleeping in clover;But the darkness has passed, and it’s daylight atAnd the night has been long - dito dito mysong -And thank goodness their both of them over!(W.S. Gilbert)For Personal Use Only976. Part 5 : Additional Speech Exercises6.2.International Phonetic AlphabetB10🎧 Long Pure Vowels/iː/ - feet - /fiːt//ɜː/ - third - /θɜːd//uː/ - boot - /buːt//ɑː/ - bark - /bɑːk//ɔː/ - fort - /fɔːt/B10🎧 Short Pure Vowels/ɪ/ - pit - /pɪt//e/ - pet - /pet//æ/ - mad - /mæd//ʌ/ - hut - /hʌt//ɒ/ - box - /bɒks//ʊ/ - book - /bʊk/Neutral Vowel (schwa)/ə/ - the - /ðə/B12🎧 Diphthongs/ɪə/ - hear - /hɪə//eɪ/ - pay - /peɪ//eə/ - pair - /peə//aɪ/ - pie - /paɪ//aʊ/ - how - /haʊ//əʊ/ - boat - /bəʊt//ɔɪ/ - boy - /bɔɪ//uːə/ - sewer - /suːə/For Personal Use Only986. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB13/A9🎧 Unvoiced Consonants/p/ - put - /pʊt//t/- two /tuː//k/ - cake - /keɪk//f/ - fish - /fɪʃ//θ/ - think - /θɪŋk//s/ - sip - /sɪp//ʃ/ - shall -/ʃæl//tʃ/ - church - /tʃɜːtʃ//h/ - hat - /hæt/B14/A10🎧 Voiced Consonants/b/ - but - /bʌt//d/ - do - /duː//g/ - go - /gəʊ//v/ - very - /veri//ð/ - that - /ðæt//z/ - zoo - /zuː//meʒə/ - measure - /meʒə//dʒ/ - judge - /dʒʌdʒ//m/ - money - /ˈmʌni//n/ - no - /nəʊ//l/ - light - /laɪt//r/ - river - /ˈrɪvə//j/ - yes - /jes//w/ - was - /wɒz/For Personal Use Only996. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB15🎧Listen and repeat word pairs, noting the contrast between the two sounds.uːcooltwochewrudeshoelosemovebeautifulstupidtombtunemusicʊbookwouldpullsugarputcouldbutcherpuddingcookinggoodWorcestershouldFor Personal Use Only1006. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB16🎧Listen and repeat word pairs, noting the contrast between the two sounds.ɔːfourawfulorderbeforelawwallsawchordboughtchalkthoughtoughtɒofficewhatoliveoffwanderhonestknowledgeoftenobstaclebombdoctorcomicFor Personal Use Only1016. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB17🎧Listen and repeat word pairs, noting the contrast between the two sounds.ɑːgrassexamplesergeantafterchancellorlaughfastdancedemandplastercan’ttomatoʌbusbutcountrydonedoubleonionstomachovenLondonmoneyworryfrontFor Personal Use Only1026. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB18🎧Listen and repeat word pairs, noting the contrast between the two sounds.æbandplasticcharactermarryactualanxietyactivemadnaphammergatherbageneckechoemptyanyonemanydeathsayschequekettleneverdeadChelseaFor Personal Use Only1036. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB19🎧Listen and repeat word pairs, noting the contrast between the two sounds.ɜːpurposecurlsurgeonskirtSirdisturbworldwordworseworknurseearlyəpursueaboutsisterpotatoballoonbananaconceiveconveydiplomatfigurepoliceeffortFor Personal Use Only1046. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB20🎧Listen and repeat word pairs, noting the contrast between the two sounds.iːfpeetthpeseplpeasethrpeechpeatgrpeenspceneppeoplerpeachqpuaypeveningnpeedɪppitlpittlegpiveChpiswpickbpiscpuitgpinpIndiancabbpagekpinhpymnrecpeivespyndromeFor Personal Use Only1056. Part 5 : Additional Speech Exercises6.3.Consonant comparisonsIn our experience we have found that many students have difficulty with certain English consonants. Very often they replace them withconsonants which are easier to pronounce. The following comparisons charts cover them a in problems that foreign speakers have experienced.B21🎧Listen and repeat from left to right, noting the different lip and tongue positions./b/ butLips come together,voicedbetbestbalebilebentbinmarble/v/ veryTop teeth on bottom lip,voicedvetvestveilvileventvealmarvel/w/ wasForward lips pulled back quickly, voicedwetwestwhalewhilewentwinmar quisFor Personal Use Only1066. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB22🎧Listen and repeat from left to right, noting the different tongue positions./l/ lightTip of tongue on alveolar ridge, voicedlotlollyloadleaderlaceeventuallyactuallywoolysolid/r/ riverTip of tongue curling back behind alveolar ridge, voicedrotlorryroadreaderracecommentarygroceryworrysorryFor Personal Use Only1076. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB23🎧Listen and repeat from left to right, noting the different tongue positions./θ/ thinkTip of tongue between top and bottom teath, unvoicedthickthankthreethatcherthinthreadmouththinker/t/ twoTip of tongue on alveolar ridge, unvoicedticktanktreetrashtintreadscouttimber/f/ friendTop teeth on bottom lip, unvoicdfreakfrankfreefreshfinfriendloaffingerFor Personal Use Only1086. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB24🎧Listen and repeat from left to right, noting the different lip and tongue positions./ð/ thatTip of tongue between top and bottom teath, voicedtheretheythoughwithbreatheeitherleatherfeather/d/ doTip of tongue on alveolar ridge, voiceddaredaydoughwadbreadIdaladderfeeder/v/ vendTop teeth on bottom lip, voicedVeravainvolumevivienbraveIvylavishfeverFor Personal Use Only1096. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB25🎧Listen and repeat from left to right, noting the different tongue positions/θ/ thinkTip of tongue between top and bottom teach, unvoicedthinkthoughtthingthinthumbthoroughtruthcloth/s/ sipTip of tongue nearly touching alveolar ridge, unvoicedsinksortsingSInsumsorrowtruceglossFor Personal Use Only1106. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesB26🎧Listen and repeat from left to right, noting the different tongue positions./ð/ thatTip of tongue between top and bottom teath, voicedbatheclotheratherleathersmoothsoothgatherrather/z/ zooTip of tongue nearly touching alveolar ridge, voicedblazecloserazorlasershoesusegazetteroseFor Personal Use Only1116. Part 5 : Additional Speech Exercises6.4.Pronunciation of London Underground stations and place namesThe following are some of the most commonly mispronounced stations.B27🎧 Listen and repeat.1.Aldgate /‘ɔːlɡeɪt/2.Balham /‘bæləm/3.Borough /‘bʌrə/4.Clapham /‘klæpəm/5.Gloucester Road / glɒstə/6.Hainault /‘heɪŋɔːt/7.Holborn /‘həʊbən/8.Leicester Square /lestə/9.Marylebone /‘mærələbən/,/mærələbəʊn/,/mɑːrlɪbəʊn/10.Plaistow /‘plɑːstəʊ/11.Ruislip /rɑɪslɪp/12.Southwark /‘sʌðək/13.Theydon Bois /ˈθeɪdənˈbɔɪz/14.Tottenham Court Road /ˈtɒtnˌəm/15.Uxbridge /ʌksbrɪdʒ/16.Vauxhall /vɒksɔːl/For Personal Use Only1126. Part 5 : Additional Speech ExercisesThe following are some of the most commonly mispronounced London place names.B28🎧 Listen and repeat.1.Aeolian Hall /iːˈəʊlɪən/2.Beaucham Place /‘biːtʃəm/3.Cadogan Place /kə’dʌgən/4.Chiswick /‘tʃɪzɪk/5.Geffrye Museum /‘dʒefriː/6.Greenwich /grenɪdʒ/, /grenɪtʃ/7.Isleworth /‘aɪzalwae/8.Madame Tussauds / ‘mædəm tʊ’sɔːdz/9.Woolwich /‘wʊlɪdʒ/, /’wʊlɪtʃ/10.Conduit Street /‘kɒndjʊɪt/For Personal Use Only1136. Part 5 : Additional Speech Exercises6.5.Pronunciation o f British place namesThe following are some of the most commonly mispronounced London place names.B29🎧 Listen and repeat.1.Alnwick Castle /æʌɪk /2.Beauvoir /‘bəʊvwɑː/3.Bicester /‘bɪstə/4.Belvoir Castle /‘biːvə/5.Berkshire /bɑːkʃə/6.Carlisle / kɑː’lɑɪl/7.Derby /‘dɑːbiː/8.Edinburgh /‘edɪnbrə/, /’e dnbrə/9.Fowey /‘fɔɪ/10.Folkestone /‘fəʊkstən/11.Leicester /‘lestə/12.Leominster / ‘ lemstə/13.Maidstone /‘meɪdstən/14.Market Harborough - /-mɑːkɪt hɑːbʌrə/15.Milton Keynes /məltən kiːnz/16.Newquay /‘njuːkiː/17.Norwich /‘nɒrɪdʒ/, /’nɒrɪtfʃ/18.Salisbury /‘sɔːlzbriː/19.Slough /‘slɑʊ/20.Shrewsbury /‘frɑʊzbriː/21.Warwick /wɒrɪk/22.Wokingham - / wəʊkɪŋəm/For Personal Use Only1146. Part 5 : Additional Speech Exercises6.6.Strong and weak forms chartThe following chart shows some of the most commonly used words which change when in a n unstressed position in a phrase or sentence.B30🎧 Listen and repeat.WordareamcanshallhavehadwerewasandasatbutforfromhernotofthatthemtonotStrong formɑːæmkænʃælhævhædwɜːwɒzændæzætbʌtfɔːfrɒmhɜːnɒtɒvðætðemtuːnɒtWeak forməəmkənʃəlhəv or əv or vhədwəwəzəndəzətbətfəfrəmhəntəvðətðəmtʊ or təntFor Personal Use Only115