tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13113956097575597602024-03-14T17:22:59.345+11:00Pronunciation MattersTips and practical suggestions on how to improve your English pronunciationDeborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-19832311750969237932016-02-06T12:21:00.002+11:002016-02-06T12:21:23.593+11:00Pronunciation raps - for my students<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This one is about all my wonderful students at the Institute of Languages at UNSW in Sydney<br />
<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxYwAo_OVGpeeDkzUnprQXBVZEU/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxYwAo_OVGpeeDkzUnprQXBVZEU/view?usp=sharing</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve come to Sydney to improve our English<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re from the world over but have one wish<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that’s to have fun while we learn in the sun<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Academic English , general or FEEC,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
English for law or
try and reach your peak<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With an IELTS score of 7 or more<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grammar and reading speaking and listening<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And media studies but who reads the paper<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now teaching how to write on fb might<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Help us to improve and then we’d be right<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To speak to our mates and go out on dates<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cause how ta fix a boiler or what he had for supper<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is not what Aussies say and the third conditional<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
past perfect continuous
is far too medicinal<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And show me an aussie who says If I were rich<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But don’t correct the grammar of your new aussie friends<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cause if I were rich I’d be able to stay<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
in SydneyForever but
I know it depends<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On my final test score<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Had I been listening I would have learnt more<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-70444444955602467262016-02-06T12:04:00.000+11:002016-02-06T12:04:47.826+11:00Pronunciation raps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Discovered a new resource that is a poetry and rhyme based approach to pronunciation and used one of the exercises at my student's graduation ceremony. It was a HUGE success.<br />
<br />
The work we were doing was how to listen to and understand fast, spoken Australian and linked expressions such as:<br />
What are you doing - <i>whatcha doin</i><br />
Did you want to go out to dinner - <i>didja wanna go ta dinner</i> or even dja wanna<br />
Where do you want to go - <i>Where dja wanna go.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Listen and enjoy and beat out the rhythm<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxYwAo_OVGpedWI3NHQxb2VOaE0/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxYwAo_OVGpedWI3NHQxb2VOaE0/view?usp=sharing</a><br />
<br />
<b>Chinatown</b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where dja wanna go Whatcha wanna do<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not sure now I’ll leave it ta you<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dja wanna go ta town ta see a show<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know now but
I’ll let you know<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can’t ya tell me right away <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not sure yet do I have to say<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where dja wanna meet won’t ya tell me where<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s just meet in Leicester square<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did ya tell the others where we’re going ta meet<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I said in the centre
didn’t say which street<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dja wanna have a meal or dja like ta sit down<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
YA fancy a meal in Chinatown<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whacha recommend and
where dja like ta dine<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s very good the fish is fine<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How’s the fish cooked
with lots a spice<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just a bit a ginger
it’s really nice<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whatcha like ta drink whenya eat chinese<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just a pot a tea it’s sure ta please<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How dja like the meat
dja like the fish<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was really great what’s the name a the dish<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know the name
it wasn’t written down<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s often the way in Chinatown<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Watch this space for more of these!!!!</div>
<br /></div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-67737418708617018922013-10-15T07:01:00.003+11:002013-10-15T10:17:20.656+11:00Vowel practice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75"
coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe"
filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_6" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75"
style='position:absolute;margin-left:70.75pt;margin-top:126.6pt;width:442.4pt;
height:613.15pt;rotation:1;z-index:-1;visibility:visible' wrapcoords="-36 0 -36 21574 21600 21574 21600 0 -36 0">
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Deborah\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"
o:title="IMG_0001" croptop="4039f" cropbottom="2747f" cropleft="5562f"/>
<w:wrap type="tight"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/deborah-corbett/vowel-practice">https://soundcloud.com/deborah-corbett/vowel-practice</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="140" width="220"><param name="movie" value="http://vocaroo.com/mediafoo.swf?playMediaID=0&autoplay=0"></param>
<embed src="http://vocaroo.com/mediafoo.swf?playMediaID=0&autoplay=0" width="220" height="140" pluginspage="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><br />
Powered by <a href="http://vocaroo.com/" title="Voice Recorder">Vocaroo</a></div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-69329678641383618542013-09-06T23:25:00.000+10:002013-10-15T10:17:38.407+11:00Tongue twisters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1311395609757559760" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/deborah-corbett/she-sells">https://soundcloud.com/deborah-corbett/she-sells</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She sells sea shells by the sea shore, <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="140" width="220"><param name="movie" value="http://vocaroo.com/mediafoo.swf?playMediaID=0&autoplay=0"></param>
<embed src="http://vocaroo.com/mediafoo.swf?playMediaID=0&autoplay=0" width="220" height="140" pluginspage="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><br />
Powered by <a href="http://vocaroo.com/" title="Voice Recorder">Vocaroo</a><br />
<br /></div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-85546191381693935972013-06-18T07:52:00.001+10:002013-06-18T07:52:58.482+10:00Listening to Australia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Photo: Listening to Australia 4 (Advanced) written by yours truly and Pornswan Braun is a great resource to train the ear to listen to fast authentic Aussie speech
My favourite scenarios are the women gossiping at work and the male version gossiping (yes men gossip) at the pub. They were both authentic conversations." src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/p480x480/6508_477246572358137_746892277_n.png" /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;">Listening to Australia 4 (Advanced) written by yours truly and Pornswan Braun is a great resource to train the ear to listen to fast authentic Aussie speech</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;">My favourite scenarios are the women gossiping at work and the male version gossiping (yes men gossip) at the pub. They were both authentic conversations.</span></div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-10288788058970388572013-06-14T10:34:00.000+10:002013-06-14T10:34:19.109+10:00Transcriptions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For advanced students or those of you who feel your English is pretty good but you just need a little bit of 'touching up'. transcribing a recording, exactly word for word, mistake for mistake is a very good way of finding out what type of grammar and pronunciation errors you are making.<br />
It goes without saying that you must be exact in your transcriptions otherwise the exercise is useless.<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Record yourself or your student talking about their research or a project at work.</li>
<li> Listen bit by bit and transcribe exactly how it is spoken. </li>
<li>Listen again 2 or three times to make sure you have everything exact.</li>
<li>Go through together and do an error analysis and offer suggestions or invite the student to correct.</li>
<li>Write out the passage corrrectly and the student or you read and record again</li>
</ol>
<div>
The following text is writtten word for word with pronunciation errors as well.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>We mainly focussed on za development of catalysts to biofue generation and sometimes we also to design new catalysts for za green chemical process such as za fine chemical generation, petrol chemical process and sometimes pharmaceutical generation.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We <span style="color: red;">are </span>mainly focussed on <span style="color: red;">the</span> development of catalysts to biofue<span style="color: red;">l</span> generation and sometimes we also <strike><span style="color: red;">to</span></strike> design new catalysts for <span style="color: red;">the</span> green chemical process such as <strike><span style="color: red;">za</span></strike> fine chemical generation, petrol chemical process and sometimes pharmaceutical generation. <span style="color: red;">(Intonation corrections were also noted such as rising for listing two or three items.)</span></i></div>
</div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-23749498878859873442013-05-17T09:34:00.001+10:002013-05-17T09:34:46.739+10:00Yes intonation patterns<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Listen to these intonation patterns for "yes". Some have a certain degree of " no-ness" in them. One student said to me yesterday "why do you say "yes" if you mean "No"!!!!!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/deborah-corbett/yes-intonation">https://soundcloud.com/deborah-corbett/yes-intonation</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kk7cUQQOutA/UZVtBHAKqSI/AAAAAAAAGDo/SG42teJHFP0/s1600/yes-300x222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kk7cUQQOutA/UZVtBHAKqSI/AAAAAAAAGDo/SG42teJHFP0/s1600/yes-300x222.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-56260360552901402662013-04-30T23:29:00.002+10:002013-04-30T23:29:59.744+10:00The fall rise tone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/deborah-corbett/fall-rise">The fall rise tone</a></div>
<br /></div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-30559775268269709092013-04-30T12:27:00.003+10:002013-04-30T12:31:01.304+10:00Intonation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I<b>ntonation</b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">is change of spoken<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_(music)" title="Pitch (music)"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">pitch</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> ( rising or
falling ) </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">that is used for a range of functions such as:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">indicating the
attitudes and emotions of the speaker,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">signalling the
difference between statement and question</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">signalling the
difference between different types of question,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">focussing attention
on important elements of the spoken message</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">helping to
regulate conversational interaction.</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.1pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Attitudinal function
(for expressing emotions and attitudes)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">example: a fall from a high pitch on
the 'mor' syllable of "good morning" suggests more excitement than a
fall from a low pitch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.1pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Grammatical function
(to identify grammatical structure)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">example: it is claimed that in English
a falling pitch movement is associated with statements, but a rising pitch
turns a statement into a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes%E2%80%93no_question" title="Yes–no question"><span style="color: #0b0080; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">yes–no question</span></a>, as in</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">He's going </span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">↗</span></i><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">home</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">?</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">. This use of
intonation is more typical of American English than of British. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.1pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Focusing (to show
what information in the utterance is new and what is already known)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">example: in English</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">I saw a </span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">↘</span></i><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">man</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">in the garden</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">answers "Whom did you see?"
or "What happened?", while</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">I </span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">↘</span></i><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">saw</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">a man in the garden</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">answers "Did you hear a man in the garden?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.1pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Discourse function
(to show how clauses and sentences go together in spoken discourse)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">example: subordinate clauses often have
lower pitch, faster tempo and narrower pitch range than their main clause,<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intonation_(linguistics)#cite_note-6"><span style="color: #0b0080; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[6]</span></a></sup></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">as in the case of the material in
brackets in "The Red Planet [as it's known] is fourth from the sun"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.1pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Psychological
function (to organize speech into units that are easy to perceive, memorize and
perform)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">example: the utterance "You can
have it in red blue green yellow or </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">↘</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">black" is more
difficult to understand and remember than the same utterance divided into tone
units as in "You can have it in </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">↗</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">red | </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">↗</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">blue | </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">↗</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">green | </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">↗</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">yellow | or </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">↘</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">black"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.1pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Indexical function
(to act as a marker of personal or social identity)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">example: group membership can be
indicated by the use of intonation patterns adopted specifically by that group,
such as street vendors or preachers. The so-called</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rising_terminal#Usage" title="High rising terminal"><span style="color: #0b0080; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">high rising terminal</span></a>,
where a statement ends with a high rising pitch movement, is said to be typical
of younger speakers of English, and possibly to be more widely found among
young female speakers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-80558276252649171862013-03-26T20:29:00.001+11:002013-03-26T20:30:21.959+11:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I interviewed a new client. He is employed in a boutique business writing and publishing firm and is Mandarin speaking from Malaysia.. What really impressed me was the attitude of his employers. They really respected his work and his ability to communicate visually. His work was definitely an asset to the company and they were trying very hard to provide him with whatever it took to improve his communication skills.His employers have agreed to fund a five week one-on-one class focusing on pronunciation and writing skills. My main message to him will be ( to use a sporting expression) "It's now time for you to step up to the plate".<br />
Changing your pronunciation patterns can take a long time but it IS possible if you put in the time and effort. It requires practising the drills over and over again, recording yourself and listening for and correcting your errors. My new client will be able to change but it is up to him to put in a real effort to show he appreciates what his workplace is doing for him.<br />
<br />
I probably sound like an old school principal but I can't reiterate enough the necessity for practise, practise, practise.</div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-76704217354652701142013-03-12T05:53:00.003+11:002013-03-12T06:11:27.854+11:00Rhythm work<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My latest favourite trick is lots of rhythm work. By this I mean clapping, tapping, clicking, walking - anything to get the rhythm of English. Limericks, Jazz Chants and Rhymes and Rhythm A poem based course for English pronunciation are my most used tools.<br />
Initially a lot of work is done on word and sentences stress so the concept of stressed syllables and words is understood ( and practised) Rhythm work can be the 'fun' part of pronunciation although some students are a little embarrassed about it.<br />
I do like to start the idea of rhythm in English by the borrowed story of 4 conductors all tapping out a beat with their bat<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Conductor one</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">one two three four</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Conductor 2</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>one </b>and <b>two</b> and <b>three</b> and <b>four </b>and</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Conductor 3</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>one </b>and a <b>two</b> and a <b>three </b>and a <b>four </b>and a</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Conductor 4</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>one </b>and then a <b>two </b>and then a <b>three </b>and then a <b>four </b>and then a </span><br />
<br />
This little story easily shows the idea of patterns of stress and 'unstress' and how all the 'little' words need to fit into the rhythm. I have found this to be particularly useful for french speakers who seem to have difficulty losing the classic 'French' accent. It is also very useful for many of the South East Asian languages to get over the 'staccato' and jumpy nature of their English. it is also good for those coming from India whose English is almost their first language but the rhythm of their speech makes it hard to understand sometimes.</div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-91141346782358914772013-01-30T15:51:00.000+11:002013-01-30T15:56:26.720+11:00The Great vowel shift<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: sans-serif; margin-bottom: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In the late-fifteenth century printers began printing books written in the form of London English which had already become a kind of standard in manuscript documents. Between 1475 and about 1630 English spelling gradually became regularized. There are noticeable differences in the look of printed English before the mid-seventeenth century, but after that date it is largely the same as modern English, the major difference being the use of the long s (∫) in all positions except finally.</div>
<div class="clearfix" id="pronunciation-change-and-the-great-vowel-shift" style="border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
Pronunciation change and the Great Vowel Shift</span></h3>
<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
By the sixteenth century English spelling was becoming increasingly out of step with pronunciation owing mainly to the fact that printing was fixing it in its late Middle English form just when various sound changes were having a far-reaching effect on pronunciation.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Chief among these was the so-called ‘Great Vowel Shift’, which can be illustrated (with much simplification) from the three vowel sounds in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mite</em>, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">meet</em>, and <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mate</em>. In Middle English these were three long vowels with values similar to their Latin or continental counterparts [i:], [e:], and [a:] (roughly the vowel sounds of <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thief</em>, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">fete</em>, and <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">palm</em>); the spelling was therefore ‘phonetic’.</div>
<div class="bluebox" style="background-color: #ebf3fb; border: 1px solid rgb(180, 204, 228); margin: -10px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">
After the shift:<br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<ul style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">long <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">i</em> became a diphthong (probably in the sixteenth century pronounced [əi] with a first element like the [ə] of the first syllable in ago)</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">long <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">e</em> took its place with the value [i:]</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">long <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a</em> became a front vowel, more like that of air to begin with, but later [e:].</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
A parallel change affected the back vowels of <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mouth</em> and <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">moot</em>. Hence the mismatch of the long vowel sounds of English with their counterparts in other European languages.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Additionally, during the period a number of sets of vowel sounds that had formerly been distinct became identical, while their spelling distinction was largely maintained, resulting in a further mismatch of spelling and pronunciation.</div>
<blockquote style="border-left-color: rgb(200, 34, 41); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 10px; font-family: 'Minion Pro', Times, serif; font-style: italic; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Important examples are:</div>
<ul style="border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the long vowel <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a</em> in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mane</em> and the diphthong <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ay</em> or <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ai</em> in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">may</em>, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">main</em></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the long mid vowel <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">o</em> in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sloe</em>, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">so</em> and the diphthong <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ow</em> or <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ou</em> in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">slow</em>, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sow</em> (= cast seed)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the diphthong represented by <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">u</em> in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">due</em> and the diphthong <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ew</em>, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">eu</em> in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">dew</em>, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">neuter</em>.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-76763516480996421762013-01-30T15:37:00.004+11:002013-01-30T15:43:15.682+11:00English is tough stuff 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
ENGLISH IS TOUGH STUFF<br />
======================</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Dearest creature in creation,<br />
Study English pronunciation.<br />
I will teach you in my verse<br />
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.<br />
<br />
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,<br />
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.<br />
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.<br />
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,<br />
Dies and diet, lord and word,<br />
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.<br />
(Mind the latter, how it's written.)<br />
<br />
Now I surely will not plague you<br />
With such words as plaque and ague.<br />
But be careful how you speak:<br />
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;<br />
Cloven, oven, how and low,<br />
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,<br />
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,<br />
<br />
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,<br />
Exiles, similes, and reviles;<br />
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,<br />
Solar, mica, war and far;<br />
One, anemone, Balmoral,<br />
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;<br />
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,<br />
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,<br />
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.<br />
Blood and flood are not like food,<br />
Nor is mould like should and would.<br />
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,<br />
Toward, to forward, to reward.<br />
And your pronunciation's OK<br />
When you correctly say croquet,<br />
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,<br />
Friend and fiend, alive and live.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour<br />
And enamour rhyme with hammer.<br />
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,<br />
Doll and roll and some and home.<br />
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,<br />
Neither does devour with clangour.<br />
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,<br />
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,<br />
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,<br />
And then singer, ginger, linger,<br />
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,<br />
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Query does not rhyme with very,<br />
Nor does fury sound like bury.<br />
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.<br />
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.<br />
Though the differences seem little,<br />
We say actual but victual.<br />
<br />
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.<br />
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.<br />
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;<br />
Dull, bull, and George ate late.<br />
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,<br />
Science, conscience, scientific.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,<br />
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.<br />
We say hallowed, but allowed,<br />
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.<br />
Mark the differences, moreover,<br />
Between mover, cover, clover;<br />
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,<br />
Chalice, but police and lice;<br />
Camel, constable, unstable,<br />
Principle, disciple, label.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Petal, panel, and canal,<br />
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.<br />
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,<br />
Senator, spectator, mayor.<br />
Tour, but our and succour, four.<br />
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.<br />
Sea, idea, Korea, area,<br />
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.<br />
<br />
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.<br />
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Compare alien with Italian,<br />
Dandelion and battalion.<br />
Sally with ally, yea, ye,<br />
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.<br />
Say aver, but ever, fever,<br />
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.<br />
Heron, granary, canary.<br />
Crevice and device and aerie.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Face, but preface, not efface.<br />
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.<br />
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,<br />
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.<br />
Ear, but earn and wear and tear<br />
Do not rhyme with here but ere.<br />
Seven is right, but so is even,<br />
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,<br />
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,<br />
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Pronunciation -- think of Psyche!<br />
Is a paling stout and spikey?<br />
Won't it make you lose your wits,<br />
Writing groats and saying grits?<br />
<br />
It's a dark abyss or tunnel:<br />
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,<br />
Islington and Isle of Wight,<br />
Housewife, verdict and indict.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Finally, which rhymes with enough --<br />
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?<br />
Hiccough has the sound of cup.<br />
My advice is to give up!!!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
-- Author Unknown</div>
</div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-87873609713025479972013-01-30T15:11:00.000+11:002013-01-30T15:33:07.298+11:00English is tough stuff<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sometimes English spelling and pronunciation are so absurd that one wonders how we arrived at the particular pronunciation.<br />
<br />
<img height="232" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/406756_262004907261617_1432505565_n.jpg" width="320" /></div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-20047666315229008932013-01-24T09:49:00.000+11:002013-01-24T09:49:02.077+11:00Intonation practice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How to get rid of that pesky high rising terminal or in other words that rising intonation at the end of EVERYTHING. Neighbours and Home and Away have a lot to answer for. Some regional Australian accent variations do rise at the ed of every sentence or chunk of speech but really when newsreaders start doing it something has to change!<br />
<br />
Try this little exercise which may help your fluency, vocabulary and pausing as well as trying to understand good ol' Aussie English.<br />
<br />
There are many good resources on the Internet and the podcast of the ABC morning current affairs show AM is one of them.<br />
<br />
It has the audio as well as the script for each story. You will get a variety of speakers ranging from the presenter, to other journalists to 'Aussies" on site at various new incidents.<br />
<br />
The trick is to grab the little moving audio cue and keep moving it back again and again until you get the same intonation as the speaker. Eventually you will be able to read the text at the speed (and with the same intonation) as the speaker.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/am/">Intonation practice using AM podcast</a><br />
<br />
Good Luck<br />
<br /></div>
Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-11814622908280589452012-05-09T08:05:00.001+10:002012-05-09T08:12:53.078+10:00Pass the mirror<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The mirror is a very useful tool in a pronunciation class. When trying to get the tongue in place for<a href="http://www.pronunciationmatters.com.au/course-snippets/"> /l/ </a>or the lips for /r/ or opening the mouth a little wider for vowel sounds a lot of giggling happens when looking in the mirror. it lightens the mood a little.<br />
Accent reduction or pronunciation training can get a little 'depressing' as you are focussing on your errors rather than your achievements so a little laughter goes a long way.</div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-85962156426543648602012-05-05T23:20:00.004+10:002012-05-05T23:20:42.644+10:00My first 'Aussie'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had previously worked with a Czech head chef at a well known Sydney restaurant and tthe Operations Manager invited me back to work with the sommelier who also had to answer the phone during busy periods ( as he was behind the bar a lot) and try and deal with the demanding VIP customers ringing with all sorts of requests.<br />
<br />
It was noted one evening that he was slurring his words. (Later he confessed to me that he doesn't always spit so had had a few sips of wine!) The phone rang and the boss overheard him on the phone 'slurring' his words a little. They decided that he needed a little 'elocution' type work as they really appreciated his work and wanted to help him.<br />
<br />
As you can imagine this is a very sensitive topic and difficult to approach the person who needs help. This case was no exception so we didn't get off to a good start but being mature adults we quickly ironed out the problems and had a very successful three by two hour session course<br />
The initial brief was that he slurred his words and didn't speak clearly over the phone. I decided we needed to work on final consonant sounds and linking. Then on meeting my client included chunking, pausing and pacing.<br />
<br />
By the end of three sessions and much practicing at home and a LOT of recordingand playing back ,y client ad developed a beutifully clear 'telephone voice'.<br />
<br />
I must give credit where credit is due and acknowledge a very good site:<br />
<a href="http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/speakforsuccesscourse/a/speechlesson1.htm">http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/speakforsuccesscourse/a/speechlesson1.htm</a>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-41058347747240146382012-02-03T08:10:00.000+11:002012-02-03T08:10:49.704+11:00Practise on youtube<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Practise consonant, vowels, linking and pausing on my youtube site. If you need more information but contact me via email djcorbett@optusnet.com.au </div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-20030613739496732032012-02-02T08:51:00.000+11:002012-02-02T08:51:52.586+11:00Pronunciation New Year resolutions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I went to a new gym yesterday to take out a membership and as I work flexible hours can go to the gym at down times. I asked the young manager when would be a good time to come, that is when there are not so many people. he said at the moment with all the New Year resolutions still fresh it's pretty full nearly all day.<br />
<br />
So while there is still a New Year resolution feel in the air let's make some pronunciation training New Year resolutions.<br />
<br />
The one thing most of my students benefit from is my constant 'nagging' as my daughter would say to<br />
S L O W D O W N. Most people often equate fluency with speed. This is definitely not the case.<br />
here are a few slowing down tips.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Physically just slow down your speech at least twice as slowly as you are now speaking</li>
<li>Pause longer between 'chunks' of speech</li>
<li>Record short passages of your speech then listen and try to slow it down - adding emphasis and stress on the key words</li>
</ol><br />
<br />
</div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-19435420356751980532011-12-13T07:15:00.001+11:002011-12-13T07:26:45.397+11:00Listening materials for PEAT test<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hey dudes I've just come back from two weeks in New York, staying in Harlem and eating soul food. New Yorkers, especially those who live in Harlem where I was staying, love to talk. So I had plenty of chance to listen to that great New York accent. However, some of the Harlem speak needed my full attention to decipher.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqXzx2EGfc9xzXUlrYReqaWKUDsPsVQBdL5F67PijdQ8TFrcLIKxR9RuglJ1WreRHYCN2uqUchTQe8VEZCfxE_g6Cy3OuWB9F6OEAc4IA6sH4gP5FNjqwLsrfMnmpcxsmwGvTEWeclbg/s1600/DSC05192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqXzx2EGfc9xzXUlrYReqaWKUDsPsVQBdL5F67PijdQ8TFrcLIKxR9RuglJ1WreRHYCN2uqUchTQe8VEZCfxE_g6Cy3OuWB9F6OEAc4IA6sH4gP5FNjqwLsrfMnmpcxsmwGvTEWeclbg/s320/DSC05192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQdPQv6j3d8g3S8OvcBxKfQqv2Iu5Hf8bTLVanZWKpSJPxmDPIk8CRM5XNsCXXSPzdK3KGI8KGV-wtGh67XRZs4q3WW28-ZufNz2lb5b9zpudruGgj_jfd15a678jPiIXXb9A8-IYtWY/s1600/DSC05162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQdPQv6j3d8g3S8OvcBxKfQqv2Iu5Hf8bTLVanZWKpSJPxmDPIk8CRM5XNsCXXSPzdK3KGI8KGV-wtGh67XRZs4q3WW28-ZufNz2lb5b9zpudruGgj_jfd15a678jPiIXXb9A8-IYtWY/s320/DSC05162.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I realise that the accent I thought was typically a New York accent was more an Italo- American accent.<br />
<br />
Anyway - holiday over and back to work for a short while before Christmas,<br />
<br />
One of my current clients is sitting for the NSW PEAT test which is the English assessment for Overseas trained teachers to be able to teach in NSW government and private schools. The oral component is, rightly so, quite a difficult assessment as is the listening. Pronunciation Matters gives one-on-one classes to prepare students for the oral and listening components of the assessment.<br />
<br />
The listening test is more than just listening to facts, it involves processing the information and interpreting attitude, intended meaning, shared knowledge as well as facts. This is quite difficult and often native speakers have trouble with the listening.<br />
<br />
There are virtually no materials in libraries or book shops to use to practice these role plays or listening texts. My client said her TAFE teacher uses my publication (through NSW AMES), Listening to Australia 4 as practice for authentic listening. She also said that she can never get a copy as they are so popular in the library and there are no other relevant resources.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ7tzBaPU00JaacdwPuCg3RThZROopFMiDozSXpLMNa_ckOK1DgVHSbmtCPfiOVMPMfCHe85Vzqq56d06-Eo5lJshzuNvnDAJ-HG6WeX4O7FkitVpLcjA7h6_qLpYVLkqH5ax4bKJauI/s1600/LTA4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ7tzBaPU00JaacdwPuCg3RThZROopFMiDozSXpLMNa_ckOK1DgVHSbmtCPfiOVMPMfCHe85Vzqq56d06-Eo5lJshzuNvnDAJ-HG6WeX4O7FkitVpLcjA7h6_qLpYVLkqH5ax4bKJauI/s1600/LTA4.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
This finally leads me to my latest project - developing PEAT listening resources and other authentic listening materials.<br />
<br />
Please contact me at djcorbett@optusnet.com.au if you have any ideas on what should be included in these resources.<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-16762731159544609662011-10-13T08:12:00.003+11:002011-10-13T09:34:16.278+11:00Scientist of the Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/environment/out-of-the-lab-into-the-spotlight-20111012-1lkvo.html">I can now pronounce chlorophyll</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhRS_0Fk-Ty-MAd7AtCyHW7D4CTd92tGV-Ca2XE2tGXssrI_YO4j2SBjP7mMrYLGTWa5j6WjfyFiOr4Npl7ssMIQXXf_VDjQvm1mZoo5-Zemeg3S_lRHGjKGCFxWDax-5ZAhSSKWyQQU/s1600/art-minchen1-420x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhRS_0Fk-Ty-MAd7AtCyHW7D4CTd92tGV-Ca2XE2tGXssrI_YO4j2SBjP7mMrYLGTWa5j6WjfyFiOr4Npl7ssMIQXXf_VDjQvm1mZoo5-Zemeg3S_lRHGjKGCFxWDax-5ZAhSSKWyQQU/s320/art-minchen1-420x0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Min Chen completed a 20 hour pronunciation course with Pronunciation Matters. She is an extremely good communicator. However, she did have difficulty with certain sounds such as /r/ and /l/. This was unfortunate as her main area of research as you can see from the article is chlorophyll - a very difficult word to say. It seems that she has overcome these difficulties and Pronunciation Matters extends our most heartfelt congratulations.<br />
<br />
If you are at all interested please go to <a href="http://www.pronunciationmatters.com.au/course-snippets/">www.pronunciationmatters.com.au</a> and go to our Resources page to find some /r,/l/ exercises</div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-90952207809889330242011-09-30T12:04:00.000+10:002011-09-30T12:04:19.631+10:00Skype Classes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody translationEligibleUserMessage" data-ft="{"type":3}">I am successfully launching into Skype classes if you want to have a pronunciation class whilst in the comfort of your own home. Interruptions do happpen like curious children and teenagers who can't seem to find anything, plus putting in that bid at the last minute on ebay. Nevertheless they have been almost as good as the face-to- face sessions. Go to pronunciationmatters.com.au if you are interested.</span></span></h6></div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-73861650654589573352011-08-19T13:00:00.003+10:002011-08-19T23:38:09.894+10:00Sentence stress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div closure_uid_epcl4y="239">Today I just finished a study tour of 30 Taiwanese academics at the University of NSW. They did a programme of English for lecturing, along with lectures in their specific field. I, of course, was the pronunciation input and today they presented their final presentations which were absolutely fantastic!</div><div closure_uid_epcl4y="239"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_suq932="167"><div closure_uid_epcl4y="179"><div closure_uid_kmp0n9="156">They all presented a 2 minute excerpt of a lecture with a couple of slides and were assessed on all the work we did during the 2 weeks. This included, specific sounds, word and sentence stress, focus and contrastive stress, chunking and pausing and of course intonation. The other teachers worked on grammar for lecturing, impact techniques and use of visuals and discourse markers for the structure of the lecture.</div></div><div closure_uid_epcl4y="179"><br />
</div></div><div closure_uid_suq932="167"><div closure_uid_epcl4y="208"><div closure_uid_gjkzoe="157">The importance of sentence stress was highlighted when I couldn't understand a sentence one of them said and I asked him what he had meant to say after we had watched the video of his presentation . It was merely:</div></div><div closure_uid_epcl4y="208"><br />
</div></div><div closure_uid_suq932="171"><div closure_uid_epcl4y="209"><em closure_uid_epcl4y="236" closure_uid_kmp0n9="143">......I am from Yuan Ze University as you are.</em></div><div closure_uid_epcl4y="209"><br />
</div></div><div closure_uid_suq932="171"><div closure_uid_epcl4y="253">But he said it quickly and with the following stress</div></div><div closure_uid_suq932="171"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_suq932="171"><div closure_uid_epcl4y="210"><em closure_uid_epcl4y="237"><strong>......I</strong> am from <strong>Yuan Ze</strong> University as you <strong>are</strong>.</em></div></div><div closure_uid_suq932="171"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_suq932="171"><div closure_uid_epcl4y="224">I didn't understand the sentence at all. It should have been </div><div closure_uid_epcl4y="224"><br />
</div></div><div closure_uid_epcl4y="235" closure_uid_suq932="171"><em closure_uid_epcl4y="238">......<strong>I</strong> am from Yuan Ze <strong>University</strong> as <strong>you</strong> are.</em></div><div closure_uid_epcl4y="235" closure_uid_suq932="171"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_epcl4y="235" closure_uid_suq932="171" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzCgX-cUFnnFmZ1FjgLdtUd9vgcrzMUFtxPPqR5efx9u3W3takl9_0miS80dWZWTDXK2sHjt-lzBwuIN3fpfg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><strong closure_uid_epcl4y="313">This is a simple, easy to correct error but makes a huge difference to the listener being able to understand.</strong><br />
<strong closure_uid_epcl4y="313"><br />
</strong></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-15605071352122340712011-07-26T08:36:00.006+10:002011-07-26T10:07:03.209+10:00Improve oral communication in your workplace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Australia has a multicultural workforce and employees can benefit immensely from the linguistic, social and cultural diversity that workplaces offer. However in the Australian workplace, effective oral communication in English is essential.<br />
<br />
Research shows that low proficiency in oral communication is a major disadvantage in terms of levels of employment, workplace advancement, and workplace training outcomes. <br />
<br />
Even small improvements in communication among co-workers can have a very positive effect on workplace morale, which in turn may have a positive effect on productivity and efficiency. This is particularly evident in demonstrating compliance with OHS regulations and effectiveness of team based work.<br />
<br />
Australian workplaces need to be able to minimize the skills wastage caused by recently arrived migrants who are not being employed or <a href="http://www.pronunciationmatters.com.au/what-causes-misunderstandings/">working at their full potential</a>. Policies and programs that reduce the time before skilled migrants are fully productive and using the skills they already possess can be beneficial not only to the employee but also to the Australian economy.<br />
<br />
<b>Maximise employees’ skills</b><br />
<br />
Pronunciation training that incorporates workplace communication skills will help maximize the use of employees’ skills, especially those in supervisory, managerial and professional positions or who are ‘at the coalface’ in customer service positions.. This will also contribute to improved workplace efficiency and harmony.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1935159723"><br />
</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pronunciationmatters.com.au/">Pronunciation Matters</a> <a href="http://www.pronunciatonmatters.com,au/">customised </a>pronunciation and workplace communication training which will increase the potential of employees who work in English as a second language and therefore lead to a more efficient and effective workplace.</div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1311395609757559760.post-71319983207730984202011-07-23T20:05:00.001+10:002011-07-24T00:28:27.683+10:00Inspector Clouseau Accent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><blockquote>The senior police officer accused of being "more like Clouseau than Columbo" over the phone hacking scandal accused MPs today of acting like a "lynch mob" - and said he was discriminated against because of his accent. (London Evening Standard 13 July)</blockquote><br />
<b>Attitude and assumptions can strongly influence the way we communicate with people. </b>This is particularly evident when you hear a specific English accent or an accent from someone who is speaking English as s second language.. What are your stereotypical reactions when you hear an accent from South Africa, New Zealand, London, Liverpool or when someone from Japan, France or Germany is speaking English.? Many of these accents come with images or characters from film, television or books that lampoon a specific accent. Do you remember Pepe le Pew the French skunk and of course Steve Martin’s bumbling Inspector Clouseau.<br />
<br />
The London Evening standard reported on the 13th July that The French senior police officer has been ridiculed not just for his accent but for his “Inspector Clouseau” accent. According to the police officer, this discrimination has influenced the case against him<br />
<br />
We are all guilty of mimicking a particular accent. This immediately makes the assumption that our own accent is superior in some way. Different styles of pronunciation or accents acquire a certain status or prestige within our own language, for example in Sydney we talk of a “North Shore” accent or a Western suburbs accent, even an Italo-Australian accent. These terms are very culturally laden with assumptions of higher income/well educated people, lesser educated or coming from a ghetto type background. When you hear that accent those assumptions come into play and affect your attitude towards the speaker.<br />
<br />
For an accent to be superior to another there has to be a ‘norm’ that we use as the benchmark. For many years English Received Pronunciation (RP) was considered the norm. Nowadays RP is less likely to be considered the norm and accents from Australia, New Zealand and South African are now found, for example, on local television by newsreaders. There is now a form of ‘international’ English which has become the norm. Often when listening to a global news story, it can be hard to tell if the speaker is from Australia, England, America or India. When I lived in France I aimed for this “international” accent, more for reasons of clarity and being understood rather than shedding my Australian accent.<br />
<br />
<b>English is the global language of business, diplomacy and finance so we hear English spoken with many different accents.</b> If that is the case, in 2011 we should really be over this attitude of lampooning someone because of their accent when they speak English. If we have elevated English to this status we must expect the different varieties of spoken English and make the effort to understand Once I was out with a Canadian girlfriend who ordered a vanilla icecream and the British backpacker working behind the counter could not understand what my friend was saying. I rather pointedly said “She wants a vanilla icecream!” My friend and I looked at each other in disbelief as to why the girl did not understand her. Not only do we need to accept different varities of spoken English but we must make an effort to understand them.<br />
<br />
<b>Deborah Corbett from Pronunciation Matters</b>, a consultancy teaching pronunciation to professionals who work in English as their second language says that accents are good and they are part of who you are. “You do need to seek help, however if your speech is not clear and you are not being understood in the workplace. I often get clients who have a slight accent and complain that no-one understands them at work although their English is perfectly clear”<br />
<br />
I am certain that the French police officer’s case would have been influenced by his accent. I also find this totally unacceptable. If we elevate English to be the global speaking standard then we need to get over our prejudices.</div>Deborah Corbetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08630437515392299401noreply@blogger.com