Objectives of the Course

1. English Pronunciation PracticeA Practical Course for Students of EnglishByWang GuizhenFaculty of English Language & CultureGuangdong University of Foreign Studies

2. Objectives of the Course This course is intended to help the students to improve their English pronunciation, including such elements as 1) the correct pronunciation of individual phonemes and words in English 2) the rhythmic patterns of the English language 3) patterns and functions of English intonation, so that the students will be able to communicate more effectively with good pronunciation and intonation.

3. Course content • English phonemes: correct discrimination and pronunciation • Stress of English words and sentences: basic rules and functions • English rhythmic patterns: basic features and functions 4. English intonation: structures, functions and use

4. Textbook 《英语语音教程》 An English Pronunciation Course 王桂珍 编著 高等教育出版社 2000

5. Reference books • Cruttenden, A., Gimson’s Pronunciation of English, Edward Arnold Limited & Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2001 2. Gimson, A.C., An Introduction to Pronunciation of English, London: Arhold, 1970. 3. O’Connor, J. D. Better English Pronunciation, Cambridge University Press, 1967

6. Assessment • Written Exam (30%): Discrimination of phonemes and the meaning of sentences, marking of the prominence and intonation of sentences. 2. Oral Exam (70%): Reading of short passages and dialogues, oral interview, etc.

7. English West Germanic language About 325 million native speakers: Britain, 56 million the USA, 232 million Canada, 24 million Australia & New Zealand 17 million The sole official language in more than two dozen countries The most important language of commerce The most widely learned second language

8. General British & General American GB GA  kit, ship, bridge, milk, myth… e  dress, step, neck, edge, shelf…  trap, tap, back, badge, hand…  lot, stop, sock, possible, quality …  truck, cup, suck, budge, pulse…  foot, put, bush, full, good, look… :  bath, staff, brass, ask, dance…  cloth, cough, broth, cross, long … : r nurse, hurt, lurk, burst… i: i fleece, speak, leave, feel, key…

9. GB GA e e face, tape, cake, raid, veil, steak … :  palm, psalm, father, bra, spa … :  thought, taught, sauce, jaw …  o goat, soap, joke, home, know, so … u: u goose, loop, shoot, tomb, huge … a a price, ripe, write, arrive, try …  choice, avoid, noise, join, toy … a a mouth, out, house, loud, crowd … (r near, beer, sincere, fear …  (r square, care, fair, pear, scarce … : (r start, far, bark, carve, farm … : (r north, for, short, scorch, born … : o(r force, four, sport, porch, borne …  (r cure, poor, tourist, pure, plural …

10. Find Thyself The only problem unconsciously assumed by all Chinese philosophers to be of any importance is: How shall we enjoy life, and who can best enjoy life? No perfectionism, no straining after the unattainable, no postulating of the unknowable; but taking poor, mortal human nature as it is, how shall we organize our life so that we can work peacefully, endure nobly and live happily?

11. Who are we? That is the first question. It is a question almost impossible to answer. But we all agree that the busy self occupied in our daily activities is not quite the real self. We are quite sure we have lost something in the mere pursuit of living. When we watch a person running about looking for something in a field, the wise man can set a puzzle for all the spectators to solve: what has the person lost? Someone thinks it is a watch; another thinks it is a diamond brooch; and others will essay other guesses. After all the guesses have failed, the wise man who really doesn’t know what the person is seeking after, tells the company: “I’ll tell you. He has lost some breath.” And no one can deny that he is right. So we often forget our true self in the pursuit of living, like a bird forgetting its own danger in pursuit of a mantis, which again forgets its own danger in pursuit of another prey, as is so beautifully expressed in a parable by Chuangtse.

12. The Lake Isle of Innisfree I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made; Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow, Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet’s wings. I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

13. Elements of good English pronunciation • to pronounce correctly the individual speech sounds of English • to pronounce correctly the speech sounds in their combinations in isolated words as well as in sentences • to speak fluently with correct rhythm, including the correct placement of stresses and pauses and the transition of sounds according to the context • to speak with appropriate intonation according to the context

14. Phonemes: 20 vowels & 24 consonants Combination of sounds: camera Sound linking: Was all of it eaten? Word stress: present vs present Rhythmic pattern: How did you manage to finish it? Weak forms: fish and chips Sentence stress: – Were you there last night? – No, John was there. Intonation: I beg your pardon. I beg your pardon?

15. English vowels & vowel classification The English pure vowels can be classified according to the height of the raised part of the tongue the part of the tongue raised the position of the lips

16. I’ve got a week off. • Don’t rush into anything. • Wrap it in a scarf. • Your aunt is very ill. • It’s about a family on a farm. • It ends at a quarter to eleven. • The actors were all on the stage at the end. • Put it in a big envelope and lock it up.

17. English vowelsClassification & Description Three factors for the description of English vowels I. The height of the body of the tongue – highest point of tongue (vertical axis); II. The front-back position of the tongue – highest point of tongue (horizontal axis); III. The degree of lip rounding - lip posture

25. front mid back high i: u: I  mid-high э: e : ə mid-low ۸ : æ ɒ low Vowel Charts: English Pure Vowels

27. English consonants & consonant classification The English consonants can be classified according to place of articulation manner of articulation voicing, i.e. voiced or voiceless

31. Reading Practice I shall have to try and get some cash from our bank at lunchtime. Then we can let them have the money that they want as soon as they like. What are they asking us to pay them?

32. Reading Practice I shall have to try and get some cash from our bank at lunchtime. Then we can let them have the money that they want as soon as they like. What are they asking us to pay them? (15/41)

33. Thank you. gzwang@mail.gdufs.edu.cn