- Don’t focus on each individual word. Focus on SOUND.

- Don’t try to translate everything that you hear word-by-word because words change in
context. Try to get the main idea.
- Don’t learn theory only. Practice makes perfect.

1. FOCUS ON THE STRESSED WORDS

Ex: Do we have a meeting in the afternoon?

Practice

→ Read the tapescript while listening, underline keywords, listen for the main idea. Don’t
focus on every single word

2. STRONG FORMS & WEAK FORMS

It is very common to use strong form and weak form when speaking in English
because English is a stress-time language. It means you stress on content words such
as nouns and principal verbs, while structured words such as helping verbs,
conjunctions, prepositions… are not stressed.

The weak form changes the vowel to “ə” sound. (for /fə/, to /ə/, do /də/, are /ə/, you /jə/)

Ex:

- Strong form: I do /du:/ love you

- Weak form: Do you /dəjə/ love me?

Practice 1

Practice 2

● auxiliary verbs am, are, be, been, can, could, do, does, has, had, shall,
should, was, were, would,
● prepositions at, for, from, of, to,
● pronouns he, her, him, his, me, she, them, us, we, you,
● conjunctions for, and, but, or, than, that,
● particles to,
● articles a, the, an
 3. CONTRACTIONS

Used in speaking, informal writing. DO NOT use in academic, formal writing

4. CONNECTED SPEECH

● CATENATION OR LINKING

Catenation, or Linking is probably what most people think of first when they think of connected
speech. Linking happens when the end of one word blends into another. When the last sound of
a word is a consonant and the first sound of the next word is a vowel, you get linking.

For example:

I want this orange –> thisorange

I want that orange –> thadorange

This afternoon –> thisafternoon

Is he busy? –> Isi busy?

Cats or dogs? –> Catserdogs?

 ● INTRUSION

Intrusion means an additional sound “intrudes” or inserts itself between others. It is often is a /j/
or /w/ or /r/ sound between two other vowel sounds.

For example:

Do it –> Dewit

Go out –> Gowout

Shoe on –> Shoewon

● ELISION

Elision means when a sound disappears. Basically, a sound is eaten by other stronger or similar
sounds next to it. This often happens with a /t/ or /d/ sound.

For example:

Next door –> Nexdoor

Dad take –> Datake

Most common –> Moscommon

● ASSIMILATION

Assimilation means two sounds blend together, forming a new sound altogether. This often
happens with /t/ and /j/ which make /ʧ/ and with /d/ and /j/ which make /ʤ /.

For example:

Don’t you — donʧu

Won’t you — wonʧu

Meet you — meeʧu

Did you — diʤu

Would you — wuʤu

● GEMINATES

Finally, geminates are like twins — two same sounds back-to-back. Often when one word ends
with the same letter as the beginning of the next word, you should connect the two words in
your speech.

For example:

Social life –> socialife

Pet turtle –> Peturtle

Listening and write down the main ideas.

Practice

Practice