SPECIAL CHARACTER OF ENGLISH

CONNECTED SPEECH

ASPECTS OF CONNECTED SPEECH

 Connected speech
• quick, rapid speech

• native-like speech

• opposite to slow, careful mechanical speech

• certain features enabling the speaker to

produce the quick speech may be traced
 Connected speech
• The learner of a foreign language has to be
introduced to the native-like English connected
speech to be able to fully understand it but what
is more, to be understood. When the learner
produces speech lacking linked words, wrong
rhythm, uses only full vowel forms and does not
assimilate consonantal sounds, the native
speakers will find it very difficult to understand
him/her.
 
 ASPECTS OF CONNECTED SPEECH
• 1. RHYTHM:
• The change of stressed and unstressed
syllables
• The notion of rhythm involves some noticable
event (stress in speech, percussions in music))
happening at a regular interval
 RHYTHM OF ENGLISH
• Stressed-timed rhythm
• Involves relatively regular interval between the
stressed syllables.
• In between them relatively similar number of
unstressed syllables shall appear.
1 2 3 4
• ´Run to the | ´edge of the | ´rock by the | ´ocean
The individual intervals are called feet
 A FOOT

• A foot begins with a stressed syllable and ends

before another one, it includes all unstressed
syllables of that section.

• ´end of the ´road it is ….

1 2
 ADIFFRRENT APPROACH:
FEET CLASSIFICATION
• Individual feet may be classified as strong and
weak
• A diagram of rhythmical structure, a
rhythmical grid, can be made for any phrase:
• W S
s w s w
´twen ty ´pla ces
 THE SOUND CHANGES OCCURING
IN THE CONNECTED SPEECH:
• THEY ARE A RESULT OF:
ASSIMILATION

ELISION

LINKING
 ASSIMILATION
• Neighbouring sounds influence each other
enabling the speaker to speak more smoothly
and quickly.
• Most obvious this feature may be found in
consonantal sounds:
--------------Cf | Ci ----------------
 ASSIMILATION DIVISSION
• A) 2 types according to the assimilation
direction: (BACK OR FORWARD)
• 1. If Cf changes to be like Ci, the assimilation is
called regressive
• 2. If Ci changes to be like Cf, the assimilation is
called progressive
 ASSIMILATION DIVISSION
• B): 3 types according to the character of the
change:
• 1. assimilation of place

• 2. assimilation of manner

• 3. assimilation of voice
1. assimilation of place

meat pie: m i‫ ׃‬p p aɪ

light blue: laɪ p bl u‫׃‬

this shoe: δ ɪ ʃ ʃ u‫׃‬

2. assimilation of manner

good night: g υ n n aɪ t

in the: ɪnn ə

get them: gett əm

3. assimilation of voice

cats: k æ t s

dogs: d ɒ g z

runs: r ʌ n z
 ELISION
• Under some conditions sounds may
disappear, the fact is also called zero
realisation of a phoneme. The sound deletion
happens in quick, casual speech, the foreign
speakers do not need to acquire this ability,
but they need to be aware of this feature
being rather usual in native speakers´
language.
 ELISION
• Only few examples are given, for more see
Roach or Celce-Murcia
• 1) loss of weak vowel after p,t,k:
ph ´te ɪ təu ph ´h æ p s
• 2) weak vowel + n,l or r creates syllabic cons.:
tnaɪt krekt
• 3) loss of final v in of before consonants:
lɒts ə δəm
 LINKING

• In connected speech words are often linked

together by consonantal sounds, the most
familiar one is the linking sound r, linking r.
• The final r and following vowel are linked in
order to avoid making a pause in a rapid,
flowing speech.
• four eggs: f ɔ ‫ ׃‬r e g s
• here are: h ɪ ə r ə
 LINKING
• Some consonantal sounds are used as a linking device
without any justification in the spelling form, used to
be regarded substandard pronunciation variants but
are now widely spread: INTRUSIVE SOUNDS
• Intrusive r : media event m e d ɪ ər ɪ vent
• Intrusive ʃ + j : what´s your name
w ɒ ʧ j ə ne ɪ m
 
 
 INTRUSIVE SOUNDS
• Where do you live? → /wɛrʤə’lɪv/
• Intruding / j /
I / j / agree.
They / j /are here!
• Intruding / w/
I want to/ w/eat.
Please do/ w/it.
 WEAK FORMS
• Weak realizations of vowel sounds that do not
destroy understanding:
• Transcribe:
potatoe
Here and there
Do you speak to me?
Whats your name?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!

Ɵeŋk jə fə jə ətenʃn !!