Welcome back, everyone!
In today’s lesson, we will focus on pronunciation and phonetics.
Correct pronunciation is crucial for effective communication, and phonetics will help us understand the sounds of English more precisely.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a better grasp of how to pronounce words correctly and use phonetic symbols to guide your pronunciation.
• Clarity in communication
• Avoid misunderstandings
• Build confidence
Pronunciation is important for several reasons:
Clarity in communication:
Clear pronunciation ensures that your message is understood correctly.
Avoid misunderstandings:
Proper pronunciation helps avoid confusion and misunderstandings.
Build confidence:
Knowing how to pronounce words correctly boosts your confidence in speaking English.
• International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
• Vowels and Consonants
The International Phonetic Alphabet is a system of phonetic notation that provides a consistent way to represent the sounds of spoken language.
It includes symbols for every sound in English.
Understanding the IPA can help you pronounce words more accurately.
Vowels: IPA symbols for English vowels include
iː
ɪ
e
æ
ɑː
ɔː
ʊ
uː
etc.
Consonants: IPA symbols for English consonants include
p
b
t
d
k
g
f
v
θ
ð
s
z
ʃ
ʒ
h
etc.
Vowel Sounds
• Short Vowels
• Long Vowels
• Diphthongs
Let’s start with vowel sounds. There are short vowels, long vowels, and diphthongs in English.
Short Vowels
ɪ = sit
e = bed
æ = cat
ʌ = cup
ɒ = dog
ʊ = book
Long Vowels
iː = seat
ɑː = car
ɔː = saw
uː = blue
ɜː = bird
Diphthongs
aɪ = my
eɪ = day
ɔɪ = boy
aʊ = now
əʊ = go
ɪə = near
eə = hair
ʊə = tour
Understanding these sounds will help you pronounce words more accurately.
Consonant Sounds
• Voiced Consonants
• Voiceless Consonants
Now let’s look at consonant sounds.
Consonants can be voiced or voiceless.
Voiced Consonants:
b = bat
d = dog
g = go
v = van
ð = this
z = zoo
ʒ = measure
dʒ = jam
Voiceless Consonants:
p = pat
t = top
k = cat
f = fan
θ = think
s = see
ʃ = shoe
tʃ = chair
Practice these sounds to improve your pronunciation.
Word Stress and Intonation
• Word Stress
• Sentence Stress
• Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation isn’t just about individual sounds.
Word stress and intonation also play a crucial role.
Word Stress:
In English, certain syllables in words are stressed more than others.
For example, in the word
photograph ◦ the stress is on the first syllable:
PHO-to-graph.
Sentence Stress:
In sentences, important words are stressed more than others.
For example,
I LOVE eating ICE cream.
Intonation Patterns:
Intonation is the rise and fall of your voice when speaking.
It can change the meaning of a sentence.
For example,
You’re coming? ◦ rising intonation for a question.
You’re coming. ◦ falling intonation for a statement.
Practicing stress and intonation will make your English sound more natural.
Practice Exercises
• Pronounce Words Using IPA
• Identify Stressed Syllables
• Practice Intonation
Let’s practice what we’ve learned.
Pronounce Words Using IPA:
kæt
ˈpɪkˌnɪk
ɪnˈdʒɔɪ
Identify Stressed Syllables:
banana
information
Practice Intonation:
Are you ready?
She’s going to the store.
Take a few minutes to complete these exercises.
Summary and Q&A
• Recap of Key Points
• Questions and Answers
To summarize today’s lesson:
We discussed the importance of pronunciation and phonetics.
We learned about the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and practiced vowel and consonant sounds.
We explored word stress, sentence stress, and intonation patterns.
We practiced pronunciation using IPA, identified stressed syllables, and worked on intonation.
Homework and Next Steps
• Homework Assignment
• Preview of Next Lesson
For homework, I’d like you to:
1. Choose ten new words from your vocabulary list and write their IPA transcriptions.
2. Record yourself reading a short paragraph and pay attention to word stress and intonation.
In our next lesson, we will focus on listening comprehension. We’ll learn techniques to improve your listening skills and practice with various audio materials.
Thank you for your attention today, and I look forward to seeing you in the next class!