T elicits from the group the meaning of ‘content words’ and ‘function words’: content words main verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, numbers, etc.. have stress and provide the meaning in
Trang 1PRONUNCIATION Stress, Reduce, Merge Part 1 – Sentence Stress
Method:
1 T or SS write 3 or 4 sentences on the board There should be space between them so there is room to write above and below each one They could be from the SS’s work or from a real text All SS copy them into their notebooks
2 If the sentences are by SS, T could quickly elicit corrections to errors and improvements (as in Mode 1 Stage 2.3, p.46) T models each sentence and SS repeat – as a group and individually
3 T elicits from the group the meaning of ‘content words’ and ‘function words’:
content words (main verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, numbers, etc.) have stress and provide the meaning
in a sentence
function words (articles, prepositions, pronouns, auxiliary verbs, etc.) are not usually stressed and are often reduced in spoken English; they provide the grammar in a sentence
4 T asks one SS to come to the board T elicits from the group content words in the first sentence The SS has to underline them
5 T elicits from the group the stressed syllable in each content word The SS has to mark them with a slash above each one: / T models the sentence and SS repeat – as a group and individually
6 T elicits from the group the vowel sound on each stressed syllable The SS has to write them, using Clear Alphabet1 T models the sequence of stressed vowel sounds and SS repeat – as a group and individually T explains that the SS have identified the ‘Sound Spine’ in the sentence – the sequence of stressed vowel sounds, which are the most important sounds in the sentence They have to be pronounced correctly for the meaning to be clear
7 SS repeat the process in their groups with the remaining sentences T monitors, checks and corrects Group feedback at the end T elicits the main pronunciation point (the ‘Sound Spine’): “So what have we learned from this ?”
Tips:
• SS will need to be able to read and write individual sounds of English phonetically with Clear Alphabet This could be covered during an input lesson before running this session
• For further information about the Stress, Reduce, Merge process, see Talk a Lot Foundation Course2 and Stress, Reduce, Merge3
1 See also: Clear Alphabet Chart on p.107; and Purland, Matt Clear Alphabet Dictionary Ostróda: English Banana.com, 2012 Hardback Available for free download: http://englishbanana.com/resources/free-books/elementary/clear-alphabet-dictionary/
2 Purland, Matt Talk a Lot Foundation Course Ostróda: English Banana.com, 2011 Hardback Available
for free download: http://englishbanana.com/resources/free-books/intermediate/talk-a-lot-foundation-course/
3 Purland, Matt Stress, Reduce, Merge Ostróda: English Banana.com, 2012 Material pack Available for free download:
http://englishbanana.com/resources/free-books/intermediate/stress-reduce-merge/