25 Speaking
Intonation Scaffolding Activities
Choppy vs. Flowing Speech
Two images from the campground give us metaphors to describe how people speak.
When a camper is using an axe to cut wood, we say he or she is chopping wood. Chopping is a short, repeated action. Each chop has a beginning and an end. The sound of chopping is sharp or abrupt. There is a clear snap when a chop stops.
CHOPPY is an adjective that describes the sound of speaking if the speaker chops a phrase or sentence into separate words with a short stop after each word.
Listen to the choppy sound of this sentence. Notice that each word is pronounced very distinctly so the words are separated, and the sentence is not smooth, but choppy.
Roshan said, “I want to express a regret about the damaged truck.”
When a camper is pumping water out of the well, we say the water is flowing. We talk about flowing, or running, water because it moves smoothly and continuously. There are no sharp or abrupt sounds.
Flowing, or FLUENT, describes the sound of speaking if a speaker’s words gently join, or link.
Listen to the above examples first with CHOPPY and then with LINKED, or FLUENT, pronunciation.
- A consonant at the end of one word join with the same consonant at the beginning of the next word so we hear only one longer consonant.
- For example, “want to” will sound like “wan-to”
- A final consonant will flow into a beginning vowel so we don’t hear even a tiny stop between the two words.
- For example, “express a” will sound like “expres-sa” and “regret about” will sound like “regre-tabout”
- A final consonant that usually stops air completely before letting the air pop out (d, t, b, p, g, k) will flow into another beginning consonant without releasing air so the sound becomes softer.
- For example, “damaged truck” will sound like “damag-dtruck”
Listen to the original choppy sentence followed by the same sentence with smooth, flowing pronunciation. Notice how some consonants and vowels flow together, linking some words. Notice that punctuation, such as the comma after “Roshan said,” always makes the speaker pause. Even this short stop prevents the final “d” in “said” from flowing into the next word, “I.”
Roshan said, “I want to express a regret about the damaged truck.”
Practise Linking Words
In the video and audio for this chapter, the characters speak fluently. The words in their sentences flow gently together.
In the sentences on the right, identify each final consonant that should link to
- a beginning vowel
- the same beginning consonant
- a different beginning consonant
Example: Ivan wants to turn over a new leaf
Ivan wants to tur-nove-ra new leaf.
- I won’t apologize for that.
- Sorry, could you hang on a second?
- My truck isn’t easily offended.
- I left a couple of messages.
- Your campers are frightened of these bears.
- I am an old man
- You don’t even owe me an apology.
- Sorry, Roshan. I really can’t accept this.
- I’ll take care of it right away.
- Accountability is an importa