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THE SOUND AND STYLE OF AMERICAN ENGLISH
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I WANT TO REDUCE MY ACCENT. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO FIRST? There are two basic skills you must learn right away if you want your speech to sound more American. First, you must learn the correct INTONATION. Intonation means the pitch changes and rhythms of a language or dialect. Once you begin Americanizing your intonation, native speakers will almost immediatlely become more comfortable with your speech and begin following your ideas much more easily. Second, you must change the way you move your moth muscles during the speech. Every language or dialect hs a unique way its speakers move their mouths. This leads to the language's special "sound" -- its very own resonance or voice tone. To reduce your accent, you must stop using the muscles as you did with your first language and substitute movements that produce this uniquely American tone. The first two-thirds of this audio contains exercises that teach you to produce American intonation and voice tone. |
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Course #1 LESSON 1: THE MUSIC OF AMERICAN SPEECH Dr.David Alan Stern IN THIS LESSON THE TAPE TEACHES YOU THE INTONATION (PITCH CHANGE) PATHERN WHICH IS CHARACTERISTIC OF WELL SPOKEN, STANDARD AMERICAN ENGLISH When it is spoken well, American speech has what I call a JUMP UP and STEP DOWN pattern of pitch change. that means that, inside each phrase or unit of thought, the pitch jumps up to a higher note on an early, important word. Then, it steps down a little bit on each syllable that follows within that unit. Most speakers of English as a second language do not use this JUMP UP and STEP DOWN pattern. People from some languages use little or no pitch change. In other languages, speakers use upward glides in pitch to emphasize ideas. With its JUMP UP / STEP DOWN pattern, American English does neither of these things. Listen to the instructions and examples on the tape. They show you exactly how to do the simplest form of the JUMP UP and STEP DOWN pattern. After the first few demonstrations, the tape asks you to listen to the samples and apply the pattern yourself to sentence Group I. The first time through, try using the pattern only once in each sentence by jumping in pitch on the words that I've underlined. INTRODUCTION 1. GOOD MORNING. 2. GOOD MORNING. 3. I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU TODAY. 4. CALL HIM ON THE OFFICE TELEPHONE. 5. GOOD MORNING I'M VERY HAPPY TO MEET YOU. 6. I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU. 7. I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU TODAY. SENTENCE GROUP I 1. I'M VERY PLEASED TO MEET YOU. 2. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CALLING. 3. I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR NEXT THURSDAY. 4. I'M GOING OUT OF TOWN AT THE END OF NEXT WEEK. 5. I WON'T BE BACK IN THE OFFICE TILL THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. 6. THERE'S TOO MUCH NOISE ON THE STREET WHERE WE LIVE. 7. I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE ANYMORE. 8. MY CAR BROKE DOWN ON THE FREEWAY THIS AFTERNOON. 9. MY OFFICE IS ON THE THIRD FLOOR, RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE ELEVATOR. 10. I'LL NEVER BE HOME ON TIME IF I KEEP GETTING TELEPHONE CALLS. Of course, there aren't any totally right or totally wrong places for beginning these JUMP UP and STEP DOWN units. In many phrases and sentences, you have a choice of more than one place where you can begin the pattern by jumping up in pitch. Similarly, there are many atatements in which you can use a JUMP UP and STEP DOWN pattern two, or three, or perhaps even four times. Of course. the longer the sentence, the more often you'd be able to begin a new pattern by jumping up and stressing a new idea. The tape will give you several examples of this principle using the last sentence from Group I. 10A. I'LL NEVER GET HOME ON TIME IF I KEEP GETTING TELEPHONE CALLS. Next, the tape shows you how you can use more than one JUMP UP and STEP DOWN pattern in the first five sentences from the group. Try those sentences again, this time jumping up in pitch twice during each sentence. 1. I'M VERY PLEASED TO MEET YOU. 2. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CALLING. 3. I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR NEXT THURSDAY. 4. I'M GOING OUT OF TOWN AT THE END OF NEXT WEEK. 5. I WON'T BE BACK IN THE OFFICE TILL THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. The tape now asks you to try an experiment. Read Sentence Group II very expressively, but with your current accent. While you're speaking, pay attention to exactly what you are doing to stress important ideas. Now, translate the sentences in your first language; speak them enthusiastically, and see what you do to stress ideas. I hope that these exercises show most of you that you already know when to stress important words. But, in your old language or accent, you usedifferent tools of pitch or loudness to create the same effect. The tape then asks you to go back to the English sentences and try stressing the same important ideas you just discovered. This time, however, try using the new JUMP UP and STEP DOWN pattern instead of the tools from your old language. Listen carefullyto those instructions on the tape, and then try that experiment with the sentences in Group Two. For the first time, you will be trying to apply the JUMP UP and STEP DOWN pattern by yourself, without imitating a model on the tape. SENTENCE GROUP II 1. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO THIS MEETING. 2. I'LL BEGIN BY INTRODUCING MYSELF TO YOU. 3. MY NAME IS _____________________ , AND I'VE BEEN PRESIDENT OF THIS COMPANY FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS. 4. I'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGES IN THAT TIME. 5. YES, WE'VE CERTAINLY MADE A GREAT DEAL OF PROGRESS. 6. BUT THERE IS STILL A LOT MORE TO DO IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW. 7. STARTING NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BEGIN A BRAND NEW PROJECT. 8. ALTHOUGH OUR GOALS ARE NEW, WE STILL NEED THE SAME DEDICATION AND THE SAME HARD WORK YOU HAVE ALREADY SHOWN US. 9. I HOPE THAT THE NEXT TEN YEARS OF PROGRESS WILL MAKE THE LAST TEN SEEM SMALL BY COMPARISON. At the end of Lesson #1, the tape tells you to try using the JUMP UP and STEP DOWN pattern in the little speech which results when you put SENTENCE GROUP II together into a single paragraph. The under lined words are just suggestions for pitch jumps. SENTENCE GROUP II (as a complete speech) "I'd like to welcome all of you to this meeting. I'll begin by introducing myself to you. My name is David Alan Stern, and I've been president of this company for the last ten years. I've seen a lot of changes in that time. Yes, we've certainly made a great deal of progress. But there is still a lot more to do if we're going to continue to grow, Starting next week, we will begin a brand new project. Although our goals are new, we still need the same dedication and the same hard work you have already shown us. I hope that the next ten years of progress make the last ten seem small by comparison." LESSON 2: RELAXING THE LIPS AND FRONT MOUTH Dr.David Alan Stern IN THIS LESSON, THE TAPE TEACHES YOU TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND BEGIN SPEECH MOVEMENTS WITHOUT USING A LOT OF MUSCLE PUSH IN THE LIPS AND THE FRONT OF THE MOUTH. In every language and dialect, speakers form words with a different style of muscle movements. Each of these muscle styles creates a slightly different type of voice resonance. This resonance (which some people call "tone focus" or "voice placement"  sounds very different from one language to another. When the muscle style of your first language is used to speak a different language, the resulting voice tone creates a big part of what native speakers hear as a "foreign accent." American English is formed with very little muscle work in the lips and the front of the mouth. Follow the instructions on the tape very carefully. You'll begin by relaxing the front of your mouth and producing the "AH" sound. After that you'll go on to other exercises where you speak the numbers, the days of the week, and the months of the year. |
2楼2008-03-21 11:24:10
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LESSON 3: CHANGING THE POSITION OF YOUR TONGUE Dr.David Alan Stern IN THIS LESSON YOU LEARN TO BEGIN USE THE MUSCLES IN THE BACK OF YOUR TONGUE WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO CREATE THE RESONANCE OF AMERICAN ENGLISH. This lesson begins one of the most important parts of your accent reduction process. To get the American speech style, you have to create most of the speech movement using the muscles in the back of your tongue. That process begins with a very simple step. You must be able to relax your tongue and put it into the specific shape which I call THE STARTING POSITION. On the next page there's a picture of a tongue being held in that position. As you play the tape, refer to this picture and look in a mirror while trying to recreate that same position and shape. Once you can move your tongue into the STARTING POSITION at will, you must learn to produce a downward movement in the rear tongue as you begin making sounds. Follow the instructions on the tape extremely closely as you go through the second half of Lesson #3. You begin with your tongue in the STARTING POSITION and create an "AH" sound using only those muscles in the back of your tongue. This is one of the most important lessons in all of your training. This movement style allows you to create the TONGUE IN THE CORRECT "STARTING POSITION" 1. Tongue is lying in a concave position (the middle is lower than the sides). 2. Tip of the tongue is lying just against bottom-front teeth. 3. Rear tongue is low, not arching up in back. You can easily see the back of the throat between the tongue and palate. Resonance traits of American English when you combine it with other tongue movements you'll learn in the next lesson. LESSON 4: CREATING SPEECH IMPULSE IN THE REAR TONGUE Dr.David Alan Stern THIS LESSON TEACHES YOU TO CREATE SPEECH MOVEMENTS WITH THE MUSCLES IN THE REAR TONGUE, WHILE CONTINUING TO RELAX THE LIPS AND FRONT MOUTH. This lesson is extremely important. Here's where you learn how the different parts of your muth should feel when you use the American style of muscle movement. Follow the instructions on the tape very closely. You'll begin by learning to glide your tongue from the AH-position (that you created in the last lesson) into a sharp EE-sound. Most importantly, you will learn how to control this movement with the muscles in the back of the tongue. You will then learn to modify this "AH-EE" combination by using what I call the QUICK AMERICAN GLIDE. In this special form, the first stage (AH) takes more time than the last stage (EE). In addition, the pitch of your voice glides down notice- ably as you begin the second stage of the sound. Make sure you learn to do this QUICK AMERICAN GLIDE extremely well. It will be particularly important in Lesson #5 when you study the Amer- ican pronunciations of the five diphthongs (double vowels). In order for them to sound really American, all five of them will have to contain the very same tongue movement and downward glide in pitch. Finally, Lesson #4 gives you the opportunity to use the new muscle movements in other sound combinations and words. You'll begin by producing relaxed consonants at the end of the AH-EE glide. Next, you'll attach the relaxed consonant sounds at the beginning of the glide. At this point, you'll have to pay very close attention to how your tongue feels during this type of movement. Your next task will be to reproduce that feeling when you are combining other sounds. You'll use that new style of muscle movement while speaking again the words for the numbers 1-10, the days of the week, and the months of the year. Once again, follow the directions on the tape very closely as you practice the exercises in Less #4 several times. LESSON 5: AMERICAN VOWEL PRONUNCIATIONS Dr.David Alan Stern IN THIS LESSON THE TAPE TEACHES YOU THE AMERICAN PRONUNCIATION OF SEVEN IMPORTANT VOWEL SOUNDS. YOU WILL LEARN TO PRODUCE THESE PRONUNCIATIONS IN COMBINATION WITH THE PITCH AND MUSCULARITY STYLES YOU ALREADY LEARNED. I told you earlier how important it was to learn American intonation and muscle styles before doing pronunciation drills. Well, the time has come. You're now about to begin studying the actual American pronunciations of vowels and consonants. PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP USING THE TWO SKILLS YOU JUST LEARNED. If you forget to use the American muscle style and the JUMP UP and STEP DOWN intonation, it's unlkely that you will ever come close to native-sounding pronunciation. THE FIVE DIPHTHONGS The five American diphthongs, or double vowels, are the best examples of why you must continue using verything you've already learned when trying to correct your pronunciation. In order to sound like they're coming from a native speaker, these sounds must be produced with both downward pitch movement and a lot of muscle work in the rear tongue. In other words, each of these sounds must be made with the QUICK AMERICAN GLIDE you just studied in the last lesson. Follow the instructions on the tape closely. Repeat the sounds, words, and sentences which are modeled on the tape. After each of the five sounds, stop the tape. You'll find additional words and sentences for that vowel printed in the manual. Try using the same techniques on those additional drills, even though they are not modeled for you on the tape. 1. THE "AH-EE" DIPHTHONG (as in "sky" and "mile" MILE, NIGHT, TIME, ADVICE, IDENTIFY - I'M REALLY FINE. - IT'S A SIGN OF THE TIMES. - I TRIED TO FIND MYSELF. - MY GUIDE AND I HAD A FINE TIME. Now try these additional drills that aren't recorded on the tape. HIGH, ICY, EYE, DIE, SHY, RIDE, FILE, CRY, AISLE, FLIGHT, CRIME, RIGHT, LIGHT, BRIGHT, WHILE, SLICE, VIRUS, BAPTIZE, ADVICE, PLIABLE, STYLE, SPICY, SHINE, PINE, PILE, RHYME - I DON'T HAVE TIME TO FIND HIM. - PLEASE TRANSCRIBE ALL FIVE DIALOGUES. - LIFE ON DRY LAND ISN'T VERY EXCITING. - MY SON IS THE PRIDE OF MY LIFE. - THERE WERE FIVE KINDS OF DRIED SPICED. - HE SLICED THE FRIED FISH ON FRIDAY NIGHT. 2. THE "AH-OO" DIPHTONG (as in "house" and "out" OUT, HOUR, OUNCE, MOUSE, SHOWER, ABOUT, COUNT, FLOWER - THEY WENT OUT OF TOWN. - THEY CROWDED AROUND. - HE RAN AROUND AND ABOUT THE TOWN. - HE'S PROUD OF LOSING ABOUT TEN POUNDS. Now continue practicing with the following words and sentences. COWARD, POWDER, AMOUNT, ANNOUNCE, OUNCE, MOUNTAIN, SOUTH, ABOUND, PROFOUND, ALLOW, ROUND, BROWN, CROWD, TOWEL, MOUSE, DOWN, FOUL, BOUND, FLOWER, HOUSE, FOUND, CONFOUND, HOW - IT WAS THE LOUDEST HOUND IN TOWN. - THEY FOUND IT AROUND THE HOUSE. - I DOUBT THAT FLOWERS CAN GROW IN THAT GROUND. - THE LOUD CROWD PROWLED AROUND THE TOWN. - HE COUNTED THE HOURS AFTER SHE WENT OUT. - WILD FLOWERS GROW OUT THERE IN THE MOUNTAINS. 3. THE "EH-EE" DIPHTHONG (as in "aim" and "great" AIM, ACE, APRIL, EIGHT, CAME, BABY, GREAT, SHAME, FAILURE - IT'S A GREAT DAY, TODAY. - THEY SAILED AWAY TO SPAIN. - HE'S A REAL ESTATE AGENT. - IT WAS A GREAT DAY IN APRIL. Now continue practicing with these additional drills. WEIGHT, CHASED, RAIN, DISPLAY, TAKE, PLAYER, NEIGHBOR, MAYBE, HASTE, SAFETY, INVESTIGATE, FREIGHT, TRAIL, JAILER, WHALE, FRAME, HAZE, LAKE, AGGRAVATE, ATE SAGE, PAIN, APE, LACE - GREAT PAIN CAME OUR WAY TODAY. - KATE HAS THE MOST FAMOUS FACE IN THE NATION. - DON'T DELAY MAILING YOUR PAYMENT. - MY REAL ESTATE AGENT FOUND AN EIGHT ACRE LOT. - THE WHALES SPRAYED WATER WHILE SWIMMING AWAY. - DON'T FAIL TO TAKE A WALK BY THE LAKE. 4. THE "OH-OO" DIPHTHONG (as in "old" and "snow" OVER, OLD, OPEN, SO, GROW, MOMENT, SLOWLY - THE BOAT WENT OVER THE OCEAN. - SMOKE ROLLED OUT OF THE WINDOW. - JOE PUT THE DOUGH INTO THE BOWL. - HE FLOATED HOME IN THE ROWBOAT. Now try these additional drills. LOW, ROMANCE, PHOTO, WROTE, NOTION, GHOST, GROCERY, BLOWN, SO, TOMATO, PHONE, OAKEN, MOMENT, MOTION, DON'T, WINDOW, BOLD, LOAF, FOLD, CONE, HOPE, SEW, MOLE, ECHO, LOAN, OLD, COAL, HOTEL, FOLD - THE OBOE AND CELLO SAT ALONE. - THE TONE OF THE ECHO ROLLED OVER THE HILLS. - HE ATE A ROAST WITH A TOMATO. - I SAID HELLO TO ALL THE FOLKS I KNOW. - IT SNOWED IN OHIO OVER THE HOLIDAYS. - THE OWNER OF THE BOAT ROWED HOME ALONE. 5. THE "AW-EE" DIPHTHONG (as in "boy" and "oil" OYSTER, OIL, OINTMENT, VOICE, TOIL, APPOINTMENT - ROY HEARD A JOYFUL NOISE. - THE BOY OILED HIS TOY. - THE SOYBENS WERE IN THE SOIL. - HE REJOICED BY EATING OYSTERS. Now try the same sound on these additional drills. REJOICE, COIL, POISE, VOID, SPOIL, BROIL, ASTEROID, APPOINT, AVOID, VOYEUR, MOISTURE, CLOISTER, HOIST, SOY SAUCE, CHOICE, EXPLOIT, ENJOY, ROYALTY, POIGNANT, JOIN, OILY, LOIN, COIN - THE OTHER BOYS JOINED IN THE NOISE. - HIS ROYAL HEAD WAS ANOINTED WITH OIL. - DON'T LOITER ON NOISY CITY STREETS. - BOIL THE FISH; THEN BROIL IT WITHOUT ANY OIL. - SOMETIMES ROYAL EXPLOITS ITS LOYAL SUBJECTS. - HE APPOINTED ROY TO GET OINTMENT FOR HIS JOINTS. TWO UNUSUAL VOWELS There are two vowel sounds that exist in very few languages other than English. They are the vowels in the words "cat" and "sun." Follow the directions on the tape for the correct pronunciations of these sounds. 1. THE "UH" SOUND (as in "under" and "mother" BUT, HUT, UNDER, US, MOTHER, LOVE, SON, MONDAY - THE PUPPY DUG UNDER THE FENEC. - THE BUM STUMBLED INTO THE LUMBER YARD. - MY MOTHER LOVED MY BROTHER VERY MUCH. - WE COVERED UP THE OTHER COUPLE'S LUNCH. Now try the additional drills for this vowel. STUBBRON, UNTER, RUSH, NUN, DELUXE, TROUBLE, COVER, HUSH, STRUGGLE, DISCUSS, WONDER, STUDY, BRUSH, LUNCH, COME, BUS, STUMP BRUNT, SUPPER, BUNK, NOTHING, MUMBLE, STUDY, UNSUNG - THE STUNTMAN STUMBLED AND TUMBLED INTO THE MUD. - THE DRUNK MUMBLED SOMETHING UNDER HIS BREATH. - COME TO LUNCH WITH MY BROTHER AND ME. - I WONDER IF GUS CAN COME UP TO THE HUNTING LODGE. - SHUT UP ABOUT THE BLOOD STAIN UNDER THE TABLE. - MOTHER'S CLUB ACTIVITIES TAKE MUCH OF HER TIME. 2. THE "A" SOUND (as in "at" and "man" MAN, BAT, CAT, HAND, DISASTER, ANSWER - THE MAN IS STANDING BACK THERE. - LAST HIGHT THE CAT ABANDONED THE KITTENS. - I CAN'T STAND YOUR LACK OF MANNERS. - ASK ANY BASHFUL MAN IF HE CAN DANCE. Once again, try the additional drills. AFTER, PASSAGE, BASKET, HALF, ASK, PATH, CASTLE, TRAP, COMMAND, AS, MASS, FRANCE, GLASS, ADMIRAL, SANDWICH, FABRIC, BATH, LAUGH, APPLE, ABSOLUTE, MASTER, GRAND, STAND, AVERAGE, CATEGORY, AND - THE PASSENGERS WERE TRAPPED WITHOUT THEIR BAGGAGE. - THE GLASS SHATTERED AFTER DAN TRIED TO STAND ON IT. - HE PASSED OUT HALWAY UP THE PATH. - HE COMMANDED THE CASTLE AFTER THE CAPTAIN ABANDONED IT. - I CAN'T ACCEPT THAT ANSWER FROM AN ATHLETIC MAN. - IT'S A BAD HABIT TO TAP YOUR HAND ON THE WAX APPLES. LESSON 6: THE MORE DIFFICULT AMERICAN CONSONANTS Dr.David Alan Stern Listen closely to the tape for exact instructions on how to produce each of the difficult English consonant sounds. 1. THE "TH" SOUNDS (as in "this" and "think" (voiced) THIS, THAT, THE, OTHER, THEM, THEY (voiceless) THING, ATHLETE, THROW, FOURTH - THEY DID THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER THING. - THANK YOU FOR THINGKING OF ME. - DON'T THROW THAT AT THEM. Now here are some additional "th" drills. (voiced) THESE, THIS, THEN, THAT, THE, THEY, THY THOU, GATHER, NORTHERN, SOUTHERN, LEATHER, TEETHE, SOOTHE, LATHE, WEATHER (voiceless) THESIS, THISTLE, THESPIAN, THATCH, THUNDER, THANK, THIGH, THOUSAND, BREATHY, MONTHLY, APATHY, AUTHOR, CATHODE, WRATH, TEETH, SOOTH, EIGHTH, SEVENTH - THAT THING OVER THERE IS THOROUGHLY ANNOYING. - THE THISTLE STUCK INTO THROCKMORTON'S THICK THUMB. - FORSOOTH, THE OINTMENT WILL SOOTHE THAT THROBBING PAIN. - THE SEETHING THING WAS THOROUGHLY ANNOYING. |
3楼2008-03-21 11:27:01
谢谢分享 |
4楼2008-03-21 16:37:26