Teaching English Sound Structure

Teaching English Sound Structure De Jong ([email protected]) Homework 4: Interfaces Spring 2009 Name: This exercise is due on Tuesday May 6, 2009, 6:30pm. Submit electronically on Blackboard or on paper in class. (Feel free to print double-sided.)

***This is a graded homework activity and thus needs to be handed in.***

Part 1: Pronunciation and orthography

A. Transcribe the following words according to standard North American English. For words with two or more syllables, indicate stress (primary stress ˈ and, if applicable, secondary stress ˌ). It is not necessary to indicate aspiration, nasalization, or assimilation. Ask a native speaker if you're not sure about their pronunciation. Be sure to fill in the second column as well. [30 points]

blessed

present

delegate

recall

invalid

1/3 B. Why is there an extra column to the right of the table on the previous page? Explain your reasoning below. Describe two rules or regularities you notice in the words above, and give examples. [20 points]

C. Explain why the existence of the second column may cause difficulties for ESL learners (or even native speakers). Give at least three reasons. [20 points]

2/3 Part 2: Pronunciation and grammar

A fellow ESL teacher comes to you for advice. He has been teaching his students the present tense for a month, but they still often don’t use the -s the right way. What advice would you give this teacher? Include 1) a description of the rule (when to use which form), 2) an explanation of why this -s is so difficult to learn, and 3) some suggestions for instructional techniques. Use information from the textbook and the powerpoint slides as necessary, and give examples to illustrate your points. Limit your response to about 500 words or less. [30 points]