Pronunciation Training Session Notes

Introduction

• Focus on pronouncing 100 everyday words in a modern received pronunciation accent.
• Organized into 10 categories highlighting features of the accent and British vocabulary.
• Two-step plan for practice:
  1. Modeling: Slowly then faster pronunciation, followed by repetition.
  2. Shadowing: Practice in full sentences along with the instructor.

Key Features of the Modern RP Accent

• R Sound: Not pronounced at the end of words or before consonants; sounds like 'a' (schwa sound).
  • Example: "weather" = 'wea-tha'
• Shadowing Exercise: "The weather was awful..."

Common Mispronounced Sounds

1. Schwa and Short Sounds

• Examples:
  • Often, October, Opportunity, Want, Stop, Clock, Knowledge, Hospital, Impossible, Apology.
• Shadowing Exercise: "In October, she had the opportunity..."

2. Glottal Stop

• Quickly closing the throat, replaces 't' in casual speech.
• Examples: butt, about, foot, football, Scotland.
• Shadowing Exercise: "Unfortunately, the flight was hot..."

3. Soft Yuh Sound

• Common in British English before 'oo': new vs. no yuh sound.
• Examples: tube, student, duty, news.
• Shadowing Exercise: "The enthusiastic student waited..."

4. O Sound

• Techniques to pronounce 'oh' sound.
• Examples: snow, hope, gross, photo.
• Shadowing Exercise: "Although she usually enjoyed..."

5. Long R Sound

• Common in certain regions, contrasts with short A sound.
• Examples: task, laugh, after.
• Shadowing Exercise: "It was not by chance that they mastered..."

6. Syllable Dropping

• Common in fast speech.
• Examples: ordinary, restaurant, library.
• Shadowing Exercise: "The library is between the secondary school..."

7. Commonly Mispronounced Words

• Examples: half, receipt, biscuit, colleague.
• Shadowing Exercise: "I found the receipt for the suit..."

8. Shortened Words in Informal Speech

• Examples: holes, footy, cuppa, telly, brekkie.
• Shadowing Exercise: "I love watching the footy on the telly..."

Differences Between British and North American English

• Examples:
  • Root, Vase, Privacy, Data, Vitamin, Leisure, Yogurt, Premiere, Hostile, Inquiry.
• Shadowing Exercise: "En route to the film premiere..."

Conclusion

• Encouragement to share experiences, favorite and least favorite words.
• Reminder of the free online pronunciation level test available in the description.