Innovative Techniques for Teaching Stress and Intonation in the Classroom
Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker and Lynda Katz Wilner, ESL RULES, LLC
Many individuals speaking “American English” as a second language have achieved a proficiency of English vocabulary and grammar but are still frustrated by the inability to be clearly understood. The problem is not so much a language barrier as an accent barrier. This is usually the result of numerous factors.
First, they may have difficulty adjusting to the sound system of North American English, applying the muscular tension of the articulators (tongue, lips, jaw) as if speaking their first language. They may also be trying to guide their pronunciation through spelling, which is extremely unpredictable in North American English. Even more critical, many second language learners retain the rhythm and melodic patterns of their native language. They may speak in a monotone (flat) voice. Others may speak extremely quickly with excessive and unnatural pitch changes. Still others may utilize equal stress within a word, which results in a robotic (staccato) type of speech pattern. If their first language is syllable-timed as opposed to stress-timed, they will be challenged by the American intonation stress patterns.
These factors, in addition to other influences, often lead to altered intonation (melody of speech), pronunciation difficulties, and the disruption of communication between speaker and listener. As instructors and trainers, we must address all of these factors. As speech-language pathologists specializing in accent modification, we have found that although it is important to teach the accurate production of vowels and consonants, addressing intonation is even more significant in effecting change.
Experienced ESOL teachers understand how important it is to teach word- and sentence-level stress patterns. Helping students learn how one syllable or part of a word requires emphasis and how to accomplish that (using higher pitch, louder volume, and a longer vowel) must be a primary educational goal.
Beyond this, we believe that second language learners also need to be able to decipher the idiosyncratic patterns of North American English. Once these rules are understood and mastered, they become a framework for clear and effective communication.
Learning how to properly stress a syllable in a word or a word in a sentence can feel overwhelming to a nonnative speaker. Many students can achieve the loudness feature, but this alone may result in sounding angry or impatient. Pitch change must occur with loudness and duration of the intended syllable or word. If one can learn the rules that guide American speech patterns, more effective, confident, and clear speech is possible. It is not easy for students to navigate the complexities of spoken American English. Teachers should introduce these concepts systematically to successfully improve nonnative speakers’ clarity and effectiveness.
The challenge for teachers is how to present these concepts in a meaningful way that will facilitate carryover into real communication contexts. The following is a summary of some of the intonation rules that we find particularly useful to teach, in addition to practical activities to reinforce their understanding and use.
RULE 1. COMPOUND NOUNS
Our daily life is filled with compound nouns. Think about how we carpool to work, sit through faculty meetings in conference rooms, check our e-mails, talk on our cell phones and get take-out on the way home. There are compound nouns for practically every topic.
Review: The rule for pronouncing compound nouns is to stress the first word of a compound noun with higher pitch, louder volume, and a longer vowel.
Sample Activities
1. Distribute supermarket circulars (e.g., Trader Joe’s “Fearless Flyer”) to the students. Ask them to identify all of the items that are compound nouns such as hot dogs, cream cheese, tuna fish, and toilet paper and generate a shopping list. Have students share their list and practice using the proper stress and intonation rule (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner 2006, pp. 30-37).
2. Collect restaurant or take-out menus. Ask students to look for compound nouns in the menus and then order accordingly. Think of ice cream, apple juice, cheeseburger, and so on (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 128-131, 354-355).
3. Obtain college campus directories or maps of local hotels or hospitals. Ask the students to identify all of the compound nouns and then have them give and follow directions using words such as parking garage, courtyard, water cooler, and restroom (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 38-40).
4. Use compound noun versus adjective noun contrasts. Ask the students questions that require them to answer using the correct word stress pattern; for example, “Where does the President live?” (in the White House) versus “Where does Manuel live?”(in a white house) (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 48-51, 52-53).
5. Use compound nouns versus phrasal verb contrasts. Ask students to read words/sentences with the appropriate stress pattern. For example, “How much can I get for this trade-in?” versus “I need to trade in my old phone for a new one” (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006. pp. 41-46).
6. Ask students to think of and/or read word lists with compound nouns and generate their own sentences. Topics can include technology terms (screensaver), transportation terms (baggage claim), hygiene terms (toothpaste), clothing terms (raincoat), family members (grandparents), and many others (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 19-27).
7. Practice reading stories that intentionally contain a large number of compound nouns, using the preferred stress pattern. Then ask the students to identify the words, read the story aloud, paraphrase the story, or ask questions about the story incorporating correct stress patterns for compound nouns. (Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007, pp. 129-169)
RULE 2. PROPER NOUNS
We frequently need to refer to individuals’ names, job titles, addresses, locations, sporting events, mass media, and cultural events. For example, we may introduce ourselves as Mary Smith from Newton, Massachusetts, have lunch at Ruby Tuesday, work on Commonwealth Avenue, or have an appointment with Dr. Paniker.
Review: The rule for pronouncing proper nouns is to stress the last word.
Sample Activities
1. Use the “Introducing Yourself” script from the RULES programs (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 3-12; Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007, pp. 3-12). Students complete the form with biographical information such as their name, address, and place of employment. It is an excellent way to practice the correct pronunciation of proper nouns that people use a multitude of times daily. Ask the students to read the script, introduce themselves without the script, and then introduce another member of the class to the group using as many of the proper nouns in the script as possible.
2. Give the students “themes” and ask them to write down a list of the proper nouns that are relevant to them; for example, their favorite sports teams, newspapers, streets in their neighborhood, and so on. To expand this activity, have them create their own sentences using their personal word lists. (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 55-60).
3. Give the students a map of the United States. Ask them to name a city in each state, using appropriate stress for each proper noun; for example, Duluth, Minnesota. In addition, you may ask other questions about each state such as What is the state flower?, What is the name of a famous monument, or What is the name of a body of water?
4. Obtain travel brochures. Ask students to role-play being a travel agent. Encourage them to tell their partner about all of the tourist attractions in the area.
5. Practice reading stories that contain a large number of proper nouns, using the preferred stress pattern. Then ask the students to paraphrase the story or ask questions about the story incorporating correct stress patterns for proper nouns (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner 2009, pp. 173-175, Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007, pp. 161-162).
6. Ask the students to discuss each other’s travel itinerary. Have them include the name, the name of the airline, departure and arrival cities, and so on.
RULE 3. ACRONYMS AND INITIALIZATIONS
American English uses a multitude of abbreviations or shortcuts for frequently used words. Each industry has an exhaustive list of its own. We may earn our MBA, CPA, PhD or RN degree; invest in an IRA; buy stock in IBM or GM; or discuss business matters with the CFO, CEO, or VP.
Review: The rule for acronyms and initializations is to stress the last letter in the abbreviation or initialization.
Sample Activities
1. Ask the students to read a list of acronyms and identify the possible meanings (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 69-79; Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007, pp. 39-43).
2. Request that students generate their personal list of the acronyms and initializations that they use in daily life, school, or the workplace (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, p. 79; Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007. pp. 42-43).
3. Distribute work glossaries and have students identify the acronyms and initializations and practice saying them correctly.
RULE 4. NUMBERS
Stating numbers can be confusing if the speaker does not abide by the correct stress pattern. When counting, the speaker should stress the first syllable in the “teen” numbers such as thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen and stress the first part of “ten” numbers such as thirty and forty. However, when discussing a quantity, time, currency, and dates, the speaker should stress the second part of the “teen” numbers (e.g., fourteen dollars vs. forty dollars). Even though the primary stress shifts to the noun, the numbers must be stressed appropriately. If one adheres to this rule, an appointment at 8:50 will not be misinterpreted as being at 8:15. Likewise, 30 mg will not be confused with 13 mg. These errors can cost time and money and may even have catastrophic consequences as with medication dosages.
Review: The rule for numbers is to stress the appropriate syllable (as noted above) when counting and/or describing time, currency, dates, and measurements.
Sample Activities
1. Use a restaurant menu and role-play ordering items and answering questions about item prices (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 128-131, 354-355).
2. Distribute a sample and/or blank monthly calendar and ask students to enter their own personal or work obligations. Pair up and have students ask each other what is planned on particular days and at what time (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 132-134, 342-344).
3. Pass out train or bus schedules and use the proper stress patterns when describing train numbers, arrival and departure times, track numbers, and so on (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006. pp. 135-136).
4. Rerecord outgoing voicemail messages, being sure to use the proper stress patterns for numbers (Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007, pp. 26-27).
5. Practice reading stories that contain a large sampling of numbers, using the preferred stress pattern. Then ask the students to paraphrase the story and ask questions about the story incorporating correct stress patterns for numbers (Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007, pp. 165-167, Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2009, pp. 187-189).
6. Make up or bring in real appointment notices for haircuts, doctor and dental visits, and so on. Practice reading the appointment times, dates, office or business address, and so on (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 358-362).
7. Distribute brochures from a local gym. Ask students to talk about gym hours, fees, class schedule times, and so on.
RULE 5. HETERONYMS
English is also filled with word pairs that are spelled the same way but can be nouns, adjectives, or verbs with different meanings and different stress patterns. If one stresses the wrong syllable, it can be very confusing for the listener. For example, Elliot projects that he will complete his project by the due date.
Review: For two-syllable heteronyms, stress the first syllable for nouns and the second syllable for verbs (e.g., project vs. project). For three-syllable heteronym verbs, stress the first syllable with primary stress and the third with secondary stress (e.g., graduate). For nouns, give primary stress to the first syllable and weak stress to the second and third syllables (e.g., graduate [“gra-du-it”]). The pronunciation of the unstressed syllable is usually altered.
Sample Activities
1. Provide auditory discrimination tasks. Provide the students with a list of heteronym pairs, with the stressed syllable in bold. Read one word from the pair. First, have the student circle the word that was heard. Then ask the student to repeat the heteronym using the correct syllable stress (e.g., “What word did you hear me say?”). Make sure the students understand the difference in meaning and ask them to provide examples of how the words should be used (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 63-67, Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007, pp. 79-82).
2. Give students a list of heteronyms. Ask one speaker to ask a question using either the noun or verb form. The partner has to generate an appropriate sentence using the correct stress pattern. For example: Present: “Thank you so much for the beautiful present.” Present:“It is my great pleasure to present our guest speaker” (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp 63-67, Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007, pp. 79-82).
3. Provide the students with two- and three-word heteronyms and two sample sentences. Have them insert the correct word into the sentences using the correct stress pattern. For example, Graduate: “When will you graduate from school?” versus “I will attend graduate school in the fall” (Feinstein-Whittaker & Wilner, 2006, pp. 63-67, Wilner & Feinstein-Whittaker, 2007, pp. 79-82).
SUMMARY
These preceding examples are just a few of the many rules that can be taught and practiced to enhance the nonnative speaker’s communication. These rules are practical and tangible and result in immediate changes in communication.
Helping students learn and use these rules in conversational, functional, and real-life situations is the most efficient and effective way to transform their pronunciation and increase their level of confidence while speaking English.
REFERENCES
Feinstein-Whittaker, M., Wilner, L. (2006). RULES: Rules for using linguistic elements of speech. Teacher’s edition. Owings Mills , MD: Successfully Speaking.
Feinstein-Whittaker, M., & Wilner, L. (2009). Rules by the sound. Owings Mills, MD: Successfully Speaking.
Wilner, L.K., & Feinstein-Whittaker, M. (2007). Medically speaking RULES: Healthcare edition. Owings Mills, MD: Successfully Speaking.
Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker and Lynda Katz Wilner are corporate communication trainers and certified speech and language pathologists in the Boston and Baltimore areas, respectively. Lynda is also adjunct faculty at the Community College of Baltimore County and teaches communication skills to international preclinical nursing students. Marjorie is a member of the Performance Improvement Team at the Workforce Development Center at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, MA. Their company, ESL RULES, LLC, conducts workshops and develops training materials for nonnative English speakers. They are members of TESOL and have presented these innovative approaches of accent modification at state and international conventions. To learn more about them, visit www.eslrules.com.
