Introduction to Linguistics, ENG 204
Spring 2007, E. Johnson
Project 2 assignment: Pronunciation analysis
This exercise will be done using the sound files on Vikingweb.
You will listen to a speaker read the list of words on the back of this handout. Listen carefully, noting which words do not sound the way you think a mainstream American English speaker would pronounce them. Try to find at least 10 words.
Once you have checked the list for which words are pronounced with an accent, you should describe how the speaker is saying those words. Examples:
Bitter: I did not hear an /r/ sound at the end.
Street: The vowel sound is like the sound in “it” instead of the sound in “eat”
When you have finished the list, see whether you can notice any patterns. For the above examples, you might find that
/r/: The /r/ is left off the ends of the words bitter, farmer, and rather, but is pronounced at the end of better. Also, /r/ is always pronounced at the beginnings of words, like in raid.
/ee/: The “long e” vowel in street is pronounced with the vowel of it, and the same vowel is pronounced the same way in leave (it sounds like live). It is pronounced correctly in the word these.
Once you have listed the patterns, you should write a paragraph summing up this person’s pronunciation difficulties in English. Does the person have a “heavy” accent, or is it not very noticeable? Are there certain vowels that are a problem? Does the speaker have trouble with any consonants? Does the person’s accent make it hard to understand what they are saying? Make a suggestion for words this person might practice to learn to distinguish English sounds.
On Wed., 1/24, I will demonstrate the procedure in class (Punjabi speaker), after which students will practice in groups (Spanish or Italian speaker). For homework, you will complete a practice analysis where you identify and describe those sounds that are pronounced with an accent (Spanish or Italian speaker, whichever you did not work on in class). Be prepared to turn this in on Friday. For the homework, you just need a typed list of words with a description of the sound(s) that differ from mainstream American English, not the complete analysis of the person’s pronunciation patterns. After the homework is turned in I will post the sound file for the final assignment, the Kinyarwanda speaker.
The complete assignment will be due Feb 12. It should be typed, double-spaced. Please do not work on this assignment with any of your classmates. I will ask you to sign the following statement: “I have neither given nor received help on this assignment.” You can come by my office if you have problems or questions.