Unit10 Strong Forms and Weak Forms

Unit10LessonPlan(WithNotesforTeachers)StrongFormsandWeakFormsDate:Nov.,18-22Class:Classes1,2&3,Grade2002Subject:EnglishPronunciationforCommunicationPurpose:ThestudentswilllearnstrongformsandweakformsinEnglish.Objectives:Studentswillbeableto:1.Define-intheirownwordsadefinitionforstrongformsandweakformsinasentence.Itisarevisionandtherefore,easyformostofthestudents;2.Compare–basedontheunderstandingofthebasicconcept,comparestrongformsandweakformsinsyllablesinwordsandsentences;3.Practice–imitatethestresspatternsanddopractice.Resources/Materials:1.Textbook:Wang,Guizhen,AnEnglishPronunciationCourse,HigherEducationPress,Beijing,2000;2.Handouts:illustrationofstresspatternsandrhythmicpattern;3.RecordingsofnativespeakersActivitiesandProcedures:1.Stimulating:Beginbyaskingtheclasstofindouthowmuchthestudentsknowaboutwhattheyarerequiredtolearn.Makesurethatitservesthepurposeofstimulatingthestudentstothinkabouttheissueandhavethedesiretofindouttheanswersthemselves.2.DisplayexamplesbyplayingtherecordingofthenativespeakersshowingthetypicalpronunciationinEnglish.3.Askthestudentstolistentothetapestomakeagooddiscriminationofthestressinfocus.4.Havethestudentsimitatethestresspatternsinfocus.5.Havethestudentssharewhattheyhavelearnedbyreadingoutthepracticematerialsinpairs.6.HavethestudentslistentotheconversationsrecordedbynativespeakersofEnglishandtrytogetthestresscorrectintheirpronunciation.7.Havethestudentspracticetheguidedconversation.Askthemtopayspecialattentiontothestressinspeech.8.Highlightthelanguagefunctionintheconversationinthepractice.9.Haveseveralpairsofthestudentspresenttheirconversationintheclass.10.Commentonthestudents’performancebyhighlightingtheachievementofthestudentsandtheeffortstheyneedfortheimprovement.11.Askthestudentstodomorepracticeafterclassandgetreadyforpresentationduringthenextsession.NotesforTeachersStrongFormsandWeakFormsInthisunit,wewilllearnstrongforms&weakforms-twodifferentwaysofpronouncingtheword.Inunstressedsyllables,weoftencomeacrosstheshort,unclearvowel//,whichisthemostcommonofallsoundsinEnglish.Thissamesoundalsooccursinmanyofthefunctionwordswhentheyareunstressed.StrongformsandweakformsAsweallknow,manyfunctionwordsinEnglishhavetwopronunciations:astressedform(orstrongform)andanunstressedform(orreducedform,weakform).Theunstressedformisthusanalternatepronunciationofawordwhichissoreducedinitsarticulationthatitconsistsofadifferentsetofphonemes.//isthemostfrequentlyusedvowelintheunstressedformandnextcomes//.TheimportanceoflearningunstressedformsTworeasonsaresaidtobemostimportantinlearningtousetheunstressedformsinEnglish.Firstly,mostnativespeakersofEnglishfindanall-strongformpronunciationveryunpleasant.Secondly,learnerswhoarenotfamiliarwiththeuseofweakformsarelikelytohavedifficultyunderstandingnativespeakers.强读式和弱读式本单元介绍的是英语的强读式与弱读式。在英语单词和句子的弱读音节中，我们最经常听到的元音是：//。这是在所有英语音素中出现频率最高的音素,也是英语功能词在非重读时最常用的元音。强读式与弱读式英语语音的一个显著特点是,许多功能词具有两种不同的发音：一种是在重读时的发音，称强读式;另一种是在非重读时的发音，称弱读式。强读式是指一个单词单独念的时候所采取的读音形式。在连贯发言中，当这些词接受句子重音时多用强读式，不具句子重音的词则多用弱读式。由于这些词多为虚词，在句中一般不重读，因此，它们通常以弱读式的形式出现。对于我国学生来说，要学会单词弱读式的发音是轻而易举的事，但要做到能够运用就不容易了。最常见的读法是将应该读成弱读式的单词读作强读式，并以为那才是标准的发音。用这种方法说英语，不仅影响语流，还使听者感到别扭，甚至可能产生误会。以单词and为例。and的发音有以下几种可能性：1）/nd/,2）/nd/,3）/n/,4）/n/,其中以3）最为常见。短语inandout通常读作/'inn`aut/,短语horseandcart通常读作/'h:snk:t/。1）与2）常用于句首。如果将句中的and都读作/nd/的话，话语就使人听起来很别扭。有时，在一些固定搭配中错用强读式还会产生误会。比如，作为早餐的食物是breadandbutter/`bredn`bt/，但在超级市场上买的是breadandbutter/`brednd`bt/，意即成条的面包以及成包的奶油。假如在饭桌上点早餐时将breadandbutter中的and读作重读，则可能使人以为说话人在强调多要点奶油，或者是在批评别人奶油放得太少了。误会就可能由此产生。此外能否掌握好英语的弱读式也影响着我们的英语听力理解，因为具有强弱两种读音方式的单词是英语中最常见的单词，出现频率相当高，掌握好英语的弱读式无疑将提高对所听到的语言材料的解码能力，从而正确而全面地获得语言材料所传达的信息。