American Acccent Training

( Intonation, Word Stress, Word Connection, Speed )

Exercise 1-1 : Word Stress, Intonation

( Note : Meaning changes through word stres and intonation )

He's waiting
He's waiting / for his friend
He's waiting / for his friend / at the station.
That was a difficult test. - Standard statement
That was a difficult test. - Emphasizes how difficult the test was

How are you?

How are you?
How are you? ( sounds unfriendly and accusing )

what did you do?

What did you do?
What did you do?

Contrastive stress : is used to point out the difference between one object and another.

I think I prefer this color.

Do you want these or those curtains?
He came to the party yesterday. (It was he, not someone else.)
He walked to the party yesterday. (He walked rather than drove.)
He came to the party yesterday. (It was a party not a meeting or something else.)
He came to the party yesterday. (It was yesterday not two weeks ago or some other time.)

Information Stress : When asked a question, the requested information is naturally stressed more
strongly.

Where are you from? - I come from Seattle, in the USA.

What do you want to do? - I want to go bowling.
When does class begin? - The class begins at nine o'clock.

Word connection :

Whereare you from? - I come from Seattle, in thee UzA.

What do you want to do? - I want to go(w) bowling.
When doez class begin? - The class beginzat nine o'clock.

Pronunciation - Practicing Stress and Intonation

Aim: Improving pronunciation by focusing on the stress - time nature of spoken English

Basically, stress words are considered CONTENT WORDS such as

Nouns e.g. kitchen, Peter

(most) principle verbs e.g. visit, construct
Adjectives e.g. beautiful, interesting
Adverbs e.g. often, carefully
Non-stressed words are considered FUNCTION WORDS such as

Determiners e.g. the, a, some, a few

Auxiliary verbs e.g. don't, am, can, were
Prepositions e.g. before, next to, opposite
Conjunctions e.g. but, while, as
Pronouns e.g. they, she, us

Exercise 2-1 : Stress and Intonation

John is coming over tonight. We are going to work on our homework together.
Ecstasy is an extremely dangerous drug.
We should have visited some more castles while we were traveling through the back roads of
France.
Jack bought a new car last Friday.
They are looking forward to your visit next January.
Exciting discoveries lie in Tom's future.
Would you like to come over and play a game of chess?
Shakespeare wrote passionate, moving poetry.
As you might have expected, he has just thought of a new approach to the problem.

Exercise 2-2 : Word connection ,Stress and Intonation exercise:

Johniz comingover tonight. We are going to work onour homework together.

Ecstasyiz an extremely dangerous drug.
We should have visited some more castlez while we were trav’ling through the back roadsov
France.
Jack boda new car last Friday.
Theyare looking forward to your vizit next January.
Exciting discov’ries lie in Tom's future.
Would you like to comeoverand playa gameov chess?
Shakespeare wrote passionate, moving poetry.
Az you might have expected, he haz just thoughtova newapproach to the problem.

Exercise 3-1 : Native English speed.

Instructions: Read the sentences in less than 5 seconds. Make sure to connect words and use proper
intonation and stress while keeping the accent and speed.

The beautiful Mount’n appeared transfixed in the distance.

He can come on Sundayz az longaz he doezn't have to do(w)any homework in thee evening.
By the time he receives this leder, I will have caught the train to Paris.
Following closely behind the herd waza groupov filthy, disgusting vulturez.
I'll make sure to give him a ring the next time I'min town.
Nodonly are thee exams required, but they are(w)also absolutely imperadive for your further
education.

Read the sentences again on your own. Keeping note of speed, accent, intonation, word connection

The beautiful Mountain appeared transfixed in the distance.

He can come on Sundays as long as he doesn't have to do any homework in the evening.
By the time he receives this letter, I will have caught the train to Paris.
Following closely behind the herd was a group of filthy, disgusting vultures.
I'll make sure to give him a ring the next time I'm in town.
Not only are the exams required, but they are also absolutely imperative for your further
education.