Quick Guide
- Keywords: Pronunciation, sentence stress, prosody
- Learner English Level: Beginner and above
- Learner maturity: From young children to young adults
- Preparation time: 1-2 minutes
- Activity time: 5 minutes
- Material: Whiteboard and markers or a slide
Japanese learners of English tend to pronounce both stressed and unstressed syllables, applying the mora-stress pattern of Japanese to time-stressed English. In this activity, learners count to four in various ways while marking a rhythm by clapping their hands or snapping their fingers, incorporating unstressed grammatical words without changing the pace. It is a simple way to change the tempo of your lesson that requires very little material and preparation.
Preparation
Step 1: Write the digits “1, 2, 3, 4” on the board. Just add a comma and leave some space between each number.
Step 2: Below the first line, write “1, and 2, and 3, and 4.”
Step 3: Below the second line, write “1, and then 2, and then 3, and then 4.” Try to align the digits vertically to highlight the fact that only the numbers which are lexical items will be stressed and that the beat will not change.
Procedure
Step 1: Tell the students they are going to work on stress and connected speech. Highlight the pervasiveness of reduced forms in natural speech.
Step 2: Start counting and mark the rhythm by snapping your fingers (or clapping your hands). Encourage students to join in.
Step 3: Point to the whiteboard where the three lines are written (see Preparation). Explain to your students that you are going to say the numbers in the same rhythm.
Step 4: Have the students count as is written in the first line.
Step 5: Model the second line by adding “and” between the four numbers. As the pace of clapping remains the same, the speed of speech will go up.
Step 6: Have the students count as is written in the second line.
Step 7: Model the final line by adding “and then” between the four numbers. As this is getting harder for students, do not hesitate to keep modelling while inviting them into the counting.
Step 8: Lower your voice, let the students repeat the final sentence on their own a couple of times.
Step 9: Ask your students how their speech production changed between the first and the third line. Learners are very likely to say that pronouncing every single word was very challenging. Tell them it is perfectly normal because non-lexical items are unstressed and it is the speed at which they say those grammatical words that must change, not the rhythm of the sentence.
Conclusion
Japanese learners often pronounce every syllable and apply Japanese mora-stress to English. To highlight this difference and promote active learning, try a simple, low-prep activity that improves speaking. The instructor counts to four while marking rhythm. The beat stays the same, but more words are added between counts. Learners repeat the modelled prosody and mark the rhythm together.
Extension
If your learners have been working on set phrases, you can write those chunks of language on the board, clearly foregrounding stressed syllables. Here is an example: “I’d like to ASK QUEStions,” “I’d like to ASK you QUEStions,” “I’d like to ASK you some QUEStions.” Keep the same layout, align the stressed syllables so that your learners can easily identify them. Practice pronunciation and have fun!
