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Unit 13 looked into the way we speak and produce the sounds needed for communication. Through stress, rhythm and intonation we can begin to form meaning to our words. The highs and lows and variations of pitch can lead to our sentences becoming questions, agreements or statements, and ideally express our emotions through these alternating forms. I became aware during reading the chapter on stress, how much a sentence can change meaning by allocating the stress onto different words in the sentence. Where the stress falls is like an invisible highlight marker, marking the precise sound/word that the sentence is all about, thus providing the context. When speech begins to link I have noticed that students do find it harder to interpret. It's very useful to keep this in mind, as the parents of my younger students are looking for the native speaking edge to be taught to their children. As well as I get an opportunity to explain these tips to the students. The phonemic alphabet is very useful to get accurate pronounciation. I use phonics cards and blending activities to help assist my students into correct articulation of the sounds. I learnt how the different areas of the mouth effect the sound creation so much. From the speed of the air, shape of the mouth, lips, tongue, nasal spaces, vocal cords and friction of the air. Now I see HOW important it is to get my students to open their mouth clearly and get their hands away from their mouth when speaking.
