Speaking with Linking & Rhythm
May 3, 2009
Sounding natural while speaking English is a struggle. When one has learned to read English before speaking it, the struggle seems heightened. Only with “out loud” practice does one become proficient.
To recap from the last blog entry :
Linking is joining words together while speaking without stopping the voice between each word.
For example “whaduhyuwant?” Not “What..do..you..want?”. That would sound robotic and make understanding difficult.
Linking ties into rhythm. As we join words, we emphasize meaning via speed, pitch and pause between important phrases.
Rhythm and stress act as modes to emphasize words and phrases while speaking. The brain actually focuses on rhythm and stress first to give it insight into the meaning of the words.
I recently read Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Outliers. Great book. I liked this sentence in the first chapter: “On the wall, was a hand-painted banner: ‘Embrace the struggle’.”
To say this quotation with good linking and rhythm:
“ONthuh-wall…..(1/2 sec pause) WAza HANpainudBAnner…(1 sec pause), emBRACEthuhSTRUgul”.
The [….] pause engages the listener to anticipate the next phrase. The BOLD capitals indicate a syllable with a higher pitch and longer duration. Also, if you noticed, I included “word reductions”. [hand-painted] becomes “ HAN painud”
The process of linking strives for efficiency of lingual movement. Therefore, as the /t/ and /n/ are made in the same place in the mouth, the voiceless /t/ sound gets eliminated in moving to an unstressed syllable. This efficiency carries over into maintaining consonant voicing so that the larynx does not need to start and stop on voiceless consonants such as the /t/ . The /t/ will morph into a /d/ mid word going to an unstressed syllable. “WHAduhYUwant?”
Malcolm Gladwell emphasized in his book that an “Outlier” is one who is willing to do the consistent and persistent struggle of practice. To be understood,… Embrace the struggle. Speech is a muscle motor act and must be practiced out loud …and…. physically in order to get better. As with the Outliers mentioned in the book, the rewards will come.
Tags: linking, pause, pitch, practice, rhythm, speed, Stress, word reductions
July 14th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
A new article for Strategies 7-10 is in process.
For the next two or three blogs, I am searching for personal speaking experiences that folks have found difficult. I will start with the most noted area first.
For example: Interviewing for a job (what to say, etc); Mingling with co-workers after hours, talking about sports; facilitating a meeting; Making your point in a meeting, etc.
I will then write out examples of scripts and where the pronunciation and language struggles are likely to occur.
So please send me your speaking situations that most trouble you! Thanks!
Phyllis CCC-SLP
February 9th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
I read this blog loud and tried to use “linking”.
I agreed that an “Outlier” is one who is willing to do the consistent and persistent struggle of practice. I’m not an “outlier”, because I enjoyed the practice once a while but I could never make it a consistent practice. Every Friday, I have 30 min appointment with my ESL instructor. I know it’s far not enough. How to be consistent…it’s something that always bother me.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Hi Demi,
I am responding to 2 of your posts today. It is great to hear from you.
You are right. Consistency is s-o-o-o-o- very hard. And I have learned to do it in tiny increments.
With linking. I have a suggestion. Choose only one phrase or sentence that you say often. Or choose a phrase that you want to say more often to increase your professionalism.
Next, call me and I can help you with it. Or ask your ESL coach to write it out as one long word versus in separated segments.
Example: A phrase to defer folks who constantly interrupt you may be:
“I would be happy to help you with that at another time. What time would be good for you”
Now as a linking exercise: Please note that I am writing phonetically…. (how it is “Really” said….The /l/ in “would” is not pronounced: A /t/ between vowels becomes a /d/sound..they are voice cognates)
“Iwoodbe-HAPpy-toHELPyou-adaNOtherTIME. Whatime-woodbeGOODfer-YOU?”
And practice it 10-20 times a day for 30 days…
You will find that not only is this one phrase getting more fluid via linking, yet other phrases will seem to be more fluid as well.
The next month, Choose another phrase…. Just one…..
Practice this as well as your previous phrase daily. 10+ times a day.
Where to practice:
!st: In the bathroom in the morning and evening; 5 x each time.
Next : Record it on your phone and listen to it.
Listen: To the segments that are better. Repeat those to strengthen the muscle movements. Then move to another segment.
Sometimes, I would repeat only the segment that I really wanted to finesse:
E.G. Iwoodbe-HAPpy….
Summary: I practiced the above phrase repeatedly fr at least a month, so that it would readily flow out of my mouth when others were interrupting me.
I have used other memorized poems, etc to change my southern accented vowels, etc.
When the mouth and brain are accustomed to making movements, we become the better communicators..i.e. “An Outlier”