CELTA Pronunciation Teaching & Phonology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'sentence stress' refer to in spoken English?
- Stressing every word equally to aid comprehension
- Emphasizing content words to convey the main meaning of an utterance (Correct answer)
- Using a rising intonation at the end of every sentence
- Slowing down at the end of a sentence
Correct answer: Emphasizing content words to convey the main meaning of an utterance
Sentence stress involves emphasizing content words (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs) while function words are typically unstressed, conveying the key meaning.
Question 2: In English, a falling intonation at the end of a statement typically signals:
- The speaker has more to say
- A yes/no question
- A completed thought or finality (Correct answer)
- Uncertainty or surprise
Correct answer: A completed thought or finality
Falling intonation at the end of statements signals that the speaker has finished their thought and conveyed a complete idea.
Question 3: What is 'assimilation' in connected speech?
- When a sound is omitted from a word for ease of pronunciation
- When a sound changes to become more like a neighboring sound (Correct answer)
- When two vowels are merged into a diphthong
- When a syllable is added to a word
Correct answer: When a sound changes to become more like a neighboring sound
Assimilation occurs when a sound takes on features of an adjacent sound, such as 'that person' being pronounced as 'thap person' due to the influence of /p/.
Question 4: What is 'elision' in the context of connected speech?
- Linking two vowel sounds together across word boundaries
- The omission of a sound or syllable in rapid, natural speech (Correct answer)
- Adding an extra vowel sound between consonants
- Changing a consonant sound to match the following vowel
Correct answer: The omission of a sound or syllable in rapid, natural speech
Elision is the dropping of sounds or syllables in natural speech, such as 'next day' pronounced as 'nex day' with the /t/ omitted.
Question 5: Which feature of intonation is used in English to ask a yes/no question?
- Falling intonation throughout the sentence
- Rising intonation at the end of the utterance (Correct answer)
- Level intonation with no pitch change
- Falling-rising intonation on the first word
Correct answer: Rising intonation at the end of the utterance
Yes/no questions in English typically end with rising intonation, signaling to the listener that a response is expected.
Question 6: What is 'nuclear stress' in English intonation?
- Equal stress placed on every word in an utterance
- The most prominent stress in an utterance that carries the main information focus (Correct answer)
- Stress applied only to the first syllable of a sentence
- A pattern unique to questions
Correct answer: The most prominent stress in an utterance that carries the main information focus
Nuclear stress is the single most prominent syllable in an utterance, marking the information focus and often falling on the last content word in neutral contexts.
Question 7: What is 'linking' in connected speech?
- Pausing between words to aid comprehension
- Connecting the final sound of one word to the initial sound of the next (Correct answer)
- Joining two clauses with a conjunction
- Stressing the last word of an utterance
Correct answer: Connecting the final sound of one word to the initial sound of the next
Linking occurs when a final consonant or vowel sound of one word connects smoothly to the initial sound of the next word, as in 'an apple' sounding like 'a napple'.
CELTA Pronunciation Teaching & Phonology 2
What does 'sentence stress' refer to in spoken English?