Page 35 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Advanced Communication Skills

Notes Many people think that pronunciation is what makes up an accent. It may be that pronunciation
is very important for an understandable accent. But it is intonation that gives the final touch that
makes an accent native.
Intonation is known as the use of pitch or tone in a sentence to convey meaning or emotion.
Although the term when strictly used applies only to the pitch of speech, it is sometimes used
loosely to indicate also the emphasis and pacing used in the spoken language.
Intonation is the "music" of a language, and is perhaps the most important element of a good
accent. Often we hear someone speaking with perfect grammar, and perfect formation of the
sounds of English but with a little something that gives them away as not being a native
speaker.
Therefore, it is necessary to realize that there is more than the correct pronunciation of the
vowels and consonants of a language. This is very important and we do stress it in other articles.
But it is only one of the three components to an accent, pronunciation, intonation, and linking.
There are two very simple rules about word stress:

Example: One word has only one stress. (One word cannot have two stresses. If you hear
two stresses, you hear two words. Two stresses cannot be one word. It is true that there can be a
"secondary" stress in some words. But a secondary stress is much smaller than the main [primary]
stress, and is only used in long words.)

We can only stress vowels, not Consonants

Here are some more, that can help you understand where to put the stress. But do not rely on
them too much, because there are many exceptions. It is better to try to "feel" the music of the
language and to add the stress naturally.

Rule 1: Stress on first syllable
Rule Example
Most 2-syllable nouns PRESent, EXport, CHIna, TAble
Most 2-syllable adjectives PRESent, SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy

Rule 2: Stress on last syllable
Rule Example
Most 2-syllable verbs to preSENT, to exPORT, to deCIDE, to beGIN

Note There are many two-syllable words in English whose meaning and class change
with a change in stress.

Example: Present, is a two-syllable word.
If we stress the first syllable, it is a noun (gift) or an adjective (opposite of absent). But if we
stress the second syllable, it becomes a verb (to offer).
Export, Import, Contract and Object can all be nouns or verbs depending on whether the
stress is on the first or second syllable

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