A Tool For Learners of English As a Second Language

English is a difficult language. It does not sound how it looks. Learners are often frustrated trying to understand what others say and too assertive about their accents to speak. The good news for ESL students is that a little information takes the mystery out of the spoken language: English is a stress-based language. What it means and how impacts students is easy and fun to explore.

Learning is tragically misinformed about the importance of the individual sounds in the conversation. It is important to know that the natives find charming accents and communications do not break down because of them. The seat of miscommunication in English, is not mispronounced letters, but in the absence or misplaced word stress. If the commander called for a meeting on "LEFT days", would all show up day after Tuesday, but if he said the meeting was "vends, 'no one would know when the meeting was and they could not guess. The truth is, the English native speakers have enormous latitude for accommodating sound variations, and not rely on perfect pronunciation of understanding.

The effect of Word Stress in ESL - Maria's Story

Maria is Latino, brave and amazing. Her warmth and charm beyond any language or cultural barriers. She moved to Canada from Central America many years ago with her husband and four young children. As is often the case, she was very isolated in his new country. Her children learned English at school and her husband have learned it at work. Thirteen years after leaving El Salvador, she spoke no English and had no friends. Fortunately, Maria understood that domestic violence is not tolerated in Canada. When she finally had had enough, she left her abusive husband and started a new life for her and her children.

Maria rented an apartment, applied for social assistance, and enrolled in school. Her kind, sparkling personality was an asset to our ESL classroom. But one day she arrived sad and depressed. All noticed. "What is it?" they wanted to know. Maria told a story every student can relate to. It was her eldest son's sixteenth birthday and she would take his family out to celebrate. She could not afford to take everyone to dinner, so she took them out for breakfast. When it was her turn to order, the server asked what she wanted and she said, "Coffee a pekundaneesh." The server asked her to repeat her order. Begins to feel uncomfortable, Maria reiterated: "Coffee a pekundaneesh." The server turned on her heel and walked away, Spot, "Why doncha talk English?"

Maria was devastated. The celebration was ruined. She told the class she never go to a restaurant again. After we spoke of his disappointment, we resumed our lesson on Word Stress. Maria learned that there is one and only one, "stressed" syllable in a word. She learned that stressed syllables are higher, longer and higher than other syllables, and if the word stress is lacking or at the wrong site, native does not understand what is being said, no matter how perfect the individual sounds are pronounced. At the end of the day Maria stood up and shouted, "PE may EN knish!" She understood the lesson - and the division that occurred in the restaurant the day before.

Monday morning Maria jump into the classroom, her cheerful, energetic self again. All noticed. How was your weekend? In her cute Spanish accent, with his hand on her hip and her finger wagging Maria filled us in. "Yeast day, I go back to data restrant, I see data lady and I say to her - I want to pecan Danish, one she puts me. "

The audience went wild. As her classmates' clapping and cheering died down, she made a graceful curtsey before taking her place. I only have a clue of the courage it took for her to go back and face, as a waitress, but her triumph over the word stress and restaurants was a triumph for us all.

The Lesson: English is a stress-based language

Most language is sound-based, where each letter represents a different sound, and each syllable is equally important. When the East Indians, Arabs or Asians speak, they sound like sewing machines for English speakers. Mother tongue can not hear the "stress" because there is no (other than anxiety everyone feels about not being able to understand what is happening). Word stress works differently in Spanish, French and German than in English. "Zen French have zed emphasis on zed deferent syllable" - again charm.

Word stress is so important in English, where stress is moved around, the word changes meaning.

Produce is a noun means fruit and vegetables, and produce is a verb, meaning to produce. Content is a noun for what is inside something and content means happy.

There is little evidence of how a word will sound from its spelling, but its context, or words about it, can often give a clue.

Rule of thumb

80% of two-syllable nouns have stress on the first syllable.

Teacher, student, medical, ruler, Coffee, Angel, People, paper, pencils, sugar, orange...

Conversely, most two-syllable verbs have stress on the second syllable.

Enjoy, think surprise, DELAY, employ, relax, conserve, Embrace, support...

For words longer than two syllables, sorry, you're on your own.

Hospital, Triangle, banana, position, Mandarin, engineer

Summary

The English meaning is not in the production of individual sounds, but in finding the correct syllable to express higher, farther and higher than the rest of the word.

ESL students can stop worrying about their accents. Accents do not prevent ESL students from being understood, and native English speakers find them charming.

Students must create a focus on successful implicit.

English is Stupid is the ultimate resource guide for spoken English in both the academic and corporate speaking world.

Whether you are learning it, teaching it, or English is your first language, English is Stupid gives a fascinating expose of the way, how Spoken English works. Six rules of spoken English are simple and absolute. English is Stupid is fascinating to those who are native English speakers and critical to those who are not.