Transcription exercises (phonology)

We will proceed in four steps: Week 1: From symbols to words Week 3: Stress and sentences Week 4: Speech and text transcription practice... Week 1: From symbols to words Learning to

A 8:15-9:00 on April 24, May 8, May 29, June 5

B 9:00-9:45 on April 24, May 8, May 29, June 5

C 8:15-9:00 on June 12, June 19, June 26, July 3

D 9:00-9:45 on June 12, June 19, June 26, July 3

The following pages contain the exercises we will do together in class, plus extensive homework, since practice is essential to mastering transcription

We will proceed in four steps:

Week 1: From symbols to words

Week 3: Stress and sentences

Week 4: Speech and text transcription practice

Week 1: From symbols to words

Learning to transcribe: Why?

Same spelling, different sound: Same sound, different spelling:

VOWELS

/H/ fill /dH/ fail (GA also possible: /e/)

/e/ fell (RP) /NH/ foil

Task 1: Transcribe your name in English pronunciation!

Task 2: Solve the following questions:

1 What is the last sound in ash?

2 What is the first sound in write?

3 What is the first sound in hour?

4 What is the second consonant in calm?

5 What is the last sound in climb?

6 What is the first sound in knight?

Task 3: Transcribe the following easy words:

HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 2

Task 4: Solve the following questions:

1 What is the first sound in pint?

2 What is the last sound in picnic?

3 What is the first sound in year?

4 What is the second consonant in lobby?

5 What is the last sound in calf?

6 What is the first sound in mother?

7 What is the consonant in easy?

8 What is the first (double) sound in jungle?

9 What is the last sound in bottle?

10 What is the second consonant in fussy?

11 What is the first sound in doom?

12 What is the last sound in sing?

13 What is the first sound in this?

14 What is the first consonant in awake?

15 What is the second consonant in adventure?

16 What is the last sound in right?

17 What is the first sound in genre?

18 What is the first consonant in author?

19 What is the first sound in giggle?

20 What is the first sound in house?

21 What is the middle sound in any?

22 What is the second consonant in through?

23 What is the vowel in far?

24 What is the vowel in knit?

25 What is the first sound in alive?

26 What is the vowel in bird?

27 What is the vowel in kettle?

28 What is the first sound in up?

29 What is the vowel in house?

30 What is the last sound in zoo?

31 What is the vowel in court?

32 What is the last sound in hay?

33 What is the vowel in choice?

34 What is the vowel in good?

35 What is the vowel in price?

36 What is the vowel in bee?

37 What is the vowel in bank?

38 What is the third consonant in president?

Task 5: Transcribe the following easy words

Week 2: Troublesome words

Some helpful rules for transcription:

1 The pronunciation of the past tense / past participle morpheme:

/s/ after voiceless sounds (laughed)

/c/ after voiced sounds (sobbed)

2 The pronunciation of the plural / genitive / 3rd person sg

morpheme:

/Hy/ after /r,y,R,Y,sR,cY/ (kisses, rises, Jaz’s)

/s/ after voiceless sounds (months, takes, Pete’s) /y/ after voiced sounds (bars, lives, Ed’s)

3 Pronouncing <r> in RP:

/¢/ is pronounced only in onset position! Coda <r> is only

pronounced if a vowel follows (linking /¢/)

Task 6: Transcribe the following consonant trouble words

HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 3

Task 8: Transcribe the following consonant trouble words

Week 3: Stress and sentences

Stress marks:

Stress marks appear before the syllable that they mark as stressed The stress mark at the top of the line marks primary stress, at the bottom of the line secondary stress

Weak and strong forms (sentence stress):

Stress does not only apply on the word level (stressed and unstressed syllables within a word), but also on the sentence level Within connected speech, lexical words are usually stressed as they would be when said on their own Function words, on the other hands, are unstressed and therefore appear in a reduced, a weak form

Example sentence:

Jim has ordered a pint of beer

!cYHl g?y !N9(¢)c?(¢)c ? !o`Hms ?u !aH?/aH¢

Task 12: Transcribe the following sentences Be sure to give function

words their weak forms, unless they are emphasised!

1 I was lost

2 We were walking

3 I know that

4 I know that it’s great

Frequent function words and their weak forms:

HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 4

Task 13: Transcribe the following sentences Be sure to give function

words their weak forms, unless they are emphasised!

1 This is an apple

2 This is the city

3 I like Bill and Ann

4 He’s as good as you

5 It’s larger than life

6 I like them

7 We’re at home

8 This is for Jim

9 She’s from Germany

10 It’s one of a kind

11 I want to go

12 I want to answer

13 You can do it

Task 14: Transcribe the following text If you want to do this under

exam conditions, you should take no longer than twenty-five minutes In order to pass, you should have no more than twenty errors

Somewhere behind the grey clouds the sun must have gone down, for it began to get dark as they went down into a deep valley with a river at the bottom Wind got up, and willows along its banks bent and sighed Fortunately the road went over an ancient stone bridge, because the river, swollen with the rains, came rushing down from the hills and mountains in the north It was nearly night when they had crossed over

(adapted from J.R.R Tolkien: The Hobbit)

Week 4: Transcribing speech

Transcribing speech:

When transcribing authentic speech, you do not transcribe the sounds as you think they should be, but as you hear them It is therefore essential to listen closely!

Processes of connected speech:

In connected speech, sounds may influence each other (assimilation) For instance, nine pigs, spoken quickly, will sound like /m`HloHfy/ instead of /m`Hm oHfy/ Also, sounds may get lost in connected speech (elision) For instance, perhaps is often pronounced /ohzor/ instead of /p?(¢)gzor/ If assimilation or elision is present in a stretch of speech you listen to, it also needs to be transcribed – exactly as the speaker said it

Task 15: Listen to me speaking a short text and transcribe As a help,

you have the orthographic transcription

What is a hobbit? I suppose hobbits need

some description nowadays, since they have

become rare and shy of the Big People, as

they call us

FURTHER TEXTS for practising transcription

High above the North Pole, two professors of English literature approached each other at a combined velocity of one thousand miles per hour They were protected from the thin, cold air by the pressurized cabins of two planes, and from the risk of collision by the prudent arrangement of the international air corridors Although they had never met, the two men were known to each other by name They were, in fact, in the process of exchanging posts for the next six months

Adapted from: David Lodge, Changing Places

It was one o’clock in the morning Harry’s stomach gave a funny jolt He had been thirteen years old, without realising it, for a whole hour Another unusual and uncommon thing about Harry was how little he looked forward to his birthdays He’d never received a birthday card in his life Harry walked across the dark room to the open window He leaned

on the sill, the cool night air very pleasant on his face after a long time under the blankets

Adapted from: J.K Rowling Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Twenty minutes later he set off on the wide grassy track There were stretches where it was possible to see open fields through the trees In other places the way veered deeper into the wood and narrowed to little more than a footpath His ignorance of the names of trees and plants heightened his impression of their beauty In one place open to the sky there was a crop

of purple flowers, in another, darker spot, the whiff of garlic

Adapted from: Ian McEwan, The Child in Time

SOLUTIONS TO TASKS

Task 2: Solve the following questions:

1 What is the last sound in ash? /R/

2 What is the first sound in write? /¢/

3 What is the first sound in hour? /`T/

4 What is the second consonant in calm? /l/

5 What is the last sound in climb? /l/

6 What is the first sound in knight? /m/

Task 4: Solve the following questions:

1 What is the first sound in pint? /o/

2 What is the last sound in picnic? /j/

3 What is the first sound in year? /i/

4 What is the second consonant in lobby? /a/

5 What is the last sound in calf? /e/

6 What is the first sound in mother? /l/

7 What is the consonant in easy? /y/

8 What is the first (double) sound in jungle? /cY/

9 What is the last sound in bottle? /k/

10 What is the second consonant in fussy? /r/

11 What is the first sound in doom? /c/

12 What is the last sound in sing? /M/

13 What is the first sound in this? /C/

14 What is the first consonant in awake? /v/

15 What is the second consonant in adventure? /u/

16 What is the last sound in right? /s/

17 What is the first sound in genre? /Y/

18 What is the first consonant in author? /S/

19 What is the first sound in giggle? /f/

20 What is the first sound in house? /h/

21 What is the middle sound in any? /m/

22 What is the second consonant in through? /¢/

25 What is the first sound in alive? /?/

26 What is the vowel in bird? /29/

27 What is the vowel in kettle? /d/ (RP), /D/ (GA)

28 What is the first sound in up? /U/

29 What is the vowel in house? /`T/

30 What is the last sound in zoo? /t9/

31 What is the vowel in court? /N9/

32 What is the last sound in hay? /dH/

33 What is the vowel in choice? /NH/

34 What is the vowel in good? /T/

35 What is the vowel in price? /`H/

37 What is the vowel in bank? /z/

38 What is the third consonant in president? /y/

15 fond /ePmc/ /e@9mc/

Task 10: Transcribe the following ‘advanced’ words

1 unfortunately /UmeN9sR?m?skH/ /UmeN9¢sR?m?skH/

8 congratulations /j?mf¢zsiTkdHR(?)my/ /j?mf¢zsiTkdHR(?)my/

10 morphophonemics /lN9e?Te?mh9lHjr/ /lN9¢enTe?mh9lHjr/

14 disproportionate /cHro¢?oN9R?m?s/ /cHro¢?oN9¢R?m?s/

15 carbohydrate /j@9a?Tg`Hc¢dHs/ /j@9¢anTg`Hc¢dHs/

2 This is the city RP: /CHr Hy C? rHsH/

GA: /CHr Hy C? rHsH/

3 I like Bill and Ann RP: /`H k`Hj aHk ?mc zm/

GA: /`H k`Hj aHk ?mc zm/

4 He’s as good as you RP: /gh9y ?y fTc ?y it9/

GA: /gh9y ?y fTc ?y it9/

5 It’s larger than life RP: /Hsr k@9cY? C?m k`He/

GA: /Hsr k@9¢cY?¢ C?m k`He/

GA: /`H k`Hj C?l/

7 We’re at home RP: /vH?¢ ?s g?Tl/

GA: /vH?¢ ?s gnTl/

8 This is for Jim RP: /CHr Hy e? cYHl/

GA: /CHr Hy e?¢ cYHl/

9 She’s from Germany RP: /Rh9y e¢?l cY29l?mH/

GA: /Rh9y e¢?l cY29¢l?mH/

10 It’s one of a kind RP: /Hsr vUm ?u ? j`Hmc/

RP:

/rUlvd? aHg`Hmc C? f¢dH jk`Tcy C? rUm lUrs g?u fPm c`Tm e?¢ Hs aHfzm s? fds c@9j ?y CdH vdms c`Tm HmsT ? ch9o uzkH vHC ? ¢Hu?¢ ?s C? aPs?l vHmc fPs Uo, ?mc vHk?Ty ?kPM Hsr azMjr adms ?mc r`Hc eN9sR?m?skH C? ¢?Tc vdms ?Tu?¢ ?m dHmR?ms rs?Tm a¢HcY, aHj?y C? ¢Hu?, rv?Tk?m vHC C? ¢dHmy,

jdHl ¢URHM c`Tm e¢?l C? gHky ?mc l`Tms?my Hm C? mN9S Hs v?y mH?kH m`Hs v?m CdH g?c j¢Prs

?Tu?./

GA:

/rUlvD¢ aHg`Hmc C? f¢dH jk`Tcy C? rUm lUrs g?u f@9m c`Tm e?¢ Hs aHfzm s? fDs c@9¢j ?y CdH vDms c`Tm HmsT ? ch9o uzkH vHC ? ¢Hu?¢ ?s C? a@9s?l vHmc f@9s Uo, ?mc vHknTy ?k@9M Hsr azMjr aDms

?mc r`Hc eN9¢sR?m?skH C? ¢nTc vDms nTu?¢ ?m dHmR?ms rsnTm a¢HcY, aHj?y C? ¢Hu?¢, rvnTk?m vHC C?

¢dHmy, jdHl ¢URHM c`Tm e¢?l C? gHky ?mc l`Tms?my Hm C? mN9¢S Hs v?y mH¢kH m`Hs v?m CdH g?c j¢@9rs nTu?¢./

Task 15: Listen to me speaking a short text and transcribe As a help, you have the orthographic transcription

/!vPs Hy !dH !gPaHs !`H r?!o?Ty !gPaHsr !mh9c r?l cHr!j¢HoRm !m`T?cdHy rHmr CdHu aH!jUl !¢d? ?m !R`H

?u C? !aHf !oh9ok ?y CdH !jN9k !Ur/

?u HjrsRdHmcYHM o?Trsr e? C? mdjrs rHjr lUmSr/

GA:

/g`H ?aUu C? mN9¢S onTk st9 o¢?eDr?¢y ?u HMfkHR kHs¢?sR?¢ ?o¢nTsRs h9sR UC?¢ ?s ? j?la`Hmc u?k@9rHsH

?u vUm S`Tymc l`Hky o?¢ `T¢ CdH v?¢ o¢?sDjsHc e¢?l C? SHm jnTkc D¢ a`H C? o¢DR?¢`Hyc jzaHmy

?u st9 okdHmy ?mc e¢?l C? ¢Hrj ?u j?kHYm a`H C? o¢t9cms ?¢dHmYl?ms ?u CH Hm?¢mzRm?k D¢

jN9¢HcN9¢y @9kCnT CdH g?c mDu?¢ lDs C? st9 lDm v?¢ mnTm sT h9sR UC?¢ a`H mdHl CdH v29¢ Hm ezjs

Hm C? o¢@9rDr ?u HjrsRdHmcYHM onTrsr e?¢ C? mDjrs rHjr lUmSr/

¢t9l s? CH ?To?m vHmc?T gH kh9mc Pm C? rHk C? jt9k m`Hs d? ud¢H okdyms Pm gHy edHr ? kPM s`Hl Umc? C? akzMj?sr/

GA:

/Hs v?y vUm ?jk@9j Hm C? lN9¢mHM gD¢Hy rsUl?j fdHu ? eUmH cYnTks gH g?c aHm S29¢sh9m iH¢y nTkc vHC`Ts ¢H?k`HyHM Hs e?¢ ? gnTk `T¢ ?mUC?¢ Umit9YT?k ?mc Umj@9l?m SHM ?a`Ts gD¢H v?y g`T kHsk gH kTjs eN9¢v?¢c sT gHy a29¢ScdHy gHc mDu?¢ ¢Hrh9uc ? a29¢ScdH j@9¢c Hm gHy k`He gD¢H v@9js ?j¢@9r C? c@9¢j ¢t9l s? CH nTo?m vHmcnT gH kh9mc @9m C? rHk C? jt9k m`Hs D¢ uD¢H okDyms @9m gHy edHr ? k@9M s`Hl Umc?¢ C? akzMj?sr/

Task 18:

RP:

/svdmsH lHmHsr kdHs? gH rds Pe Pm C? v`Hc f¢@9rH s¢zj C? v? rs¢dsRHy vd?¢ Hs v?y oPrHak s? rh9

?To?m eh9kcy S¢t9 C? s¢h9y Hm UC? okdHrHy C? vdH uH?c ch9o?¢ Hms? C? vTc ?mc mz¢?Tc s? kHsk lN9 C?m ? eTso@9S gHy Hfm?¢?mr ?u C? mdHly ?u s¢h9y ?mc ok@9msr g`Hsmc gHy Hlo¢dRm ?u Cd? ait9sH Hm vUm okdHr ?To?m s? Cd rj`H C? v?y ? j¢Po ?u o29ok ek`T?y Hm ?mUC? c@9j? roPs C? vHe ?u f@9kHj/ GA:

/svDmH lHmHsr kdHs?¢ gH rDs @9e @9m C? v`Hc f¢zrH s¢zj C?¢ v?¢ rs¢DsRHy vD¢ Hs v?y o@9rHak s? rh9 nTo?m eh9kcy S¢t9 C? s¢h9y Hm UC?¢ okdHrHy C? vdH uH¢c ch9o?¢ Hms? C? vTc ?mc mD¢?Tc s? kHsk lN9¢ C?m ? eTsozS gHy Hfm?¢?mr ?u C? mdHly ?u s¢h9y ?mc okzmsr g`Hsmc gHy Hlo¢DRm ?u CD¢ ait9sH Hm vUm okdHr nTo?m s? Cd rj`H C?¢ v?y ? j¢@9o ?u o29¢ok ek`T?¢y Hm ?mUC?¢ c@9¢j?¢ ro@9s C? vHe ?u f@9¢kHj/