WORKSHOP: Assimilation: Viva la Vida! By Lic.

Ana Irazbal

Abstract: En el presente taller se trabajar con diversas formas de asimilacin fonolgica a travs de la cancin Viva la Vida (cancin en ingls) de Coldplay. El objetivo es que los alumnos descubran los distintos casos de asimilacin al escuchar la cancin y luego puedan deducir las reglas que conllevan al cambio del fonema a travs de los ejemplos presentes en la misma. En primera instancia, los asistentes recibirn una copia de la transcripcin fonolgica de la cancin, con espacios en blanco para completar mientras escuchan. Se les pedir a los alumnos que transcriban la palabra tal como la escuchan, sin dejarse llevar por la ortografa. Luego de comparar sus versiones con compaeros, se har una puesta en comn, solicitando a distintos voluntarios que transcriban las palabras escuchadas en un pster diseado para la ocasin. En el mismo se encontrar el espacio en blanco seguido de la palabra correspondiente segn la letra de la cancin. A continuacin, el docente guiar a los alumnos, agrupando los ejemplos de asimilacin de manera tal que ellos puedan deducir y sistematizar la regla correspondiente. En esta primera actividad todos los ejemplos corresponden a casos de asimilacin regresiva que afecta el lugar de articulacin. Se proceder luego a clasificar los distintos casos de asimilacin y ejemplificar con extractos de diversas canciones. En este caso, los alumnos tendrn las letras de las canciones y ellos debern debatir donde pueden encontrar los casos de asimilacin. Finalmente se escucharn los extractos para corroborar las predicciones de los alumnos.

Teachers sheet: 1) First, give students some minutes to go through stanzas 1 and 2 and see if they can identify the song. Sts will only have the transcribed version (see students sheet below). /a just t rul wld / /siz wd raz wen a ev wd / /na n mn a slip ln / /swip strits a just tu n / /a just t rl das / / fil fr n ma enmiz az / /lsn z krad wd s / /na ld k z ded / l lv k / /__________ mnt a held ki/ /nekst wlz w klzd n mi / /nd a dskvd ________ ma kslz stnd / /__________ plz v slt _____ plz v snd / /a h druslm belz r / /__________ kvlri kwaz s / /bi ma mr ma sd nd ild / /ma mnrz n frn fild / /f sm rizn a k nt ksplen / /wns ju e wz nev / /nevr n nst wd / /nd ___________ wz wen a ruld wld / /_______ wz wkd nd wald wnd / / blu dan dz t _________ mi n / /td wndz nd sand v drmz / /pipl __________ bliv wt _______ bkm / /revlunrz wet / /f ma hed n slv plet / /dst ppt n lnli str / / hu wd ev wnt t bi k / /a h druslm belz r / /__________ kvlri kwaz s / /bi ma mr ma sd nd ild / /ma mnrz n frn fild / /f sm rizn a k nt ksplen / /a n __________ pit _________ kl ma nem/ /nevr n nst wd / /bt ___________ wz wen a ruld wld /
I used to rule the world Seas would rise when I gave the word Now in the morning I sleep alone Sweep the streets I used to own I used to roll the dice Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes Listen as the crowd would sing "Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!" One minute I held the key Next the walls were closed on me And I discovered that my castles stand Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing Roman Cavalry choirs are singing Be my mirror, my sword and shield My missionaries in a foreign field For some reason I can't explain Once you go there was never Never an honest word And that was when I ruled the world It was the wicked and wild wind Blew down the doors to let me in Shattered windows and the sound of drums People couldn't believe what I'd become Revolutionaries wait For my head on a silver plate Just a puppet on a lonely string Oh who would ever want to be king? I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing Roman Cavalry choirs are singing Be my mirror, my sword and shield My missionaries in a foreign field For some reason I can't explain I know Saint Peter won't call my name Never an honest word

But that was when I ruled the world

2) Play the song; sts fill in the blanks with the transcription of the missing words. 3) Sts check their versions in pairs 4) Correction activity: volunteers come to the bb and write the words in phonetics script. Well write the different versions suggested and then listen again and check. If nobody suggests a version with assimilation, play that part again and say sth like, Are you sure you hear a /n/? or whatever. 5) Elicitation: why do you think this phenomenom/process takes place? Look at the different examples and try to elicit some rules: eg, voiceless alveolar plosive /t/ changes to voiceless bilabial plosive /p/ under the influence of bilabials / m / / b / / p / or / w /. 6) Sistematization: a) OK, so lets see which sounds change to which sounds under the influence of which sounds. Look back at examples and copy on bb (leave some room between the lines to complete later) / n / changes to / m / before / m / / b / / p/ or /w/ voiced voiced alveolar bilabial bilabials nasal nasal / t / changes to / p / voiceless voiceless alveolar bilabial plosive plosive / d / changes to / b / voiced voiced alveolar bilabial plosive plosive before / m / / b / / p / or / w/ bilabials before /m / / b / / p / or /w / bilabials

So, which are the sounds that are affected by the process of assimilation? (ALVEOLARS) b) Now, lets classify these sounds. (Use the space provided to go through the classification of sounds with sts, and copy the words in italics, as above) So, which is the only feature of the sound which changes? (PLACE OF ARTICULATION) And what do all these sounds have in common? (THEYRE ALL BILABIALS) c) Sts complete the first part of the following chart. / t / changes to / p / / d / changes to / b / / n / changes to / m / / t / changes to / k / / d / changes to / g/ / n / changes to //
No se los voy a dar

EXAMPLES before bilabials / m / / b / / p / or / w /

before velars / k / or /g /

/ s / changes to / / / z / changes to / /

When followed by plato alveolars / /, / /, /t/, /d / or /j/

7) Classification of assimilation: a) Historical (has to do with the passing of time: words whose pronunciations have evolved to the way theyre pronounced nowadays) eg: soldier vs contextual (has to do with the context: all the ones weve seen) b) Regressive (the 2nd sound affects the previous one: all the ones weve seen ) vs Progressive (the 1st sound affects the 2nd one: not very common) eg happen /hpm/, ribbon /rbm/, can (in its weak form) /k/ c) The affected feature: Affecting place of articulation (all the ones weve seen) Affectiving voice (some phoneticians prefer to talk about devoicing, and not of phonemic change): of course / f k s / , with cold hands / w kld hnd / Affectiving manner (it exists but it is not standard) eg let me / lem mi /, good morning /gm mn/ 8) PRACTICE: Give sts the following extracts from different songs to analyse in pairs (see students sheet; activity 3, below). They try to find cases of assimilation. Then listen, check and discuss. Assimilation is not heard in all the possible options given. Remember this is a process that depends on the speakers choice.

Activity 1: Listen and fill in the blanks by transcribing the missing words, exactly as you hear them.

STUDENTS SHEET

/a just t rul wld / /siz wd raz wen a ev wd /

/na n mn a slip ln / /swip strits a just tu n / /a just t rl das / / fil fr n ma enmiz az / /lsn z krad wd s / /na ld k z ded / l lv k / /__________ mnt a held ki/ /nekst wlz w klzd n mi / /nd a dskvd ________ ma kslz stnd / /__________ plz v slt _____ plz v snd / /a h d ruslm belz r / /__________ kvlri kwaz s / /bi ma mr ma sd nd ild / /ma mnrz n frn fild / /f sm rizn a knt ksplen / /wns ju e wz nev / /nevr n nst wd / /nd ___________ wz wen a ruld wld / /_______ wz wkd nd wald wnd / / blu dan dz t _________ mi n / /td wndz nd sand v drmz / /pipl __________ bliv wt _______ bkm / /revlunrz wet / /f ma hed n slv plet / /d ppt n lnli str / st / hu wd ev wnt t bi k / /a h d ruslm belz r / /__________ kvlri kwaz s / /bi ma mr ma sd nd ild / /ma mnrz n frn fild / /f sm rizn a knt ksplen / /a n __________ pit _________ kl ma nem/ /nevr n nst wd / /bt ___________ wz wen a ruld wld / Activity 2 / t / changes to / p / / d / changes to / b / / n / changes to / m / / t / changes to / k / / d / changes to / g/ / n / changes to //
No se los voy a dar

EXAMPLES before bilabials / m / / b / / p / or / w /

before velars / k / or /g /

/ s / changes to / /

When followed by

/ z / changes to / /

plato alveolars / /, / /, /t/, /d / or /j/

Activity 3 Mark all the possible assimilations in the folowing extracts: -1I get kind of dark Let it go too far I can be obnoxious at times But try and see my heart Cause I need you now So dont let me down Youre the only thing in this world I would die without -4The world is closing in

-2Dont call my name. Dont call my name, Alejandro. Im not your babe. Im not your babe, Fernando. Dont wanna kiss, dont wanna touch. Just smoke my cigarette and hush. Dont call my name Dont call my name, Roberto.

-3My loneliness Is killing me (and I) I must confess I still believe (still believe) When Im not with you I lose my mind Give me a sign Hit me baby one more time

-5The teenage queen, the loaded gun; The drop dead dream, the Chosen One

-6As you leave me please would you

Did you ever think That we could be so close, Like brothers The wind of change Blows straight into the face of time Like a storm wind that will ring The freedom bell for peace of mind Let your balalaika sing What my guitar wants to say

A southern drawl, a world unseen; A city wall and a trampoline. Oh well I dont mind, if you dont mind cause I dont shine if you dont shine Before you jump, Tell me what you find When you read my mind

close he door And dont forget what I told you Just cause youre right- that dont mean Im wrong Another shoulder to cry upon I just wanna use your love tonight I dont wanna lose your love tonight Yeah I just wanna use your love tonight I dont wanna lose your love tonight

-7Yeah, its plain to see That baby youre beautiful And theres nothing wrong with you Its me, Im a freak But thanks for loving me Cause youre doing perfectly There might have been a time When I would let you slip away I wouldnt even try But I think you could save my life Just dont give up I am working it out Please dont give in I wont let you down It messed me up Need a second to breathe Just keep coming around Hey, what do you want from me?

-8Come stop your crying You will be alright Just take my hand, hold it tight. I will protect you from all around you, I will be here, dont you cry. For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you keep you safe and warm, This bond between us cant be broken, I will be here, dont you cry. Cos youll be in my heart, Yes, youll be in my heart, from this on Now and forever more

-9You always taught me right from wrong I need your help, daddy please be strong I may be young at heart But I know what Im saying The one you warned me all about The one you said I could do without Were in an awful mess, and I dont mean maybe- please Papa dont preach, Im in trouble deep Papa dont preach, Ive been losing sleep But I made up my mind, Im keeping my baby, oh