Accent Neutralization

Activity:
Read the following statements using the rising intonation. How
does it sound?
Your email client has not been set up yet.
You have a splat on your NIC.
You have a home network.
The yellow one is your Ethernet cable.

What is Intonation?
Intonation is the "music", the rhythm of a
language. Intonation is about how we say things,
rather than what we say. Without intonation, it's
impossible to understand the emotions and
feelings that go with words.

Intonation
Rising Intonation Close-ended Questions
Yes or No Tag Questions
Tag Questions that show uncertainty

Falling Intonation Statements and

Open-ended Questions
Imperatives
Factual Questions
Tag Questions that confirm

Intonation
When we are in technical support, we have to sound authoritative.
When should we use the rising intonation? The dropping intonation?
Which intonation makes us sound confident and knowledgeable
We use the appropriate intonation to avoid confusing our customer and to
get the right message across.
Linking, reducing and liaising are some ways native English speakers employ
to make words and phrases easier to pronounce

Accent Neutralization: Liaisons

Activity:
Read the following :

Would you
Could you
Didnt you
Dont you

Accent Neutralization
d+y=j
So that would you is said as wouldju
And could you as couldju

t + y = ch
so that dont you sounds like donchoo
And didnt you sounds like dincho

The Y vowel link

words are often linked together in natural spoken English
there are several types of linking but we'll focus on the Y link

Activity: Read the following using Sound Combinations.

Would you
Could you
Didnt you
Dont you
wouldn't you
won't you
don't you
didn't you
can't you

Activity: Read the following using Sound Combinations.

Y-link

he is
i am
they are
the boy is

Time Warner Cable

Activity: Say the following using Sound Combinations.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Would you want me to help you reset your password?

Could you ping the Bigpond website?
Did you call regarding the same issue yesterday?
Should you encounter the same issue, all you have to do is re-seat your
cable.
I had your account information on my system a while ago.
Your account status can be accessed online
Nearly everyone in your area is affected by the outage
Many busy Australians do their shopping online
You'll be safer by insuring that your anti-virus is always up to date.

Time Warner Cable

Accent Neutralization:

Activity:
One agent (A) reads a word aloud and Agent (B)
determines whether it is 'short' or 'long'.
sit----------seat
bid---------bead
bin---------bean
bit---------beat
bitch-------beech
brim-------bream
chick-------cheek
chip--------cheap

Accent Neutralization

Catches
Dates
Dials
Dodges
Mops
laughs
Loves
Loses
Cooks
Cares

Activity: Read the following statements and pay close

attention to the word endings.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Firewalls sometimes limit your browsing capacity

Brian always craves snack food in the evening
They say music soothes the soul
George really embraces all sorts of innovation
It terrifies me to think hell be the new director
He really roughs it when he goes camping
That really fazes me not in the least.

Accent Neutralization:

Quick guide to the T

Rule #1: T at the beginning of a word is popped

With a stressed T and ST, TS, TR, CT, LT and sometimes NT combinations:
They control the contents.
In the past tense, D sounds like T, after an unvoiced
consonant sound f, k, p, s, ch, sh, th (but not T).
picked [pikt], hoped [houpt], raced [rast], watched [wcht]

 Quick guide to the T

Rule #2: T is T, a clear popped sound In a stressed syllable

intend, intension, interest, intonation

 Quick guide to the T

Rule #3. Middle of the word T is a soft D.
Water, daughter, bought a, caught a, lot of, got a,
later, meeting, better

Quick guide to the T

Rule #4: T after an N is silent
interview [innerview]
international [innernational]
advantage [dvn'j]
percentage [percen'j]

 Quick guide to the T

Rule #5: If the T is at the end of a word, you almost don't

hear it at all.

put, what, lot, set, hot, sit, shot, brought.

That's quite right, isn't it?

 Quick guide to the T

Rule #6. T or TT, and D or DD are held, ( not pronounced with a
sharp burst of air) when they are at the bottom of the
staircase - at the end of the word :
bought [ba(t)], hut,, hat, Pat, right, wasnt, net

Exercise: The T Application Exercises

Werent you able to connect to the internet at all for a week
now?
Let me assist you.
Let me transfer you.
We can electronically access your billing information.
They could only restore your connection after you pay off
your remaining balance
Your browser will work better if you clear cookies.
Nearly everyone in your area is affected by the outage

Exercise: The T Application Exercises

Hi, this is NAMEHow may I help you today?
I can definitely help you with that. May I please have your phone
number to pull up your account? I have several security questions
to ask and then we can begin troubleshooting your issue. Feel free
to ask questions along the way.
Click on Start.
What is your modem?
Do you have a router or home network installed?
Is your computer on right now?

Accent Neutralization:

The ed Sound

Quick guide to ed

Add an extra syllable id to verbs that end with t and d (waited, handed)
For all other endings drop the vowel sound on the ed ending (talked,
razed)
k p f and s are called voiceless sounds, when a verb ends with on of
these sounds, that unvoiced sound must be also followed by the
unvoiced t sound (hooked, hoped, huffed, tossed)

 Quick guide to ed
Sh and ch are also voiceless sounds (matched, washed)
All other consonants are voiced
The ed endings for verbs that end with voiced consonants has a d
sound.
( razed, robbed, moved)
So do all the verbs that end with a vowel sound (Played, glued, side)