Be Adept:

LEVEL UP
WITH YOUR ENGLISH

LUVEE HAZEL T. CALVENTAS-AQUINO

College of Arts and Sciences,
Mariano Marcos State University

adept

Being
adept

adept
noun \a-dept, -dept, a-\
a highly skilled or well-trained person :
someone who is
adept at
something
expert<an adept at chess>

.
adept
adjective \-dept also a-dept\
very good at doing something that is
not easy
thoroughly proficient <He is adept at
fixing cars>

Source: MerriamWebster Dictionary

Adept: Our Definition, Our Goal

Articulate,
Dynamic,
Empowered
Proficient

Teachers and
School
Administrators

Importance of English proficiency

among teachers and school
administrators
The nature of communication
Sounds of English, focusing on
the problem sounds for Filipinos
Word stress
Liaisons / word linking
Nonverbal communication
Developing English proficiency

Why English? Why bother?

For centuries, people survived without

English! (At least the way it is now.)
It has not always been
THE language to learn

English: Universal Language ?

25% of the worlds people do not use
English
Often, those who do use English are the
best educated and most influential
members of their society (opinion makers)

English in the Classroom,

and Beyond
As a medium of instruction
Formal written communication
Formal speaking contexts (meetings,
ceremonies, oral presentations
General conversations with people from
the outside world

BOTTOM LINE:
We need to communicate effectively.

DEVELOPING
DESIRABLE
COMMUNICATION
SKILLS

COMMUNICATION

The Process of
Understanding
and Sharing Meaning

COMMUNICATION:
What is Involved

Communication starts with the self --how you see yourself can make a
great difference in how you
communicate
http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/LearningInnovation/MU
GUA/Documents/Governance%20Workshop
%20Material/Communication%20Skills.pdf

Dean Barnlund:
six persons are involved in every
two-person communication situation

 Communication
involves others

http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisio
ns/LearningInnovation/MUGUA/Docume
nts/Governance%20Workshop
%20Material/Communication
%20Skills.pdf

LANGUAGE

BODY LANGUAGE 70%

VERBAL LANGUAGE 30%

COMMUNICATION
O
C
N
IO
SC
S
ES
SN
U

BEHAVIOR

ATTITUDE

PERCEPTION
THE INSIDE -OUT PARADIGM OF COMMUNICATION

PERCEIVED
INADEQUACY
IN ENGLISH

LACK OF DESIRE
TO SPEAK /
FEAR

COMMUNICATION
BREAKDOWN

Appropriately
adapt
messages to
others

Listen and
respond
thoughtfully to
others

Be aware of
your
communication
with yourself
and with others

Compone
nts of
Effective
Communi
cation

Effectively use
and interpret
verbal
messages

Effectively use
and interpret
nonverbal
messages

THE
SOUNDS OF
ENGLISH

ILOKANO / TAGALOG VS
ENGLISH SOUNDS
ILOKANO /
TAGALOG
Syllable-timed
Spelling-sound
correspondence

ENGLISH
Stress-timed
No one-to-one
correspondence
between sound and
spelling

Filipinos often have problems pronouncing the English vowels

There are ten consonant sounds in English, (some of which) are not
found in (some) Philippine languages
Filipinos often substitute sounds in their own languages that very
closely resembles these English sounds

Some problem sounds for

Filipinos / Ilokanos
/p/
/f/
/b / / v/
/sh/
/ch/
/dz/
soft and hard th
Vowels: long and short
e; ; schwa ()

// vs. //
vs. /d/

think
moth
Thin
path
three
forth
Cloth
tooth
myth

- though
either
- clothing
- thy
leather
- worthy
clothe these
thus
-

- dare
den
- doubt
- doze
- ladder
- sealed
day
- dean
feared

Either I buy this toothpaste or those

toothbrushes
The Wrath of Thor breathes life into the
withering mythological writing scene.
Thinking of the thought of weather and
others.
Thomas will choose either this or that,
but neither those or these.

sh
//
Advanced English Proficiency Training
2013

The [ ] is represented by many

spellings, besides sh:
ti as in induction, fiction, motion,
portion, section
si as in pension, mansion
ss as in passion, mission, session
ci as in facial, racial, gracious,
precious
ch as in attache, mustache,
chaperone, chauffeur, chef,
chivalrous,
carte
blanche
Advanced English
Proficiency
Training
2013

sh vs. s
// vs. /s/
Advanced English Proficiency Training
the pilot run

And only the Master shall

praise us, and only the Master
shall blame; And no one shall
work for money, and no one
shall work for fame.
(Rudyard Kipling, L Envoi)
----Matrimony usually starts with
friendship, goes on to
courtship, and ends up in
battleship.

/t/
cheap

chilly

clutch

picture

chaste

launch

virtue

blotch

Ranch

righteous

stretch

Coach

/d/
Jam

jackpot

Gem

Jest

jeans

Jack

Giant

Gesture

Jag

jet

January

June

Advanced English Proficiency Training

2013

//
Beige

Sabotage

Treasure

Explosion

Protge

Usual

Camouflage

Prestige

Pleasure

Collage
Corsage
Entourage
Espionage

Lingerie
Garage
Vision
Visual

Measure
Leisure
Intrusion
Illusion

Advanced English Proficiency Training

2013

TOP OF THE
STAIRCASE
T is an aspirated t
(a strong, clear T
sound)
MIDDLE OF THE
STAIRCASE - at the beginning
of a word or in a
If the T is in the
stressed syllable
middle of the
word, /t/
BOTTOM OF becomes a
THE STAIRCASE soft /d/;
If the T is in the /t/ is silent
middle of the
word, /t/
becomes a
soft /d/

Aspirated /t/
Teache
Table
r
Studen
tack
t

Test
Traffic

Advanced English Proficiency Training

2013

*In the past tense, D

sounds like T, after an
unvoiced consonant sound
f, k, p, s, ch, sh, th (but not
T).
*With a stressed T and ST,
TS, TR, CT, LT and
sometimes NT
combinations.
Advanced English Proficiency Training
2013

/t/ is soft /d/

...if /t/ is located at the middle
of the word

Water
caught a

later

daughter

lot

bought
a
got a

of
meeting
Advanced English Proficiency Training
better
2013

/t/ when preceded and

followed by /s/

Casts
Fasts
Lasts
Jests

Priests
Insists
Lists
Mists

Toasts
Dusts
Gusts
Rusts

Advanced English Proficiency Training

2013

T disappears or is silent
after /n/ in unstressed
position
interview

international

Advantage

printout

twenty

percentage

Advanced English Proficiency Training

2013

If the T is at the end of

a word, you almost
don't hear it at all.
Put
what
brought

lot
hot
sit

Set
Shot
bat

Advanced English Proficiency Training

2013

Pronouncing the final ed sound in

verbs in the past tense

If -ed is preceded by a voiceless

consonant sound (p, k, sh, etc.)
-ed sounds as a voiceless 't'.
flapped
shocked mashed
passed
If -ed is preceded by a voiced
consonant sound (d, b, v, etc.) -ed
sounds as a voiced 'd'. Remember
that the 'e' is silent.
loved
lagged
stirred

Final -d or ed sound
If -ed is preceded by a vowel
sound (often 'ay') -ed sounds
as a voiced 'd
mooed
played
stayed
Exception: If -ed is preceded
by 't' pronounce a voiced -id.
In this case, the 'e' is
pronounced.
planted supported

/s/ is /iz/
RULE 1. If the simple /
singular form ends with the
sounds /s/, /z/, /sh/, /zh/, Ich/,
/j/, /ks/, then pronounce -s
and -es as an extra syllable
/iz/
slice ---- slices
hatch--hatches
prize ---- prizes
judge --Pronunciation of the s or es endings of nouns,
judgesdish
inch
possessives
and verbs ---- dishes
---- inches
language ----

/s/ is /z/
RULE 2. If the simple form ends with a
voiced consonant (/b/, /d/, /g/, /m/,
/n/, /ng/ or with a vowel sound, then
pronounce -s and -es as /z/: /s/
ending is /z/

robe --- robes bed --- beds

flag --- flags blame --blames
Sing --- sings spin ---- spins

s is /s/
RULE 3. If the simple form ends
with the voiceless sounds
/p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, or /th/, then
pronounce -s and -es as /s/

sleep --- sleeps

start --- starts
spike --- spikes
laugh --- laughs
month --- months

Problems with English

vowels
lack of knowledge of the
English sounds
L1 interference

Vernacular
Vernacular
Vernacular
Vernacular
Vernacular
Vernacular
Vernacular
Vernacular
Vernacular

E in BIT
I in BET
O in PUT
U in BOAT
U in BALL
E in BLACK
A in STADIUM
A in BAT
A in DOLLAR

Vernacular I in FIRM
Vernacular O in
BOTANY
Vernacular U in
CULTURE
Vernacular A in BAR
Vernacular E in
TEACHER
Vernacular I in BIT
Vernacular O in
HARBOR
Vernacular U in
CAREFUL

DRILL: VOWELS
/i/

eat, suite, retail, each, feel

/I/

it, sit, relief, itch, fill

/ eI /

ate, relate, ache, ballet

//

bury, sever, retell, etch, fell

//

at, sat, rematch, fact, flat

//

art, module, boss, online, father

/ /

up, love, zebra, family, purpose

//

law, sought, recall, broadband, falter

DRILL: VOWELS
/ OU /
/U/

oath, sole, retold, plateau, Plato

good, pull, should,

/u/

sooth, you, food, tune, blew

/ r /

early, service, firm, color, purchase

/ aI /

idea, bike, recite, design, file

/ aU /

out, hour, down, sound, foul

/ I /

soil, recoil, choice, void, enjoy

green hills
weak link
breathe quickly
eat it
quick reading
seek the sick

busy leader
sing sleepily
timid and weak
eager kids
sit on the seat
fit your feet

/ / words but mispronounced with /eI/

any
many
steady
ready
heavy
special

schedule
regular
century
twenty
pressure
attention

//
black block cat cart
hat hot

hat heart

pat pot

pat part

jab job

match March

sack sock

back bark

bad bed happy ending

man men answer the letter
sad said
than then
lad led

bad bed
tan from tennis
man men
happy ending
sad said
elegant manners
than then steady gallop
lad led
answer the letter
band bend laughter and tenderness

Schwa
spelling

atlas
distant
palace

college
illness
socket

tulip
cousin
promise

anchor
purpose
ribbon

lettuce
circus

advice
canoe
machine

escape
Dessert
Reveal

disease
divide
ignore

offend
contain
tonight

suggest
subtract
support

stress
Group
A
stress
Group
B

STRESS AND EMPHASIS

Strong and weak sounds
The schwa
Elision

average
chocolate
Mathematics
Library
Policeman
History
government

DRILL: STRESS
Read the following words with the correct stress:
necessary
interval
instincts
govern
temporary
elementary
ceremony
alleviate
made a record

tolerable
rectangle
preferable
affiliate
establish
secondary
talented
utensil
to record a song

STRESS IN CONNECTED SPEECH

CONTENT WORDS vs
GRAMMATICAL WORDS
Dogs eat bones.
The dogs eat the bones.
The lazy dogs eat the bones in the
street.

STRESS AND MEANING

I didn't say he stole the money.

I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.

LIAISONS
skip it
keep it
break it
fix it
laugh it off
hand it over
they are
may I
say it
he is
she is
we are
I am
high up
my apple
Stop pushing.
She hit two balls.
I miss Sue.
What a nice
old dog!
Call Laura right away.

COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED
WORDS
Fact
honorable
comfortable
applicable
controversy
testimony
actually
vegetable
characterize
professor
deficit
registrar
semester
cashier
voucher
margarine
prevalent
Theory
manual
Negotiate
semester
committee
condolence
distinguish
insurance
distribute
determine
percentage
establish

WHEN IN DOUBT
Check the dictionary.
Consult others.
Use another word.

FLUENCY: CURING THE VERBAL

VIRUS

Fillers
Useless
words

Brief
pause /
silence
Prepare.

DEVELOPING FLUENCY
P-R-E-P
Point
Reason
Example
Point

DEVELOPING FLUENCY
Use transitions effectively

Be aware of
your nonverbal
communication
behavior.

Be sensitive to the eye

cues.

GESTURE

Forward lean
Direct eye
contact
Unique dress
and hairstyle
Upright
posture
Smiling

IN
MODERATE
FORM
Friendly
feelings
Friendly
feelings
Creativity

WHEN
EXAGGERATE
D
Hostile feelings

Expertise; selfconfidence
Friendliness;
relaxed and
secure

Uprightness;
hostility
Making
hostility;
submissivenes

Hostile feelings
Rebelliousness

GESTURE

IN
WHEN
MODERATE EXAGGERAT
FORM
ED
Averting gaze Shyness;
Guilt;
modesty
unreliability
Knitted brow Involvement Hostility
Nodding and
reaching out
the hands
while talking

Selfconfidence

Uncertainty

PARALANGUAGE
GESTURE

Variability in
voice, pitch
rate, and
loudness

IN
WHEN
MODERATE EXAGGERAT
FORM
ED
Lively mind

Nervousness;
anxiety;
insecurity

PARALANGUAGE
Intonation:
Were you absent yesterday?
Where did you go?

PARALANGUAGE
EXERCISE
Use emphasis and intonation to
signify the different meanings
indicated.
Did Valerie get 100 in the Physics
exam?
Meanings:
Im surprised.
It must have been someone else.
Are you sure it was a 3.0?
It must have been in some other

DEVELOPING ORAL
PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH
Watch movies in English
Listen to records of spoken English
Interact with native speakers (or,
proficient non-native English
speakers)
Dont be afraid to make mistakes

Help others by:

Sharing your resources
Practicing judicious error
correction
Being a good conversation
partner