This issue is mitigated if one consistantly reminds ESL students to "slow down" when speaking in English to make sure they get all of the sounds said.  I find if students try to speak English with the speed they speak their own ... I have a problem understanding them, and if I, who am used to listening to non-native speakers, have a problem understanding them, others will too. 
 
 I also suggest to them that if they speak slowly and clearly, those they are talking to will respond in kind, thus helping them understand what is being said to them.  I've had many students tell me that it works.  
 
I  demonstrate the reduced pronunctiation of want to, wanna; going to, gonna, etc. and advise them to NOT speak that way .. because it will make it more difficult for others to understand them.  And I try  to model slow and clear speaking in class, asking students to signal me when I'm speaking too fast for them to understand me clearly.  It works.  
 

________________________________

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Bonnita Solberg
Sent: Thu 1/11/2007 8:20 PM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 988] Re: a method of teaching pronunciation


The "t" sound in front of "a" (without saying "wanna") in the sentence "I want a shirt" is not loud and clear in American English, but is loud and clear in British English.  It becomes, " I wan a shirt" in American English, with a slight hiatuse at the "n" before "shirt", a stop insted of pronouncing the "t".  In the sentence, "I washed a shirt", the sound is still a "t".  To make the "ed" sound as "d" is a feat of the tongue that I cannot perform without accentuating the "d" sound into a contortion of American English pronunciation.  Bonnita


Tom Zurinskas <truespel at hotmail.com> wrote:


	Problem comes in sentences. If you say "I want a shirt" the "t" is loud and 
	clear in front of the word "a" (Unless it's said "wanna"). But if you say 
	"I washed a shirt", it's "d" not "t" in front of the word "a".
	
	Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL4+
	See truespel.com and the 4 truespel books at authorhouse.com.
	
	
	
	
	
	>From: "Nicole Graves" 
	>Reply-To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion 
	>List
	>To: "The Adult English Language Learners Discussion 
	>List"
	>Subject: [EnglishLanguage 981] Re: a method of teaching pronunciation
	>Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 16:54:23 -0500
	>
	>The last sound in "wash" before the ed is added is a [sh] sound which is
	>voiceless. Following a voiceless final sound before the past ending, the
	>[t] is produced. This is not a question of accent, it is an actual rule
	>that you can find in pronunciation books.
	>
	>Nicole
	>----- Original Message -----
	>From: "Tom Zurinskas" 
	>To: ; 
	>Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 9:57 PM
	>Subject: [EnglishLanguage 970] Re: a method of teaching pronunciation
	>
	>
	> > This probably is not the place for linguistic haggles, but I do take 
	>issue
	> > with the idea that the ending d is pronounced as t as shown below. It 
	>may
	> > be true of some accents, but I still think it is a d. The tongue is
	> > behind
	> > the top gums (alveolar ridge) for an ending "d" and this is typical for 
	>an
	> > ending d. For a t it's behind the teeth.
	> >
	> > There is some linguistic theory that a "d" is voiced. So if the sound
	> > made
	> > at the end of a word (say "washed") is not voiced, it must be a "t". I
	> > don't agree with that either. I believe a "d" is unvoiced followed
	> > quickly
	> > by voice, but the plosive part (which is the d) is not voiced. Aslo, 
	>the
	> > "d" at the end of a word is said with tongue behind top gums and is not
	> > voiced.
	> >
	> > Accents will vary, but if you say that plosive sound (at the end of
	> > "washed") with tongue behind top gums and without the aspiration that
	> > comes
	> > with a t (behind the teeth), then you're saying a d not a t.
	> >
	> > I'll gladly take this up with linguists in another forum. Where shall 
	>we
	> > go.
	> >
	> > Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL4+
	> > See truespel.com and the 4 truespel books at authorhouse.com.
	> >
	> >
	> >
	> >
	> >
	> >>From: Paul Rogers 
	> >>Reply-To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion
	> >>List
	> >>To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion
	> >>List
	> >>Subject: [EnglishLanguage 964] a method of teaching pronunciation
	> >>Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 09:08:46 -0800 (PST)
	> >>
	> >> My method of teaching ESL focuses on pronunciation from the first
	> >>class. I have observed that when a student feels comfortable pronouncing
	> >>English, then she or he is able to advance with confidence. Also, if a
	> >>student cannot pronounce words with relative ease, that student cannot
	> >>understand spoken English very well either.
	> >> And my method is step-by-step as in building a house. Each lesson
	> >> leads
	> >>to or reinforces the next.Pronunciation is the foundation.
	> >> For example, Beginning students:
	> >> First Lesson
	> >>1. The alphabet
	> >>2. Demonstration of the pronunciation of g, j, and v using a lot of 
	>humor.
	> >> 3. Repetition of the alphabet out loud by the class.
	> >>4. Spelling out loud. Each student must spell her or his name out loud 
	>in
	> >>English, and, depending, the names of family members.
	> >> Second Lesson
	> >>1. The numbers up to one million.
	> >>2. Pronunciation of short u ("numbers"), th (three, thirteen), short i
	> >>(six), silent e at end of word (five, nine), etc.
	> >>3. Simple practice. How much is ...1 and 1, 2 and 1, telling time, etc.
	> >>4. All students take turns reading a dialogue out loud.
	> >> Other Lessons
	> >>Greetings
	> >>Pronunciation of h (Hello), use of "you" etc.
	> >>Note: I use "reminders" constantly in my classes, especially with g, j,
	> >>short I, and th.
	> >>Class participation reading dialogues out loud.
	> >>
	> >> I have also designed a series of exercises to help students 
	>learn
	> >>the differentiation between short i and ee, j and y, th and t, and v and
	> >>b.
	> >>These exercises are done in a contest format.
	> >> Within a month, most of my students get a good grasp of 
	>pronunciation
	> >>and a working vocabulary.
	> >> All of my students receive a textbook I have written plus an audio
	> >> cd
	> >>that accompanies the text. Usually I work in a computer lab setting so
	> >>that
	> >>half the class can use PUMAROSA.
	> >> Below is a lesson I use to teach the pronunciation of the past
	> >>tense which is contained in my grammar workbook.
	> >> LA PRONUNCIACION DEL PASADO
	> >>El tiempo pasado de los verbos tienen la terminaciòn de "D" o "ED", y 
	>hay
	> >>tres pronunciaciones.
	> >>1. Con el sonido de "T" A los verbos que terminan en su forma bàsica con
	> >>las letras "k," "p," "ss," "..ace," "sh" y "ff" (y las palabras que 
	>tienen
	> >>el sonido de "ff," como "laugh" - reirse, y "cough" - toser), - la
	> >>pronunciaciòn de la "-ed" en su forma pasado es "T."
	> >>Ejemplos:
	> >>"helped" se pronuncia "helpt"
	> >>"talked" se pronuncia "takt"
	> >>Las más comunes:
	> >>ached = aekt
	> >>asked = aeskt
	> >>cooked = kukt
	> >>jumped = jampt
	> >>looked = lukt
	> >>stopped = stapt
	> >>walked = iualkt
	> >>washed = iuasht
	> >>watched. = iatcht
	> >>worked = iuirkt
	> >>2. "ED"
	> >>A los verbos que terminan con los sonidos "d" o "t" en su forma bàsica, 
	>su
	> >>forma pasada se pronuncia "ED."
	> >>Ejemplos:
	> >>"sounded" se pronuncia "saund-ed"
	> >>"constructed" se pronuncia "construct - ed"
	> >>otros: acted demanded demonstrated divided exploded voted NOTA: Este 
	>grupo
	> >>de palabras tambien contiene muchos cognados, o palabras que estàn
	> >>parecidas o iguales en inglès y español.
	> >>3. "D"
	> >>Con los demas verbos, su terminaciòn en el pasado se pronuncia "D," asi:
	> >>"lived" se pronuncia "livd" "learned" se pronuncia "lernd"
	> >>Otras: Copied Defined Described Employed Explained Played Remembered
	> >>*Usa el diccionario para traducirlos; solamente quita la "d" o "ed."
	> >>
	> >>
	> >>---------------------------------
	> >>Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
	> >
	> >
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