Intonation and Rhythm Patterns go a long way in carrying
the meaning across in English. You can be speaking with perfect
pronunciation, but put the stress on the wrong syllable and your
whole statement may go without being understood. Likewise with how
and where your pitch and inflections rise and fall, and the tempo-rhythms
of your speech. When you've learned to use the American pitch pattern
to call attention to the important words in your speech,
you become immediately more understandable. You can use these
techniques to give your statements a clarity of through-line
while you are developing well-focused arguments.
Intonation in Sentences
Jump
Up in Pitch on the
important word, Step Down on the words following.
Intonation Within Words
This
pattern exists in
many English words:
Jump Up on the first syllable,
Step Down on the syllables following.
Intonation Practice Scenes
Now,
it's the same pattern, basically, over and over, that Americans are used to hearing.
So when you speak it, you become more understandable,
more expressive, more interesting,
and, of course, more American sounding.
The More Pitch you use, the more Complete your expression.
You
see, the word that is most important to you depends on your situation.
Finally, you decide what are the most important ideas.
And use pitch to make them stand out.
Rhythm
Patterns and Consonant Clusters
There
is a double emphasis in these challenging monologues: Using
Intonation and Rhythm Patterns, along with Articulate Consonant
Clusters.
Operative
Word List
Feel
the articulation, and the difference between the Voiced and Unvoiced
consonant cluster.
Monologue
for Intonation, Rhythm Patterns, and Consonant Clusters
These
very similar sounding clusters are performed in a deliberately fast-moving
context to master their articulation.
