Pronunciation with Wlodek Barbosa

[Włodzimierz Sobkowiak]

Yesterday (Wed, July 1st) we did 30 phonetically easy English sentences with SL phonetic transcription (see an excerpt below). First, learners got a look-up table, where phonetic symbols were illustrated with example keywords (this was done over the [IFA in SL] group notice system). Then, in class, we looked at the 30 sentences, trying to read them aloud from phonetic script. This came out better than I expected, considering the technicality and novelty of the concept of transcription, as well as the need to memorize a certain number of rather esoteric symbols. As it turned out, such transcription (i) nicely shows differences between British and American English, (ii) likewise for contrasts between slow and fast English pronunciation, (iii) is very useful to take notes and communicate about sounds in a medium which does not allow fancy graphics in notecards or chat. One student request was for url addresses to websites where such transcription lists would be accompanied with clickable audio files.


30 phonetically easy English sentences with SL phonetic transcription (excerpt)
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1. ai h&d @ 'f&nsI baik @nd ai geiv It t@ maik
2. ai laik t@ bi: '&ktIv @nd mu:v mai 'bodI
3. ai mIs 't&fI @ lot @nd ai @m s&d
4. wi: ju:z D@ m&p t@ dI'said wot wi: wont t@ si:
5. ai h@up wi: g@u t@ Di: a:t mju:'zi@m @'gen su:n
6. ai @m r&m sed r&m In @ gr^f vois
7. su:n It wIl bi: taim t@ mai'greit @'gen
8. It Iz taim t@ g@u h@um sed 'gr&npa: 'grIzlI
9. g@u b&k t@ sli:p @nd d@unt weik mi: ^p @'gen
10. ai ni:d taim t@ meik @ gUd ges