¿Qué es el discurso conectado (connected speech) y por qué es importante en la enseñanza de inglés?
The discurso conectado (connected speech) en fonética se refiere a la forma en que las palabras se unen y modifican al ser habladas de manera fluida en oraciones o frases completas. En lugar de pronunciar cada palabra de forma aislada y precisa, las palabras tienden a fluir juntas, y ciertos sonidos pueden cambiar o eliminarse, haciendo que el ritmo del habla sea más rápido y natural. Este fenómeno de fonética es fundamental en lenguas como el inglés, donde los hablantes nativos rara vez pronuncian las palabras como lo harían en una lista o de manera individual.
Characteristics of connected speech:
- Elision: Some sounds disappear in fast speech. For example, in “next week”, the sound /t/ in “next” is often omitted, pronounced as /neks wi/.
- Linking: Words connect, especially when one word ends in a consonant and the next word begins in a vowel. For example, “go on” may sound /gəʊ wɒn/.
- Assimilation: A sound changes to sound more like the one that follows it. For example, in “don’t be”, the /t/ in “don’t” may sound more like /m/ if the following word begins with a bilabial sound such as /b/.
- Reduction or contraction: Words or syllables are reduced or pronounced weaker. A common example is “going to”, that becomes “gonna”.
Why is it important in language teaching?
It is not too long ago that connected speech began to be taken into account in language learning and even today it is not yet present in many English teaching programs. However, it is very important both to speak better and to understand when we are spoken to.
The challenge for speakers of English as a second language is to understand native speakers. Especially, in the 21st century where the barriers between countries have faded and we communicate much more frequently with people from the other side of the world, and therefore with different accents.
For all these reasons we believe it is important to include it in the programs and we have developed a specific pronunciation workshop on connected speech. To request information about the course, please contact us by e-mail or call us at 1539450205.