Silent Consonants

27
The dumb knight brought a wrong sword.

Transcript of Silent Consonants

Page 1: Silent Consonants

The dumb knight brought a wrong sword.

Page 2: Silent Consonants

The dumb knight brought a wrong sword.[ðə dʌm naɪt brɔːt ə rɒŋ

sɔːd]

Page 3: Silent Consonants

He kneels down to knuckle under the damn

heiress.

Page 4: Silent Consonants

He kneels down to knuckle under the damn heiress.

[hiː niːlz daʊn tə ˈnʌkl ˈʌndə ðə dæm ˈeərɪs]

Page 5: Silent Consonants

The dumb knight brought a wrong sword.

He kneels down to knuckle under the

damn heiress.

Page 6: Silent Consonants

There are consonants that are spelled but not pronounced at all.

SILENT CONSONANTS

Page 7: Silent Consonants

MAKE YOUR ENGLISH SOUNDS ENGLISH:

SILENT CONSONANTS

Page 8: Silent Consonants

Objective:

• Give EFL teachers prior knowledge about the pattern of English silent consonants.

Teachers can design attractive classroom activity to help the students comprehend the concept of silent consonants easily based on the result of the analysis.

Page 9: Silent Consonants

1 •Paper Analysis

2 •Activity

3 •Reflection

Page 10: Silent Consonants

ANALYSIS

1. Position and Possible Combination with Other Letters in Syllables

• The investigation of word histories (Durkin, 2009:18).

2. Etymology

• The statement about possible sequences of phonemes (Bybee, 2001:88).

3. Phonotactics

Page 11: Silent Consonants

POSITIONS IN THE SYLLABLES

Silent Consonants in the Onset

Silent Consonants in the Coda

Page 12: Silent Consonants

Position and Possible Combination with Other Letters in Syllables: Onset

No Silent Consonant

Letter Combination

Example(s)

1. csc

cz

discipline /ˈdɪs.ə.plɪn/, fascinate /ˈfæs.ɪ.neɪt/Czar /zɑːr/

2. h

hchghkhphrh

heiress /ˈeə.res/, honest /ˈɒn.ɪst/cheetah /ˈtʃiː.tə/ghetto /ˈget.əʊ/, ghost /gəʊst/khaki /ˈkɑː.ki/shepherd /ˈʃep.əd/rhapsody /ˈræp.sə.di/, rhyme /raɪm/

3. k kn knuckle /ˈnʌk.l ̩%/, knock /nɒk/

4. m mn Mnemonics /nɪˈmɒn.ɪks/

Page 13: Silent Consonants

Position and Possible Combination with Other Letters in Syllables: Onset

No Silent Consonant

Letter Combination

Example(s)

5. ppnpspt

pneumonia /njuːˈməʊ.ni.ə/pseudo /ˈsuː.dəʊ/,pterodactyl /ˌter.əˈdæk.tɪl/

6. tstlstn

castle /ˈkɑː.sl ̩%/, nestle /ˈnes.l ̩%/mustn’t /ˈmʌs.ənt/

7. w

swtwwhwr

answer /ˈɑːnt ̩.sər /, sword /sɔːd/two /tuː/who /huː/, whole /həʊl/write /raɪt/, wrong /rɒŋ/

Page 14: Silent Consonants

Position and Possible Combination with Other Letters in Syllables: Coda

No Silent Consonant

Letter Combination

Example(s)

1. bmbbt

climb /klaɪm/, thumb /θʌm/doubt /daʊt/, debt /det/

2. ch cht yacht /jɒt/

3. dnddn

grandmother /ˈgræm.mʌð.ər /Wednesday /ˈwenz.deɪ/

4. ggmgn

diaphragm /ˈdaɪ.ə.fræm/campaign /kæmˈpeɪn/

5. ghghght

sleigh /sleɪ/ tight /taɪt/, bought /bɔːt/

Page 15: Silent Consonants

Position and Possible Combination with Other Letters in Syllables: Coda

No Silent Consonant

Letter Combination

Example(s)

6. hhrh

thm

Hallelujah /ˌhæl.ɪˈluː.jə/ myrrh /mɜːr/rhythm /ˈrɪð.əm/

7. l

ldlflklmlv

could /kʊd/, should /ʃʊd/calf /kɑːf/, half /hɑːf/chalk /tʃɔːk/, talk /tɔːk/calm /kɑːm/, palm /pɑːm/calves /kɑːvz/, halves /hɑːvz/

8. n mnrn

autumn /ˈɔː.təm/, damn /dæm/government /ˈgʌv.ər.mənt/

9. ppsppt

rps

cupboard /ˈkʌb.əd/raspberry /ˈrɑːz.bər.i/receipt /rɪˈsiːt/corps /kɔːr /

10. s ssl

debris /ˈdeb.riː/aisle /aɪl/, isle /aɪl/

Page 16: Silent Consonants

Position and Possible Combination with Other Letters in Syllables: Coda

No Silent Consonant

Letter Combination

Example(s)

11. t

trtststl

buffet /ˈbʊf.eɪ/, ballet /ˈbæl.eɪ/mortgage /ˈmɔː.gɪdʒ/ chestnut /ˈtʃes ̩.nʌt/rustle /rʌsl ̩%/, whistle /ˈwɪs.l ̩%/

12.

13.

w

z

wwkwlwn

Z

awry /əˈraɪ/hawk /hɔːk/, awkward /ˈɔː.kwəd/brawl /brɔːl/, crawl /krɔːl/dawn /dɔːn/, pawn /pɔːn/

rendezvous /ˈrɒn.deɪ.vuː/

Page 17: Silent Consonants

Position and Possible Combination with Other Letters in Syllables: Conclusion

Some consonants will be unpronounced if they occur in the same syllable with certain consonant combination. (e.g. condemn)

The same consonant combination will be pronounced if they occur in separate syllable. (e.g. condemnation)

Some consonants could be silent only in the onset or in the coda of syllable, yet some could be silent in both position.

Some consonants can be unpronounced even if they occur without other consonant combination.

Page 18: Silent Consonants

EtymologySilent gh in ght.

• The words ended in ght do not have g in their original words, e.g. fight foehtan (Old English)

Silent ps in the beginning of words.

• The words beginning with ps are mostly from Greek. E.g. psychology psykhe (breath, spirit).

Silent g in gn.

• The words beginning with gn are mostly originated from Old English (e.g. gnat from OE gneat) and from French (e.g. gnome from Fr. gnome). • The words ending with gn are mostly derived from French and originally from Latin (e.g. reign (v) from O. Fr. regner, originally from L.

regnare)

Silent g in gm.

• The words that end with gm are mostly from Late Latin (L.L) and originally from Greek. E.g. paradigm from L.L. paradigma, from Gk. Paradigma.

Page 19: Silent Consonants

EtymologySilent b.

• The words that contain silent b are mostly originated from words without b in their original spelling. E.g. crumb from OE. Cruma.

Silent k in kn.

• The words that begin with kn are mostly derived from Old English cn. E.g.: knife from OE. Cnif.

Silent w in wh.

• The words that begin with wh are mostly originated from Old English words that begin with h. E.g. who from OE. Hwa.

Silent n in mn

• The words that ended with mn are mostly derived from longer words in Old French and rooted from Latin. E.g. damn from OE. damner, from L. damnare.

Page 20: Silent Consonants

Etymology: Conclusion

Most of the words which contain silent consonants are rooted from Old English and from foreign languages, especially Greek, Latin, French, and German.

The spelling of original words influence the pronunciation of modern words.

Page 21: Silent Consonants

PhonotacticsIn English words spelt with ght, the silent gh is quite regular. All the sample words that consist of ght are pronounced with the preceding vowel and the /t/. If words are spelt with gh, there are some irregularities of silence. • For example, the words sleigh, though, and through are

pronounced with silent gh; but in some words like tough and cough, the gh is pronounced as /f/.

English words with kn, gn, and pn at the beginning or at the end are pronounced as a single phoneme /n/.• Based on phonotactics, it is impossible for stl to occupy the

position of words initials in English.

The consonant cluster stl in one syllable will result in silent t, as in castle.

Page 22: Silent Consonants

Phonotactics

Consonant cluster rh will mostly be pronounced as single phoneme /r/.

Most word initials with ps will be pronounced as /s/, and p is unpronounced as in psychology, psalm, and pseudo. Based on phonotactics, the words initial with psy has to start with an /s/.

When mb or mn occur in the same syllable, they are pronounced as /m/, leaving the b and n unpronounced.

Some consonant-endings of French loans, such as p, t, and s are not pronounced. For example: coup, ballet, bourgeois, crochet, debris, and debut

Page 23: Silent Consonants

ACTIVITY

SILENT CONSONANTS k, g, and w

Page 24: Silent Consonants

PRE TEACHING: VIDEO

Silent k, and g

Silent w

Page 25: Silent Consonants

WHILST-TEACHING: CHAIN STORY

1. Work in pair, read the list of silent consonants k, g, and w. Choose a word from each category.

2. First pair: Make a sentence based on the words you choose in the form of narration.

3. Write your sentence on the board and read it aloud.

4. Next pair: Continue the story. Make your own sentence from the words you choose.

5. Write your sentence on the board and read it aloud.

6. Make sure you’re not using the same word with the previous group.

Page 26: Silent Consonants

POST-TEACHING: REVIEW

Let’s review the words using silent consonants in our story.

Is it too hard for you?

What would you suggest me to improve the practice of silent consonants?

Page 27: Silent Consonants

Conclusion

Teaching silent consonants with videos and chain stories attempts to fulfill the principle of teaching as proposed by Brown (2007: 331) and Williams and Burden (2000:38):

• Focus on both fluency and accuracy.• Provide intrinsically motivating technique.• Encourage creativity.• Develop a knowledge of the process of learning.• Encourage self-initiation.• Allow for choice.• Encourage self-evaluation.• Provide appropriate feedback and correction.