Spoken English Preliminaries
Summary
TLDRThis module from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, focuses on learning spoken English, emphasizing the importance of speaking in global standard English. It highlights the need for clear communication, politeness, slow tempo, and understanding accents. The session stresses the significance of having interesting content, good listening habits, and regular practice. Real-life examples like Mother Teresa and Indira Nooyi are used to illustrate effective communication. The module also covers practical tips for pronunciation, intonation, and the use of dictionaries, encouraging learners to cultivate these skills for better global comprehension.
Takeaways
- 🌏 English is a global language, and proficiency in it requires understanding and adapting to various accents and dialects from around the world.
- 🗣️ Speaking English with a global standard involves not only mastering the accent but also ensuring that what you say is relevant, interesting, and delivered in a polite manner.
- 📚 To improve English skills, it's crucial to listen to and read content of global reach and impact, such as speeches by influential figures like Mother Teresa.
- 👂 Developing good listening habits is essential for learning spoken English, as it helps in understanding different accents and improving pronunciation.
- 🎓 Politeness in English is conveyed through the use of certain words and phrases like 'please', 'thank you', and the use of interrogative sentences for making requests or commands.
- 📈 The importance of having something meaningful to say cannot be overstated; it is more impactful than just having a good accent.
- 📑 English pronunciation can be challenging due to variable word stress and differences in vowel length, which require practice and attention to master.
- 🤔 English does not have grammatical gender or complex pronoun rules, which simplifies learning but also necessitates careful attention to word stress and pronunciation.
- 📚 Utilizing resources such as advanced learner's dictionaries and books specifically designed for spoken English can greatly aid in improving one's language skills.
- ⏳ Speaking at a slower tempo allows for better comprehension and is perceived as more polite, despite initial potential for sounding unnatural.
- 🔄 Learning English is not confined to the classroom; it requires personal responsibility and consistent practice, including daily drills in pronunciation.
Q & A
What is the primary focus of the module on spoken English at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras?
-The primary focus of the module is to teach and improve spoken English skills, emphasizing the importance of speaking in global standard English and setting priorities on what aspects of spoken English are more important than others.
Why is it important to learn and speak global standard English according to the script?
-Learning and speaking global standard English is important because English is now a world language used in various domains globally. It helps in effective communication with people from different cultures, disciplines, and countries, ensuring mutual understanding.
What does the script suggest about the variety of accents in English spoken around the world?
-The script suggests that there is a mind-boggling variety of accents in English spoken around the world, from Argentina to Zaire, Australia to New Zealand, and New England, emphasizing the need to adapt to the global standard to ensure clear communication.
Who are some of the individuals mentioned in the script as examples of effective global English speakers?
-Mother Teresa and Indira Nooyi are mentioned as examples of effective global English speakers. Mother Teresa, though born in Albania, spoke in a manner that was globally understandable, and Indira Nooyi, who was born and brought up in India, became the head of a global company like PepsiCo.
What is the significance of having 'something to say' when speaking English, as mentioned in the script?
-Having 'something to say' is significant because it captures the listeners' interest and ensures that the communication is relevant and helpful. It is more important than just having a good accent, as it is the content of the message that resonates with the audience.
How does the script define politeness in English communication?
-The script defines politeness in English communication as the use of words like 'please', 'thanks', 'excuse me', 'sorry', and 'pardon me'. It also mentions the importance of intonation and the use of interrogative sentences for commands to express politeness.
What is the role of listening in learning to speak English effectively, as per the script?
-Listening plays a crucial role in learning to speak English effectively. It helps in developing good speaking habits by paying attention to the manner of speech, pronunciation, and the use of words in different contexts, which can be learned from various sources like songs, movies, and documentaries.
Why is a slow tempo considered a marker of politeness when speaking English, according to the script?
-A slow tempo is considered a marker of politeness because it allows the listeners to understand and appreciate what is being said. It also gives them time to process the information, reducing the chances of misunderstandings and requests for repetition.
What are some of the peculiarities of English pronunciation mentioned in the script?
-The script mentions the peculiarities of English pronunciation such as variant word stress, where the stress can fall on different syllables in different words, and the varying lengths of vowels, which can be longer or shorter than in many other languages.
How does the script suggest one should practice and improve their English pronunciation?
-The script suggests practicing and improving English pronunciation by doing drills for correct pronunciation, listening to a variety of accents, and using resources like advanced learner's dictionaries. It also emphasizes the importance of giving the mind exposure and time to learn and adapt.
What resources does the script recommend for improving spoken English?
-The script recommends resources such as advanced learner's dictionaries, both in print and electronic versions, for checking pronunciation and usage. It also suggests books specifically aimed at improving spoken English, like 'Better Spoken English', and the practice of listening to various accents and speech patterns.
Outlines
🌏 Embracing Global English
This paragraph introduces the concept of English as a global language, emphasizing its widespread use since World War II across various domains and regions. The speaker highlights the importance of learning and speaking in a global standard to ensure mutual understanding among diverse speakers. The paragraph also underscores the need to accommodate different accents and the significance of listening to and understanding influential figures like Mother Teresa, who, despite her Indian connection, spoke with a global impact.
🎓 Prioritizing English Learning
The speaker discusses the importance of setting priorities in learning English, focusing on what aspects of spoken English are more important than others. The paragraph emphasizes the necessity of listening to and reading materials of global reach to develop a global standard of English. Examples such as Mother Teresa and Indira Nooyi illustrate the impact of English in personal and professional success, suggesting that a good grasp of English can lead to broader opportunities and understanding.
🗣️ The Art of Speaking English
This paragraph delves into the essentials of speaking English effectively. It stresses the importance of having meaningful content to communicate, the use of polite language, and the significance of intonation and phrasing. The speaker explains that politeness in English is conveyed through certain expressions and sentence structures rather than through verb forms or pronouns, as in some other languages. Additionally, the paragraph touches on the importance of a slow speaking tempo for clarity and politeness.
📚 The Nuances of English Pronunciation
The speaker addresses the complexities of English pronunciation, such as varying word stress and the length of vowels. They point out that English lacks grammatical gender and the need for different articles or pronouns based on formality, which simplifies the language to some extent. However, the paragraph also notes the challenges of mastering correct pronunciation, such as the need for drills and practice to adjust to the unique phonetic patterns of English.
👂 Cultivating Good Listening Habits
This paragraph emphasizes the importance of good listening habits for improving spoken English. The speaker suggests that listening to a variety of accents and tones can help in understanding and adapting to different pronunciation styles. They recommend paying attention to how words are pronounced and used in various contexts, such as in songs, movies, and documentaries, to naturally absorb the language's nuances.
📘 Resources for English Mastery
The speaker discusses the abundance of English language resources available for learning, including books, newspapers, and electronic versions of dictionaries. They recommend having an advanced learner's dictionary for reference and practicing pronunciation with a focus on commonly mispronounced words. The paragraph also mentions a specific book, 'Better Spoken English,' which was created based on common mistakes made by students, suggesting it as a useful tool for improving pronunciation.
🌟 Achieving Fluent English Through Practice
The final paragraph concludes the session by encouraging consistent practice for mastering English pronunciation. The speaker suggests daily drills for a short duration to train the mind to adapt to correct pronunciation patterns. They highlight the brain's ability to learn and reprogram itself with exposure and practice, leaving the audience with a message of hope and encouragement to enjoy the learning process.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Global Standard English
💡Accents
💡Politeness
💡Intonation
💡Tempo
💡Word Stress
💡Vowel Length
💡Listening Habits
💡Pronunciation Drill
💡Advanced Learner's Dictionary
💡Source Books
Highlights
English is no longer confined to a single region but has become the global language since World War II.
The importance of learning and speaking in Global Standard English to ensure mutual understanding across cultures and disciplines.
The necessity to accommodate a variety of accents in spoken English due to its global use.
The significance of listening to and reading materials of global reach to improve English proficiency.
Mother Teresa's speech as an example of effective global English communication.
Indira Nooyi's story as an inspiration for achieving global success while maintaining personal and professional commitments.
The importance of having something meaningful to say as a foundation for effective communication.
The role of politeness in spoken English and how it is conveyed through language structure and expressions.
The unique challenges of English pronunciation, including word stress and vowel length variations.
The lack of grammatical gender in English, simplifying the learning process compared to other languages.
The importance of listening to improve spoken English, including paying attention to pronunciation and word usage.
The value of practicing pronunciation drills for correct enunciation of English words.
The role of an advanced learner's dictionary in aiding the learning of pronunciation, usage, and meaning.
The book 'Better Spoken English' as a resource for improving pronunciation based on common mistakes among students.
The mind's ability to adapt and learn new pronunciation patterns with consistent practice and exposure.
The wealth of English language resources available for learning, including books, newspapers, and electronic media.
The necessity of cultivating good listening habits to improve spoken English naturally and effectively.
The transcript's conclusion emphasizing the importance of self-study and practice for mastering spoken English.
Transcripts
[Music]
welcome
to this module
on spoken english as part of your course
in english for this program at the
indian institute of technology
madras
today we are going to begin
the module on spoken english
and in this first session
we will talk about some preliminaries
what is it we must
remember while learning english while
learning
speaking in english while learning
speaking in global english
in global standard english and
we'll also set our priorities
is everything
in spoken english
all parts of all aspects of the language
called spoken english
equally important or there are things
that are more important than some others
some other things so we will also set
our priorities
here we go
the first thing that we must remember is
that
english is no longer and
not only the language of a small
island between atlantic
and mediterranean
it's now it has been so
ever since perhaps the second world war
ever since
1945 the language of the world
it's used in all domains in india
and in pakistan in many other countries
of
south asia eastern africa
west indies and elsewhere it is used in
many domains
from home to office
a more important fact here is that
english today is
spoken in all sorts of accents
only because all sorts of people speak
it from argentina to zaire from
australia to zaire
from new zealand to new england
it only means that we should expect
to speak to a variety of people
who may have difficulty understanding us
unless
we speak in the global standard language
it also means that unless we speak the
global standard language
we will not understand we will not
understand
many as many speakers who come from
different
cultures different disciplines
and different countries there is a very
important fact to remember
that here is a language which has
mind-boggling
variety of accents
of vocabulary of grammar and in the
middle of all this
we have to find and stick to that
standard
which can take us to everyone even if
they sound to us slightly different from
us
and we sound to them slightly different
from
them let's go point i'm making is
if you want to speak good english you
must
take care of all sorts of accents
and yet to speak in a manner like mother
teresa does
you know so that you and i are
understood by
all of us number one number two
if you really want english studies of
global standards
it is also important that you
listened to you read
you know things that are of global reach
that are of global impact we hope
that at least some of you will find time
to listen to the entire speech
by mother teresa you know she was an
indian by choice
she lived and worked here for over 50
years
and when she died she had only
a bucket and a couple of sarees and a
soap or something
in a room all the money that she got
by the nobel prize was as she says in
this
speech since he had accepted it for poor
you are there for the poor please
discover
you know other aspects of her
personality
okay a great communicator to give you a
flavor of the kind of global english you
know the kinds of people that
speak not just in india not just in
america
we saw mother teresa born and brought up
in albania in
eastern europe and she
took of how became a nun at the age of
16
and came to work in india first as an
english teacher
and later as a social worker at a school
in
darjeeling then calcutta but you know
there are
the traffic is also the other way there
are children from
chennai calcutta small and big towns in
asia and africa who made it big
at the global level one person of that
kind
is somebody called miss indira nui
born and brought up in india educated in
india she joined pepsico
looked after her large family her uncles
and aunts
her husband's relatives her own
relatives bringing up two wonderful
children
and she became the head of a global
company like pepsico
listen to her you know one of the many
reasons you would like to hear
this speech is how did this lady you
know
how how this lady made it to the top
answering all her obligations to family
to friends to community
and to her company you know as she says
it's not impossible so long as you know
what you want to achieve and you are
willing to work for that
it is listening to people like them that
not only your personality
not only your values and priorities
but also your english you know
will become of a global standard
so that's why you know we have selected
it and we are going to talk further
about why you should listen to a variety
of things
you know to have wonderful
globally intelligible english next
okay so how do we
what what what we must have what must we
have
what must we have such that
our english is of a global standard
above and before anything else
we must have something to say
after you've said good evening good
afternoon good morning
after you have said namaskara namaste
wanna come satsriyakaal assalamualaikum
after you've said all this what next
do you have something to say
is is that something interesting to your
listeners
is that something relevant for them is
that something that is going to help
them
and are you going to say it in an
interesting manner
such that they would sit down and listen
if you have these things
you all else can follow accent
grammar vocabulary all else can follow
if you have something to say if you look
at great prophets
jesus christ prophet muhammed
before before these two people gautam
buddha
whether our people knew their language
or they didn't
we don't even know what you know many of
us don't know what language jesus christ
spoke or what dialect of arabic prophet
muhammad spoke
or what language or dialect
gautam buddha spoke but they are all
popular
around the world because they had
something to
say so with great business leaders
indira
nui or
anyone else you know anyone else
they are there not only because of the
accent of igloos that is also an asset
of course
you should have that but also because of
something else
so you know i'm saying this up front
that
only good accent in english will not
take you
far that will be a great help but a
greater help will be
to cultivate the habit of learning
to acquire knowledge with which you
manage your business
next important thing in learning to
speak in english is
politeness you know you people will your
listeners will your friends your
colleagues your family
will pardon you for mistakes of grammar
for mistakes of vocabulary
for a variety of other things they will
pardon you very easily
with a smile you just say sorry and you
get across
but they won't pardon you for being rude
you know now what is that how do you
sound polite how does
a language like english which unlike
many indian languages
does not have you know two kinds of
verbs okarango ukara
which does not have two kinds of
verbatiy battle
cochandi kocho okay how do they
say how do they express politeness in
english you do not say
uh city cito sitting
you know you don't have things like that
so is does that mean
english is a rude language no it is not
english makes up for
these two paradigms these two kinds of
expressions for the same
word same verb
even if they used to have two nouns dao
was for more intimate informal
you was for for more formal
more respectable respectful
but you know it's nearly 100 years ago
that
you know english language moved with
democracy
it moved to one pronoun for all
so now king or king's driver
the queen or her helper
they are all you you know so
it goes like that and they have only one
sort of verb now
okay so how do they express politeness
you know they use words like please
any request is either preceded or
followed by
any request even to friends even to
family
even to business partners even to you
know
colleagues you joke with
are preceded and followed by please
or thanks or excuse me
or sorry or pardon me you know
so thinks of this you know idiomatic
expressions of this kind
help you sound polite okay
then also intonation you know there is a
difference between
come sit down and saying
come on please will you mind taking a
chair
will you please sit down so you know
intonation
and then all requests in english all
commands in english actually
except those by the army commanders
are given through a question sentence
interrogative sentence
you do not say tell me time please you
say
will you tell me the time please you
don't say tell me time please
you say will you tell me time please you
don't say stop
now you say will you please stop now
okay that is english that is politeness
we'll have a session on that
and you should on your own when when you
watch
english documentaries feature films
video
audio anything listen for these things
you know and you will learn in no time
these things are
so easy to learn and so easy to
use that you know it will change your
class it will
get you more friends more business
partners
more clients more happy customers
than you may have just now next
slow tempo is also a marker of
politeness
if you speak very rapidly then you know
a lot of people don't understand you and
you have difficulty and
then they are difficult to understanding
you moreover people think you are not
very polite
should you speak that way or should you
speak
come on please let's talk in a manner
that i am understood by my listeners
my listeners get time to understand and
appreciate
what i might say in the beginning
you might think it's a bit too slow it
may also sound artificial unnatural
to some people but please believe me
this is natural this is good
it's possible that in the beginning
people may laugh at you
but soon they will imitate you and soon
they will also learn to speak this way
because this is your best guarantee
to be understood worldwide nobody will
ask you to pardon me
what did you say please repeat you know
we'll look at some of these things
as well so slow tempo you know as we
have said
helps both speakers and listeners and
english particularly is a slow tempo
language
in english you have a pause not only at
the end of the sentence
but you have a post also in the middle
of a sentence
unlike many asian languages
which pause only at the end of the
sentence
in in hindi or tamil you might say
you know only at the end of the sentence
you might pause you'll say
there was a king who had three daughters
but not in english in english you see
there was a king
and he had three daughters
they were all highly accomplished
but the king had not yet found
suitable matches for them
so english is a slow term for language
you know here
it is obligatory for you you don't have
a choice
if you want to speak global english then
you better pause after phrase after
clause
and after sentences brief pause
maybe a couple of seconds seconds or
even less
but you know an audible pause you know
i'm saying an audible silence
which is a contradiction in terms but
you know when you speak continuously and
you go
silent suddenly for a couple of seconds
like i did now then people notice it
you need that kind of pause and this
also does not take
a long time to learn you learn it in no
time okay
provided you have a mind to provided you
pay attention to
go next
english has a peculiar problem no other
language has that
you know that the question of variant
word stress
you know you you pronounce one word one
way
where is the capital of the united
kingdom
and you say london mainstress or the
initial syllable
london where is the mainstream
london not on the second syllable you
don't say london
not towards the second world you don't
say landan
you say london but where is the capital
of germany
it is berlin you don't say berlin
you say berlin is on the second syllable
you know which country has the city
called bolijari's you know what we in
india generally call buenos aires
so you know
is argentina india is india but nepal
second syllable japan end of the word
nepal
end of the word brazil end of the word
but pakistan end of the word but not
india
we don't say india in english we say
india
okay we don't say united we see united
so you know somewhere it is on the first
part union
we don't see union okay so in english
word stress varies from word to word
and that makes it a slightly difficult
language a little more difficult
language
to learn for pronunciation especially
for those of us
who have not been born talking this
language okay
but if we pay attention we can learn
similarly there is just another you know
not too many
only one or two you know english does
not have problem of
you know um hindi you know
it does not have grammatical gender you
know you don't have to learn whether
table is a
masculine and chair is a feminine
and tease masculine
sugar sorry tea is feminine in hindi
sugar is feminine in hindi salt is
masculine in hindi
you know in english you don't have to
learn these things even in french in
many other european languages you
you have to learn even articles can be
feminine and masculine
in french you have one kind of article
for boy
and another kind of article for a girl
la
la okay in english you don't have the
problem the girl the boy the boss the
aunt
you go on okay but this is the problem
in english
that is its word stress varies from word
to word
then some of its vowels are very long
almost twice as long
as vowels as some sounds in many indian
languages
they do not say car you know i come to
office daily in a car no that's not
english
english is i come to office daily
in a car okay they open their
jaws white i come to
office daily
in a car that is english they don't go
to market
they go to market very long
sometimes so long that it becomes two
vowels
you know how do you cross the river
and the english man would answer you in
a boat
not in a boat in a boat
okay so you know that kind of maybe we
don't have to make it as
long but definitely longer than it is
generally in our accents
on the other hand some vowels in their
accent are
very short hardly heard you know it's
about
where you hardly hear a go
away okay arise
a four okay amis
is hardly heard before is hardly heard
before behind below beneath hardly heard
but four is long low is long and below
okay between tween is long but b
is hardly anything these things are
learned with drill
in no time we'll have some session there
next
good english will not come to you only
from the classroom
classroom and your teacher including me
and my colleagues
are like coaches to you we can tell you
what you should learn
first and how you should learn but
you have to do the learning it is your
responsibility just as i cannot walk for
you
no matter how much i respect you how
much i love you like you
no matter how much your mother likes or
loves you
she cannot walk for you she cannot speak
for you you have to do that
similarly here you have to cultivate
certain habits
okay and one of these is habits of good
listening
okay don't be happy only listening to
what entertains you
go beyond look at variety
look at thong of course listen to songs
of course watch
movies of course watch documentaries
of course you know watch football and
cricket matches and any other
game that you like but sometimes
while watching part of the time pay
attention
also to the manner of speech not just to
the matter of
speech not just to the meaning
but also the language see how they
pronounce
how they use which word okay and in no
time you will learn that
and soon you may also be speaking that
way i like you to pay attention only to
two words
you know and both the names of a place a
big city
called new york no it is not new york
it is new york and a part of that city
called manhattan
but you will hear these two words
manhattan
and new york in a variety of accents
listen to it pause after one first play
and make a note in how many different
tones how many different accents you
heard the same words
and then play it again to check if you
heard them right
that's the practice you need to do
yourself need to give yourself
first time listen it for the song enjoy
this song
okay this is all right for young people
not for the likes of me
but then i thought i might entertain you
give you a break from the likes of me
okay i can recommend you know
this movie to you uh this film to you
you know it shows how
a determined housewife who spoke no
english
until about she went to new york
and one evening decides to learn and
within a few weeks
she starts speaking of course initially
she makes mistakes she's hesitant
but she overcomes her hesitation
overcomes her
you know shyness and becomes a very
effective and
fluent speaker of english all we need to
do is to decide
that we want to have it and we have it
okay so coming back
you know learn to listen
listen for tone various kinds of
voices in which the same thing
is spoken and said and once you have
your
ears are tuned to them once your ears
start getting various tunes your mind
will immediately
catch the tune you should use in a
particular situation
you don't require a special training
that way
therefore we have said you know
learn to listen good spoken english is a
product of good listening habits
it goes with the rest of the nature you
know you and i
know no language which we have either
not heard first or not read first
is not that speaking precedes listening
listening precedes speaking in some
cases
the reading precedes writing is just
like that
okay next finally
you know
there are source books english that way
is a very rich language
of all languages in the world today
english can
very easily claim the largest number of
publications of
books papers newspapers news articles
millions of mails millions and billions
of messages
crossing the world from one phone to
another
books newspapers with standard book
numbers
feature film documentaries there's so
much
to read so much to learn that one
lifetime does not seem
enough no other language that way
can come even remotely close to the
number of publications
that english language gets every year
worldwide in india alone produces
more than 50 000 books of standard book
number
in english every year then think of
countries like
the united kingdom the united states of
america
they also produce books for learning
languages
you have a variety of dictionaries you
know
different kinds of deals one company
alone has 28 different kinds
going in markets in india which
dictionary would you buy
there are of course advice if you like
search
net and see which dictionary you would
like to buy
but some of these dictionaries advanced
learners dictionary
not necessarily oxford you know i i
mentioned it i i show you the cover page
of this
because i happen to have a copy of it
but any advanced learner's dictionary
from any company
collins cambridge longman they all have
advanced learners dictionary
which gives you pronunciation usage
meaning
nearly everything other than etymology
nearly everything other than the origin
of the word okay
so have an advanced learner's dictionary
these days you know you have
you know e-versions electronic versions
of these dictionaries you can have them
on your phone
so that you know you can check
pronunciation and usage
anytime you are in doubt like i do you
know
whenever i am in doubt i check my phone
so have a dictionary
handy and then some of these books you
know
like this book better spoken english
unfortunately it has my name i feel
embarrassed
but then you know it has a claim upon
you the claim is
this book was prepared after listening
to
a set of undergraduate students at the
indian institute of technology madras
over a few years the presentations they
made
their teachers their colleagues their
friends
so we recorded those things we listened
to them
and we found that there were about
six to seven hundred words in you know
long words by long words i mean more
than one syllable
not cat not rat but words like monkey
you know we'll have a session on
syllable long words
monkey elephant university you know long
words
so nearly six to seven hundred long
words which are frequently used
and wrongly pronounced
so we collected those words together in
this book
and we taught
i taught courses with these they you
know with this book
for almost 30 years at iit madras
and all my students were very happy with
this book with the course they came back
and said
thank you sir i it has changed my
it has helped me change my accent of
course the book cannot change your
accent
the book can help you change your accent
so you know that's how i recommend this
book but you need not buy this book you
can have your own list
think of the words you frequently use
check with the dictionary see where you
go wrong
and make a list of those words where you
go wrong get correct pronunciation from
dictionary
but the important thing is do some drill
in correct pronunciation
not for too long for 10 minutes
maybe every day in the morning another
10 minutes in the evening
before you go to bed after you get up
you know
when you are fresh when you are really
give your mind to it and you will find
that within a few weeks
you are getting all your words right not
only
those with which you practiced but also
those
others which follow the pattern of this
word just as you know
if you get the vowel in cat all right
you will get vowel in rat sat
matte that hat all right
as well mind is a wonderful machine
you give it a chance and it programs
and reprograms and re-reprograms itself
the important thing is give it exposure
give it a chance
give it time thank you very much
i hope you will enjoy other sessions
also just as this in the coming days
thank you very much for your attention
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