Listening decoding 02 Consonant Death - the case of 't'

Summary

In this second video of Richard Cordray's four-part series on listening decoding, he discusses 'consonant death' using the example of 't' in 'pretty much allowed'. He explains the difference between goals for listening and pronunciation, emphasizing the need for learners to understand fast, authentic speech. Activities include matching speech extracts to sentences and practicing consonant deletion. Cordray suggests publishers interested in his 'Listening Decoding in Use' series should contact him.

Takeaways

• 🎥 **Video Series Introduction**: This is the second video in a four-part series by Richard Cordray on listening decoding.
• 🏫 **Conference Cancellation**: The ayat Ethel conference in Manchester was canceled, prompting the creation of these videos as an alternative to Cordray's workshop.
• 📚 **Book Reference**: The rationale and further explanations for the workshop activities can be found in Cordray's book, 'A Syllabus for Listening Decoding'.
• 🔊 **Consonant Death Focus**: The video specifically addresses 'consonant death', using the example of the consonant 'T'.
• 🗣️ **Authentic Speech vs. Production**: The goal of listening instruction is to help learners understand fast, messy, authentic speech, which is more varied than the speech they need to produce.
• 📈 **Activity Types**: The video introduces various activities to demonstrate consonant death, including greenhouse versions of sentences and matching exercises.
• 🌿 **Greenhouse to Jungle**: Activities progress from clear, separate pronunciation (greenhouse) to more natural, connected speech (jungle).
• 🔍 **Listening vs. Phonetic Detail**: The focus is on 'reasonable hearing' rather than fine phonetic detail when dealing with authentic speech.
• 🎧 **Matching Activity**: Learners match spoken extracts to written sentences, emphasizing the process over getting the right answer.
• 🌟 **Embracing Messiness**: The value is in becoming comfortable with the unpredictability and 'messiness' of speech, not in precision.
• 🚫 **Retirement Notice**: Cordray is retiring from active participation in ELT and will not be authoring or publishing the 'Listening Decoding in Use' series, but is open to publishers interested in the rights.

Q & A

Who is Richard Cordray?

Richard Cordray is a speaker from Birmingham, United Kingdom, who was an active member of the ELT (English Language Teaching) profession.

What was the reason for turning the workshop content into YouTube videos?

The workshop that Richard Cordray was supposed to conduct at the canceled ayat Ethel conference in Manchester was turned into YouTube videos because it was to be his last act as an active member of the ELT profession.

What are the handouts and worksheets related to?

The handouts and worksheets are related to the content of Richard Cordray's four-part series of listening decoding videos.

What is the main focus of the second video in the series?

The main focus of the second video is 'Consonant Death', specifically the case of the consonant 'T'.

What is meant by 'Consonant Death'?

Consonant Death refers to the phenomenon where certain consonants, like 'T' in the example given, may be dropped or not pronounced in fast, natural speech.

What is the difference between the goals for listening and pronunciation?

The goal for listening is to help learners understand fast, messy, authentic speech, which is varied and unpredictable. Pronunciation, on the other hand, focuses on producing speech that is clear and intelligible.

What does Richard Cordray mean by 'reasonable hearing'?

'Reasonable hearing' refers to the ability to understand speech in real-time without the need for fine phonetic detail or machine analysis.

What is the purpose of the 'greenhouse' versions of sentences?

The 'greenhouse' versions of sentences are carefully pronounced with each word and segment distinct, serving as a starting point before applying the rules of connected speech.

What exercise is suggested for practicing consonant death?

One exercise suggested is to fill in the gaps between prominent syllables with a noise related to the words they represent, then listen to the full sound substance without the visual aid of the words.

How does the matching activity in the video help learners?

The matching activity helps learners by making them listen to speech extracts and match them to the correct sentences, enhancing their listening skills and familiarity with the natural flow of speech.

What is the overall purpose of the exercises in the video?

The overall purpose of the exercises is to make learners comfortable with the 'unruliness and messiness' of speech, rather than aiming for precision in pronunciation.

What are some other exercise types mentioned in the script?

Other exercise types mentioned include the 'botanic walk', which involves moving from greenhouse to garden to jungle speech, and combining consonant death with 'foul play', which involves playing with vowels.