English namely a Stress - Based Language - A Tool

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English is a complicated language. It does not sound the way it looks. Learners are often frustrated attempting to understand what others are saying and also self-conscious about their emphases to talk. The good news for ESL students is that one tiny piece of message takes the mystery out of the spoken language: English is a stress-based language. What that manner and how that impacts students is cozy and fun to browse.
Learners are tragically misinformed about the significance of individual sounds in conversation. It is momentous to kas long asnative speakers ascertain accents ravishing and communication does not damage down for of them. The seat of miscommunication in English is not in mispronounced letters, but in lacking or misplaced word stress. If the boss cried for a appointment on 'VENS day',[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], everybody would show up the day after Tuesday,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], merely if he said the conference was on 'vensDAY,' no one would understand while the appointment was, and they couldn't guess. The fact is, native English speakers have tremendous latitude for accommodating sound variations, and do not rely on faultless pronunciation for understanding.
The Impact of Word Stress in ESL - Maria's Story
Maria is Latino, fearless and gorgeous. Her tenderness and fascination transcend anybody language alternatively cultural barriers. She migrated to Canada from Central America numerous annuals antecedent with her husband and 4 small babies. As is constantly the circumstance, she was extremely insulated in her new nation. Her kid learned English in school and her husband academic it by work. Thirteen years behind leaving El Salvador, she spoke not English and had no friends. Fortunately, Maria did know namely domestic violence is not stomached in Canada. When she had finally had ample, she left her abusive husband and started a current life for herself and her children.
Maria rented an room, applied for social alms, and registered in school. Her variety, effervescent individuality was an asset to our ESL classroom. But one day she arrived sorrowful and reduced. Everyone noticed. "What is the matter?" they ambitioned to know. Maria told a anecdote every student could relate to. It was her eldest son's sixteenth birthday and she ambitioned to take her household out to commemorate. She couldn't afford to take everyone to dinner, so she took them out for breakfast. When it was her rotate to mandate, the waiter inquired what she ambitioned and she said, "Coffee an pekundaneesh." The server queried her to repeat her mandate. Beginning to feel uneasy, Maria repeated, "Coffee an pekundaneesh." The server turned on her heel and waded away, scoffing, "Why doncha speak English?"
Maria was devastated. The festival was ruined. She told the class she was never going to a restaurant afresh. After we talked about her displeasure, we resumed our lesson above Word Stress. Maria learned that there is 1 and only one 'stressed' syllable in any word. She learned that the stressed syllables are higher, longer and louder than additional syllables, and if the word tension is lacking or in the erroneous area, natural speakers cannot understand what is being said no matter how peerless the individual sounds are pronounced. At the end of the day Maria stood up and hurrahed, "PE tin DA nish!" She understood the lesson - and the breakdown that happened in the canteen the day before.
Monday morn Maria bounced into the classroom, her joyful, vigorous self again. Everyone noticed. How was your weekend? In her adorable Spanish accent, with her hand on her hip and her concordance finger wagging, Maria filled us in. "Yesta day, I go back to dat restrant, I watch dat madame and I say to she - I wanna PEcan Danish! An she send me."
The throng went savage. When her classmates' clapping and applause died down, she made a graceful curtsy before taking her seat. I have only an inkling of the gallantry it took for her to go back and face that waiter, but her triumph over word stress and restaurants was a triumph for us always.
The Lesson: English is a Stress-based Language