The Learning of Rhythmic structure in English UtterancesI.Streed-Timed Rhythmsyllable-timed languages : stre-timed languagesAn ideal realization from which ‘performance\' factors are absent.
The rhythm is both regular and irregular; the regularity is provided by
the strong \'beat\' at the beginning of each foot, and the irregularity by the unequal distribution of time within the foot.II.Rhythm and Vowel ReductionEnglish rhythm:
A pattern in
1.3.
which long syllables alternate with short ones.III.The Distribution of English StreesForm words are typically unstreed.2.Content words are normally streed.
Form words are streed where contrast is expreed.4.Any word being repeated is usually not streed.5.Many streings are idiomatic.
…Rhythmic patterns: Chinese vs
English English Rhythm Eg:I shall have to try and get some cash from our bank at lunchtime.Then we can let them have the money that they want as soon as they like.What are they asking us to pay them?StreedvsunstreedStrong forms
vsWeak forms
More advanced learners will find that attempts to use them properly are more likely to
improve the naturalne of their speech than efforts in practically any other area of pronunciation.Alternation preference
The strategy for learning to use weak forms properly:
2.Establish when they must have
1.The eential weak form words must be identified.
their strong forms, when they must have their weak forms.Mark out the streed syllables.Chinese Rhythm
FrenchPutonghua
N
English Syllable structure
+ Vowels
N
－ 0
+
－+ Duration + Consonants
－
－
+ Intonation－－
Function of accent－+Table 1:Components of speech rhythm in
I need a couple of shirts, grey
Putonghua with reference to French and English 例1：― terylene please.―
Certainly, sir, I\'ll just get some out.Would you mind taking a seat for a
moment? I shan\'t be long.How many streed syllables? How many unstreed syllables?例1：― I need a couple of shirts, grey terylene please.Certainly, sir, I\'ll just get some out.Would you mind taking a seat for a moment? I shan\'t be long.（Unstreed syllables 20/36，55.5[%]） 例2：大妈：我可不去开会！人家说什么，我老听不懂。四嫂：也没什么难懂的。反正说的都离不开修沟，修沟反正是好事，好事反正就得拍巴掌，拍巴掌反正不会有错儿，是不是？老太太？（选自老舍剧作《龙须沟》第三幕第二场片断）北京话口语
里的轻声比普通话的轻声要发达得多 普通话口语里的轻声比书面语的轻声要发达得多例2：大妈：我可不去开会！人家说什么，我老听不懂。四嫂：也没什么难懂的。反正说的都离不开修沟，修沟反正是好事，好事反正就得拍巴掌，拍巴掌反正不会有错儿，是不是？老太太？（共65个音节，轻声音节15个，占23[%]） （选自老舍剧作《龙须沟》第三幕第二场片断）北京话口语里的轻声比普通话的轻声要发达得多 普通话口语里的轻声比书面语的轻声要发达得多据厉为民（1981）的统计，在收词五万多条的《现代汉语词典》（1979年版）里，轻声词在32540个双音节词语中只占6.65[%]（2164个），而以轻声作为最小音差构成辨义对立的则不足1[%]。（王理嘉,1998）。根据林焘(1992)的计算，平均每
六、七个音节就可能出现一个轻音音节。统计数据出现的差异很可能是语体不同所致。 When Margaret Thatcher came to power in May nineteen seventy nine, Britain was a very different place to today.The trades unions were a political force to be reckoned with, government was involved in everything from generating power to making cars and many people looked to the state to provide their every need.Much of that changed during her eleven years in power.She neutered the labour movement, oversaw the privatisation of large swathes of the economy, and encouraged people to take more responsibility for their own lives.Much of this was fiercely resisted but is now political orthodoxy in Britain.But she didn\'t win all the arguments.The National Health Service has been spared from comprehensive privatisation and a policy of ever smaller government and lower taxes has been abandoned by her Conservative party.One thing that hasn\'t changed however is the argument over Britain\'s place in Europe.It still divides the Conservatives and could yet be the undoing of Britain\'s current Prime Minister Tony Blair.?轻声的使用乙：你读过老子（laozi）的文章吗？甲：你这话问得既没礼貌，又不谦虚。乙：我怎么没礼貌、不谦虚了？甲：只有自以为了不起的人才自称“老子”！我比你岁数大，你怎么在我面前称自己“老子”？这就是没礼貌！你写了那么两篇文章，就自以为是，张口闭口就是“老子的文章”，这就是不谦虚！乙：我想你大概误会了。我说的这个“老子”不是我，是中国古代的一个思想家。甲：噢！你说的是道家的创始人老子（laozǐ）啊！乙：对！我说的就是他！ 甲：那你应该念成laozǐ，这个“子”不能念轻声。 乙：是吗？我还以为“子”在词的后面都念轻声呢！ 甲：那可不对!“子”在词的后面不念轻声的多着呢！ 乙：那你给我说说，还有哪些不念轻声？ 甲：比如说，你下星期要参加田径比赛。
乙：对！我参加 100米赛跑。甲：和男的比呀，还是和女的比呀？乙：废
话！我是男的，当然和男的比！甲：所以，你应该说：“我参加男子100米赛跑。”“男子”的“子”也不能念轻声。乙：那一女子”的“子”也不念轻声了？
甲：你真聪明！还有，你有几个兄弟呀？乙：我们家哥儿仨，我行大。甲：那你就是长子（zhangzǐ）。乙：噢！行大就是“长子”？我过去一直把这两
乙：不念轻声的还有哪些？个字念成changzi。甲：肠子？还肚子呢！
甲：多了！才子、弟子、电子、分子、瓜子、孔子、棋子、鱼子、败家子„„这些词里的“子”都不能念轻声。
乙：看来你对轻声很有研究。
轻声，闹 甲：哪里，还差得远呢！刚学汉语的时候，因为不会用了不少笑话。甲：有一次，我在街上问路，见到一位老人，我想跟他问路，
乙：你就叫他“同志”。甲：哎！那多不亲热呀！我
路，课文里用的称呼是“大爷（da yé），“大小”可 又不知道怎么称呼才好。想起我们的口语课本里有一课就是问
的“大”，“爷爷 奶奶”的“爷”，所以我就向老人打招呼说“大爷（da yé）！”乙：老人答应了？甲：哪儿呀！老人回头瞪了我一眼：“你叫谁‘大爷（da yé）’呢？” 一扭头，走了。乙：他怎么走了？甲：我也纳闷哪！怎么回事？我挺有礼貌地和他打招呼，他怎么 生气了？回来我一问别人，敢情这称呼有两种读音：有礼貌 地称呼老人，应该叫大爷（da ye）。中国人管那种光吃饭不
着人家一个劲儿叫大爷 干活的叫大爷（da yé）。你想，我追甲：还有（da ye），人家能不生气吗？乙：是得生气。
一次，为了这轻声，我挨了一回骂。乙：怎么？不会用轻声还挨骂？甲：那是刚到中国的时候。句子后面的语气词我总是念不好，念
好吗”我老是说成“你好吗
果，挨 了一回骂。不出轻声来，一念就好像四声。“你（mò）”，“你是中国人吧”的“吧”字，我也念成bà，结乙：怎么挨骂了？甲：那天，邻居家的一只猫跑到我家来了。
递我怕邻居找不到猫着 急，就赶紧抱着猫给邻居送去。一进邻居家的门，我就把猫
过去说：“这是你的吧（bà）？”邻居一听火儿了：“它是你 的爸！你爸才是猫呢！
