Speech Work: Stress Patterns – Identification and Examples.

Subject : English Grammar

Class : SS 2

Term : Third Term

Week :Week 3

Topic : 

Speech Work: Stress Patterns

CONTENT: Identification and examples.

In this lesson, we will explain the morphophonemic approach at identifying a stressed syllable. In this approach, stress placement is determined as a result of the occurrence and arrangement of vowels (short, long, diphthongs) and consonants in syllables.

Guidelines

A    (i) For two syllable vowels, simple adjectives, adverbs and prepositions,

Stress the first syllable when the second syllable contains ashort vowel and one or a final consonant. E.g. ENter, ENvy, Open, Equal.

However, a two syllable verb that ends in the diphthong (әu) is     stresses on the first syllable for example FOllow, BOrrow.

(ii) Stress the second syllable if it contains a long vowel or diphthong and ends with more than one consonant. E.g. withDRAW, inVITE, conTACT, aLIVE.

iii) Three syllabled verbs

If the last syllable contains a long vowel, diphthong or more than our consonant stress it. If the last syllable     contains a short vowel or not more one consonant stress the second syllable e.g. resuRRECT, enterTAIN, enCOUNTER, deTERmine

B    (i)    Nouns of two syllables

Stress the first syllable if the second syllable contains a short vowel otherwise stress the second e.g. MOney, PROduct, LArynx, eSTATE, balLOON, deSIGN.

(ii)    Nouns of three syllables

If the last syllable contains a short vowel or the diphthong /әu/, it receives no stress. If the middle syllable contains a long vowel or diphthong or ends with more than one consonant, that middle syllable is stressed e.g. poTAto, diSASter, boNANza, syNOPsis, diSASter, apPOINTment.

If the last syllable contains a short vowel and contains not more than one consonant, stress the first syllable e.g. QUANtity, EXercise, CUStody, SCHOlarship, EMperor, CInema.

Stress in speech refers to the emphasis or prominence given to certain syllables or words when speaking. This emphasis is often marked by a change in loudness, pitch, or length of a syllable.

One way to identify the stressed syllable in a word is through the morphophonemic approach. This approach involves looking at the arrangement of vowels (short, long, diphthongs) and consonants in a syllable to determine the stressed syllable.

Let’s look at some examples:

1. “Photograph” The word “photograph” has three syllables: “pho-to-graph”. The stress falls on the second syllable, “to”, which is a closed syllable containing a short vowel sound.
2. “Elephant” The word “elephant” has three syllables: “el-e-phant”. The stress falls on the second syllable, “e”, which is a long vowel sound.
3. “Yesterday” The word “yesterday” has four syllables: “yes-ter-day”. The stress falls on the first syllable, “yes”, which is a diphthong.
4. “Television” The word “television” has four syllables: “tel-e-vi-sion”. The stress falls on the third syllable, “vi”, which is a closed syllable containing a short vowel sound.

Stress patterns in speech are important in conveying meaning and emphasis in spoken language. By using the morphophonemic approach, we can identify the stressed syllable in a word based on the arrangement of vowels and consonants in a syllable

EVALUATION

1. What is stress in speech? A) The volume of a person’s voice B) The emphasis or prominence given to certain syllables or words C) The tone of a person’s voice D) The speed of a person’s speech
2. How is stress placement determined in the morphophonemic approach? A) By the length of the word B) By the number of consonants in the word C) By the occurrence and arrangement of vowels and consonants in syllables D) By the position of the word in a sentence
3. What is a diphthong? A) A syllable with a long vowel sound B) A syllable with a short vowel sound C) A combination of two vowel sounds in one syllable D) A combination of two consonant sounds in one syllable
4. Which of the following words has the stress on the second syllable? A) “Guitar” B) “Delicious” C) “Banana” D) “Elevator”
5. In the word “fantastic”, where is the stress? A) First syllable B) Second syllable C) Third syllable D) Fourth syllable
6. What is the stressed syllable in the word “computer”? A) First syllable B) Second syllable C) Third syllable D) Fourth syllable
7. Which of the following words has a diphthong in it? A) “Music” B) “Happy” C) “Boat” D) “Coin”
8. What is the stressed syllable in the word “animal”? A) First syllable B) Second syllable C) Third syllable D) There is no stress in this word
9. Which of the following words has a long vowel sound in the stressed syllable? A) “Mother” B) “Ticket” C) “Fruit” D) “Table”
10. Which of the following words has the stress on the last syllable? A) “Caterpillar” B) “Important” C) “Telephone” D) “Elephant”

Identify 3 guidelines for identifying a stressed syllable.

Lesson Plan Presentation: Speech Work – Stress Patterns

Grade Level: SS 2

Objective: By the end of this lesson, students should be able to identify the stressed syllable in a word using the morphophonemic approach.

Materials:

• Whiteboard or chalkboard
• Markers or chalk
• Handouts with examples of words with stress patterns
• Audio clips of spoken words for listening exercises

Introduction (5 minutes):

• Begin by asking students if they have ever noticed how some words in English are pronounced with more emphasis than others.
• Discuss with students the concept of stress in speech, explaining that it refers to the emphasis or prominence given to certain syllables or words when speaking.
• Introduce the topic for the day, which is identifying stress patterns in words using the morphophonemic approach.

Body (35 minutes):

• Explain to students that the morphophonemic approach involves looking at the arrangement of vowels (short, long, diphthongs) and consonants in a syllable to determine the stressed syllable.
• Provide examples of words with different stress patterns and ask students to identify the stressed syllable using the morphophonemic approach.
• Use audio clips of spoken words for listening exercises, asking students to identify the stressed syllable in each word.
• Have students work in pairs to come up with their own examples of words with different stress patterns, and share with the class.
• Provide handouts with examples of words with stress patterns for students to practice identifying the stressed syllable.

Conclusion (10 minutes):

• Recap the main points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of stress patterns in conveying meaning and emphasis in spoken language.
• Have students share any questions or comments they may have about the lesson.
• Assign homework for students to practice identifying stress patterns in words using the morphophonemic approach.

Assessment:

• Assess students’ understanding of the lesson through class participation and completion of the handouts.
• Give a short quiz at the end of the lesson to assess students’ ability to identify the stressed syllable in given words.

Weekly Assessment /Test

1. What is stress in speech?
2. How is stress placement determined in the morphophonemic approach?
3. What are some examples of long vowels in English?
4. What is a diphthong?
5. Which syllable is stressed in the word “banana”?
6. What is the difference between a stressed and an unstressed syllable?
7. What is the stressed syllable in the word “computer”?
8. How does stress affect the meaning of a sentence?
9. What is the stressed syllable in the word “fantastic”?
10. How can identifying stress patterns in words improve communication skills?
11. Stress refers to the emphasis or prominence given to certain ________ or words when speaking.
12. The morphophonemic approach involves looking at the arrangement of ________ and consonants in a syllable to determine the stressed syllable.
13. In English, long vowels are pronounced for a ________ duration than short vowels.
14. A ________ is a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable.
15. In the word “telephone”, the stressed syllable is the second ________.
16. In the word “elephant”, the stressed syllable is the second ________.
17. In the word “happy”, the stressed syllable is the first ________.
18. Stress patterns can affect the meaning of a sentence, such as distinguishing between a ________ and a question.
19. In the word “community”, the stressed syllable is the third ________.
20. Identifying stress patterns in words can help improve communication skills, such as enhancing ________ and emphasis in speech.