EXERCISES FOR GENERAL AGILITY OF THE ORGANS OF SPEECH

The following jingles and 'tongue-twisters' provide exercise for deft, clear and agile movements of the lips, tongue and soft palate. It is wise to follow the routine of whispering, then speaking them. Do not increase speed until you are absolutely sure you can master them at a moderate speed.

1. My organs of articulation,

Were a definite vexation,

Until I said this silly rhyme

Three times through.

2. Many moaning men,

Making music to the moon,

Humming down their noses,

It was a pleasant tune.

3. Writing on a railway train

Is very hard to do

For it bumps you up and down

And shakes you through and through.

Clickety clack

Down the track

Heading for the station,

I've put my pencil and paper away

Till I reach my destination.

4. Paul the ape provoked his keeper

By ripping up banana skins.

He dropped them in the baboon's cage

Instead of specially provided bins.

He pinched peanuts from the people

Broke his box of plastic plates,

He pushed big apples through the bars

And banged and bashed his apey mates.

5. Bright blue bubbles,

Bobby blew and blew,

Breathing, blowing, breathing,

Behold ...

Bob became a bubble too!

6. A weasel went walking by the water

When a worm woke up and said,

'Will you walk a little quieter,

I was on my way to bed.'

7. Two dukes tooting

Two tunes on little flutes,

'You knew "The Moon in June"

When we played it on our lutes.'

Duke One who tooted on the flute

Was angry with Duke Two, who

Although he knew 'The Moon in June'

Could not keep his flute in tune

So he played the lute, instead.

8. Twenty tiny tap dancers

Tapped to a bright light tune,

Their routine was smart and dainty

And they tapped and they did croon.

Tip tap tappety tap tap tip

Dippety, dippety tap tap dip.

Teddy taught the tappers

To tap and flick their feet,

But it sometimes happened that the twenty

Tried too hard, and missed a beat,

So instead of

Tip tap tappety tap tap tip

Dippety, dippety, tap tap dip.

It was

Tip tappety tappety tip,

Dippety tappety dip tip dip.

9. A lazy lion lurched along A leafy country lane,

Leaving lots of people

With a tale too difficult to explain.

10. Big bottles of beer

Buy and bring them here.

11. The clock ticks round

With a monstrous sound

We wait and wait

But its very late

And the dog cannot be found.

12. A little lady lives alone

Close to a little lake

She plants blue flowers

To be watered with showers

And clears leaves with her rake.

13. The teacher marked the book in red

'Not very good' she crudely said

'Your grammar's wrong,

Your sentence too long,

Why don't you use your head?'

14. The little kettle made of metal sang a subtle tune

The little kettle made of metal merrily did croon.

15. Buy the big brown books

Bound in bright board binders.

16. The singers sung it softly

The singers sung it slow

The singers sung it sadly

The singers sung it low

The band played it boldly

The band played it long

The band played it loudly

The band played it strong

The dancers danced it gently

The dancers danced it fast

The dancers danced it smoothly

The dancers danced it last.

Note to Teachers

There are many approaches to the correction of speech faults, which the experienced and informed teacher will know. In this book I have tried to avoid, as far as possible, any controversial topic, confining myself to accepted fact and the presentation of exercises which I have personally found to be effective.

I am convinced that in order for the student to gain maximum benefit he or she should be presented with the information concerning his or her particular problem in as concise, methodical and accurate a way as possible.

There is no substitute for clear, progressive instruction, where the student is not inundated with a welter of relevant but insignificant detail. As you will know, it is often important to edit or rephrase what we know to be exact scientific description, in order to render it accessible and practical to a concerned student.

In attempting to make this a practical book, from which an untrained person might seek self-help, I have deliberately reduced the terminology. For example, no account of the Fortis/Lenis opposition in consonants is given, nor have I described the direction of the airstream as Egressive or Ingressive, believing that their inclusion will only complicate the description and, ultimately, have little significance in affecting the particular faults dealt with in this book. The learning and remembering of these terms only presents another challenge to the speaker; whereas his or her primary concern is to gain practical instruction, as easily as possible, in order that the correction can begin.

This principle is also demonstrated in the chapter on breathing, where I refer to the student placing his or her hand on the stomach in order to feel the diaphragm. I realise that it is anatomically impossible actually to feel the diaphragm. However, in expressing it this way I have found it to be a useful and ready instruction which gains the desired response.

In using this book, I would recommend that the description of the sounds and the diagrams are studied in some detail. This first stage is important to establish what is required. The contrast between the inadequate formation and the desired one can be marked clearly at this early stage.

After clarifying exactly what is required, the exercises should be tackled slowly and methodically. They should never be rushed, ensuring that the goal for each is established before moving on. Results are unlikely at the very first attempt.

Encouragement is most important. The kind of teaching that depends on concentrated bullying is not likely to be permanently effective. Where possible, the attainment of the student should be stressed - even though it may be minimal compared with what has to be done.

I would suggest that correction should be undertaken in short bursts, with other, diverting material in a class of any length. To continue work for long sustained periods of time on just one problem stretches the concentration of the student well beyond anything productive. It may serve only to daunt and disappoint.

Finally, you will no doubt recognize the principles involved in each of the exercises and wish to add others of your own; this variation of approach can be very helpful. The following is a short, but selective, list of books which are recommended for further study or reference. A number of them contain an extension of the information presented in this book, and many of them make suggestions for other valuable exercises.

Phonetics

Gimson's Pronunciation of English, revised by Alan Cruttenden

(Edward Arnold)

Phonetics, J. D. O'Connor (Pelican)

In each there is a full discussion of the formation of sounds in Received Pronunciation, as well as an account of many regional and foreign variations.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1248