The first in a three part series for English language teachers on Stress and Intonation. What is word stress and why is it important for language teaching?

1. elt-training.com
Stress and Intonation I
Word stress

2. For a free, voiced, over
presentation of this, go to
www.elt-training.com

3. How many syllables?
Where is the stress? balloon

4. ba- lloon

5. joyful
euphoric
exhilarated

6. joy-ful
/ˈʤɔɪfəl/

7. eu-pho-ric
/ju:ˈfɒrɪk/

8. ex-hi-la-ra-ted
/ɪgˈzɪləreɪtɪd/

9. With longer words, we get
secondary stress
exhilarated
/ɪgˈzɪləˌreɪtɪd/

10. O
Oo
oO
alone
sad lonely

12. Ooo
oOo
ooO
Japanese
wonderful
amazing

13. What happens to the
unstressed syllables?
amaze /ə/
oO

14. What happens to the
unstressed syllables?
enough /I/
oO

15. Ooo
oOo
ooO
/ə/
wonderful
amazing
Japanese

16. So, what is the
importance of
this….
oOo Ooo

17. oOoo
education
ooOo

18. oOo
monologue
Ooo

19. Oooo
participate
oOoo

20. L1 interference
OooOoo
sensible

21. Many languages have regular
stress patterns or fixed stress.

22. Finnish & Icelandic
stress the first
syllable of a word

23. Swahili stresses the penultimate
syllable

24. Unfortunately
for learners…….

26. There are rules….

27. but there are many..
....and a lot of
exceptions…..

28. How do you pronounce this word?
How do you know?
spissitude
Density, thickness, compactness.
(archaic) Oxford English Dictionary

29. /ˈspɪsɪtjuːd/

30. spissitude
attitude Ooo
aptitude Ooo
solitude Ooo

31. Three syllable nouns that end
in -itude are stressed on the
first syllable.

32. Think of some two
syllable nouns and
adjectives….
What do you
notice about the
stress?

33. scary lion
Oo Oo

34. painted berries
Oo Oo

35. Think of some two
syllable verbs….
What do you
notice about the
stress?

36. observe
oO

37. prepare
oO

38. BUT….
rereaadd +in igng
Oo

39. Think of some words
ending in -ion….
What do you
notice about the
stress?

40. station locomotion
Oo ooOo

41. Is it worth teaching rules?

42. rebel
oO Oo
(v) (n)

43. record
refuse
implant
invalid
conduct

44. Stress changes in word families
photograph Ooo

45. photographer oOoo

46. Ooo
saxophone

47. shifting stress patterns
saxophonist
oOoo

48. Is it worth marking
stress patterns on new
words?

49. How do you mark stress
patterns on new words?

50. /ˈspɪsɪtju:d/
Spissitude Ooo

51. .
spissitude
Spissitude Ooo

52. spissitude
Spissitude Ooo

53. spissitude
Spissitude Ooo

54. spissitude
Spissitude Ooo

55. SPIssitude
Spissitude Ooo

56. Ooo
spissitude
Spissitude Ooo

57. Remember:
Word stress is
important…
Make sure they
make a note of it.

58. Word stress
Sentence stress
Intonation

59. Thank you!
jo.gakonga@elt-training.com