Home    >    Lesson 8: Multiple Actions    >    Unit 8.6 Blends without a FCS – with ‘s’

Presentation

Audio [08:02]

Quiz

#1. Blends without a friendly consonant sound but with ‘s’ may require as many as ________ actions to correct.

two

two

three

three

four

four

five

five

#2. To correct ‘lasts for’, the first action is ________, the second action is ________, the third action is ________, and the final action is ________ because it is a ________ sound.

change z to s, delete t, move forward z, delete s, duplicate

change z to s, delete t, move forward z, delete s, duplicate

move forward z, change z to s, delete t, delete s, duplicate

move forward z, change z to s, delete t, delete s, duplicate

move forward z, change z to s, delete s, duplicate, delete t

move forward z, change z to s, delete s, duplicate, delete t

change z to s, move forward z, delete t, delete s, duplicate

change z to s, move forward z, delete t, delete s, duplicate

#3. The words ‘gifts’, ‘facts’, ‘desks’, and ‘lasts’ all have ________ consonant sounds blocking the vowel from the end of the syllable, while ‘texts’ has ________.

three, four

three, four

three, two

three, two

two, four

two, four

two, three

two, three

#4. Why do we delete the t in five of the seven phrases?

Because native speakers do not like the letter 't'

Because native speakers do not like the letter 't'

Because it is difficult to pronounce next to another vowel sound.

Because it is difficult to pronounce next to another vowel sound.

Because it is easy to pronounce next to another consonant sound.

Because it is easy to pronounce next to another consonant sound.

Because it is difficult to pronounce next to another consonant sound.

Because it is difficult to pronounce next to another consonant sound.

#5. Why do we move forward ‘zps’ in the sound connection ‘crisps are’?

Because we want a VC connection to make the phrase more interesting.

Because we want a VC connection to make the phrase more interesting.

Because we want a VC connection to make the phrase easier to pronounce.

Because we want a VC connection to make the phrase easier to pronounce.

Because we want a CV connection to make the phrase easier to pronounce.

Because we want a CV connection to make the phrase easier to pronounce.

Because we enjoy moving forward consonant sounds when we talk.

Because we enjoy moving forward consonant sounds when we talk.

Finish

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Practice

1. Practice following and saying out loud the transition on slides 7-15. Say each stage out loud. Make sure you understand what is happening and why. Listen again to the recording if you have any doubts.
2. Practice saying the phrases on slide 16 out loud, going from bad connection to good. Notice the actions and practice the interim stages. When does  z  change to  s  – and why? When do we delete  t  – and why? Notice how often we perform each action: moving forward (58%), deleting (28%), changing (14%), adding (0%). Add the phrases to your own sentences; practice them out loud. Record them, slow them down, and listen to your sound connections – then get a partner or teacher to check your pronunciation.
3. Focus on the summary of actions on slide 16. Make sure you know what is happening and why. Learn the facts of connected speech so well that you remember them and are able to implement them when you are speaking.
4. Look at slide 16. Practice ‘frontloading’ consonant sounds onto the beginning of syllables, as in the phrases: ‘de skswere’ (4 consonants sounds) and ‘cri spswere’ (4 consonant sounds). How easy do you find this? Is there anything equivalent in your L1? Write five of your own phrases which ‘frontload’ three or more consonant sounds onto the following syllable. Remember that however hard – or just plain eccentric – this may seem to you, it is easier for us to make a VC or friendly connection and frontload multiple consonant sounds, than to pronounce a CV or CC connection.