Continuous reading is an extremely important skill in the teaching and learning of English pronunciation. Contiguous reading refers to the phenomenon in which syllables of adjacent words are connected to each other in order to express and understand fluently in a continuous flow of speech. In order to clearly record and teach this pronunciation feature, professional teachers and textbooks often use specific hyphenic symbols. This article will introduce several common hyphenated symbols in detail, and analyze their usage scenarios and advantages with examples.
1.Wavy line ( ).
How to apply: In a sentence or phrase, if the former word ends with a consonant and the latter word begins with a vowel, a wavy line can be used to indicate the conjunction. For example, "i'm an English teacher".
Advantages: Intuitive and easy to understand, it is easy for beginners to identify and imitate the phenomenon of continuous reading.
2.Parentheses followed by hyphens (
Application: (t)-ime means "time"."t"Consecutive words ending in consonants.
Advantages: This form of annotation is common in academic literature and some textbooks, which not only clarifies the specific continuum points when pronouncing, but also maintains the integrity of the word itself.
3.Ellipsis (....)) or not fully wired ( ).
How to apply: "Can't....eat" or "let's go", ellipses or incomplete lines can indicate that two words are closely connected when actually pronounced.
Strengths: Emphasis on continuity in continuous reading, reminding learners of the seamless transition of sounds between words.
4.Slash ( ) or accent mark (')
Application: For example, in some phonetic alphabet systems, k n'ju: indicates the possible conjunctions of can and you in spoken language, i.e. k n + ju: k n'ju:/
Advantages: Especially in the International Phonetic Alphabet system, the addition of accents clearly indicates the position of the consecutive reading, providing a standard basis for accurate imitation.
1.Consonant + vowel type conjunction.
Conjunctions usually occur when the former word ends with a consonant and the latter word begins with a vowel. For example, "get up" can be labeled as "get up".
2.Vowel + vowel type conjunction.
Even if both words end and begin with a vowel, a portamento-like effect can occur, such as "sea-elephant" can be written as "sea elephant".
3.Simplified syllables.
Words ending in t or d may be pronounced as a light consonant (flap t d) in some cases, with subsequent vowel sounds, such as "city 'n' night" may be marked as "city 'n' night".
Improve fluency: Mastering continuous reading skills can help improve the naturalness and fluency of spoken English, bringing it closer to the pronunciation habits of native speakers.
Enhance comprehension: In a fast flow of speech, continuous reading can help listeners better understand the meaning of sentences and avoid misunderstandings caused by improper sentence breaks.
Quantitative data support: According to linguistic research, native English speakers have a very high frequency of continuous reading in daily conversations, and some studies have shown that more than 70% of consonant + vowel combinations will have continuous reading, thus highlighting the importance of continuous reading teaching.
The proper use of concatenated symbols is essential for the teaching and learning of English pronunciation. Different symbols represent different types of continuous reading phenomena, and by mastering these marking methods, learners can practice and improve their continuous reading ability in a more targeted manner, so as to achieve a more authentic and natural level of spoken English. In the actual teaching process, the combination of listening training, oral imitation and speech analysis software and other tools can make the continuous reading learning process more scientific and efficient.