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Phonics for Grown Folks. The Truth about the English Language and What It Sounds Like. Truth #1: It Wasn’t Always This Difficult. When English was born, it was a combination of a very rough Anglo + Saxon dialect. We call this Old English.
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Phonics for Grown Folks The Truth about the English Language and What It Sounds Like
Truth #1: It Wasn’t Always This Difficult. • When English was born, it was a combination of a very rough Anglo + Saxon dialect. • We call this Old English. • It was derived (created from) the language of a German tribe. “What Are the Origins of the English Language?” Merriam-Webster.com. 11 March 2010 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/help/faq/history.html
It Wasn’t Always This Difficult. • Have you ever seen German words like “Guten Morgen” and “Guten Tag?” • These phrases mean “Good Morning” and “Good Day.” • They are pronounced pretty much the way they are spelled. “What Are the Origins of the English Language?” Merriam-Webster.com. 11 March 2010 <http://www.merriam- webster.com/help/faq/history.html
The Only Problem Is… • You probably can’t read this excerpt because you don’t know what some of the words and letters are in order to know how they sound… Sample Old English Passage: Eft he axode, hu ðære ðeode nama wære þe hi of comon. Him wæs geandwyrd, þæt hi Angle genemnode wæron.
Truth #2: English has Changed • Philologists estimate that sometime between the 12th and 15th Centuries, French and Latin got mixed into the Anglo-Saxon Old English. • SO MANY CHANGES TOOK PLACE, that we call this language “Middle English.”
English has changed. • The French language DOES NOT follow phonetic rules as closely. • Some letters go SILENT. • Some letters have MANY SOUNDS. • Some letters have SOUNDS THAT CHANGE when blended with other letters. Common French Phrases: Comment tu-va? A tout à l'heure!Enchanté(e)
See How Middle English Was… Here’s a Middle English excerpt: In þat lond ben trees þat beren wolle, as þogh it were of scheep; whereof men maken clothes, and all þing þat may ben made of wolle. Notice That: • Some letter types and words are gone. • Some silent letters are included. • The phonetics (letter system for writing) and phonics system (system of sounds) are connected.
Imagine the Latin!!! • Quid agis? How are you? • Gratias! Thank You • Valeō I’m fine; thanks. • Salūtātiō! You’re Welcome! Notice: • NONE of these words LOOK like Anglo-Saxon. • NONE of these words SOUND like Anglo-Saxon. • IMAGINE how much these words CHANGED Anglo-Saxon!
Truth #3: All things are affected by their company. As English speakers came into contact with speakers of many other languages (through travel), the “English” language: • Inherited NEW WORDS from those languages • Inherited NEW SOUNDS from those languages • Inherited NEW PHONETIC CHARACTERS like accents
All things are affected by their company Yes, that leaves you trying to pronounce and spell words that: • Look NOTHING like they sound • Look alike but are pronounced DIFFERENTLY • Include SILENT LETTERS • Include complicated CONSONANT BLENDS WHOA!
The Basics about our English Phonics System: • There are LONG and SHORT vowels • There are HARD and SOFT consonants • There are CONSONANT BLENDS • There are VOWEL BLENDS • There are SILENT LETTERS that CHANGE the sounds of other letters. • There are STRESSED and UNSTRESSED sounds. I A O Y E U
WORK IT OUT!!! • Long “A” Ate Wait Hay • Long “E” Bleach Sleep • Long “I” Swipe Climb • Long “O” Oat Ode • Long “U” Soup Blue Flu • Short “A” Bat Ah What • Short “E” Wet Chew • Short “I” Clip Swift • Short “O” Stop Bought Boot • Short “U” Cut Yuck!
Lastly The Way you hear it… • And the way you say it, will affect the way you spell it!!! • When it doubt about a new word, use a dictionary’s pronunciation key for help with pronunciation!!!
Using the Pronunciation key Today, we are going to pronounce some new words using a pronunciation key!!!
Some words that are most often mispronounced • Affidavit (\ˌa-fə-ˈdā-vət\) • Cavalry (\ˈka-vəl-rē\) • Electoral (\i-ˈlek-t(ə-)rəl\) • Heimlich (\ˈhīm-lik-\) • Lambaste (\lam-ˈbāst\) • Mayonnaise (\ˈmā-ə-ˌnāz\) • Nuptial (\ˈnəp-shəl\) • Prerogative (\pri-ˈrä-gə-tiv\) • Respite (\ˈres-pət\)