| English is a difficult language. It does not sound the | | | | individual sounds are pronounced. At the end of the |
| way it looks. Learners are often frustrated trying to | | | | day Maria stood up and shouted, "PE can DA nish!" |
| understand what others are saying and too | | | | She understood the lesson - and the breakdown that |
| self-conscious about their accents to speak. The good | | | | happened in the restaurant the day before. |
| news for ESL students is that one tiny piece of | | | | Monday morning Maria bounced into the classroom, |
| information takes the mystery out of the spoken | | | | her cheerful, energetic self again. Everyone noticed. |
| language: English is a stress-based language. What | | | | How was your weekend? In her adorable Spanish |
| that means and how that impacts students is easy | | | | accent, with her hand on her hip and her index finger |
| and fun to explore. | | | | wagging, Maria filled us in. "Yesta day, I go back to dat |
| Learners are tragically misinformed about the | | | | restrant, I see dat lady and I say to she - I wanna |
| significance of individual sounds in conversation. It is | | | | PEcan Danish! An she bring me." |
| important to know that native speakers find accents | | | | The crowd went wild. When her classmates' clapping |
| charming and communication does not break down | | | | and cheering died down, she made a graceful curtsy |
| because of them. The seat of miscommunication in | | | | before taking her seat. I have only an inkling of the |
| English is not in mispronounced letters, but in absent or | | | | courage it took for her to go back and face that |
| misplaced word stress. If the boss called for a meeting | | | | waitress, but her triumph over word stress and |
| on 'VENS day', everyone would show up the day | | | | restaurants was a triumph for us all. |
| after Tuesday, but if he said the meeting was on | | | | The Lesson: English is a Stress-based Language |
| 'vensDAY,' no one would know when the meeting | | | | Most languages are sound-based, where each letter |
| was, and they couldn't guess. The truth is, native | | | | represents a different sound and every syllable is |
| English speakers have tremendous latitude for | | | | equally important. When East Indians, Arabs or Asians |
| accommodating sound variations, and do not rely on | | | | speak, they sound like sewing machines to native |
| perfect pronunciation for understanding. | | | | English speakers. Native speakers can't hear the |
| The Impact of Word Stress in ESL - Maria's Story | | | | 'stress' because there isn't any (apart from the anxiety |
| Maria is Latino, plucky and gorgeous. Her warmth and | | | | everyone feels about not being able to understand |
| charm transcend any language or cultural barriers. She | | | | what is going on). Word stress works differently in |
| moved to Canada from Central America many years | | | | Spanish, French and German than in English. "Ze |
| ago with her husband and four small children. As is | | | | frENCH have ze acCENT on ze deffeRENT syllaBLE" |
| often the case, she was extremely isolated in her new | | | | - again charming. |
| country. Her children learned English in school and her | | | | Word stress is so important in English that if the stress |
| husband learned it at work. Thirteen years after | | | | gets moved around, the word changes meaning. |
| leaving El Salvador, she spoke no English and had no | | | | PROduce is a noun meaning fruit and vegetables, and |
| friends. Fortunately, Maria did understand that domestic | | | | proDUCE is a verb that means to manufacture. |
| violence is not tolerated in Canada. When she had | | | | CONtent is a noun for what is inside something and |
| finally had enough, she left her abusive husband and | | | | conTENT means happy. |
| started a new life for herself and her children. | | | | There is virtually no indication how a word is going to |
| Maria rented an apartment, applied for social | | | | sound from its spelling, but its context, or the words |
| assistance, and enrolled in school. Her kind, | | | | around it, can often give a clue. |
| effervescent personality was an asset to our ESL | | | | Rule of Thumb |
| classroom. But one day she arrived sad and | | | | 80% of two-syllable nouns have the stress on the first |
| depressed. Everyone noticed. "What is the matter?" | | | | syllable. |
| they wanted to know. Maria told a story every student | | | | TEAcher, STUdent, DOCtor, RUler, COffee, ANgel, |
| could relate to. It was her eldest son's sixteenth | | | | PEOple, PAper, PENcil, SUgar, ORange... |
| birthday and she wanted to take her family out to | | | | Conversely, most two-syllable verbs have the stress |
| celebrate. She couldn't afford to take everyone to | | | | on the second syllable.enJOY, beLIEVE, surPRISE, |
| dinner, so she took them out for breakfast. When it | | | | deLAY, emPLOY, reLAX, conSERVE, emBRACE, |
| was her turn to order, the server asked what she | | | | suPPORT... |
| wanted and she said, "Coffee an pekundaneesh." The | | | | For words longer than two syllables, sorry, you are on |
| server asked her to repeat her order. Beginning to feel | | | | your own. |
| uncomfortable, Maria repeated, "Coffee an | | | | HOspital, TRIangle, baNAna, poSItion, tangeRINE, |
| pekundaneesh." The server turned on her heel and | | | | engiNEER |
| walked away, scoffing, "Why doncha speak English?" | | | | Summary |
| Maria was devastated. The celebration was ruined. | | | | The meaning in English is not in the production of |
| She told the class she was never going to a | | | | individual sounds but in finding the correct syllable to |
| restaurant again. After we talked about her | | | | pronounce higher, longer and louder than the rest of |
| disappointment, we resumed our lesson on Word | | | | the word. |
| Stress. Maria learned that there is one and only one | | | | ESL students can stop worrying about their accents. |
| 'stressed' syllable in any word. She learned that the | | | | Accents don't prevent ESL students from being |
| stressed syllables are higher, longer and louder than | | | | understood, and native English speakers find them |
| other syllables, and if the word stress is missing or in | | | | charming. |
| the wrong place, native speakers cannot understand | | | | LEARners must GEnerate EMphasis to be |
| what is being said no matter how perfectly the | | | | sucCESSfully underSTOOD. |