Words in Isolation Words in Context

2.4 Words in Isolation

The learner should know words found in isolation before he learns and used them in a sentence. Firstly, he must be able to pronounce word by word correctly, or it is called reading the words in isolation. In this case, every word in a sentence will be read separately or individually. This is in line with Crystal and Davy 1975:107 who state: ‘Almost all manuals of pronunciation begin by studying the sounds of English in isolated words and setting up sequences of sounds into acceptable connected speech patterns at later stage’. However, there is a considerable gap between pronunciation of words and phrases in isolation and connected speech or the words in context. To read the words separately is easier than to read the words in context. Then pronunciation error in pronouncing words in context often occurs because the learner does not know how to read every word correctly.

2.5 Words in Context

To make someone’s pronunciation fluent, heshe should try to read sentences smoothly. In this case, he should not read word by word but the group of words should be linked together, for example: I think it is a good idea. I want to eat an apple. You and I are friends. The speech sounds seldom occur in isolation but they occur in a connected speech and sequences of words such as words in a thought group. ‘A thought of group is a word or some words which refer to its idea within a phrase or sentence’ Gilbert, 1984:47. To read a sentence in a thought group can help someone speak fluently. Related to the pronunciation problems, I want to know about how well the learner can read a thought group within a sentence properly. The key to fluency English is to speak in a thought group not word by word. So, to get a good thought group, someone should do the following steps: organize your ideaswords into thought groups; within each thought group, link the sounds; pause at the thought group boundaries not within the thought group; if you have to stop within a thought group for example, to think of words make ‘a thinking noise’ so that the listener knows that you are still within a thought group Gilbert, 1984:47.

2.6 Strong Form