Why should Speech Rate (Tempo) be Integrated into Pronunciation Teaching Curriculum?

Abstract

The pace of speech i.e. tempo can be varied to our mood of the moment. Fast speech can convey urgency, whereas slower speech can be used for emphasis. In public speaking, orators produce powerful effects by varying the loudness and pace of their speech. The juxtaposition of very loud and very quiet utterances is a device often used by those trying to arouse strong emotions in their audience. Talking too quickly is one of the most common behaviors that can discount professional speaking skills. It is exhausting being forced to listen to uncomfortable speech patterns. This creates the potential for miscommunication, lost opportunity or decreased credibility.  Researches have shown that one of the hardest things about learning English is understanding the native speakers when they speak too fast. So teachers must lower their rate of speech when they teach English in order that their students should benefit from their teaching. Many studies have shown that lowering the speech rate does affect the intelligibility of the speakers’ utterance; and the students need this more than anything. Teachers who wish to be effective in their teaching should not only relate information to their students but especially be able to communicate with them at a speed level of their understanding at a steady but not fast rate, and make sure to pause briefly at the end of their meaningful phrases. And as for the students’ oral performance they should naturally concentrate on grammatical items along with their correct articulation, intonation and tempo. If they speak too fast, they risk mispronunciation of syllables and become incomprehensible even to natives. Non-native English speakers often speak too slowly when they don’t have a good grasp of English yet, but when their knowledge of the language and thought process goes faster, their speech also gets faster.

Keywords: the pace of speech, the tempo, intelligibility, speed level

Keywords

• the pace of speech, the tempo, intelligibility, speed level

Why should Speech Rate (Tempo) be Integrated into Pronunciation Teaching Curriculum?

Abstract

Konuşmanın hızı yani temposu konuşulan andaki duygularımızla ilişkilidir. Hızlı konuşmada bir aciliyet, yavaş konuşmada ise vurgulama söz konusudur. Halk önünde konuşanlar seslerinin yüksekliği ile birlikte konuşmalarının hızını ayarlarlar. Konuşmanın çok yüksek perdeden veya düşük perdeden çıkışı arasında gidiş geliş dinleyicilerde kuvvetli heyecanlar oluşturur. Çok hızlı bir tempoda konuşmak profesyonel konuşmacıların normalde tercih ettikleri bir tarz değildir. Çünkü dinleyiciler kendilerini rahat hissetmedikleri bir tempoda konuşulmasından rahatsız olurlar. Bu durumda iletişim kopukluğu, fırsatların kaybı veya güven zedelenmesi yaşanır. Araştırıcılar İngilizce öğrenmede en zor işin ana dili İngilizce konuşanları anlamak olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu nedenle öğrencilerinin öğretmenlerinin öğretmelerinden yararlanmaları için İngilizce öğrettiklerinde konuşmalarının hızını azaltmaları gerekir. Araştırmalar göstermiştir ki konuşma temposunun düşürülmesi konuşmacıların söylediklerinin anlaşılmasını etkilemektedir. Öğrencilerin ise buna her şeyden daha fazla ihtiyacı vardır. Öğretim tarzlarında etkili olmak isteyen öğretmenlerin öğrencilerine bilgiyi herhangi bir şekilde aktarmaya çalışmaları yeterli değildir; özellikle mesajlarını onların anlayabilecekleri biçimde ve hızda iletmeleri büyük önem taşır. Öğrencilerin kendilerini sözlü olarak ifadelerinde de aynı şekilde gramer kurallarına uymaları kadar telaffuzlarına, vurgularına ve özellikle konuşma hızlarına dikkat etmeleri gerekir. İngilizceyi eğer çok hızlı konuşurlarsa bazı heceleri yanlış telaffuz edecekleri için ana dili İngilizce olanlar dahi kendilerini anlayamaz. İngilizce’yi iyi bilmeyenler genellikle çok yavaş konuşurlar; dili daha iyi öğrendikçe, hem düşüncelerinin oluşumu hem de konuşmaları giderek hızlanır

Keywords

• konuşma hızı, tempo, anlaşılabilirlik, telaffuz, hız düzeyi

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