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For VOA Learning
English, this is Everyday Grammar.
Today we have
a special guest host. Betty Azar is
the most successful writer of
grammar textbooks in the world.
Today Ms. Azar will offer some
advice on how to hear the sounds of
grammar.
guest host: conferenciante
invitado/a; successful writer:
exitosa escritora; some advice on:
algunos consejos sobre;
STUDENT: "English speakers talk too
fast! I can't understand what
they're saying."
too fast: demasiado rápido;
BETTY AZAR: Does that sound
familiar? It's a common complaint of
English language learners, one I've
heard often from my university-level
ESL students through the years.
sound familiar?: ¿... suena
familiar?; common complaint:
queja reiterada; one I've heard
often from: una (queja) que he
escuchado con frecuencia en;
Normal contracted
speech, especially in
everyday conversational usage, can
speed by like a bullet train. It can
leave learners feeling a little
dazed as they
try to catch the meaning.
contracted speech: (el)
lenguaje reducido; everyday
conversational usage: uso
cotidiano; speed by:
acelerarse; like a bullet train:
como un tren bala; a little dazed:
algo desconcertados; as they try
to catch: mientras tratan de
entender;
For most adult learners, reading is,
of course, much easier to understand.
When understanding English is just
between you and the written page,
you can go as slowly as you want.
You can go back and read words again,
perhaps break down the grammar. You
can even leisurely
look up the meaning of a word.
when understanding: cuando
entender; as slowly as: tan
lentamente como; break down:
descomponer, separar en partes;
leisurely: relajadamente, sin
presiones; look up: buscar en
el diccionario;
And at least in writing there are
spaces between words. If only that
were true in speaking! If only
speakers paused briefly between
words, it would be so much easier
for learners.
at least: al menos; spaces:
espacios (en blanco); if only:
si acaso; paused briefly
hicieran una breve pausa;
Teachers in second language classes
often speak slowly and distinctly,
as I am doing now. But in the real
world, well, it's not going to
happen. Or, to say that in normal
contracted speech:
Well,
i'snotgonnahappen.
distinctly: claramente;
Speakers squeeze
sounds together, or drop sounds, or
say them so softly and quickly that
a listener can barely hear them.
When you listen to my sentence again,
notice that the
t
is almost completely
dropped from
it's,
and
going to
becomes
gonna.
Well, i'snot gonna happen.
squeeze sounds together:
comprimen, juntan los sonidos;
drop sounds: eliminan sonidos;
so softly: tan suavemente;
can barely hear them: apenas
logra escucharlos; almost:
casi;
As a teacher, I've often heard
students say things like:
Bye. I leaving now. I see you
tomorrow.
as a teacher: como docente;
I've often heard: a menudo he
escuchado;
What's missing? The grammar sounds
are missing, in this case the
m
and
l
sounds
for
am
and
will.
Listen for them in the corrected
sentences:
Bye. I'm
leaving now. I'll
see you tomorrow.
what's missing?: ¿qué está
faltando?;
The
m
and
l
sounds are barely said aloud. But a
native speaker hears them. Do you?
Listen again:
Bye. I'm
leaving now. I'll
see you tomorrow.
are barely said aloud: apenas se
pronuncian en voz alta;
And then, sometimes native speakers
drop not only sounds but complete
words. Listen to this:
Bye. ‘M leavin'
now. See you tomorrow.
drop not only sounds but: no
sólo eliminan sonidos sino (también);
If you're saying "Not fair!," you're
not the first English learner to
feel that way!
not fair!: ¡(eso) no es
justo!; to feel that way: que
se siente de ese modo;
Grammar students learn that
am,
is,
are
and helping verbs (for example,
will,
have,
would)
are often contracted with pronouns
in both speaking and writing, as in
I'm
and
I'll.
But most students also find it
helpful to know that in everyday
spoken English these verbs are
usually contracted with nouns and
question words, too.
helping verbs: verbos
auxiliares; find it helpful to
know that: les resulta útil
saber que;
Here's a sentence about a man named
Tom.
Tom
is a noun.
In writing, you will see...
Don't worry. Tom
will be here soon.
In speaking, you will hear...
Don't worry. Tom'll be here soon.
Listen for
Tom will
again...
Don't worry. Tom'll be here soon.
in speaking: en conversación,
al hablar;
Here's another example of a
contraction with
a noun:
My book is on the
table.
becomes...
My book's on the table.
contraction: contracción;
And another example, this time with
are:
In writing you will see...
My books are on the table.
In speaking you will
hear...
My
books're on the table.
Again:
My books're on the table.
this time with: esta vez con;
The verb sounds are so quick that
it's almost impossible to hear them
unless you expect to hear them.
Listen again:
My book's on the
table.
My books're on the table.
so quick: tan veloces;
unless you expect: a menos que
esperes;;
Question words (such as
where,
when,
why)
are similarly contracted in speech.
such as: tales como; are
similarly contracted: se
contraen del mismo modo; in
speech: en el lenguaje oral;
In writing, each word is separate.
For example:
Where are the
students?
Where have they gone?
In spoken English, the question word
is contracted with the verb:
Where're the
students? Where've they gone?
Again:
Where're the
students? Where've they gone?
in writing: en el lenguaje
escrito; separate: separada;
No wonder it's hard for learners to
catch these grammar sounds! If you
think English speakers talk really
fast, you're right. They do!
no wonder it's hard: no
sorprende que resulte difícil; to
catch: comprender; you're
right: tienes toda la razón;
they do!: ¡hablan demasiado
rápido!;
Do
and
did
are also often reduced. Listen for
do you:
D'you
know Mrs. Lee?
Again:
D'you know Mrs. Lee?
Did
can be a quick
d
sound when it's combined with a
question word.
Listen for
where did
and
what did:
Where'd she go? What'd she do?
Again:
Where'd she go? What'd she do?
combined with: combinado con,
mezclado con;
Here's another example of shortened
spoken English that my students
usually enjoy. Two people are
talking.
– D'ja eat yet?
– No, d'joo?
In other words, spoken slowly:
–
Did you eat yet?
–
No, did you?
shortened: reducido, recortado;
my students usually enjoy: a mis
estudiantes normalmente les encanta;
Did
is a good example of a function word.
A function word gives grammar
information. In the sentence
Did you eat yet?,
did tells us that the
speaker is talking about the past
and is asking a question. In
contrast,
eat
is a content word. So are words such
as
Tom,
yesterday,
lunch.
Content words have specific meanings.
Function words are the ones that are
the hardest to hear in speech.
Content words are usually said more
clearly and loudly.
function word: palabra
funcional (que sólo sirve para que
"funcione" el pasado); in
contrast: en cambio; content
word: palabra de contenido;
the hardest to hear: las más
difíciles de escuchar; loudly:
en voz alta;
Along with helping verbs, other
common function words are
and,
to,
the,
and
a.
Let's look at
and.
And
shows the relationship between two
nouns:
Bob and Tom
tells us
there are two people.
along with: junto con;
relationship between: relación
entre; tells us: nos indica
que;
Like most function words,
and
is usually reduced:
I had lunch with
Bob ‘n Tom yesterday.
A learner could easily think that "Bobbintom"
is one word!
reduced: reducido/a;
To
is usually reduced to a slight
t
sound:
Let's ask Tom to come with us.
sounds like...
Let's ask Tom t'come with us.
Again:
Let's ask Tom t'come with us.
slight sound: sonido ligero
(apenas audible); sounds like:
suena como;
The
and
a
can be especially hard for learners
to hear.
Listen for
the
and
a:
In class yesterday, I asked the
teacher a question.
Even if you know
the
and
a
are supposed to be there, you have
to listen hard to hear them. Listen
again:
In class
yesterday, I asked the teacher a
question.
even if you know: aún cuando
tú sepas que; are supposed to be
there: se supone que
(gramaticalmente) están en la frase;
Native speakers can hear the softer
sounds of function words, but it can
be very difficult for second
language learners to hear them.
Knowing some grammar can help. For
example, learners are more likely to
hear and to say
Bye. I'm
leaving now. I'll
see you later
if they are familiar with the forms
and meanings of verb tenses.
the softer sounds: los
sonidos más suaves; are more
likely to hear: es más probable
que oigan;
If learners don't know what grammar
sounds they're supposed to hear,
chances are they
won't hear them. If they don't hear
them, chances are they won't include
them in their own speaking and
writing. In other words, an
awareness of grammar can prepare you
to understand what you're hearing,
and hearing the sounds of grammar
can, in turn,
help you use English more accurately.
I'm Betty Azar.
chances are: lo más probable
es que; they won't hear them:
ellos no las escucharán; an
awareness: un conocimiento;
in turn: a su debido tiempo;
more accurately: con mayor
precisión. |
