In-Class Monday, Oct. 6th

HOMEWORK for Wednesday, Oct. 8th: Answer to the blog about Tourette's syndrome and Speed Processing.

In-Class work on Monday, Oct. 6th:

1) mini lesson
2) mini lesson (diagramming sentences)


3) group work:

Get together in four groups. Each group picks up three posters.TASK:

A. Using your black grammar book for help, create a sentence, diagram it on your poster, and explain it in front of your partner group.

B. Invent a similar sentence using what you have explained, write this sentence on your second poster, and let your partner group diagram it on your sheet.

C. Diagram a sentence, but leave out the words!! Note them down on a separate sheet of paper. Let your partner group use your poster with the diagram to fill it with meaningful words!

Preview of the week:

On Wednesday, Oct. 8th, we are going to watch a movie about Down's syndrome. This info is test relevant for the final exam. You will receive a movie study guide to fill in during the movie. If you missed class, you need to contact a peer to get the notes.

On Friday, Oct. 10th, we are starting with our new unit, the research essay. Attendance is very important! If you miss any class during this unit, you must contact your peers to get copies of what we have done; otherwise you probably won't be able to conduct the survey (electronically) and write your research paper.

On Monday, Oct. 13th, we'll hear the next two mini lessons:

1. Tiara Spencer: pronoun cases
2. Ronesha Johnson: pronoun-antecedent agreement

Next Mini Lessons: Mon., Oct. 6, and homework

The next two mini lessons will be on Monday, October 6th:


1) David Tabler (active & passive voice)

2) Creighton Jackson (sentence diagramming)




HOMEWORK for ALL for Mon., Oct. 6:

Read about sentence diagramming in Grammar for Grammarians, so that you have a fairly good overview of how it's done (important for in-class activity).

AND: Bring the book Grammar for Grammarians!!!

For those who hold the mini lesson:
Please don't forget to submit your one-page overview about what you're going to teach for the 6 E's!

Homework for Monday, Sept. 29th

Read the following page about the world-famous experiment with children with autism and the control group, children with Down's Syndrome. (Click on the link "Autism experiment" on the website that opens. The font looks tiny; just click on it with the cursor, and you'll see it through a magnifying glass!)

The last article we read about autism (see blog summary) mentioned this experiment, without describing it in detail.

Be prepared to be able to describe the experiment in the mid-term exam - it is about the difference in logical thinking between those two groups of students/children.

Accents from Italy

Colin Ott, Creighton Jackson

Today, we'll take a trip to Italy and learn how to speak with an authentic Italian accent.

Listen to the following link as a precursor to what we will all learn today.
http://web.ku.edu/idea/europe/italy/italy1.mp3


Another Great Clip to get a deep Sicilian Accent.
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=detail&speakerid=316



Now that you've heard the accent, lets set about disecting it.

• There is typically one pronunciation for every vowel:

A = ah

E = eh

I = Ee

O = Oh

U = Oo

• -ng- pronounces both consonants.

• Initial sm- pronounced as zm-

• Dental Fricatives (-th- as in thousand) are nonexistent and usually pronounced as -d-

• Words which end in consonants are often ended with a heavy accent (often pronounced, stereotypically) as a schwa. This is what is responsible for the “That’s-a Spicy-a meat-a ball-a” phrase.

Now, some practice:

Pronounce the following sentences:

The singer and the banker go to the cafe every Tuesday.

This is the thousandth anniversary of something important happening.

It's a small world after all.

That's a spicy meatball.

Another one bites the dust.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.


Now take a look at this clip from "Life is Beautiful" and Italian movie starring Roberto Benigni speaking English.

London Cockney Accent

Julie, Katrina, Randi, and Stephanie

Hello, actors! We're auditioning you for our new play, London Calling. In order to land a part, you need to master a London Cockney accent.

To get an idea of what we're looking for, click here to listen to a soundbite of a woman speaking with a London Cockney accent.

American English is very different from British English with a London Cockney accent. Here are some tips to help you master the accent:

Drop your h's (Bloody Hell is now Bloody 'ell)
Turn r's at the end of words to h's (Car is now cah)
Replace t's and d's in the middle of words with glottal stops (Bottle is now bo'uhl)
Pronounce u sounds in words as yu sounds (Stupid is styupid)
Pronounce ee with long e sounds, not short i sounds (Been is been, not bin)
Use me instead of my (You got me books 'ere)
Use ain't instead of isn't, aren't, etc. (Well, ain't you a sight for sore eyes)
If -y comes at the end of a word, such as in "happy", pronounce it as a lax "i", like in "it", but raise the pitch of your voice

Use this children's rhyme as your monologue for the audition. Try your best to use a London Cockney accent. Break a leg!

Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such fun,
And the dish ran away with the spoon

No Need for Subtitles: Iraq Sound Files

Iraq is located on the European continent. Formally a part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq gained its freedom at the end of World War I. They have struggled to maintain their freedom ever since. Because of this, Iraqi people have migrated to the United States to live freely. While living among us, they have been able to adapt our habits, culture and language. Although they are able to learn standard English, they will always have an accent. If you, as an actor, want to convince others that you are an Iraqi native, you might want to start by listening to an authentic accent. Do you believe you have the ability to learn this accent and speak it so clearly that you don't need subtitles, yet it still sounds authenic?

Here are some videos that may get you one step closer to that dream....
In Video 1, an Iraqi man is joking around about the difference in his English because of his accent.

Video 2, is a sample of Iraqi Arabic language

Here is a list of rules for speaking with an Arabic Accent:

1. Use a heavily trilled "r," almost a "hr" sound.


2. Pronounce "ch" as "ty." ("Chapter" sounds like "Tyapter")


3. For the "aw" sound of "a," use a long "o" sound. ("Talk" sounds like "Tohk")


4. Short "o" and "i" often become "aw." ("Work" sounds like "Wark" and "Thirst" like "Thawrst")


5. Short "e" and "u" often become "ah." ("Dependance" sounds like "Depahndance" and "must" becomes "mahst")

Try saying the following sentences with an Iraqi accent:

1. I must talk to you. (I mahst tohk to yaw.)


2. We are going to church today. (We ohre gawing taw tyahrt tawday.) don't forget to trill the "r's"


3. Don't chicken out. (Dawn't tyahk-ahn awt.)


4. Read the first chapter of the book. (Read thah fawrst tyap-tahr awf thah book.)


5. I must work this afternoon. (I mahst wawrk thaws afternawn.)
   
   
   

By Tiara, Ronesha, Jeff and Abby

Irish Accent

Brittany Lingle, Michaela Bazar. Brian Pullyblank

The following link is a link to a sound clip of an Irish accent.
http://web.ku.edu/idea/europe/ireland/ireland.htm

The following video is a clip of P.S. I Love You. Gerard Butler is an Irish actor speaking in his native tongue.



If you want to succeed as an Irish actor, you'll need to be able to convince your audience that you actually are whatever nationality you're portraying. Here are some tips to master an Irish accent:
1. Soften your vowels: use "Ah" instead of a long "A"
2. Harden consonants: use a hard "D" instead of a breathy "D"
3. Speak with a lyrical quality: Irish accents have a very musical tone
4. Practice, Practice, Practice

Instructions courtesy of http://www.ehow.com/how_2002845_speak-irish-accent.html

Here's an Irish poem for you to try out your Irish accent:
A Wish for a Friend
Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!
http://www.islandireland.com/Pages/folk/sets/bless.html

The following link is a link to an audio file of the Irish national anthem:
www.national-anthems.net/windowmedia/EI