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La schwa - Los Sonidos del Inglés Americano

La schwa – Los Sonidos del Inglés Americano

Web Inglés

148K views 10 years ago

Warm-up Questions

What do you already know about the schwa sound in American English?
Why do you think English vowel sounds can be difficult for Spanish speakers?
When you learn pronunciation, do you prefer reading phonetic symbols or listening to examples?

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Start With: Word Definition

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La schwa – Los Sonidos del Inglés Americano

What the schwa is and how it sounds (00:00 – 03:50)

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1. What does the schwa symbol represent in English?

A long and clear vowel sound
A stressed syllable
A silent consonant
An indistinct sound of very short duration

2. How is the mouth described when producing the schwa sound?

Wide open and tense
Rounded strongly forward
Very relaxed with slight opening of the lips
Closed and tight

3. In what kind of syllables does the schwa appear?

Only in the first syllable
Only in final syllables
Always in unstressed syllables
Only in stressed syllables

La schwa – Los Sonidos del Inglés Americano

Schwa in dictionaries and strong vs. weak forms (03:50 – 06:44)

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1. What does the schwa symbol in the dictionary indicate about a vowel?

It should always rhyme with 'up'
It is silent
It is pronounced strongly and clearly
It has a very short duration and relaxed pronunciation

2. How should ər be pronounced in combinations like -AR, -ER, or -OR?

With a clear short U before R
As 'er'
Like a long 'a' sound
As two separate syllables

3. Which words are given as examples of grammatical words with strong and weak pronunciations?

AT and ON
BY and FROM
IN and OF
TO and FOR

La schwa – Los Sonidos del Inglés Americano

When to use the schwa (06:44 – 07:57)

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1. According to the speaker, is the weak pronunciation of functional monosyllable words required?

Only in formal speech
Only at the end of a sentence
No, it is optional
Yes, it is always required

2. What is the best way to know how to pronounce a word?

Guess from the spelling
Click on the speaker icon in an online dictionary and listen
Memorize only grammar rules
Ask a friend

3. What can you find in the linked Cambridge Dictionary?

Only Spanish definitions
Video lessons with subtitles only
Phonetic transcription, Spanish translation, and British and American pronunciation
Only British pronunciation

La schwa – Los Sonidos del Inglés Americano

Transcript will load here…

1. Why is the schwa important in English pronunciation?

Because it replaces all consonants
Because many unstressed syllables are pronounced with it
Because it is only used in writing
Because it is the strongest vowel sound in English

2. What is one main contrast made in the video?

Voiced and voiceless consonants
Strong and weak pronunciations of some function words
Nouns and verbs
American English and Australian English

3. What learning strategy does the speaker recommend?

Avoid phonetic transcription
Focus only on spelling rules
Use an online dictionary to listen to pronunciation
Use only printed word lists

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

La schwa – Los Sonidos del Inglés Americano

Do you think the schwa is difficult to hear? Why or why not?
How can weak forms like TO, FOR, and CAN help your English sound more natural?
When you learn a new word, do you usually check its pronunciation? Why?
What is more helpful for you: hearing pronunciation examples or seeing phonetic symbols?

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