Teachers/Lingusitics help with syllable stress

[niccig]

I know it's a weird request, but how do you teach syllable stress to grade schoolers? I was never taught grammar in grade school, and I never learnt to discern syllable stress. Obviously I put stress in correct place as native English speaker, but when given a word, I can not work out which syllable is stressed. Some are very easy for me, others I have no clue and I guess.

I have to be able to do this for my Phonetics class, so I was hoping someone who has taught this to children could give me some help.

Thanks.

[Katigre]

Do you know how to read the phonetic markings? I'd recommend getting a dictionary designed for ESL students (try the Longman dictionary - not the one with photos) as it will have more extensive pronounciation than a typical dictionary. Then just go through clapping the words and saying them aloud to hear the stress.

[hopeful_mama]

Think about how you'd help a young child with an unfamiliar word: we tend to overenunciate and overstress then. So for instance if I say "hanger" in normal speech, it's harder to notice where the stress is. But if I'm helping a child, or someone didn't understand the word I said so I'm trying to repeat it more clearly, I'll say "HANG-er" but never "hang-ER". Do you emphasize the stress when you try it that way?

[niccig]

Do you know how to read the phonetic markings? I'd recommend getting a dictionary designed for ESL students (try the Longman dictionary - not the one with photos) as it will have more extensive pronounciation than a typical dictionary. Then just go through clapping the words and saying them aloud to hear the stress.

Yes, I'm learning IPA symbols now. Clapping is a good idea. Thanks.

[niccig]

Think about how you'd help a young child with an unfamiliar word: we tend to overenunciate and overstress then. So for instance if I say "hanger" in normal speech, it's harder to notice where the stress is. But if I'm helping a child, or someone didn't understand the word I said so I'm trying to repeat it more clearly, I'll say "HANG-er" but never "hang-ER". Do you emphasize the stress when you try it that way?

I'll try this. At the moment we just have to be able to figure it out when it's one word, but as we go on it will be in normal speech.

Thanks.

[Canna]

It's interesting that you mention that this is hard for you. I took at poetry writing class in college that was a very technical poetry writing class in which we had to deliberately vary the pattern of the stressed and unstressed syllables. Most people could do it with no problem but I remember there were a few people in the class that just COULD NOT HEAR it. In a couple of cases it seemed to be people that spoke less standard English dialect.

There's one syllable that will be said with more emphasis. It feels stronger, stressed, and may be longer. As the PP said, if you deliberately stress each syllable in the word, usually one way will sound right (EM-pha-sis) and if you say it the other ways (em-PHA-sis, em-pha-SIS) it will sound silly, like you would never really say it that way. Imagine you're talking to someone who's having trouble hearing you or understanding you and you're trying to speak really clearly.

[kristenk]

I've been assuming that you're asking about words that you might not be familiar with, is that correct? So a word that you've never heard spoken?

Or are you talking about words that you've heard? I agree that if you've heard the word, pronouncing it with different syllables overly-emphasized is the way to go. Take it in turns and say one syllable much louder than the others and see which sounds the most normal.

If it's a word that you don't know, I'm not sure what to do.

[niccig]

It's interesting that you mention that this is hard for you. I took at poetry writing class in college that was a very technical poetry writing class in which we had to deliberately vary the pattern of the stressed and unstressed syllables. Most people could do it with no problem but I remember there were a few people in the class that just COULD NOT HEAR it. In a couple of cases it seemed to be people that spoke less standard English dialect.

There's one syllable that will be said with more emphasis. It feels stronger, stressed, and may be longer. As the PP said, if you deliberately stress each syllable in the word, usually one way will sound right (EM-pha-sis) and if you say it the other ways (em-PHA-sis, em-pha-SIS) it will sound silly, like you would never really say it that way. Imagine you're talking to someone who's having trouble hearing you or understanding you and you're trying to speak really clearly.

I'm that one person. I am getting better with more practice. I was never taught grammar, never taught phonetics and on top of that my Australian dialect is different. I understand all the theory in my class, but I'm falling short on application.

Thanks for the suggestion of over emphasizing the syllable - I can see how that will help. I'm hoping to get to the point where I CAN hear it.