Exercise 1.4
Based on: Smakman, (2014) & Hermans (2018).
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Decide for yourself which /r/-sounds in the sentences below need to be pronounced as actual /r/s or linking /r/s and which ones should not be pronounced. Before you start recording yourself, it might be helpful if you copy-paste the sentences into your Pronunciation Portfolio, so that you can cross out all the /r/s that should not be pronounced. If you like, you can compare the /r/s you have crossed out with the work of a classmate, to see if you both agree on which /r/s should, and which ones should not be pronounced. When you are ready, record yourself and listen for further improvements.
1. It’s the early bird that catches the worm.
2. Come rain or come shine.
3. Home is where the heart is.
4. Like father, like son.
5. Peter Piper picked a pot of pickled peppers.
6. Mother said I was a dancer before I could talk[1].
7. Still waters run deep.
8. There’s a fire starting in my heart[2].
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[1] Andersson, B.; & Ulvaeus, B. (1977). Thank you for the music [Recorded by ABBA]. On The Album [Vinyl] Polydor. (20 May 1978).
[2] Adkins, A.; & Epworth, P. (2010) Rolling in the Deep [Recorded by Adele]. On 21 [CD]. London: Eastcote Studios. (29 November 2010).
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Exercise 1.5
Text taken from the 1995 novel “Independence Day” by American author Richard Ford (Knopf, New York), as cited in Smakman, (2014).
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Record yourself while reading the text out loud, paying special attention to your r-colouring and your use of linking /r/. Before you make your recording, prepare the text well. You might want to record yourself a few times. Once you are done, send your best recording to your teacher for feedback.
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We drove out in my mother’s old Chrysler Newport to the dealership in Hastings-on-Hudson, kibitzed around the showroom for an hour and a half - chin-rubbing, ear-scratching potential young buyers- fingering the mirror surfaces of some olive-drab five-door job, slipping into and out of its sensible seats, sniffing its chilly perfume, checking out the glove box capacity, the usual spare tyre mounts and jack assembly, finally pretending even to drive it- Ann side by side with me in the driver’s seat, both of us staring ahead through the dealership window at a make-believe road to the future as new Volvo owners.
