Transcription exercises - from segments to prosody - Part 1

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English Phonetics III

2018

Transcription exercises: from segmental to suprasegmental features The following texts have been selected for practicing transcription, performing segmental and suprasegemtnal features and for reading texts with prosodic features. Please do the following activities and then check the texts with the corresponding key to transcriptions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Transcribe each conversational turn in phonemic symbols. Do not transcribe the turn number (e.g. G4). Remember not to include punctuation marks (no stops, question marks, etc.). Numbers or dates should be transcribed as if they were written with letters (e.g. 5=five). This is broad transcription, so do not include cases of allophones or contextual assimilations or elisions. Listen to the audio files to check your transcription. Mark pauses for each turn. They will be useful for further intonation analysis. In a follow-up exercise, you will be given the key to the transcribed turns. Then you will have to mark the cases of allophones, assimilations and elisions. 9. In the document with the key to transcriptions, all tone units will be divided and marked. Your teacher will instruct you about how to mark intonation features. 10. There will be follow-up exercises to mark and practise tonality, tonicity and tone.

Discussing ecological issues – Rachel and George R1: George, have you ever worked out your ecological footprint? G1: No, but it sounds complicated. R2: Oh, you can do it online in 5 minutes. I, er, l did it today. G2: And? R3: Well, it was a bit disturbing, actually. It told me that if everyone in the world had a lifestyle like me, we'd need 2.3 planets to survive! G3: Wow! R4: Yeah, makes you think, doesn't it? Our lifestyle simply isn’t sustainable. G4: Maybe, but I don't see how we can really change it. I mean, I recycle newspapers, turn off the TV at night, that kind of thing. Are you suggesting we all, um, go and live in caves or something? R5: No, that's not what I’m trying to say. What I meant was that there are lots of other things we can do, not just recycling or saving energy. G5: Like what? R6: Er, well, take food shopping, for example. Do you ever wonder how far the food you buy has travelled to get to your local supermarket? G6: Hmm, that's an interesting point. I’ve never really thought about that.

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English Phonetics III 2018 R7: Well, a lot of its flown halfway around the world, which you know causes greenhouse gases, so it'd be much better if, er, if everyone bought food that’s produced locally. G7: But if we all stopped eating, say, bananas, then the economies of some Caribbean countries would collapse overnight. How moral or ethical would that be? R8: Fair enough, but I still think that we should eat locally produced food and avoid stuff that has too much packaging. G8: Yes, but then again, the packaging keeps the food fresh. We're not going to… nobody’s going to buy food that’s gone off, are they? R9: No, of course not, but I just don't think it's right that the food industry produces so much rubbish. G9: OK, then, how else could I reduce my ecological footprint? R10: Um, let me think well, you could become a vegetarian. G10: Really? Why do you say that? R11: Well, one argument in favour of being vegetarian is that farming animals is so wasteful and uses so much energy. Did you know that, er, one hectare of land can produce enough soya beans to feed 600 people, but only enough beef to feed 20 people? G11: Really? Wow! R12: Yeah, and, um, and you need 100 times more water to produce a kilo of beef than a kilo of wheat. It's just ridiculous and completely unjustifiable... G12: I don't know about that. I think people should have the right to eat whatever they want. I mean, are you saying that human beings shouldn't be allowed to eat meat? R13: No, that's not what I meant. All I'm saying is that meat production is very damaging to the environment. G13: Well, some people would argue that it's the customers' fault, not the farmers'. R14: That's exactly my point. It's up to us to change things. Anyway, we'd better order. What do you fancy? G14: Er, well, it's hard to say... I was going to have a burger, but now I think I'll just have a salad. R15: Good choice!

Asking for a favour - Bad reception – Jenny and Tony J1: Hello? T1: Hello, Jenny? J2: Oh hi, Tony. How's your day going? T2: Fine, what about you? J3: Oh not too bad, thanks. Busy, as usual. 2

English Phonetics III

2018

T3: I can’t hear you very well. Where are you? J4: I'm on the train. T4: Oh, OK, that's why. J5: Yeah. The reception isn't very good here. Do you want me to give you a ring later? T5: No, it’s OK. I just wanted to ask you if you're, um, free on Tuesday afternoon. Greg's flying in from Aus… J6: Sorry, I didn’t get any of that. We just went through a tunnel. T6: I said Greg’s flying in from Australia on Tuesday. J7: Greg Robertson? Wow, great! T7: Yeah. The thing is, I have to, um, I’ve got to go to a meeting that afternoon. Can you pick Greg up from Heathrow? J8: Yes, sure, no problem. I'm not working that day. T8: Great. Maybe that evening we… people round… you want. J9: Oh, I keep losing you. Say that again? T9: I said that maybe that evening we could, er. Sorry, we got cut off. J10: Yeah, another tunnel, sorry. What were you saying? T10: I was saying that maybe we could have some people round that evening, you know, for dinner or something. J11: Fine, good idea. Let’s talk about it later. I think my battery’s about to run out. T12: OK, have a good journey. Speak soon. See you tonight.

Mum and Son – Eddy and his Mother E1: Hi, Mum. M1: Oh, hello, Eddy. E2: Brought the car back. Thanks. M2: Did you put any petrol in it? E3: Sorry, I couldn‘t. I'm a bit short of money. In fact, I'm £50 overdrawn and the rent‘s due on Friday. You couldn't, er, lend me a couple of hundred, could you? M3: It's about time you found yourself a proper job. E4: Acting is a proper job. M4: So you keep telling me. 3

English Phonetics III

2018

E5: Please, Mum. I’ll pay you back, I promise. M5: Oh, alright. £200 you say? E6: Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks. M6: Er, I’ll have to see how much I’ve got in my savings account first. But this is the last time, Eddy. E7: Yeah, yeah, you always say that, Mum. M7: No, I’m serious. It’s about time you grew up. If you had a job, you wouldn't have to borrow money from me all the time. E8: I wish I could spare the time, Mum, but, you know, it’s all these auditions I have to go to. M8: Yes, well, I hope you get something soon. But still, I wish you weren't chasing these impossible dreams. E9: What impossible dreams? M9: Oh, you know, dreams about becoming a film star. E10: Yeah, well, actually, I’m hoping to hear from my agent about an audition I did for a TV advert. She, er, she hasn’t phoned, has she? I gave her this number. M10: No, sorry, she hasn't. E11: Oh, I hope she calls. M11: What’s wrong with your mobile, anyway? E12: I, um, I lost it, that’s why I gave her this number. M12: Oh, I wish you’d take more care of your things. How many is that you’ve lost? E13: Only two! And the first one was stolen. M13: Yes, so you said. Anyway, what’s the ad for? E14: Norland Bank. I’d be a customer who’s asking for a loan. M14: Well, if you get it, you won’t have any problem learning your lines then, will you? Oh, but I won't keep going on about it. Anyway, it's time to go. I have to be at work by six. Oh I wish I knew where your father was. He needs the car later tonight so he was going to give me a lift to work. Can you drive me and then bring the car back for Dad? E15: It's time you got your own car, Mum. M15: Yeah, well, when you pay me back all the money you owe me, I’ll be able to afford one, won't I?

Invitation – Gary and Rita G1: Hello? R1: Hi, Gary, it's me. 4

English Phonetics III

2018

G2: Oh, hi Rita. How are you doing? R2: Fine, thanks. Listen, are you doing anything this evening? G3: Nothing much. Why? R3: Well, I thought we could give that new club a try. Do you want to go? It’s supposed to be good. G4: I'm sorry, but I don’t feel up to going to a club. Got to get up early tomorrow. Some other time, perhaps. But they‘re showing The Godfather at the Arts Cinema. I wouldn‘t mind going to that. How about you? R4: Er, I’d rather give that a miss, if you don't mind. Seen it so many times. G5: Well, we could just go out for a meal then. R5: Yes, that sounds good. G6: Do you feel like having an Indian? Or we could go for Thai - or maybe Japanese? R6: I’m easy. Whatever you like. G7: Shall we give that new Indian a try? R7: I really don't mind. It’s up to you. G8: Mmm, decisions, decisions. Actually, come to think of it, I've had Indian twice already this week. So Thai or Japanese? R8: I'm not bothered either way. But if you don't make your mind up soon, they'll be closed! G9: I'd prefer Thai, I think. That OK with you? R9: It's all the same to me, I don't mind. Just make a decision. G10: Of course. It's, er, it's so hard to find anywhere to park near the Thai place. R10: Gary! G11: No, I was just thinking, we'd be better off walking. R11: It's pouring with rain out there. G12: Oh, so it is. R12: Look, on second thoughts, let's give tonight a miss and arrange something for the weekend. G13: Oh, alright. R13: Have you got anything on this Saturday? G14: It’s my mum‘s birthday. R14: OK. Well, what are you up to on Sunday? G15: I haven’t got anything planned. 5

English Phonetics III 2018 R15: Well, my youngest brother’s got a new band. Do you fancy going to hear them play at The junction on Sunday evening? G16: Great. We could eat first. What do you fancy? Thai, Indian, Japanese or… R17: Well, you’ve got three whole days to decide!

Ghosts – Laura, Chris and Mark L1: Hi, Chris. C1: Oh hi, Laura. L2: Good day at work? C2: Yeah, not bad, thanks. Is Mark here yet? L3: Yes, he's getting us some drinks. M1: Hi, Chris. C3: Hi! Here you go! L4: Oh, thanks. M2: Cheers! L5 and C3: Cheers! M3: So Laura, how, um, how are you settling into your new flat? L6: Er, not very well actually. I think it's haunted. M4: Hunted? You're pulling my leg! L7: No I'm serious. M5: But you live in a two-bedroomed flat in south London, not a castle in Transylvania! C4: Er, that's vampires, not ghosts, you idiot. And anyway, there's no reason why her flat can't be haunted. M6: Oh, so you believe in ghosts too, do you? C5: Er, well, maybe. You can't say for certain they don't exist. M7: So, tell us about your ghost, Laura. Does it, um, wear a white sheet and go wooooh? L8: No it's, er, it's nothing like that. But I knew something was wrong, as soon as I moved in. No wonder the previous owners were so keen to sell. C6: What do you mean wrong? L9: Well, first of all, my old cat refuses to go into my bedroom. In my last flat she slept on the end of my bed every night, so I thought that was rather odd. 6

English Phonetics III M8: Well, the previous owners’ cats might have slept in that room. Or they could have had a dog.

2018

L10: They didn't have a cat or a dog. Anyway, the other night, while I was lying in bed reading, I heard footsteps outside my room. M9: Could have been the people next door, perhaps? L11: No, it can’t have been them; they're away at the moment. Anyway, I went and had a look, but there was nobody there. And then one night I saw it. Or rather, her. C7: Wow! What did she look like? L12: She was, er, let's see, she was about forty, dressed in clothes from the fifties I’d say, and she was standing there staring at me. Then she just, um, just vanished into thin air C8: How spooky! You must have been terrified. L13: Yeah, I was, actually. Then a couple of days later I saw her again. I woke up and she was standing in the corner. She was holding her hands out, like this, as though she was asking for help. M10 I don’t think she’s the one who should be asking for help, Laura. C9: Leave her alone, Mark. So is there anything else unusual about the flat? L14: Let me think… Oh yeah, there's this, um, this part of the kitchen that's always freezing cold. M11: That's called the fridge. C10: Ignore him. Laura. He's the most skeptical person on the planet. L15: Anyway, I don't know what to do. M12: Well, I know a good psychiatrist I can recommend. C11: Yeah. I bet you do! So what options do you have? L16: Well, I thought I might try and get some help, but I don't really know who to call about this sort of thing...

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