Oral English: Consonant Cluster by Eguriase S. M. Okaka

-
Oral English: Consonant cluster By Eguriase S. M. Okaka You already know that the majority of English words are made up of combination of vowels (V) and consonant (C) sounds. Examples: go (CV) odd, (VC), fat (CVC). However, a few words such as are, air, eye, or, I and ear consist of only one vowel sound each.
Often when you speak, you have to say two or more consonant sounds occurring one after another is known as a consonant cluster. Consonant clusters may occur at the beginning or ending of a syllable or word. Many Nigerian languages do not have consonant cluster. Read the following words, paying careful attention to the underlined consonant clusters.
Since many Nigerian languages do not have them, some Nigerian speakers of English are likely to have difficulty in pronouncing consonant cluster. The following drills will help you to improve your pronunciation. You should avoid pronouncing any intrusive (vowel) sounds between the consonants that follow one another or adding a sound before initial clusters. Remember that English words or syllables can have up to three consonants sounds at the beginning. Now, listen and repeat the following examples of two- and three- consonant word initial clusters.
Note that many consonant clusters at the beginning of a word have the following structure. • The first consonant in the cluster is / s / sound. • The second consonant in the cluster is the / p /, / t / or / k / consonant sound. Now practice saying the following words after your teacher.
Recall that English allows up to four consonants in the final position in a syllable or word mostly due to inflectional endings. Practice saying the following words with two- . three- and four- consonant word final clusters.
Because the presence of certain consonants in some words is not obvious from the spelling of these words, it is sometimes difficult to recognize a consonants cluster. An example is the / j / sound. Now practice the following consonant cluster with the / j/ sound.
Another consonant sound that often features in cluster but whose presence cannot be detached from the spelling of the word is the / w / sound. Pronounce the following clusters of this type.
Clusters also occur at word boundaries that is, where one word ends and another begins. This is called a juncture. Practice saying the following phrases or expressions. Paying attention to the word boundaries underlined.
Exercises
Eguria.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Comment from message gained, lessons learned, and suggestions to improve this blog.

Efua Sutherland: The Marriage of Anansewa,The Wedlock of the gods By Zulu Sofola, The gods Are Not

wole soyinka the literary guru by eguriase s. m. okaka

-
Image
Wole Soyinka the literary guru By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Apart from the great William Shakespeare, the next literacy guru I knew is Wole Soyinka. I read his books in my secondary school education days and again, in my university education as a student of Theatre Arts, at the great University of Benin, Benin City. Wole, was my favorite among other African writers. Let’s learn about living legend. It gives me joy when I studied his works. He is the face of literature in Nigeria and the world knows that too. Wole Soyinka is a black Africa’s foremost dramatist and one of the most controversial and distinguished writers of this generation. As a playwright, actor, producer, poet, film maker, musician, essayist, author of scathing satirical revues (‘Before the Blackout’) and editor, Soyinka has been a champion of the responsibility of art and the artist to society. This has made him a bitter critic of society and the establishment and has involved him in some activist episodes which cost him...
Read more

the need for computer literature by eguriase s. m. okaka

-
Image
The need for computer literacy By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Computer literacy is the knowledge and ability to use computers and allied technology efficiently. Computer literacy covers a range of skills from elementary use to programming and complex problem solving issues. A useful component of computer literacy is the understanding of how computers works and operate. Knowledge of basic computer skills is always regarded as an essential asset in most counties giving its owner significant edge in employment and educational applications. An extended definition of computer literacy describes it as the ability to self-teach or learn new programs as they encountered. Some people also regard a computer literate person as someone who can use a variety of particular applications like Microsoft Word, Microsoft excel, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook, for certain simple tasks. To be computer literate, a series of skills are needed. These skills are broadly divided into three – basic...
Read more