صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني
[blocks in formation]

1. The article a is sounded in connection with the word that follows it; as, a book" is sounded as one word of two syllables, thus-a-book'. Here the article has the sound of long a, obscured and cut off suddenly. It is not good usage to give it the sound of short u, thus-u-book', or of ûr-book'.

In

2. Before a word beginning with a consonant the article the, except when emphatic, is sounded as a syllable of the word which it precedes, as the-book', pronounced as a word of two syllables, accented on the last. such cases the obscured e sound in the is really represented by short i, rather than by short u; as, thĭ-book', thi-horse', thi-school'. It is sometimes indicated thusth'-book', th'-horse'.

3. Before words beginning with a vowel, as the-air', the-ice', e in the has the long sound, less obscured and shortened than when the precedes a word beginning with a consonant. The error in sounding the articles a and the frequently arises from attempts to give their phonic spelling independent of their connection with the words that follow them. In order to sound the articles correctly, notice how they are pronounced, by persons of good taste, in ordinary conversation.

SECTION III.

CONSONANT SOUNDS.

I. ARTICULATION.

1. Distinct articulation is essential to good reading and speaking. "The first step towards becoming a good elocutionist," says Comstock, "is a correct articulation. A public speaker, possessed of only a moderate voice, if he articulates correctly, will be better understood, and heard with greater pleasure, than one who vociferates without judgment. The voice of the latter may indeed extend to a considerable distance, but the sound is dissipated in confusion. Of the former voice not the smallest vibration is wasted; every stroke is perceived at the utmost distance to which it reaches; and hence it has often the appearance of penetrating even farther than one which is loud, but badly articulated."

2. "In just articulation," says Austin, "the words are not hurried over, nor precipitated syllable over syllable; nor, as it were, melted together into a mass of confusion; they are neither abridged, nor prolonged; nor swallowed, nor forced, and, if I may so express myself, shot from the mouth; they are not trailed nor drawled, nor let slip out carelessly, so as to drop unfinished. They are delivered out from the lips, as beautiful coins newly issued from the mint, deeply and accurately impressed, perfectly finished, neatly struck by the proper organs, distinct, sharp, in due succession, and of due weight."

3. The best way of training the organs of speech to good articulation is by means of forcible phonic spelling and by drill-exercises on the elementary sounds, particularly on subvocals and aspirates.

4. “Articulate utterance," says Prof. Russell, "requires a constant exercise of discrimination of the mind, and of precision or accuracy in the movements of the organs

of speech. A correct articulation, however, is not belabored or artificial in its character. It results from the intuitive and habitual action of a disciplined attention. It is easy, fluent, and natural; but, like the skillful execution of an accomplished musician, it gives forth every sound, even in the most rapid passages, with truth and correctness.

5. "A good enunciation gives to every vowel and consonant its just proportion and character; none being omitted, no one blending with another in such a manner as to produce confusion, and none so carelessly executed as to cause mistake in the hearer, by its resemblance to another.

6. "A correct enunciation is the fundamental quality of a distinct and impressive elocution. It is an attainment of great value, for the ordinary purposes of communication; but it becomes doubly important, in the act of reading or speaking in public, whether we advert to the larger space which must be traversed by the voice, or the greater moment of the topics of discourse which are usual on such occasions.

7. The appropriate style of modern eloquence is that of intellectual, more than of impassioned, expression; and enunciation being, of all the functions of the voice, that which is most important to the conveyance of thought and meaning, it justly requires, in the course of education, more attention and practice than any other branch of elocution."

II.

CLASSIFICATION OF ELEMENTARY SOUNDS.

The elementary sounds are classified as follows: 1. Vocals, or tonics.

2.

Subvocals, or subtonics.

3. Aspirates, or atonics.

Vocals, represented by vowels, are sounds consisting

of pure tone only.

Subvocals, represented by consonants, are sounds that have tone, but are inferior to vocals in fullness. A consonant can not be named without the aid of a vowel, as b is named in the alphabet, be. Hence the term consonant, sounded with.

Aspirates, represented by consonants, are sounds with

out tone.

Letters are characters to represent articulate sounds.

III. DIACRITICAL MARKS OF CONSONANTS.

[As given in Webster's Dictionary.]

ç soft-çede, çent.

e hard-eall, lae.

ch unmarked-church.
ch soft-chaise, chute.
eh hard-ehyle, ehyme.
g hard-gum, log.
ġ soft-gem, gin.
$ soft-z-haş, hiş.

s sharp-sin, gas.

th sharp-thing, bath.
th flat-thine, smooth.
ng unmarked-sing, ring.
n-ink, link.
x=ks-box, fox.
X=gz-exist, exalt.
ph-f-phlox, sylph.
qu= kw―queen, queer.
wh=hw-when, why.

IV. DRILL LESSONS ON CONSONANT SOUNDS.

I. SUBVOCALS.

In concert drill-exercises on the following table, observe the following directions:

1. Pronounce each word distinctly, and then give, forcibly, the phonic spelling.

2. Repeat, forcibly, each subvocal and aspirate three times, thus-b, b, b; d, d, d, etc.

3. After concert drill, require each pupil, in turn, to give the sounds.

b.-bib, bābe, bee, ěbb, mob, rob, sŏb, eŏb.
d.—dĭd, dog, dead, odd, dread, dīed, said, běd.

g.—gag, gig, grog, get, girl, gills, giğʻğle.

j-joy, just, jog, gill, gěm, gin, gin'ger.
1.—lŭll, lõll, mill, bell, sale, boil, toil, soil.
m.—mặn, mãim, măm, dăm, răm, some.
n.-nun, nône, noun, name, run, gun.
r (rough).-rude, rule, room, rōod, rōll, rōar.
r (smooth).—ôr, ōre, mōre, ōar, year, deer.
v.-vălve, vāle, vine, live, of, veer, võte.
w.-will, wōe, wē, wine, wět, wind, wood.
y.—yes, yet, you, yăm, yärn, yōke, yacht.
z.-zōne, ōoze, lose, nose, blāze, crāze.
zh.-āzure, měaşure, pleasure, treasure.
th.-thy, thine, this, with, blithe, bathe.
ng—king, răng, răng, răng, săng, săng, sùng.
n.-ink, link, think, wink, blink.
X=gz.—exist, exămple, exhôrt, exhaust.

II. ASPIRATES.

f.—fife, if, fill, beef, buff, off, läugh.
h.-how, hōme, hill, hăd, hēre, hâir, hāil.
k, e, eh.—kill, kick, eāke, eỏme, ehýle, ehỹme.
p.—pīpe, rīpe, pŭp, pop, pĭp, peep.

-sauçe, çease, çīte, çell, sense, çents. t.—too, dot, tilt, trot, trust, twit, wit.

sh, çh.—shåll, shăm, răsh, dăsh, çhāise, çhūte.
ch.—chăn, chóp, rich, ditch, church, birch.
th.-thin, thick, pith, teeth, truth, youth.
x=ks.-box, fox, locks, věx, něcks, tăx, lăx, wăx.

V. MISCELLANEOUS HINTS.

1. Do not be over-particular about a heavy articulation of the d in and. The d should be sounded, but not so painfully emphasized as to become an elocutionary affectation.

2. This vocal, as in thine, in the following plurals: baths, lathş, paths, moths, cloths, oaths, mouths, swaths, wreaths, booths; and in blithe, lithe, with, and beneath.

« السابقةمتابعة »