Lesson 2: Phonetic Alphabet

& Phonemes
 Mental Models

Mental models are deeply ingrained

assumptions, generalizations, or even
pictures or images that influence how
we understand the world and how we
take action.

Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline, p. 8

Mental Models

1. Mental models are the

lenses through which we
observe reality.

Our perception of reality

is totally dependent upon
the amount of distortion
in these lenses. But do
we accept that we have
all these lenses?
Question What do you see when
you look at an urban slum? Are
your lenses:
Mental Models
2. Mental models are the structures that we
impose on reality

We produce in our minds concepts of reality

(paradigms), and these predetermine what
we will actually be able to see when we
observe reality.
Question -
How many have ever seen the sun rise in
the morning and set in the evening?
 Some Mental Models of
Communication

The Americans are best

speakers in English.
Boys dont cry
Women are fluent in
verbal communication
than men.
Men are better in math
than in communication
skills
Communication is the
reduction of uncertainty.
To be certain means to close
our minds to learning.
To be uncertain means to consider the possibility
that our perceptions are wrong, and that there
are still some things we need to learn.
 Paradigm shift

Unlearning must often take place

for true learning to happen.
Wilfred Peterson said,

Soft words sung in lullaby will put a baby to sleep.

Exciting words will tsir a mob to violence. Eloquent words will
send armies marching onto the face of death. Encouraging words
will fan to flame the genius of a Rembrandt or a Lincoln. Powerful
words will mold the public mind as the sculptor molds his clay.
Words, spoken or written are a dynamic force.

According to Francis Kong,

Life is a great whispering gallery that sends back echoes

of the words we send out.

Proverbs 16:24 says,

Remember, the words a man says reveal his character

because out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.
What is ACCENT?

Intonation
(Speech Music)

Liaisons
(Word
Connections)

Pronunciation
(Spoken
Sounds)
Language Is Fluent and Fluid

Just like our own language, conversational

English has a very smooth, fluid sound.
You will also have to think about your
speech more than you do now.
A new accent is an adventure. Be bold!
Exaggerate wildly!
A Few Words On Pronunciation
Tense Vowels Lax Vowels
Symbol Sound Spelling Example Symbol Sound Spelling Example

i take [tak] eh get [gt]

ee eat [et] i ih it [it]
i Ice [is] ih+uh took [tk]
ou hope [hop] uh some [sm]
ooh smooth [smuth] A ah bar (bAr)
ah caught [kt] SEMIVOWELS

+ cat [kt] r er her [hr]

o +o down [don] l ul dull [d l]