THE PROBLEM STRESS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING /δ∂://'probl∂m//Stres//ın//'Iŋgli∫//læŋgwidЗ//ti:t∫iŋ/

A native speaker knows which part of a word is the most important. For example,in the word

/∂:/ /'neitiv/ /spi:k∂(r)//n∂u//wıt∫//pα:t//οv//∂://wЗ:d//ız//δ∂://m∂ust//Im'po:tnt/./fο:(r)//ıg'zα:mpl//ın//δ∂://wЗ:d/

 ‘photograph’ not all the parts are of equal importance. We can divide the word into three part : ‘pho’,‘to’

/'f∂ut∂gra:f//nοt//ο:l//δ∂://pα:t//α:(r)//οv//'i:kw∂l//Im'po:tns/./wi://kæn//di'vaid//δ∂://wЗ:d//'ıntu://θri://pα:t/:’/'f∂u/,/t∂/

and ‘graph’. The native speaker of English will say the word in the following way ‘PHOtograph’ , making

/ænd//gra:f/./δ∂://'neitiv//spi:k∂(r)//οv//'Iŋgli∫//wıl//sei//δ∂://wЗ:d//ın//δ∂://'fοl∂uiŋ//wei/’/'f∂ut∂gra:f/,/'meikiŋ/

the first part, or syllable, more important and stronger than the other two parts. The situation changes with

/δ∂://fЗ:st//pα:t/,/ο:(r)//'sil∂bl/,/mο:(r)//Im'po:tnt//ænd//strοŋg∂(r)//δæn//δ∂://Λδ∂(r)//tu://pα:t/./δ∂://,sit∫u'ei∫n//t∫eindЗ//wıδ/

 the word ‘ photographer ‘, however, and we get ‘phoTOgrapher’ with the stress falling on the second

/δ∂://wЗ:d/’/fe'tοgr∂f∂(r)//hau'ev∂(r)//ænd//wi://get/’/fe'tοgr∂f∂(r)/’/wıδ//δ∂://Stres//fo:liŋ//οn//δ∂://'sekend/

 syllable. More examples will show the importance of word stress: the word ‘perMIT’ is a verb, but the

/'sil∂bl/./mο:(r)//ıg'zα:mpl//wıl//∫∂u//δ∂://Im'po:tns//οv//wЗ:d//Stres/:/δ∂://wЗ:d/’/p∂'mit/’/ız//∂://vЗ:b/,/bΛt//δ∂:/

 word ‘PERmit’ is a noun! The same is true of the words, ‘imPORT and Import’.

/wЗ:d/’/p∂'mit/’/ız//∂://naun/! /δ∂://seim//ız//tru://οv//:/δ∂://wЗ:d/,’/Im'po:t//ænd//Im'po:t/

Stress is also very important in sentences. For example if I say ‘I can RUN’ I am probably only

/Stres//ız//'ο:ls∂u//'verı//ım'pο:tnt//ın//'sent∂ns/./fο:(r)//ıg'zα:mpl//ıf//aı//seı/’/aı//kæn//rΛn/’/aı//æm//'prob∂blı//'∂unlı/

 telling you about my ability to run. But if I say ‘I CAN run’ I am  probably stressing the word can because

/telıŋ//ju://∂'baut//maı//∂'bıl∂tı//tu://rΛn/./bΛt//ıf//aı//seı/’/aı//kæn//rΛn/’/aı//æm//'prob∂blı//stresıŋ//δ∂://wЗ:d//kæn//bı'koz/

someone has suggested that I am not able to run and I am vehemently denying it. If somebody said to you

/'sΛmwΛn//h∂z//s∂'dЗest//δæt//aı//æm//eıbl//tu://rΛn//ænd//aı//æm//vı:∂m∂ntlı//dı'naıŋ//ıt/./ıf//'sΛmb∂dı//sed//tu://ju:/

‘ is this your PENcil’?’ it would probably be a simple question with no deep meaning, but if the same

‘/ız//δıs//jo:(r)//'pensl/?’ /ıt//wud//'prob∂blı//bı://∂://'sımpl//'kwest∫∂n//wıδ//neu//dı:p//mı:nıŋ/,/bΛt//ıf//δ∂://seim/

person said ‘ Is this YOUR pencil?’ he might be showing,by stressing the word ‘your’ that there was

/'pЗ:sn//sed/‘/ız//δıs//jo:(r)//'pensl/?’/hı://maıt//bı://∫∂uwıŋ/,/baı//stresıŋ//δ∂://wЗ:d/’/jo:(r)/’/δæt//δe∂(r)//wοz/

something very surprising about your possession of the pencil.

/'sΛmθıŋ/ /'verı/ /s∂'praızıŋ/ /∂'baut/ /jo:(r)/ /p∂'ze∫n/ /οv/ /δ∂:/ /'pensl/

The native speaker unconsciously knows about stress and how it works. He knows which parts of

/δ∂://'neitiv//spi:k∂(r)//Λn'kon∫∂slı//n∂u//∂'baut//Stres//ænd//hau//ıt//wЗ:k/. /hı://n∂u//wıt∫//pα:t/ Of/οv/

individual words should be stressed and he knows how to put special meaning into sentences by making

/,Indı'vıdЗu∂l/ /wЗ:d/ /∫ud/ /bı:/ /Stres/ /ænd/ /hı:/ /n∂u/ /hau/ /tu:/ /put/ /'spe∫l/ /mı:nıŋ/ /'ıntu:/ /'sent∂ns/ /baı//'meikiŋ/

                                   

different words more or less important.

/'dıfrent/ /wЗ:d/ /mo:(r)/ /o:(r)/ /les/ /Im'po:tnt/.