 Hello again. This second e-lecture about the phonological differences between RP and German takes up the segmental differences that were discussed in RP versus German 1 and suggests remedial action for those German learners of RP who have difficulties with the RP sounds. Furthermore, we will add the main suprasegmental properties of RP that might be problematic for German learners of English. So let us start with the systematic repetition of the contrasts between the two sound systems. In RP versus German 1, we categorize the following segmental contrasts. For example, inventorial contrasts, that is phonemes that exist only in either of the two languages. As you can see here, the rounded front vowels and the H only exist in German. Whereas in RP, we have phonemes such as the low front vowel, the Ash, the mid-central vowel, and the two dental fricatives that are confined to RP. Typical inventorial problems. Then there are distributional contrasts. Both languages have the same phoneme, however, their alophones are distributed differently. For example, the alophones of the alveolar fricative phoneme Sir in RP and in German. And then there are realisational contrasts, that is, the phonemes of two languages might be similar. However, their precise realization is different. For example, the low back vowels in RP versus German or the realization of the r phoneme in the two languages as indicated over here. Let us inspect the segmental differences between both languages in a contrastive manner in order to find out the precise remedial actions to overcome these segmental difficulties at a later stage. Let us start with the monophones. Of the 12 RP monophones, the following RP phonemes are unproblematic for German learners of RP. They are almost identical with their German value and do not require any remedial action. Let us listen and produce the German values. There is a short E as in bit, not really a problem, bit. There is a short E as in bet, bet. Not a problem, perhaps in some cases we make it too low as Germans. There is the long vowel R as in bra, bra. Apart from the continental problem where Germans would say bra, we should pay attention to the fact that we should make it a real true back vowel, bra. Then there is a low back vowel, or as in cot, cot, cot. Germans tend to make it a little bit higher, but that's not a problem as long as it is really a short vowel. Then there is the long R as in cot, cot. So concentrate making it really long, cot. The short U as in put is not a problem, put. Perhaps some Germans produce it a little bit too high and the schwa as in letter. Here Germans should concentrate on the fact that the final element is really a schwa and not the low central R which is triggered by the occurrence of a German post-focalic R in spelling. But apart from these slight problems, these are not really problematic at all. But what about the problem cases? Well, these five RP monophones are problematic for German learners of English. Three of them can be defined as realisational problems and two are clearly inventorial. Let's look at the realisational problems first. Now the two high vowels E as in C, C and U as in two. Two, they're often produced too high and Germans tend to produce the monophongal variance instead of the slight diphthongal realisation RP. So Germans would come up with a phrase like he sees you too instead of he sees you too. So make it diphthongal. We will come back to this later. Another realisational problem is associated with the wedge. Now this low central vowel exists in both languages. However, whereas Germans use it in unstressed position in the context of post-focalic R as in Mutter or Vater, it is stressed in RP. Thus Germans tend to use a stressed short A as in Hutt or Mutter instead of using the central RP variant. The remaining two vowels are inventorial problems for German learners of RP since they have no true equivalent in German. The mid-high central vowel E does not exist in German. Instead Germans look for alternatives. One such alternative is the mid-high front vowel U. And since the RP vowel occurs in words with an orthographical R after it Germans want to realise this R in the German way and use the German off-glide for down-gliding diphthongs that is the low central R. Now this is the German result for fur. They would say something like fur or German or hur and so on. Even more problematic, perhaps the most problematic RP phoneme of all is the low front vowel A symbolised by the ash. Here, German has a gap. This gap is even larger now due to the merger of A and A in most varieties of German. So Germans make it far too high using a variant of A or A instead. This might lead to dramatic misunderstandings such as bed experience instead of bad experience or bed men instead of Batman. So this is the RP value once more. Bat. Bat. It is clearly a low front vowel. So what can Germans do? In two cases we can deliberately produce off-glides. So concentrate on saying something like C. The J symbol indicates this off-glide. C. He. Fee. And the same applies to the U as in 2 where the W symbol indicates the off-glide. Shoe. Two. Clue. And so on. Well, and with regard to the realisation of the wedge and the ash, we can use similar German phonemes as substitutes. So use the low central vowel in hut. Mud. As in fata. Mud. Hut. In the case of the ash, we recommend to use the low front vowel A which exists in German in words like man and hut. Just use it. Hut. Man. Batman. Bad experience. And so on. In the case of the mid-high central vowel, we can only practice. Make it a steady state monofong. A deliberately avoid realising the orthographical R as an off-glide. Well, let us now look at the RP diphthongs. Of the eight RP diphthongs, the following RP phonemes are unproblematic for German learners of English. They're almost identical with the German value and do not require any remedial action. Let's listen and produce the German values. So here we have the I as in by. Here we have the I as in now. And we have the OI as in boy. Not problematic for German learners of English. But what about the problem cases? The three in-gliding diphthongs involve the same problem. They occur in words with a post-vocalic orthographical R where German uses a down-gliding diphthong. Thus they are typical examples of realisational contrast. So we're saying near instead of near. Here instead of here. And sure instead of sure. The remaining two diphthongs have no equivalent in German. The closest we have are monofongs such as A and O. And using these is exactly the German mistake. Instead of saying say we're using something like say or in an even worse case with the wrong consonant say and something like no instead of no. So again a true monofong. So what can we do? Well in the case of the in-gliding diphthongs Germans are confronted with the R problem. Thus as soon as we see a post-vocalic orthographical R we should avoid the low central off-glide and use the schwa instead. Furthermore we should not make the onset too high in all three cases. So we should really concentrate on saying near. We should say here and not here. We should say sure and not sure. In the two remaining cases Germans should concentrate on the addition of an off-glide. So again we could indicate this by means of an off-glide symbol as in say. So concentrate on saying say rather than see. And O as in go. I'm very bad at this last one. This is my personal problem case in the pronunciation of RP. Let's now continue with the consonants. Both languages have 24 consonants with 10 of them being absolutely identical including their allophonic variants. So these consonants behind me do not involve any problems at all. Secondly there are several phonemes that exist in both languages but their occurrence is different. That is some of the allophones occur in different contexts. And finally there is a set of continental phonemes or allophones that have no equivalent in the German phonemic or allophonic inventory. The remedial actions for the problematic phonemes depend on the type of problem involved. Let us start with the distributional problems. Now these phonemes exist in German but have a different distribution. The first group of them is affected by the phenomenon of final devoicing. That is they all exist in German but have no voiced allophone in word final position. In order to help German learners of RP to pronounce words like big, bid, big, live and lizz a good strategy is to tell them to simply make the vowel longer. The auditory effect is almost the same. And moreover the lengthening of the preceding vowel automatically weakens the subsequent consonant. The consonants in group 2 exist in German but have no typical allophone in word initial position. Many Germans say for example schüss and not schüss, English bye bye. And English loan words like sex or soft are pronounced with an initial Z such as sex or software. The best remedial action in these cases may be a contextual one. That is find German context and point them out to your learners. For example the chair exists in German in words like much or kitsch or quetchen. For the teaching of the initial voiceless alveolar fricative sir it is suggested to make use of voiceless context such as steak, Stratford, skillet. Now in these German words Germans cannot avoid producing a voiceless initial sir and thus there shouldn't be any problems anymore. The following phonemes do not exist in German and may thus be difficult for German learners of RP. The main way of teaching these phonemes to German learners is by pointing out the exact articulation of their alophones by means of diagrams, animations. For example you can see these animations by typing in IPA consonants into the VLC cross-searcher. In some cases it may be helpful to refer to similar articulations. The labiovila approximate for example can easily be taught via OO replacement. In words like wet or we learners may first start with wet and we and then gradually make the initial OO shorter and shorter. The result will be the RP realization of the labiovila approximate were. A second case of inventorial problems concerns particular alophones. You might want to call this a realisational problem too. The alveolar lateral is a special case for German learners. Word initially it is not problematic. After vowels however many Germans cannot produce the dark L. There's one trick. In Cologne the German city of Cologne. They have a special type of beer, the Kolch. And almost all Germans know how speakers with a Cologne accent pronounce this word. They use a dark L. Well if you still can't do it then the only remedial action is an articulatory one. Show animations, point out the exact tongue position etc. Well and then there's the case of the R. Where we have an approximate of flap in RP but a trill or a fricative in German. And here only articulatory advice can help. Let us now look at some selected suprasegmental aspects. The central suprasegmental problem for German learners concerns the connected character of RP. For example liaison effect. Now you might have seen this sentence before in our e-lecture about connected speech. And then you know that Germans tend to insert glottal stops between two words where the second one starts with a vowel. So a typical German mistake would be the aroma of tea greeted you as you entered our office. So a glottal stop in front of each word that starts with a vowel. Now in English we have liaison effects which are optional. For example we can have something like the aroma of tea greeted you as you entered our office where the R would be realized. The second problem concerns the use of the so-called weak forms. Now Germans and this is their main problem generally do not make them weak enough. So the aroma of tea would be a typical German mistake greeted you as you entered our office. Instead of the aroma of tea greeted you as you entered our office. So weak forms are generally not weak enough. The differences between English and German can best be illustrated by a passage read with a typical German accent. Now here is this passage. The north wind and the sun. I will now read this passage using a strong German accent that includes all possible problems. So a typical worst case scenario. Can I have the text please? Yeah thank you very much. Okay here we go. The north wind and the sun were disputing which was the stronger when a traveler came along wrapped in a warm cloak. They agreed that the one who first succeeded in making the traveler take his cloak off should be considered stronger than the other. Then the north wind blew as hard as he could. But the more he blew the more closely did the traveler fold his cloak around him. And at last the north wind gave up the attempt. Then the sun shined out warmly and immediately the traveler took off his cloak. And so the north wind was obliged to confess that the sun was the stronger of the two. Well such a terrible pronunciation of English should be avoided shouldn't it? It's a bit hard for me to get back now. In order to achieve this goal we need a number of so-called avoidance strategy for German learners of RP. These strategies are the result of the study of the segmental and the suprasegmental differences between RP and modern German. Here are the most important ones. Avoid the devoicing of final consonants when they are voiced. So tab, bed, dog, leave, buzz. Make the vowel extra long to achieve this voicing effect. The second. Make the short ah, the ash, as open as possible. Hat, bad, man. Use the German short ah rather than the German short eh. Avoid the use of the low back ah in the context of an orthographical ah. Say here, here, sure, and mother. Use a true schwa in these contexts. And drop it all together in monofungal contexts such as door and her. Well and then we have some obligatory principles of connected speech. Avoid the glottal stop before syllable initial vowels. Do not say when a traveler came along, but when a traveler came along. And finally, make all weak forms deliberately extra weak. So do not say, and so the north wind was obliged to confess that the sun was the stronger of the two, but rather. And so the north wind was obliged to confess that the sun was the stronger of the two. So a deliberate, even exaggerated weakening might help here. If you adhere to these and some other principles, you will be able to improve your own English. But more importantly, you can correct a large number of mistakes made by your present or future students. So this e-lecture and its predecessor RP versus German 1 compared the phonology of RP and standard German with special emphasis on the difficulties from a German learner perspective. I hope I could provide you with the necessary amount of information to improve your own English as well as that of your current and future students of English. So thank you very much for your attention.