1. Deak Kirkham University of Leeds
BALEAP Webinar
Deak Kirkham
University of Leeds

2. Today’s issues
A case study of a phonological process in English: /t/ glottalisation as in ‘a bit of water’ as [əˡbıɁəˡwɔɁə]
We suggest a pedagogy of this feature, exploiting it also for the relevant linguistic concepts and for critical thinking

3. Setting the scene: /t/ glottalisation in word final position
Word final /t/ is regularly subject to glottalisation in many dialects of English internationally e.g. ‘fat cat’  [fæɁ kæɁ], ‘not hot’  [nɒɁ hɒɁ]
However, /t/ is also glottalised word medially as in the famous ‘Betty Botter bought some butter’ rhyme

4. Step 1: intervocalic environments
Consider the columns below. A allows glottalisation of /t/ intervocalically; B does not. Why? A B
Water, daughter, greater, heater, better, neater, starter, Chitty-chitty-bang-bang, hypotenuse, critic …
Detain, retain, pre-task, return, perturb, ‘a tailor’, co-teacher, hypertension, critique …

5. Conclusion 1
Intervocalic /t/ not  [Ɂ] at the beginning of a stressed syllable
Or: /t/  [Ɂ] immediately after a stressed vowel in a two-syllable word
Teaching points: identifying syllables; identifying stressed versus non-stressed syllables; the notion of the inter-vocalic environment; mis-match of graphic and phonic realities; the use of inductive (discovery) approach

6. Step 2: beyond the intervocalic environment
Again, taking an inductive approach, compare sets A and B below. A again allows /t/ glottalisation; B not. Why? A B
Wanted, dinted, fainted, talented
panter, Tam O’Shanter, ranter
painting, renting, denting
Destructive, deductive
Laughter, craftier, crofter
Waster, tastier, requested

7. Conclusion 2
When preceded by a nasal, /t/  [Ɂ] as per normal, but not when preceded by a fricative or stop
Teaching points: nasals / fricatives as manners of articulation; a nuance to the context; further practice in inductive thinking; re-inforcement of graphic-phonic mismatch

8. Some controlled practice
Photograph, photographic, photographer
Systemic, systematic, systematicity
Potato, retorted
Hospital, hospitality
Pontifex, pontificate, pontifical,
Critic, criticality, critique
Glottal, glottalic, glottalisation
Positive, positivity

9. Recap and revision
No /t/ in the onset [= at the beginning] of a stressed syllable can undergo glottalisation
Any /t/ which meets the above requirements will not glottalise if preceded by a stop or fricative
Teaching points: two rules cover all the examples (in this presentation!); pronunciation has rules and the rules are abstract – like ‘grammar’

10. More open practice
Which of the written ‘t-s’ can be pronounced [t]. Which of these can be glottalised? Practice the sentences slowly.
I’ve got to get a little bit of water in my bottle
Three unrelated patients requested critical care treatment in the city hospital
The destructive photographer has eaten a potato off the table in the retreat centre

11. ELF considerations
The phonology of glottalisation mirrors to a large extent the phonology of t-flapping in some US dialects
In certain contexts this can lead to homophony i.e. ‘winter’ and winner’ as [ˡwıɾ̃ə]; ‘atomic’ and ‘adamic’ as [əˡɾæmık]
In Liverpudlian English, /t/  [s] in similar environments

12. Broader questions
Does this need to be taught (even at all?) – or will students just pick it up as they go along?
Is this simply awareness raising – or does should students be aiming to produce [Ɂ] in the appropriate places?
Should linguistic terminology be used or avoided in teaching such processes?
At what level / for what kinds of class might this be taught?
What other phonological processes could be treated in this manner?
Why such emphasis on ‘grammar’ but so little on ‘pronunciation grammar’ in EAP teaching?
Should teacher training / development look at such issues?
What role for linguistics in language learning / teaching?

13. Additional comments
‘Positivity’ and ‘hospitality’ seem OK to some speakers. Is this to do with ooOoo stress pattern?
We don’t discuss the related fricativisation of /t/ [s] across word boundaries in Liverpudlian / Irish i.e. ‘got to get a bit of water’