本文节选自贾若寒著《雅思满分流利口语》一书。
第2章 雅思口语考试四大杀手锏
要想在雅思口语考试中获取高分，必须从考官的角度去看问题，如何才能使考官给考生打出7分、8分甚至接近于满分的分数呢？考生需要的是雅思口语四大杀手锏，这四个方面就是从雅思评分标准的四个方面出发来仔细探究如何做到发音、语法、词汇和流利程度的完全发挥。如果在临考前已经把这四个方面做到彻底研究和了解并运用自如，那雅思口语考试就是考生个人英语水平和口才展示的舞台，如果没能做到，那雅思口语考试就是打无准备之仗，分数高低完全是碰运气了。
第1节 发音杀手锏——像一个英国人或美国人在说话
发音是考生开始说英语时给人的第一印象，发音虽然是考官评分标准中的一个方面，但是发音好的考生会给考官一个非常好的印象，并且使考官感到考生有非常扎实的语言基础。因为发音好的考生要么就是学过很长时间的英语，也就是所谓的“沉浸式学习法”，要么就是在国外生活或者工作过，还有一个可能就是很喜欢看美剧！
如果考生的发音听上去就像一个美国人或者英国人在说英文，不仅会让考生的发音部分评分非常高，同时还会带动流利程度和连贯性的评分。所以同样英文水平的两个考生，发音好的和发音不好的差距在1～2分，甚至更大！
一个考生如果发音非常好，即使有一些停顿，考官也会觉得是在积极思考，在用独特的方式处理考官的问题，而不会认为考生在语言上有问题。而且发音好的考生对于连读和尾音辅音的轻度特点有极好的掌控能力，这样一来，流利程度就大大提高了。
一旦流利程度提高了，单位时间里面所说的内容就丰富，所体现的词汇和语法也就具有多样性了。从我口语教学的经验来看，雅思口语考试分数的高低很大一部分取决于发音的好坏。
“我在雅思口语考试中是讲英式英语还是美式英语呢？”
对于这样的一个问题，我会对大多数考生讲，你在考试中说的都是中式英语（Chinglish），或者我会对一个考生说，你的英文带中国口音（Chinese Accent）。
很多中国考生想要在发音上模仿英式或者美式的英语口音，但是大多数人都失败了。原因是什么呢？
第一个原因是没有足够的时间去听标准的美式或者英式英语。
如果要把一种语言说好或者是把一种英语口音练好，首先是要接受几百甚至上千小时的听力特训。只有达到一定的听力训练的量，才能把自己的口音纠正过来，而且还只能是连续听同一种口
音的，还不能泛听，绝对不能把各种口音的英语混起来听，那样做的话即使听几年口语的发音也不会有变化。所以要通过听力提高口语就是要盯着一种口音来听。比如同学喜欢CNN新闻主播的口音和语调。那就要天天听这个人的说话，连续听几个月，然后说英语的时候腔调就跟他很像了。如果同学喜欢Nicole Kidman的澳大利亚口音，那就要天天看她主演的电影。三个月到半年以后，再说英文的时候发音就跟她很像了。
第二个原因是没有机会说。很多中国考生在考试中发音很差是因为平时几乎没有机会说英文。很多同学会说去English Corner或者English Club练习英文，但是大家忽视了很重要的一点，就是在很多英语角的活动中都是中国人之间在说英文，这样一来，大家的发音并没有变好，只是原本不好的发音变得熟练了。在这方面，美国的ETS给了大家一个很好的建议：“Join in the Internet Voice Chat.”
网络聊天室是一个非常好的练习口语的途径。大家可以用Google搜索相关的在美国或者英国的网络聊天室，这样就有很多机会跟在美国和英国的Native Speakers交流，对提高发音水平来说有很大的帮助。
有同学会问：“要想说话像一个美国人或者英国人我要注意什么呢？有没有什么窍门呢？”
在这里我给大家三个小窍门：单词重读、句子语调和句子节奏。
首先来看单词重读。对某些要强调的单词重读可以提高考生的发音特点，逐渐向英语为母语的人靠拢。下面来看一个美国人写的单词重读产生语义变化的句子：
When you are speaking English, the words you stress can change the underlying meaning of a sentence. Let’s take a look at the following sentence:
I don’t think he should get the job.
This simple sentence can have many levels of meaning based on the word you stress. Consider the meaning of the following sentences with the stressed word in bold. Read each sentence aloud and give a strong stress to the word in bold:
I don’t think he should get the job. (重音在I上面)
Meaning: Somebody else thinks he should get the job.
I don’t think he should get the job. (重音在don’t上面)
Meaning: It’s not true that I think he should get the job.
I don’t think he should get the job. (重音在think上面)
Meaning: That’s not really what I mean. OR I’m not sure he’ll get the job.
I don’t think he should get the job. (重音在he上面)
Meaning: Somebody else should get the job.
I don’t think he should get the job. (重音在should上面)
Meaning: In my opinion it’s wrong that he’s going to get the job.
I don’t think he should get the job. (重音在get上面)
Meaning: He should have to earn (be worthy of, work hard for) the job.
I don’t think he should get the job. (重音在the上面)
Meaning: He should get another job.
I don’t think he should get the job. (重音在job上面)
Meaning: Maybe he should get something else instead.
As you can see, there are many different ways this sentence can be understood. The important point to remember is that the true meaning of the sentence is also expressed through the stressed word or words. （通过对单词的强调可以突出句子的具体含义）
大家再来做一个小练习：
I said she might consider a new haircut.
Say the sentence aloud using the stressed word marked in bold. Once you have spoken the sentence a few times, match the sentence version to the meaning below.
1. I said she might consider a new haircut.
2. I said she might consider a new haircut.
3. I said she might consider a new haircut.
4. I said she might consider a new haircut.
5. I said she might consider a new haircut.
6. I said she might consider a new haircut.
7. I said she might consider a new haircut.
Not just a haircut.
It’s a possibility.
It was my idea.
Not something else.
Don’t you understand me?
Not another person.
She should think about it, it’s a good idea.
大家做完了吗？对一下答案吧！
然后再读一遍，看看 有没有语感。
1. I said she might consider a new haircut.
It was my idea.
2. I said she might consider a new haircut.
Don’t you understand me?
3. I said she might consider a new haircut.
Not another person.
4. I said she might consider a new haircut.
It’s a possibility.
5. I said she might consider a new haircut.
She should think about it. It’s a good idea.
6. I said she might consider a new haircut.
Not just a haircut.
7. I said she might consider a new haircut.
Not something else.
第二个方面就是句子语调。句子语调是口音好坏的非常重要的一个方面。句子语调其实和单词重音是相结合的。大家来看看美国教授的一段文字：
Say this sentence aloud and count how many seconds it takes.
The beautiful mountain appeared transfixed in the distance.
Time required? Probably about 5 seconds. Now, try speaking this sentence aloud.
He can come on Sundays as long as he doesn’t have to do any homework in the evening.
Time required? Probably about 5 seconds.
Wait a minute. The first sentence is much shorter than the second sentence!
The beautiful mountain appeared transfixed in the distance.
He can come on Sundays as long as he doesn’t have to do any homework in the evening.
You are only partially right!
This simple exercise makes a very important point about how we speak and use English. Namely, English is considered as a stressed language while many other languages are considered syllabic. What does that mean? It means that, in English, we give stress to certain words while other words are quickly spoken (some students say eaten). In other languages, such as French or Italian, each syllable receives equal importance (there is stress, but each syllable has its own length). Many speakers of syllabic languages don’t understand why we quickly speak, or swallow, a number of words in a sentence. In syllabic languages each syllable has equal importance, and therefore equal time is needed. English however, spends more time on specific stressed words while quickly gliding over the other, less important, words.
Let’s look at a simple example: the modal verb “can”. When we use the positive form of “can”, we quickly glide over the “can” and it is hardly pronounced.
They can come on Friday.
On the other hand, when we use the negative form “can’t” we tend to stress the fact that it is the negative form by also stressing “can’t”.
They can’t come on Friday.
As you can see from the above examples, the sentence “They can’t come on Friday” is longer than “They can come on Friday” because both the modal “can’t” and the verb “come” are stressed.
So, what does this mean for our speaking skills?
Well, first of all, you need to understand which words we generally stress and which we do not stress. Basically, stress words are considered CONTENT WORDS such as:
nouns e.g. kitchen, Peter
(most) principal verbs e.g. visit, construct
adjectives e.g. beautiful, interesting
adverbs e.g. often, carefully
Non-stressed words are considered FUNCTION WORDS such as:
determiners e.g. the, a, some, a few
. auxiliary verbs e.g. don’t, am, can, were
. prepositions e.g. before, next to, opposite
. conjunctions e.g. but, while, as
. pronouns e.g. they, she, us
Let’s return to the beginning example to demonstrate how this affects speech.
The beautiful mountain appeared transfixed in the distance. (14 syllables)
He can come on Sundays as long as he doesn’t have to do any homework in the evening. (22 syllables)
Even though the second sentence is approximately 30% longer than the first, the sentences take the same time to speak. This is because there are 5 stressed words in each sentence. From this example, you can see that you needn’t worry about pronouncing every word clearly to be understood (we native speakers certainly don’t). You should, however, concentrate on pronouncing the stressed words clearly.
Now, do some listening comprehension or go speak to your native English speaking friends and listen to how they concentrate on the stressed words rather than giving importance to each syllable. You will soon find that you can understand and communicate more because you begin to listen for (and use in speaking) stressed words. All those words that you thought you didn’t understand are really not crucial for understanding the sense or making yourself understood. Stressed words are the key to excellent pronunciation and understanding of English.
I hope this short introduction to the importance of stress in English will help you to improve your understanding and speaking skills.
相信大家都能看懂这段文字，英语为母语的人是如何来说英语的：重读和轻读是非常非常重要的一个环节。英语是一种强调化语言，跟其他语言有很大的差别。因此，雅思口语考生在考场中说英文的时候也要特别注意这一点，有意识地去重读那些想要强调的词，弱读一些介词和连词等。要练到像美国人或者英国人那样说话必须有4～6周的强化训练，专门去准备一些雅思口语的题目和参考答案来练习重读和语调。
另外一个特点就是句子节奏。说英语一定要有节奏。有考生会问：“我怎么能够说英语有节奏呢？有没有什么教程呢？”答案其实非常简单，有两种方法可以使大家说话有节奏：第一是看美剧Friends或者Prison Break，这种喜剧类和剧情类的美剧中的对话都是非常夸张的，看多了说话就有节奏了。第二就是多听R&B或者Hip-Hop的英文歌曲。
那么对于雅思口语考试的发音，考官是怎么看的呢？下面一段是雅思口语考官对于发音这部分打分的解释：
★ Overall, clear and understandable pronunciation is the main thing.
★ Secondly, the correct use of the following features will determine the pronunciation grade:
☆ basic word pronunciation;
☆ linked speech sounds;
☆ correct and appropriate sentence stress (i.e., which word or words in a sentence are stressed more than others);
☆ appropriate use of intonation (rising and falling) to emphasize meaning.
★ Slightly inaccurate (= unclear) pronunciation is usually understandable if the correct
words and grammar are used but slightly inaccurate pronunciation combined with other errors can result in language that is not understandable at all.
★ American pronunciation is acceptable.
优秀的发音是雅思口语考试高分的关键，但是光靠发音是不够的，还需要注重其他几个方面。
