Different Schwas Session
DATE: 26th February (Monday)
TIME: 19:00-19:30 (London)
TEACHER: Joseph Hudson
The live group session is free to our students and subscribers. It’s also available as a 121 class, see links below.
IN BRIEF:
This session examines pronunciation of /ə/ in:
- Different word positions (initial, medial, final)
- Regional & ‘standard’ accents
IN DETAIL:
The schwa is often taught as an unstressed mid/central vowel sound, but how accurate is this in everyday speech?
In reality, there can be a significant difference between a schwa at the beginning of a word (ABOUT) and one at the end of a word (WATER). Some schwas could even be considered entirely optional, like those in syllabic consonants (ACTION).
Many regional accents place a significant amount of stress on schwas (COCKNEY, GEORDIE), and an open position is typical in some places in old-fashioned RP.
In this session we’ll explore all of these areas and practise the schwa sound in different contexts and accents. Great if you want to get some extra schwa practice (who doesn’t!) and if you would like to make your pronunciation of schwa more nuanced.
