#2: AMERICAN SPEECH MUSCULARITY & RESONANCE
LESSON 7: MOVING FROM FRONT-MOUTH TO MID-TONGUE MUSCULARITY
(#2 : Tracks 3-7)
- THE SOUND & STYLE OF AMERICAN ENGLISH

Before Lesson 7 :
(#2 : Track 1)

This is unit 2 of the sound and style of American English.
From this disc, you'll learn to create the voice placement, or the resonance of American English by moving your mouth muscles the way that native speakers do.
Much of what we recognize as the sound of a language, or of its accent on another language comes from the way that these muscles direct and focus the sound in your mouth throat and nose.
For example, the mouth muscles push forward and focus the sound behind the upper lip and teeth not just for one, but for several of the Romans languages.
Even more forwarding front of the teeth between the lips is the sound focus for the most formal version of European English.
The upper lip attracts the muscularity and sound energy for many of the languages and dialects of the south central part of Asia.
While the bottom lip draws the tone focus for many of the Germanic language paths.
Sometimes the resonance focuses farther back.
The rear of the pallet where the mouth and nose me is the sound location for another European romance language as well as the modernized version of an ancient Middle Eastern Time.
And the muscles draw the sound down to the middle of the mouth for many other language patterns of Eastern Asia.
And these represent just a small percentage of the different tonal placements.
That can be heard among all of the world's languages.
Now, speaking one language with the muscularity and sound focus of another creates a large part of what listeners recognize as a foreign accent.
That non-native muscularity also makes it harder to produce some of the unique vowels and consonants of a second language.

So my next goal for you is to have you learn the style of mouth opening, lip relaxation, and tongue movement.

That creates American resonance and prepares those muscles to form uniquely American vowels and consonants.
Does that sound complicated?
Well, don't worry.
We're going to be taking it one step at a time.

(#2 : Track 2)

Lesson 7 moving from front mouth to midtown muscularity.
In this lesson, you'll first relax the muscles in the front of your mouth.

Second, create a wider mouth opening especially in the back.

And third, move your tongue more assertively and keep it farther down farther away from your palate.

Let's begin.

Open your lips very slightly, and start lightly tapping; we're padding your lips and the areas of skin just around your lips with the tips of your fingers.
As you're tapping there, try to relax all of the muscles around your mouth, and the front of your face.
No tension in your lips or jaw.
Just let the whole area feel as if it had been numbed by your dentist with an anesthetic.

And now, start opening and closing your mouth by letting your jaw float down and up, down and up again.
Relax your lips and everything in front.
As your jaw floats down and back up.
And as you feel a wide space opening.
And then, closing in the back of your mouth.
Now, keep doing that for a while longer.
But, please be careful don't pull your jaw way, way down with tension pulling it open.
Let your jaw float down as far as it can with no strain.
Feeling that wide opening in back a wider opening than you're used to.
No strain, no pull, no tension.
And once you feel that wide opening float your jaw back up again.
Relax in front and feel like you're controlling all of this movement from the back near the jaw joint.
But don't feel any strain or pull just open a little wider than usual in the back. All right.
Keep floating open and closed.
Don't tense those lips.
Don't push them forward.
Those relaxed almost lazy lips are just floating apart, and back together, along with your jaw as it floats down and up.
All right.
Stop for a minute.

And the next time your jaw drops, I want you to say "Ah[ˈɑː]" as in the word father [ˈfɑːðɚ], after [ˈɑːftə], your mouth is opened.
Keep everything floating and relaxed just like it was before.

But, after the jaw floats down, say "Ah[ˈɑː]", and feel that wider opening in back, but stay completely relaxed.
Low down and when it's open "Ah[ˈɑː]" .
Now, stop the sound and float back up again, slow down again "Ah[ˈɑː]".
And float back up once more float down, and "Ah[ˈɑː]".
And Float closed.

Now you keep doing that as you listen to me.
Remember, don't tighten your lips or push them forward at all.
Feel relaxation or even numbness in your lips and the front of your mouth.
As you go "Ah[ˈɑː]", and close.

Feel all of the movement and a wide but very relaxed opening in the back.
Try not to experience any work in the front of your mouth.
Pause the disc, and practice this move and this sound for about 2 more minutes.
Feel free to play this track once again.
Before continuing with track 3.

Lesson 7 : MOVING FROM FRONT-MOUTH TO MID-TONGUE MUSCULARITY
(#2: Tracks 3-7)

$${\textit{CONSONANT PLUS AH EXERCISES}}$$
(#2 : Track 3)

AH-M AH-V AH-B AH-Z AH-G M-AH B-AH G-AH Z-AH W-AH

#2 : Track 3.

Welcome back!
Now we're going to attach some consonant sounds to the end of this floating "Ah[ˈɑː]" that you just practiced.
But, continue to let your lips stay very very relaxed even when they're forming these consonants.

Begin by floating from "Ah[ˈɑː]" to an "M[ˈɛm]" sound "M[m]".

Stay relaxed in front and back feel a wider than usual space opening in the back on "Ah[ˈɑː]".
Then float closed again very very gently.
Do you it with me?

Float down "AHEE-M[ˈɑːm]".
Now float into a wider than usual opening on "Ah[ˈɑː]", and Float closed into a "V[ˈvi]" sound.

"AH-V[ˈɑːv]".

You do it?
(Pause)

Don't press, as you close the bottom lip lightly touches the top teeth "V[v]".

Repeat again.
Drop down.

"AH-V[ˈɑːv]"
(Pause)

Now still with that total relaxation will float the jaw down and close into several other consonant sounds.

Try a "B[b]", "B[b]","B[ˈbiː]" sound this time.

Down opening back repeating.
  "AH-B[ˈɑːb]"

Relax into that "B[ˈbiː]" once again.

"AH-B[ˈɑːb]"
(Pause)

And this time, a "Z [ˈziː]" sound.
Very relaxed down and open and back repeat.

"AH-Z[ˈɑːz]"
(Pause)

Again.
No tension in your tongue for the "Z [ˈziː]".

"AH-Z[ˈɑːz]"
(Pause)

This time a "G[g]", "G[g]", "G [ˈʤiː]"sound.
Again down and open and back.

"AH-G[ˈɑːg]"
You do it?
(Pause)

And again.

"AH-G[ˈɑːg]"
(Pause)

Now some relaxed consonants.
Before the open the "Ah[ˈɑː]"
Relax and float down and up with no pressure in the lips.
Start with a very relaxed "M[m]".
And then, drop the jaw and tongue down into "Ah[ˈɑː]"
Feel the space and back.
Repeat.

"M-AH[mˈɑː]"
(Pause)

Now try the same thing, "B[b]".
Don't press hard.
Repeat.

"B-AH[bˈɑː]"
(Pause)

Very lightly.
Again.

"B-AH[bˈɑː]"
(Pause)

This time to begin with the "G[g]", "G[g]" sound.
Repeat.

"G-AH[gˈɑː]"
(Pause)

Feel that relaxed wider opening in the back.
Repeat again.

"G-AH[gˈɑː]"
(Pause)

And now way, "Z [ˈziː]" "Z [ˈziː]" sound.
Relax.

"Z-AH[zˈɑː]"

and finally the "W [ˈdʌbəlju]", "W [w]" "W [w]" sound.
Repeat.

W-AH[wˈɑː]"
(Pause)

Lips totally relaxed as they form that "W [ˈdʌbəlju]"
Again.

W-AH[wˈɑː]"
(Pause)

And now go back to the beginning of this track number 3.
And spend more time practicing these consonant plus I exercises for continuing.

$${\textit{CONSONANT PLUS AHEE EXERCISES}}$$
(#2 : Tracks 4-5)

AHEE-M AHEE-V AHEE-B AHEE-Z AHEE-G

M-AHEE B-AHEE G-AHEE Z-AHEE W-AHEE

#2 : Track 4.

The next goal is to keep the front of the mouth relaxed as the middle of your tongue starts to move more.
Go back to the simple floating off, first.
Again feel the wide opening and back, relax the lips and jaw, and float down: "Ah[ˈɑː]", and up again down: "Ah[ˈɑː]", and float back up, again.
Open and back and relax in front.
Once more float down: "Ah[ˈɑː]".
And float closed.

And now I want you to make the vowel sound "E[ˈiː]" as in East[ɪst].
But, I want you to do it without closing your mouth completely in front.
Keep your lips open about the width of one of your fingertips.
In fact, put a fingertip between your lips for just a minute to get the feeling of that separation.
Now take your finger out, and keep open that much as you say: "E[ˈiː]".
Do it with me:
"E[ˈiː]".
And once more:
"E[ˈiː]".

Now listen as I demonstrate the next step.

I'll start the next "E[ˈiː]" the same way lips slightly apart: "E[ˈiː]".
But then, I'm going to open to "Ah[ˈɑː]" by floating the jaw down and the tongue down and back, with out stopping my voice like this::

EE-AH[ˈiːˈɑː]

Again, start with that slightly open: "E[ˈiː]", drop open move the tongue down and back without stopping your voice listen and repeat.

EE-AH[ˈiːˈɑː]

Remember.
Feel The wider opening in the back and feel the middle of your tongue move back and down once again you two are without stopping your voice repeat.

EE-AH[ˈiːˈɑː]

This time you do it without me, go!
(Pause)

Feel it relaxed opening repeat again.
EE-AH[ˈiːˈɑː]

The next time, do this same "EE-AH[ˈiːˈɑː]", but then glide back to the "E[ˈiː]",  again without closing your lips all the way like this :

EE-AH-EE[ˈiːˈɑːˈiː]

You, try.

EE-AH-EE[ˈiːˈɑːˈiː]

Since you're not closing your lips all the way in front you should really be able to feel the muscles in your mid tongue working to reach up and forward to that second "E[ˈiː]".
Feel the tongue working as you repeat.

EE-AH-EE[ˈiːˈɑːˈiː]

Once more, start with a slightly open in the lips drop your tongue down on the "Ah[ˈɑː]", and then reach it up and forward to that second "E[ˈiː]", again lips not closing completely repeat :

EE-AH-EE[ˈiːˈɑːˈiː]

Now this time, skip the first "E[ˈiː]", start by dropping down to "Ah[ˈɑː]".
Feel the opening in back and begin "AHEE[ˈɑːˈiː]".
Repeat:

(Pause)

Don't close all the way up in front let the tongue do the work.
Repeat again after me :

"AHEE[ˈɑːˈiː]"

Be careful, get a fairly normal "E[ˈiː]".
Don't let your tongue get in the way of the sound [ˈɑˈuː].
Don't do make it a nice normal sharp "E[ˈiː]".
Repeat after me again:

"AHEE[ˈɑːˈiː]"
(Pause)

and now pause the disc and practice these I exercises then work through this track number four at least once more before continuing

#2 : Track 5.

This time, we're going to attach some consonants to the same "AHEE[ˈɑiː]" glide.
Continue relaxing your lips and keep the movement concentrated in your mid tongue.
Begin by floating from "AHEE[ˈɑiː]", into an "M[m]" sound like this:

AHEE-M[ˈɑiːm]

I'm emphasize that tongue movement by not closing your lips until you start the "M[ˈɛm]" sound, and let your lips come together very very gently again.
Repeat:

AHEE-M[ˈɑiːm]

So again.
What you're doing is dropping the tongue on the off moving it up and forward through the open "E[ˈiː]" and then closing the lips:

AHEE-M[ˈɑiːm]
(Pause)

Now float closed into a "V[v]" sound.
Don't press, don't tongue down for all mid tongue glides into the "E[ˈiː]", and then the lower lip gently touches the upper teeth.
So repeat :

AHEE-V[ˈɑiːv]
(Pause)

Feel that mid tongue controlling., most of the movement.
Relax everything in front.
Again repeat :

AHEE-V[ˈɑiːv]
(Pause)

The same opening in back, the same relaxation in front, as you float from "AHEE[ˈɑiː]" into several other consonants.

Try the "B[b]", "B[ˈbiː]" sound this time.
Repeat.

AHEE-B[ˈɑiːb]
(Pause)

Energy in the middle of the tongue.
Do it once more.

AHEE-B[ˈɑiːb]
(Pause)

This time the "Z [z]", "Z [ˈziː]"  sound.
Reach with that mid tongue.

AHEE-Z[ˈɑiːz]
(Pause)

And now try it with a "G[g]", "G [ˈʤiː]" sound.
Repeat :

AHEE-G[ˈɑiːg]
(Pause)

Remember, not to let your tongue get in the way of the sound.
don't do [ˈɑuːg]
Keep that in normal and sharp repeat it again:

AHEE-G[ˈɑiːg]
(Pause)

Now let's try some relaxed consonants.
Before floating into the AHEE[ˈɑiː] glide again.
Just stay relaxed in the lips and front mouth as you open in the back, and feel the active movement in your mid tongue.

First do the "M[ˈɛm]" sound.
And then, drop the jaw and move the mid tongue into AHEE[ˈɑiː].
Now, when your lips are closed for that "M[ˈɛm]", keep the rear cavity open upper and lower teeth apart some tongue down.
Repeat :

"M-AHEE[ˈmˈɑiː]"
(Pause)

Now try the same thing with the "B[b]", "B[ˈbiː]" sound.
Relax, but open and back.
Repeat :

"B-AHEE[ˈbˈɑiː]"
(Pause)

Feel that tongue movement once more on this one turn down even before the "B[ˈbiː]" starts

"B-AHEE[ˈbˈɑiː]"
(Pause)

feel the tongue movement.
Once more on this one.
Turn down even before the "B[ˈbiː]" starts.

"B-AHEE[ˈbˈɑiː]"
(Pause)

Now begin with the "G[g]" sound
Repeat.

"G-AHEE[ˈgˈɑiː]"
(Pause)

Opening back feeling that mid-tongue movement.
Again.

"G-AHEE[ˈgˈɑiː]"
(Pause)

Now the "Z [ˈziː]"  sound.

"Z-AHEE[ˈzˈɑiː]"
(Pause)

And now with the "W [w]", "W [w]", "W [ˈdʌbəlju]" sound.
Repeat.

"W-AHEE[ˈwˈɑiː]"
(Pause)

Keep your lips totally relaxed even when forming this "W [w]", "W [w]", and move your mid tongue actively.
Once again :

"W-AHEE[ˈwˈɑiː]"
(Pause)

Now pause the disc and spend a few minutes practicing the consonant plus "Ah[ˈɑː]" and the consonant plus AHEE[ˈɑiː] exercises that you'll find on page 10 of the drill manual.
Before continuing, I also suggest that you replay track 5 and let it guide you through these exercises again.

$${\textit{“THE TONGUE CIRCLE”}}$$
(#2 : Tracks 6-7)

AHEE-AHEE-AHEE-AHEE-AHEE (down/forward/up and around)

$${\textit{This exercise is followed by questions to help you decide }}$$
$${\textit{whether you can now skip directly to Lesson 11 }}$$
$${\textit{or whether the exercises in Lessons 8-10 are necessary}}$$

#2 : Tracks 6

In a minute, we're going to do continuous repetitions of the "AHEE[ˈɑiː]" sound.
But first, let me clarify the reason for this whole series of exercises.
We won't actually do the "AHEE[ˈɑiː]" movement or the "AHEE-AHEE[ˈɑiːˈɑiː]" tongue circles, while talking you've never be able to pronounce all of the language sounds if you did.
But, the tongue movements in these exercises create a certain kind of feeling in your tongue later.
You're going to try to recreate that same feeling while you talk but without these full circular movements.
So let's go back for a minute to the simple "AHEE[ˈɑiː]" without any of the consonants attached.
Again, relax your lips and don't close them all the way open and back and bring that mid tongue down on "Ah[ˈɑː]", up and forward on "E[ˈiː]"
Repeat it again a few times after me.

"AHEE[ˈɑiː]" ,"AHEE[ˈɑiː]"
You do it?
(Pause)

Now let's do this ,"AHEE[ˈɑiː]" several times in a row without stopping.
Listen first.

"AHEE-AHEE-AHEE"

It should almost feel like the middle of your tongue is moving around in a circle it's going down for it up and around down for it up and around.

"AHEE-AHEE-AHEE"

Every time it makes that circle, your jaw drops the tongue goes down to the "Ah[ˈɑː]" then forward and up into the "E[ˈiː]".
And then it keeps going around and back down to the "AHEE[ˈɑiː]" again.
You start doing it now.
Drop the jaw sort of follow my lead:
"AHEE-AHEE-AHEE"
down for it up and around
"AHEE-AHEE-AHEE"
down for it up and around,
Keep doing that for a minute as you listen :
"AHEE-AHEE-AHEE"
Now the middle of your tongue repeats it circle down for it up and around down for it up and around as you're doing that keep completely relaxed in the lip in front mouth.
Keep that wider opening in the back and keep your lips separated, at least a fingers width to emphasize the movement of the tongue not the jaw.
But, don't push or pull or strain.
"AHEE-AHEE-AHEE"
Keep that throat relaxed keep the jaw and tongue nice and loose as they move.
Everything relaxed do it with me again for a minute.
"AHEE-AHEE-AHEE"
Okay, stop for a minute and relax.
Let me reiterate something really important.
During this circle exercise, I want you to concentrate more on tongue movement, and less on jaw movement.
When your tongue comes up in the circle exercise, concentrate even more now I'm leaving your jaw down and your lips open a bit more.
Don't close your mouth all the way so that you can concentrate on not jaw movement but tongue movement.
Now, you still will be moving your jaw some, I don't want you to tense it up and try to hold it stiffly so it doesn't budge.
Tongue moves around through that open space :
"AHEE-AHEE-AHEE"
Lips lazy relaxed jaw and throat.
Feel that mid tongue moving in a circle.
Do it once more with me without closing that mouth all of the way, Ready? "AHEE-AHEE-AHEE"

And it's practice time yet again.
Go back to the beginning of this track number 6 and work through the tongue circle sequence, at least twice more.
And while you're practicing this "AHEE-AHEE-AHEE", concentrate on how the muscles of your mouth feel, try to remember the physical feeling of taking the mid tongue down forward up and around.
Because it is not this exact movement but the general feeling of a wider opening and a lower tongue position that will be important in creating the tone placement of American speech.
After practicing the tongue Circle go back and rework tracks 2 through 6 several times, during the next few days your goal is to be able to do this exercise easily for beginning track 7.

my notes:

私が練習したいのは、発音なので、Unit２を先にすることにしました。
が、さすがに音声だけでは、正直、わかりにくい…
ちなみに、google先生は、文中の、”AHEE”　や、連続して発音する ”AHEE” は、eye　または　I（どちらも発音記号は、/ˈaɪ/ ）とひろってくださっていたので、[ˈɑiː]　ではないのかもしれません。
ちなみに、a は、日本語の「あ」とほぼ同じ前舌母音で、ɑ は、舌が後による後舌母音と説明されているケースもあるようですが、米英語には a 単独での使用はなく、/aɪ/, /au/ の二重母音でのみ使用されているそうです。
（ランダムハウス英和大辞典の発音一覧にも a 単独の記載はなかったので、間違いないと思われます）

また、Unit2 の最初のレッスンである Lesson７は Tracks３-７とされていますが、Track７は聞いた感じ、このまま Lesson8 にすすむか、スキップして　Lesson11 にすすむかのテスト（？）みたいな感じでしたので、
Lesson７は Tracks 6 で終わりということにしました。
（ Track 6 の最後の方で、Tracks 2 - 6 を数日間、繰り返せみたいなことを言ってますし）

また、正しいとされる舌のスターティング・ポジションですが、
歯医者さんにいったとき、一番最初に、「はい、口をあけてください」と言われて、私的には、いつも思い切りよくパカっとあけているつもりが、「あ、もうちょっと、がんばって（あけてね）」と言われるので、それを思い出したので、その最初のパカっくらい口をあけたまま、上を向いて、正面にもどると、いい感じになりました。
どうやってリラックスさせればいいのかわかならい人（←私です）は、
一度試されてみてはいかがでしょうか？

また、口をあけたまま、クリアに、ɑi　の音を作る時も、少し上を向いて
（つまり、やや顎をあげて、イメージ的には、あごクイみたいな）
（あくまで、イメージですが）
音を作ると、作りやすかったです。

また、舌の中央の筋肉を、どうやって持ち上げればいいのか、まったく、わからなかったのですが、（そもそも、舌の筋肉に中央なんてあるのか？）
私の場合、舌の先を下の前歯につけたまま、口をダラっとあけて、E [ˈiː] の発音をしようとすると、自然に舌の中央部分が、口蓋（口の中の上側の壁）に向って、盛り上がっています。
この時、喉の筋肉（？）も上下するのですが、これで、あっているのかどうか、わかりません。
ただ、すごく、はっきりした　ɑi　の音がでます。

でも、あっているのか、あってないのかは、わからない・・・

このあたりが、独学の悩ましいところです。