Linking!

Linking! Linking refers to when in a spoken language, the letters of words are combined to create a ‘sound’, regardless of the number of syllables the original phrase or words have. Here is an example of linking in English: I am go-­‐ing to Originally, this phrase has five syllables. But because of linking, it is pronounced: I-­‐ma/I’m gonna In this workshop, we will be looking at three different types of linking in Spanish: last & first letter are the same, vowel & vowel, and consonant & vowel. 1. Last & First Letter In spoken Spanish, when the last letter of one word is the same as the first letter of the next word, they are pronounced as a single sound. Let’s look at some examples: Donde está..................... Donde/stá Es simpático.................. E/simpático Busca a Antonio............ Busc/Antonio Son nuevos..................... So/nuevos 2. Vowels & Vowels Also in spoken Spanish, when a word that ends in a vowel is followed by a word that begins with a vowel, those vowels are "linked" into one syllable, even if they are different. Say the following vowels out loud: A E I O U Cielo azul........................... cie-­‐ loa-­‐zul Chica interesante.................. chi-­‐cain-­‐te-­‐re-­‐san-­‐te Una otra............................ u-­‐naotra 3. Last Consonant & Vowels In spoken Spanish, when a word that ends in a consonant is followed by a word that begins with a vowel, the final consonant is "linked" with the initial vowel sound. El amigo............................... E-­‐la-­‐migo Mis abuelos......................... Mi-­‐sa-­‐bue-­‐los Tus obras............................ Tu-­‐so-­‐bras Common Expressions The more you practice linking sounds, the more natural and the less mechanical you’ll begin to sound. Here are some common expressions which, at a conversational pace, contain linking: Vamos a ver No es importante/no importa Se habla español No es fácil Por eso ¿Otra idea? Uno u otro Hasta ahora ¡Ni idea! ¿No es cierto? Ahora o nunca ¿Qué es eso? ¿Qué hora es? De ahora en adelante ¡Feliz año nuevo! ¿Dónde está? ¡Gracias a Dios! Como así ¿Vas a comer? ¡Gloria a Dios! Mano en mano Let’s review! How would we say the following phrases if we applied the three types of linking all together? Identify where the word(s) would link and practice saying them fluidly. Ex.: Los señores son nerviosos. 1.
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La ingeniera habla con los trabajadores. Un actor es un artista. Vamos a comer. Es de él. ¿No es cierto? ¡Qué hermosa mujer! **Listening activity (Dictated by tutors): 1. La escuela abre la puerta a las siete. 2. Tengo una idea interesante. 3. La abuela camina hasta el lago. 4. Mi hermano es simpático. 5. Sus hijas siempre están nerviosas antes de cantar. 6. Su esposo la obliga a hacer los trastes. Now listen to the following phrases and write down what is said.