Teaching English Learners Liaison Patterns: The Three-Step Breakdown

My student couldn't understand the sentence.

"She reads an article about art."

She heard five separate words.

Native speakers? Three sound blobs.

That's the liaison problem.

What Is Liaison?

Liaison
When the final sound of one word connects to the first sound of the next word, creating seamless flow. Example: "reads an" sounds like "ree-zan" (not two separate words).

What Makes Liaison Different from Normal Words?

Students expect word boundaries. English doesn't provide them.

What Students Expect	What Actually Happens
Five separate words	Three sound blobs
Clear breaks between words	Sounds flow together
"Reads" then "an"	"Ree-zan" (one unit)

The problem: If you can't produce liaison, you can't hear it either.

Your brain creates sound expectations based on what you can physically say.

Why Do the Three Strong Beats Matter?

This sentence has three strong beats.

Reads. Article. Art.

That's the entire meaning:

• Someone's reading
• It's an article
• About art

Everything else? Just connection words.

The rhythm tells you what matters.

Strong Beats	Weak Words
Reads	she, an, about
Article	(modifiers connect)
Art	(final meaning)

Students who chase individual words miss the meaning.

Students who follow rhythm chunks catch everything.

What Are the Four Liaisons in This Sentence?

Liaison #1: "Reads an"

• Written: "reads an"
• Pronounced: "ree-zan"
• The 'Z' sound connects to 'A' sound

Liaison #2: "An article"

• Written: "an article"
• Pronounced: "an-nar-ticle"
• The 'N' sound flows into the 'A'

Liaison #3: "Article about"

• Written: "article about"
• Pronounced: "article-bout"
• The 'L' connects to the 'A' (weak 'L')

Liaison #4: "About art"

• Written: "about art"
• Pronounced: "abou-dart"
• The 'T' becomes soft before the vowel

Result: "She ree-zan-nar-ticle-bou-dart."

One continuous sound stream.

Not five separate words.

How Do You Teach Liaison Patterns?

The Isolation Method

Step 1: Isolate each liaison pair

• Focus only on "reads an"
• Practice 20 times
• "Ree-zan, ree-zan, ree-zan"

Step 2: Move to next liaison

• Focus on "an article"
• Practice 20 times
• Build muscle memory

Step 3: Combine everything

• Full sentence
• Shadow with audio 20 times
• Total time: 3 minutes

Step 4: Recognition test

• Play audio
• Students repeat what they heard
• If they add word breaks, back to isolation

Why Twenty Times?

After 3 Reps	After 20 Reps
Still thinking	Automatic
Adding breaks	Smooth flow
Frustrated	Confident

Neural pathways need repetition.

Strength comes from practice.

Not from thinking.

Action Steps for This Week

Try this liaison drill:

1. Choose sentence: "She reads an article about art"

2. Have students say it 3 times (notice where they add breaks)

3. Isolate problem liaisons:

   • "Reads an" → 20 times
   • "An article" → 20 times
   • "Article about" → 20 times
   • "About art" → 20 times

4. Full sentence → 20 times with audio

5. Total time: 3 minutes of focused work

Recognition test:

• Play the sentence
• Students must repeat exactly
• Breaks = not hearing liaison
• Back to isolation

Key Takeaways

• Four Liaisons = Advanced Challenge: Multiple connections in one sentence requires muscle memory
• Strong Beats Reveal Meaning: Three rhythm chunks carry the entire message
• Can't Say = Can't Hear: Production ability creates perception ability
• Isolation Works Best: Break down problems, drill separately, then combine
• Twenty Times = Neural Pathway: Repetition strengthens automatic production
• No Thinking Required: This is procedural memory, not analytical understanding

Why This Changes Listening Comprehension

When students can produce liaison:

1. Their brains recognize connected speech
2. They stop expecting word boundaries
3. They hear actual English rhythm
4. Comprehension jumps dramatically

The mouth teaches the ear.

You can't think your way through this.

You have to do it.

Use the audio player on my site—it plays automatically twenty times.

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