Modification of English Sounds in Connected Speech

Language learners of English as a foreign language often get confused when they hear a native speaker. They realize that not all they hear, can they understand; many familiar words are not recognized due to the modifications of sounds in running speech. This may even cause panic, and many questions arise: Why does a native speaker pronounce some words differently from that I have learnt? Why does s/he seem to be swallowing or omitting certain sounds? How did s/he manage to guess that I am a foreigner? And alike. The author tries to give answers to these questions in the present Bachelor paper.
The problem is that the pronunciation of words in fluent speech differs from that in isolation. Therefore, the aims of the research are:
to examine modifications of English sounds in connected speech;
to determine the main factors that cause the phenomenon.
The objectives:
the study and critical analysis of scientific literature and mass media materials on the topic;
study of the factors causing the modification of speech sounds;
observation and analysis of practical examples.
The research question:
How and why are English sounds transformed in connected speech?
The hypothesis:
In fluent speech English sounds may change their quality, be lost, or new sounds may appear due to the word and sentence stress as well as under the influence of the rhythm of the utterance.…