Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

    • 443 views

    Adrian Underhill Teaching Pronunciation Skills

    Uploaded by

    talleringles
    This document discusses effective strategies for teaching pronunciation skills. It addresses two common problems: pronunciation seems endless and is often taught cognitively rather than physically. Two solutions are proposed: 1) Using a pronunciation chart as a visual tool to map all sounds. 2) Teaching the physical muscle movements required to produce sounds correctly. Key techniques include focusing on the "four core muscle buttons," integrating pronunciation practice with vocabulary, and using hearing, seeing, and saying new words to reinforce learning. Resources like classroom charts, demonstration videos, and a pronunciation app can help implement these strategies.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Adrian Underhill Teaching Pronunciation Skills

    Uploaded by

    talleringles
    443 views18 pages
    This document discusses effective strategies for teaching pronunciation skills. It addresses two common problems: pronunciation seems endless and is often taught cognitively rather than physically. Two solutions are proposed: 1) Using a pronunciation chart as a visual tool to map all sounds. 2) Teaching the physical muscle movements required to produce sounds correctly. Key techniques include focusing on the "four core muscle buttons," integrating pronunciation practice with vocabulary, and using hearing, seeing, and saying new words to reinforce learning. Resources like classroom charts, demonstration videos, and a pronunciation app can help implement these strategies.

    Original Description:

    Teaching Pronunciation Skills

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document discusses effective strategies for teaching pronunciation skills. It addresses two common problems: pronunciation seems endless and is often taught cognitively rather than physically. Two solutions are proposed: 1) Using a pronunciation chart as a visual tool to map all sounds. 2) Teaching the physical muscle movements required to produce sounds correctly. Key techniques include focusing on the "four core muscle buttons," integrating pronunciation practice with vocabulary, and using hearing, seeing, and saying new words to reinforce learning. Resources like classroom charts, demonstration videos, and a pronunciation app can help implement these strategies.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    443 views18 pages

    Adrian Underhill Teaching Pronunciation Skills

    Uploaded by

    talleringles
    This document discusses effective strategies for teaching pronunciation skills. It addresses two common problems: pronunciation seems endless and is often taught cognitively rather than physically. Two solutions are proposed: 1) Using a pronunciation chart as a visual tool to map all sounds. 2) Teaching the physical muscle movements required to produce sounds correctly. Key techniques include focusing on the "four core muscle buttons," integrating pronunciation practice with vocabulary, and using hearing, seeing, and saying new words to reinforce learning. Resources like classroom charts, demonstration videos, and a pronunciation app can help implement these strategies.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 18

    Teaching Pronunciation Skills

    Making pronunciation enjoyable and successful


    5th November 2015

    Every lesson is a pronunciation lesson


    We use Pronunciation when we Read, Write, Speak, Listen, Think,
    Remember.
    Or when we learn, think or practise Grammar and Vocabulary.
    So learners are always practising a pronunciation, even when the
    teacher doesnt teach one.
    The question is Which pronunciation are they practising?

    Two problems and two solutions


    Problem 1: Pronunciation seems mysterious, endless. What does it
    consist of? How much is there? Is there a map of the territory?

    Problem 2: Pronunciation, like grammar and vocabulary, tends to be


    cognitively taught. But pronunciation is a physical, muscular activity.
    Its about muscular coordination - more like teaching dance.

    Solution 1: The pronunciation chart


    The Sound Foundations pronunciation chart provides a geographic
    map, a visible, kinesthetic thinking tool, everything in one glance

    It shows:
    - All the sounds needed for words and connected speech,
    - How and where the sounds are made,
    - How sounds help shape and define each other,
    - That all sounds are needed at the start. There can be no syllabus.

    Solution 2: Teach the Physicality


    Connect with the muscles that make the pronunciation difference.
    This requires physical knowledge from muscular experience, not
    theoretical knowledge from a book or lecture.
    There are two routes to making new sounds: 1) Through the ear,
    2) Through the muscles. Not as simple as Listen then speak
    The teacher must know what she is doing in her mouth, muscles,
    and breath. Then she can help the learner.
    Otherwise she can only say : Repeat after me.

    The four core muscle buttons:


    1.
    2.
    3.
    4.

    Tongue (moving forward and back)


    Lips (spreading + back, or rounding + forward)
    Jaw + tongue (moving up and down).
    Voice (on/off to make voiced or unvoiced sounds)

    Proprioception: the inner knowing or sensing of what the muscles


    are doing, and how much pressure is being applied.
    Vowels have no restriction to the air flow, just a shape in the mouth,
    made with tongue, lips and jaw.
    Consonants (mostly) have a restriction to the air flow, made by two
    surfaces that come together.

    Integrating pronunciation and vocabulary teaching


    Three simple route maps. Starting from:
    1) Hearing the new word
    2) Seeing the new word
    3) Saying the new word
    Use all three. Once you can say a word you can hear it better,
    and once you can hear it you can say it better..

    Using vocab from the course book:


    I once saw a magician who did an incredible trick. He took a long knife
    and put it into his mouth. He acted as if it was really painful. I was sure
    that the knife was not real, but then he took it out of his mouth and used
    it to cut an apple in half. Then he ate the apple.

    saw, magician, incredible, knife, mouth, painful, in half

    Text: New Straightforward Intermediate, Kerr & Jones, Macmillan

    New Vocabulary 1: Start with HEARING the word


    1. T says magician once, Sts listen internally several times
    2. Sts say it aloud. Class listen to each other (+ maybe rpt steps 1, 2)
    3. T asks How many sounds? Sts count internally, call number
    4. Class counts sounds onto teachers fingers
    5. Do any repairs, and join up sounds
    6. Now In English!
    7. Teacher asks a St to point out the sounds on chart
    8. The St does so silently, while Class says whatever sound is pointed
    9. Once correct ask the St to point it out faster.
    10. Have the class say it In English!
    11. Then ask another St to spell the word on board
    12. Ask How many sounds? How many letters?

    New Vocabulary 2: Start with SEEING the spelling


    1. T writes magician on the board
    2. T asks Sts to say it
    3. Class listen to a few individuals (listen to the differences)
    4. Select a temporary model, or offer one yourself
    5. T asks How many sounds? Sts count internally, call number
    6. Class counts sounds onto teachers fingers
    7. Do any repairs, and join up sounds
    8. Now In English!
    9. Teacher asks a St to point out the sounds on chart
    10. The St points silently, while Class says whatever sound is pointed
    11. When correct ask St to point it faster.
    12. Ask: How many sounds? / How many letters?

    New Vocabulary 3: Start with SEEING the Sounds


    1. T points out /mn/on the chart
    2. Ask Sts to say the word, connect the sounds, find stress, assist as
    needed
    3. Do any repairs, and join up sounds. Now In English!
    4. Check How many sounds? Sts count internally, call number
    5. Class counts sounds onto teachers fingers
    6. The ask another St to spell the word on board
    7. Ask How many sounds? How many letters?

    Slick moves for integrating pron:


    1.Get quick and easy at these three sequences. Dont do it for every word,
    but be able to do it for any word
    2.The person pointing at the chart does so silently. The Class says aloud
    whatever sound is pointed at.
    3.In English! Always require this after a word/phrase has been assembled.
    4.We are learning sound/muscular coordinations. NOT symbols!
    5.Deal with the meaning in your usual way, but get the sound, rhythm,
    energy, stress of the word in circulation as early as possible. The brain makes
    physical/cognitive connections immediately.
    6.Inhabit the new pron at the point of purchase!

    Sounds: The Pronunciation App


    Choose the BrE or AmE chart. Touch for sounds and words
    Choose BrE or AmE Wordlist. Listen to model, record your own
    voice, listen and compare. Also check word meanings.
    Practice
    Listen Select phonemes for practice. Hear words and tap
    phonemes on the chart
    Read = Select sounds for practice. See the phonemic spelling.
    supply alphabetic spelling on key board.
    Write = Select sounds for practice. See the spelling and find the
    phonemes (phonetic keyboard)

    Further pronunciation teaching information

    Blog:
    adrianpronchart.wordpress.com
    Classroom pron charts:
    Available from Macmillan ELT
    Demo lessons videos:
    Macmillan Education, Onestop, Youtube
    Videos (35 x 3 min):
    www.macmillanenglish.com/pronunciation-skills/
    App for teachers/students: SOUNDS: The pronunciation app v3
    Teachers handook:
    Sound Foundations (Macmillan ELT)
    In-depth training:
    1 & 2-week teacher training intensives

    Teaching Pronunciation Skills

    Making pronunciation enjoyable and successful


    5th November 2015

    You might also like