Pronunciation: Just do it! (part 2) The key to intelligibility Toni Hull English Language Fellow

Topic Introduction

TASK 1: What’s the problem? 1. Watch the video clip. There is a breakdown in intelligibility. What’s the problem? Why does it happen? play Coast Guard = organization that helps boats who have troubles while at sea “may day – may day” = a radio signal used when boats are in danger (like “SOS”)

2. If you were the young man’s English teacher, what advice would you give him?

TASK 2: Awareness – what you see (and don’t see) What sounds are being said? _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

play

TASK 3: Using Mirrors 1. Look at yourself pronouncing /s/ and / ʃ / and /t ʃ / 2. Look at yourself pronouncing see, she, *chee 3. Look at your partner saying the sounds: do you look the same?

What other sounds are commonly mispronounced / confused by Vietnamese learners? 1. ________________ 2. ________________ 3. ________________ 4. ________________

Isolate the sounds; look at each other pronouncing them; look at yourself in the mirror. Analyze what you see. Are your lips opened or closed? Are your lips round, spread or neutral? Can you see your tongue? Are your teeth touching? How far apart are they? Does your jaw move? Analyze what you can’t see. Where is your tongue? Does it move? Which direction? Choose one sound to report to the full group about.

TASK 4: Phoneme Exerciser

With students: Give phoneme and categories to students Working in groups, students think of words Students put words on board – check and practice words ◦ give extra points to students with unique words Extension 1 : ◦ Students write sentences with their words and read them out to the class as dictation Extension 2: ◦ have students trade their words ◦ students have to make a role-play with the words

TASK 5: Pronunciation Journey 2 Players: Reader and Traveler Preparation: Reader secretly chooses 4 words in the minimal pair set (either left or right), numbering them 1,2,3,4 on his/her list. Reader secretly does journey to see what the destination will be with those choices.

The Game: Traveler places his marker at 1. Reader reads 1 st word. Traveler moves his/her marker either to the Left or Right depending on where it is located on the list. Traveler moves to position 2 on the journey and waits. Reader reads 2 nd word (action repeats as above).

After 4 words are read/4 moves made – players check to see if they have arrived at the same destination. If players are not at the same place, redo (same roles, same words). If players are at the same place, switch roles.

TASK 6: Consonant Clusters Backwards Buildup: don’t explain to the students – just do it … ◦ end  tend  etend  retend  pretend ◦ ass  lass  class

IN GROUPS: Choose 2 or 3 consonant clusters that your students struggle with. Think of 2-3 words that you can use Backwards Buildup to practice with. Write out the break-down sequence. Practice. Present to group.

TASK 7: Final stops How important are final stops? ◦ Put the rock in the cap. vs. ◦ Pu the ro in the ca.

TASK 8: Put X in Y What you need: game board – 16 squares – each labeled differently (choose a theme) – 1 for each player game cards – at least 10 – showing language point you are studying – 1 set for each player game wall – folded paper / cardboard that keeps players from seeing each other’s boards – 1 for each pair

How to play: Students take turns telling each other where to place game cards on the game board. Player 1 calls out a card and location. ◦ “Put the word “make” in the K box.” ◦ It’s important that he/she use the full sentence so that the target words are pronounced in a sentence. Both Players put their cards in the specified box. When Player 1 has called out all his /her cards, Player 2 tells Player 1 where the cards are. If there are differences, Player 1 repeats directions. Finally, they remove the wall to see if their boards really are the same. Then Player 2 takes his/her turn.

TASK 9: Intonation give students the transcript of an audio or video text they mark the text where they think the stressed words are in each sentence students listen to the clip (2-3 times as needed) to compare their guesses with real clip teacher asks students to focus on 2-3 specific sections. teacher diagrams those sentences and asks students why intonation rose/fell at those places Extension: students practice speaking the clip with similar intonation

from KUNG FU PANDA PLAY

Master: So why are you upset? Po: And the 5. Man- you shoulda seen ‘em. They totally hate me. Po: How is Shifu ever going to turn me into the dragon warrior?

Master: So why are you upset? Po: And the 5. Man- you shoulda seen ‘em. They totally hate me. Po: How is Shifu ever going to turn me into the dragon warrior?

TASK 10: The Obama Workshops Students try to imitate not only the vocabulary and grammar, but the rhythm and gestures. Do you think is a good way to practice? Why? Why not? play

TASK 11: Practice

from Elephants are sending text messages in Kenya. To protect local farms, the elephants have been tagged with devices that send a message when they get too close to civilization. That way the elephants can be shooed away before the crops are damaged. PLAY

There’s disturbing news about our generation. In 17 of America’s largest cities, more than half the high school students don’t graduate. The lowest graduation rates are in Detroit, Indianapolis and Cleveland. Kids are much more likely to complete high school if they grow up in suburbs or small towns. PLAY

TASK 12: Audacity Record students – let them hear themselves and analyze their own speaking production. Completely free software available online at:

TASK 13: Read my lips! Step 1: Practice by mouthing these sentences in your mirror. DON’T MAKE ANY SOUND! ◦ Hello. ◦ Nice to meet you. ◦ Where are you from? Step 2: Try it with a partner. ◦ Take turns reading (NO SOUND) your sentences and guessing what the other is saying.

Thank you for your participation! Toni Hull English Language Fellow Materials from this workshop are available at: italldepends.pbworks.com some exercises adapted from How to Teach Pronunciation, Gerald Kelly, 2000, Pearson Education Limited

BONUS: Shadow Reading BONUS: Shadow Reading Students work with a text that is available in both print and audio/video. Students practice reading the text aloud at the same speed, rhythm, and intonation as the audio sample After several practices, the sound is turned off after 10 or 15 seconds. Students continue reading. The sound is turned on again at a later point to see if students are still in sync with the audio.