Teaching pronunciation to English learners is more than "repeat after me" and more than theory and looking at pictures. Let's take a multisensory approach.
International – Jenkins, Jennifer. (2000). The Phonology of English as an International Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press). McKay, Sandra Lee. (2002). Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press). Call-center English requirements, Movie models, “friends” models, experiences
Why? Multi-sensory = multiple learning styles + multiple input channels How Many can you think of?
Multi-sensory = multiple learning styles + multiple input channels Visuals are interesting and clear – dynamic too 2. Not just “listen and repeat” and minimal pair discernment 3. Taste your finger for “th” Lick your lips (tongue extension) 4. Madonna “Feel my body”, “hand-jive”, TPR *5. Smell – Cold “no smell” and no nasals. “Phew”? “Euw”? Or teaching tool, smell of rose, rrrrrr 6. Self-Analysis – Comprehensible, not nonsensical. Can I understand this thought, this image? Can I figure this out (myself)? If strange (for my language, does teacher indicate that? 7. The Waltz and “grace notes” 8. Open mouth wide, speak loudly, funny sounds . Are students receptive to play and strangeness as a teaching technique? In terms of cultural issues, not only international but even within communities, consider Big Five personality traits (Five Factor Model, FFM)
Alan Maley’s “The Teacher’s Voice” – the mind 2. Not just “listen and repeat” and minimal pair discernment 3. Madonna “Feel my body”, “hand-jive”, TPR 4. Taste your finger for “th” *. Smell – “Phew”? “Euw”? Or teaching tool, smell of rose, rrrrrr 5. Ballet and “grace notes” 6. Open mouth wide, speak loudly, funny sounds 7. Self-Analysis – Comprehensible, not nonsensical. Can I understand this thought, this image? Can I figure this out (myself)? If strange (for my language, does teacher indicate that? . Are students receptive to play and strangeness as a teaching technique? In terms of cultural issues, not only international but even within communities, consider Big Five personality traits (Five Factor Model, FFM)
Do you know what you don’t know? Learn L2 to (re-discover)
Does your tongue look like this (you think)? Does this image make sense to you? This is the “E” sound in the word “BEE” Image attribution deleted – no need to blame anyone for the kind of thing seen everywhere
We imagine our tongue and long and flexible (Gene Simmons, KISS rockband singer; lick your nose) These are the sounds “BEE” (or beat) and “BET”
We carry our hands everywhere we go! “WHEE”!
Good visualization of the much-used quadrilateral. But note that the top of our mouth is rounded, so how high is high? And our jaw is hinged, so can’t be as low at back as at front (plus tongue gathers there). Back lower corner is more compact than front higher. Dipthongs can be plotted (see IPA for ideas) [ae] is a “near-dipthong”
Add lip rounding and jaw (mouth) opening to earlier chart – note that the attack consonants are (nearly) all the same
Add lip rounding and jaw (mouth) opening to earlier chart – note that the attack consonants are (nearly) all the same
Image on left is for “AE” (mate) Image on right is for “NG”. Interesting guide – blow through your nose while your mouth is open, it’s same.
Most North Americans learn pronunciation symbols such as these from their dictionaries and perhaps a Phonics class (although many phonics symbols are different, and there are many Phonics systems as well as differences in Phonetic Spellings. See “TOOL” – could be “long (bar) double-o” or “long u”.
Underhill’s charting (actually 3 charts in here, top left, top right, and lower) of the International Phonetic Alphabet based on Quadrilateral concept. Note that there is not firm agreement on IPA symbols, and that the intent is to represent all the sounds made in human communication, it’s not limited to English, and different accents require different symbols. : = “longer” vowel j = “y” (e.g., “yes”
Designed to represent American pronunciation in the Underhill framework. Note that some symbols differ, example front-middle “pen”. “ Vowel+R” (espec Brit) flattens the vowel “ Upside-down V” not used by many Americans, or slightly 40% of N.Americans do not distinguish pen/pin (merger) in casuall speech – predominate in Southern American English… where “i” and “e” are both pronounced like “i” before nasal sounds like “n” and “m” and also “hem/him” but not in other contexts. “ Odd” and “Father” not distinguished by some Americans, plus no low-back vowel (Brit “pot”) Note dipthongs, drawn closetoger as a single item.
For audio, of course!
For audio, of course!
Fingers on cheeks to confirm that “L” is a lateral – block the sides and no air escapes.
Fingers on cheeks to confirm that “L” is a lateral – block the sides and no air escapes.
Voice and Unvoice “TH” use same positioning – think with the thanks
Lists are available in most books and all over the internet!
“ T” is a hard and fast (short) stop, without which vowels drag on. Initial stop not needed. Final “R” raises vowels, many IPA systems (e.g., Underhill) show different representation for these sounds (the falling squiggle), especially “propuh British” Final “L” lowers vowels in a dipthong-like effect, “N” less so. Bow (tie), Bowl, Bone.
Rhythm – grace notes, tiplets, the waltz Duration, see next slide
We carry our hands everywhere we go! Long syllables, or short? Marc Helgesen’s Pronunciation tools (rubber-bands) Balloons for tenseness – letting air out (high pitch versus low pitch), straw prevents “voicing”
RED car (the car that is red) versus red CAR (versus the red truck)