Being able to pronounce clearly is a vital part of oral communication, and teachers play a pivotal role in helping learners establish good habits in both pronunciation and listening discrimination from the beginning. Investing in pronunciation instruction early can give beginners the ability and confidence to speak English clearly and launch them on their language learning journey.

1. TEACHING PRONUNCIATION
TO ADULT BEGINNERS
Marsha Chan
Pronunciation Doctor on Youtube
Coordinator, CATESOL Teaching of Pronunciation Interest Group (TOP-IG)
Mission College, Emerita
Sunburst Media www.sunburstmedia.com

2. FRAMING THE ISSUE
OF TEACHING PRONUNCIATION TO ADULT BEGINNERS
• When learning another language for communication, most people want to be
able to speak so that others can understand them.
• Learning how to pronounce the target language is very important from the start.
• Adult beginning learners need to learn
• to sensitize their ears to the sounds and sound patterns of a new language
• new words to represent things, actions, and concepts they wish to express
• how to connect words together in a proper sequence
• articulate sounds and use rhythms and pitch patterns that don't exist in their own language
• respond orally to questions and engage in conversations in English
• Teachers may wonder how to teach pronunciation to beginners.

3. MAKING THE CASE
TO TEACH PRONUNCIATION TO ADULT BEGINNERS
• Intelligibility over accent
• Good pronunciation helps
intelligibility
• Perception prior to
pronunciation
• Balancing segmental and
suprasegmental instruction
• Pronunciation is a physical act
Functional load – whether sounds differentiate a large number of words, e.g.,
/iy/ - /ɪ/ feet - fit and /n/ - /l/ night - light
Access over a dozen video clips on Pronunciation Doctor's Youtube Channel,
Pronunciation Workout Playlist. http://bit.ly/PronWorkouts
Suprasegmental features carry the overall meaning load
He eats a baNAna for BREAKfast. (bənænə, brɛkfəst)
She goes to CAnada for a VIsit. (kænədə, vɪzɪt)
The focus word receives the greatest stress and highest pitch
He eats a baNAna for BREAKfast. (not a peach)
He eats a baNAna for BREAKfast. (not for lunch)

4. SAMPLE TASKS
FOR TEACHING PRONUNCIATION TO BEGINNERS
• Syllables and stress
• Rhythm and sentence stress
• TPR with a pronunciation twist
• Songs

5. SYLLABLES AND STRESS:
VOCABULARY & EXPLANATION
• Choose vocabulary relevant to your students and curriculum.
• Explain that when a word has two or more syllables, one syllable is stressed.
A stressed syllable is longer and stronger than an unstressed syllable.
mu-sic has two syllables.
mu-sic is stressed on the first syllable.
(Adapted from Chan, 2006, pages 4-5)
[2-1]• •
• •

6. SYLLABLES AND STRESS:
IDENTIFICATION
• Use one or more of the ways on the following slides to call students' attention to
syllables and stress.
• Focus first on listening discrimination. Students, listen, but don’t speak!
• Start with clear instructions, e.g., Listen carefully for (specify the pronunciation
point). I will say each word two times.
• Specify the expected behavior. (See samples in next slides.)
• Demonstrate with a few examples of familiar words.

7. SYLLABLES AND STRESS:
SYLLABLES
How many syllables do you hear? Show me with your fingers.
(Options: Count and clap the number. Count and tap a finger on the table or the palm
of the other hand. Write the number on paper.)
stu•dent
to•day
in•struc•tor
school
en•gi•neer
Syllables
2
2
3
1
3

8. SYLLABLES AND STRESS:
STRESSED SYLLABLES (FINGERS)
Which syllable is stressed? Show me with your fingers.
stu•dent
to•day
in•struc•tor
school
en•gi•neer
Syllables
2
2
3
1
3
Stressed syllable
1
2
2
1
3
___
___
____
_____
____

9. SYLLABLES AND STRESS:
STRESSED SYLLABLES (PAPER)
On paper, mark the syllables and stress. (Choose one of these alternatives.)
A. Draw a dot over each syllable. Make the dot for the stressed syllable bigger.
begin ever school president develop
B. Write the syllable-stress code: Write the number of syllables before the dash and
the stressed syllable after the dash.
Begin ever school president develop
• l l • l l • • • l •
[2-2] [2-1] [1-1] [3-1] [3-2]

10. SYLLABLES AND STRESS:
PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE
• After listening and gaining awareness, have students practice
the words with auditory, visual and kinesthetic cues to
accompany pronunciation.
• While speaking, clap and feel the rhythm, stretch a rubber
band on the stressed syllable, as demonstrated online
http://youtu.be/6g-bpUJ8f1s, or
• Do the Stress Stretch: stand up on the stressed syllable (Chan 1994,
2009, 2013) as demonstrated here http://youtu.be/PWJv-l6OvAY.

11. RHYTHM AND SENTENCE STRESS:
INTRODUCTIONS
How are you?
A: Hello, Donna. How ARE you?
B: Hi, Marsha. I'm FINE, thanks. How are
YOU?
A: I'M fine, TOO. Let's SIT together.
What do you do?
A: What do you DO?
B: I'm a TEACHer. I teach ENGlish at the
HIGH school. What do YOU do?
A: I'm an engiNEER. I write SOFTware
for VIDeo games.
Stress. Stress are in the first question. Stress you in the second question. (I told you about me; now tell me about you.)
Stress fine in the first response. Stress I'm and too in the second response. (You told me about you; now I'm telling you about me.)
Intonation. Use rising intonation when you address a person directly; it sounds polite. Otherwise, it may sound rude, angry or
abrupt. Use rise-falling intonation on other statements and on WH-questions, including questions beginning with How.

12. RHYTHM AND SENTENCE STRESS:
INTRODUCTION MIXER
For communicative practice, make cards for a role-play.
• On each card, write a name, an
occupation, and other information that is
comprehensible to your beginning
students.
• Distribute the cards, one per student.
• Students, assuming the identity of the card
they hold, walk around the room, find a
partner, and make introductions like the
model dialogs.
Jack
Painter
Tracy
Electrician
Hi! I’m Jack.
I’m a painter. I
paint houses.
What do YOU do?
Hi, Jack. I’m Tracy.
What do you DO?
I’m an electrician.
I install electrical
wires.

13. RHYTHM AND SENTENCE STRESS:
INTRODUCTION MIXER
For communicative practice, make cards for a role-play.
• On each card, write a name, an
occupation, and other information that is
comprehensible to your beginning
students.
• Distribute the cards, one per student.
• Students, assuming the identity of the card
they hold, walk around the room, find a
partner, and make introductions like the
model dialogs.
• When they are finished with one partner,
they exchange cards and take on a new
identity.
• Students continue to mix, listening and
speaking with different classmates.
• Teacher circulates among the students,
guiding their conversations, pronunciation,
stress, and intonation.

14. RHYTHM AND SENTENCE STRESS:
OLD AND NEW
Previously mentioned information (old) is spoken in a low tone, with less
stress than the new information. Focus on the new information, with a
high tone on the stressed syllable. Examples for beginners:
• I have a BOOK. It's an ENGlish book.
• You have a HAT. It's a YELlow hat.
• My son has a DOG. It's a BIG dog.
• My mother has a HANDbag. It's a
LEATHer handbag.
• Please try this CAKE. It's CARrot cake.
• Please use a PEN, a BALLpoint pen.
• Please open the WINdow, the
BATHroom window.
• Please clean the FLOOR, the KITCHen
floor.

15. TPR WITH A PRONUNCIATION TWIST
Prepare appropriate props (real, artificial or pictures). Choose objects and
actions with minimal pairs that your students will benefit from distinguishing.
• Give oral commands using the vocabulary.
• Demonstrate each action (real or role-
play) after saying the command. Let
students listen and observe.
• Call on students individually or in small
groups to perform the actions according
to your commands while the class
observes.
• After modeling the pronunciation in
context many times, have students
repeat the commands chorally many
times to get the feel for the
pronunciation and prosody of each
sentence.
• Call on different individuals to give
and follow commands.

17. TPR WITH A PRONUNCIATION TWIST:
PEEL-PILL, CAP-CUP, BALL-BOWL
Place on a table: a bowl, a ball, a plate, a napkin, the peel of an orange or
banana, a pill, a medicine bottle, a cap, a cup.
1. Students identify the objects when you use commands such as these:
Point to/Touch/Move/Pick up/Put down the _____. (table, bowl, cup, medicine, etc.)
2. Say and perform a variety of actions. Build on the students' prior knowledge. Introduce
new vocabulary at a reasonable pace.
3. Students respond to teacher's commands with actions.
4. Students practice commands chorally (while role-playing actions).
6. Students produce commands; classmates respond physically.

18. TPR WITH A PRONUNCIATION TWIST:
PEEL-PILL, CAP-CUP, BALL-BOWL
Pick up the orange peel.
Put the peel on the plate.
Open the bottle.
Take out the pill.
Put the pill in the cup.
Cover the ball with the napkin.
Move the peel to the napkin.
Put the orange in the bowl.
Put the cap over the peel.
Drop the pill in the bottle.
Move the cup next to the plate.
Smell the peel.

19. SONGS
• Using songs in English is a delightful way to engage learners in repetition of new
sounds, as well as vocabulary and grammar structures.
• To choose a song appropriate for your learners, consider their age, interests, and
proficiency level.
• You may choose a song for its theme, the musical simplicity, the words and
structures in the lyrics, the repeated sounds, and your access to a recorded model
(e.g., an audio file or a video clip) or the ability to sing it yourself.
• Following are two classics for which models are easy to find.

20. SONG: I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD
I've been working on the railroad
All the live-long day.
I've been working on the railroad
Just to pass the time away.
Can't you hear the whistle blowing,
Rise up so early in the morn;
Can't you hear the captain shouting,
"Dinah, blow your horn!"
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow your horn?
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow your horn?
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Someone's in the kitchen I know
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Strummin' on the old banjo!
Singin' fee, fie, fiddly-i-o
Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o-o-o-o
Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o
Strummin' on the old banjo.

21. SONG: I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD
I'VE been WORKing on the RAIL-ROAD
ALL the LIVE-LONG DAY.
I'VE been WORKing on the RAIL-ROAD
JUST to PASS the TIME aWAY.
CAN'T you HEAR the WHIStle BLOWing,
RISE up so EARly in the MORN;
CAN'T you HEAR the CAPtain
SHOUTing,
"DInah, BLOW your HORN!"
DInah, WON'T you BLOW,
DInah, WON'T you BLOW,
DInah, WON'T you BLOW your horn?
DInah, WON'T you BLOW,
DInah, WON'T you BLOW,
DInah, WON'T you BLOW your horn?
SOMEone's in the KITCHen with DInah
SOMEone's in the KITCHen I KNOW
SOMEone's in the KITCHen with DInah
STRUMmin' on the OLD BANJO!
SINGin' FEE, FIE, FIDdly-I-O
FEE, FIE, FIDdly-I-O -O-O-O
FEE, FIE, FIDdly-I-O
STRUMmin' on the OLD BANJO

22. SONG: CLEMENTINE
• Chorus
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
• In a cavern, in a canyon,
Excavating for a mine
Dwelt a miner, forty-niner,
And his daughter, Clementine. [Chorus]
• Light she was and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine
Herring boxes, without topses,
Sandals were for Clementine. [Chorus]
• Drove she ducklings to the water
Ev'ry morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter,
Fell into the foaming brine. [Chorus]
• Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles, soft and fine,
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine. [Chorus]
• How I missed her! How I missed her,
How I missed my Clementine,
But I kissed her little sister,
I forgot my Clementine. [Chorus]

23. REFERENCES
Chan, M. (1994). Pronunciation warm up. In K. M. Bailey & L. Savage (Eds.), New ways in teaching speaking, (pp. 202-
204). Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
Chan, M. (1994). Stress stretch. In K. M. Bailey & L. Savage (Eds.), New ways in teaching speaking, (pp. 252-253).
Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
Chan, M. J. (2006) College Oral Communication 1 – English for Academic Success. Series editors: Byrd, P., Reid, J. M.
and Schuemann, C. Boston: Heinle, Cengage Learning.
Chan, M. (2009) Phrase by phrase: Pronunciation and listening in American English. Sunnyvale: Sunburst Media.
Chan, M. (2013) Phrase by Phrase Ch5 SIC1 Lengthening content words with a rubber band. Retrieved from
http://youtu.be/6g-bpUJ8f1s.
Chan, M. J. (2015). Teaching tip: Pronunciation workout! In J. M. Levis & K. LeVelle (Eds.), Proceedings of the 6th annual
pronunciation in second language learning and teaching conference. Ames, IA: Iowa State University.
Chan, M. (2010-2015) Pronunciation workout videos. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/PronWorkouts
Chan M. (2018) “Tasks for teaching pronunciation to beginners” in The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language
Teaching, First Edition. Edited by John I. Liontas (Project Editor: Margo DelliCarpini; Volume Editor: MaryAnn Christison
and Christel Broady), Hoboken, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

24. FURTHER READING
• Brown, J. D. Ed. (2012). New ways in teaching connected speech. Alexandria,
Virginia: TESOL International Association.
• Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D., Goodwin, J., & Griner, B. (2010). Teaching
pronunciation: A course book and reference guide (2nd edition). New York, NY:
Cambridge University Press.
• Grant, L. (Ed.) (2014) Pronunciation myths: Applying Second language research to
classroom teaching. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.

25. MARSHA CHAN’S CONTACT INFORMATION
Email: marsha@sunburstmedia.com, pronunciationdoctor@gmail.com
Pronunciation Doctor on Youtube: www.youtube.com/PronunciationDoctor
Marsha’s Professional Development Blog: www.marshaprofdev.blogspot.com
Marsha’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/PronunciationDoctor
Sunburst Media for Language Learners: www.sunburstmedia.com
Marsha’s Presentations: www.sunburstmedia.com/present/present.html
Marsha at Mission College: www.missioncollege.edu/-profiles/chan_marsha.html
Marsha’s SlideShare: www.slideshare.net/purplecast
Telephone (USA): 1 (408) 245-8514