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Digital Phonomagazine Great Advices Find out if your students could remember some pronunciation rules and have fun at the same time.

Pronunciation Activities By

Dagmar Mora Pamela Zuniga Rafa Cortes

TO THE READER WHAT’S THE MAGAZINE ABOUT?

The magazine provides pronunciation activities and ideas on how to teach difficult English sounds to English learners. If you need effective activities on how to teach pronunciation, then you need to read this information. Great tips will be given for each specific sound and you cannot missed the experts’ opinion and articles that talks about personal experiences, in which each expert shares their knowledge and what they have learned. Loudness

Pitch

Quality

Pronunciation ≠ Accent 1

To the Reader...........01 Dialogue…………..03 Which one is it?.......06 Minimal Pairs……..08 Memory Game…….10 TH+ vs. TH-……….12 Itinerary dialogue….13 Metacognition……..17 Tips……………......19 Experts’ Articles….20 P vs. B…………….24 2

We all learn differently, and we know that we have different learning styles such as auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and so on, but one of the best ways to learn something is to practice it. When you practice something, and then you practice it again, the chances that you learned that specific topic are higher. Now, what happens if we add to the activity an extra ingredient called Metacognition. The student will practice it first and will pay close attention to the sound their working on at the moment. The idea is that they can notice how their tongue moves and its position, and finally the teacher explains how to get the sound correctly. If the students were pronouncing the sound incorrectly, then they will be awared that they were not doing it right. They will have the chance to correct themselves, and probably they will NEVER forget it. This is what the activity is about. Here we have the instructions for the students: Instructions: Read the dialogue and fill in the blanks with the correct minimal pair. Then, focus on the /n/ and the /Ĺ&#x2039; / sounds and practice the dialogue with a classmate to act it out in front of the class.

Dialogue So, what did you do this weekend, Kate? Oh, Irving and I had an airplane ride, and we even practice skydiving on Saturday. On Sunday we had a lot fun too. That sounds amazing. Where did you go? We drove to the lake and had a picnic. We had a great time!! How about you? Did you do anything special? Not really. I just worked on my car all day, but I had a bad experience when I went to get something to eat at McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. I still feel sad because of it. Oh!! What happened ______ (Ron/wrong) ? Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ________ (Ron/wrong) ? I was ______ (drive-in/driving) through the ______ (drive-in/driving) and as soon as I got my food I hit my car. Fortunately, my car company has a ________ (trade-in/trading) policy and they could offer me a good deal. I am sorry for it. If you really want to do that, just ensure that you are _____ (trade-in /trading) with the correct company. Sure, I am. Thanks Kate! See you later! See you _____ (wrong/Ron)! Note: The presentation will provide examples on N vs. NG sounds as well as tips.

These are just some examples that the mentor could give to the students. Also, another good advice would be to show the students a video or an image on how the tongue moves to get the specific sound.

Which one is it? This activity is mainly focus on regular past tense verbs and its correct pronunciation at the end. In some languages, like Spanish for instance, we speak and the pronunciation between the present tense and the past tense verb is very different, compared to the pronunciation of English regular verbs in past and present tense. So, how an American would understand someone if they are referring to an action that happened in the past or an action that is happening at the moment, if we pronounce the regular verb exactly the same in past and present tense. The only way an English speaker would know is by the context, and the majority would understand you by the context, but it is important to know how to pronounce this â&#x20AC;&#x201C;ED endings correctly and know when to pronounce the /t/, /d/, and id ending.

The mentor will have to explain the 3 rules on final â&#x20AC;&#x201C;ED sound for regular verbs. At the beginning the professor will provide a list of some voice & voiceless sounds.

Students will need to draw three columns, and write the following letters on each column (id, t, d). Each column represents the 3 rules that have been explained previously. Finally, a list of regular verbs in past tense will be displayed on the proyector. Each verb will have a letter and they will have to put the letter of the word under the correct column, depending

on the final ending sound. The exercise should look like the one shown below.

planted ended

taped worked fixed focused danced watched talked kissed

stayed stirred traveled ordered buzzed lived

Target Sound:/i/,/I/ Level: Beginning Materials: Minimal pair worksheet, flashcards, adhesive tape. Objective: To identify, differentiate and produce words with the sounds /i/,/I/ Procedures: Teach the students both sounds using minimal pairs. Tell them that minimal pairs are words that only differ in one sound and in this case, they will be contrasting these two vowel sounds. Inform the students that they are going to work with the minimal pair flashcards that will be placed around the class. Every student has to pick up one flashcard. They need to ask their classmates if they have the minimal pair that matches the one they have picked up by telling them the word (not by showing the paper), so that the activity will be more communicative and they will practice their pronunciation. Finally, when they found them they need to stick both flashcards on the respective vowel column on the board to get the points.

These are some examples on how the flashcards should look like: FILL

FEEL

SHIP

SHEEP

LEAVE

LIVE

SIT

SEAT

LEAP

LIP

SICK

SEEK

This is just one of a lot activities for minimal pairs, in which you can use flashcards, but you can actually change the activity and instead they could get one and read in front of the class or even add something to this activity. For instance, they could exchange the flashcards and everyone has to make a sentence using that word, while the professor monitor their pronunciation.

On the following activity the class will be divided in 2 or 3 groups. They will have some minimal pairs and will have to use their memory. On this memory game each student will have its turn to flip a pair of flashcards over, if the first card is the minimal pair of the second card, then the group will get a point and if it does not match then try to remember the word, for the next time or to help someone in their group. Target Sound: /G/, /E/ Level: Beginning Materials: Minimal pair worksheet, flashcards, adhesive tape. Objective: To identify, differentiate and produce words with the sounds /G/and /E/.. Procedures: Teach the students both sounds using minimal pairs. Tell them that minimal pairs are words that only differ in one sound and in this case, they will be using these two vowel sounds. Inform the students that they are going to work with these minimal pairs in a Memory Game. Then, they need to find the corresponding minimal pairs for each word that will be stuck backward on the board. Divide the students into groups. Only one member of each group will go to the board and try to find the matches.

The flashcards on the board should look like the one below: Example of Memory Game with minimal pairs. Sound: /G/, /E/ bet

lend

ten

bet

tan

land

Target Sound:/D/,/T/ Level: Intermediate Materials: Maps and calendars. Objective: To identify, differentiate and produce words with the sounds / D /,/ T / Procedures: Teach the students both sounds of voiced and voiceless “th” using a list of words that they will use in a communicative activity. Inform the students that they are going to work in groups planning a trip to their favorite destination available for a future trip. They need to plan the places they are going to visit using the maps and calendars. While doing this, they need to use the words in the list and monitor their own pronunciation and their classmates’ pronunciation.

This is how you can differentiate whether the TH is voiced or not. Place your hand on your throat. When you say the voiced TH, your throat will vibrate. When you say a voiceless TH, it will not vibrate. VOICELESS TH / Θ / Words   

thank, thick, thief, thin, think, thing, three, thousand, Thursday, thirty-eight, thunderstorm athlete, author, nothing, toothache, wealthy, everything, worthwhile, anything bath, earth, teeth, cloth, north, myth, mouth, youth, faith, underneath VOICED TH / Ð / Words

 

that, than, the, their, then, there's, they, they'd, they'll, they've, this, those, themselves, therefore mother, other, bother, brother, breathing, clothing, father, feather, gathering, lather, other, rather, soothing, weather, worthy, brotherly, together

Here is another activity you could do using the same materials that you will need on the previous activity (on page 12). Target Sound: /n/, /Ĺ&#x2039;/ Level: Intermediate Materials: Maps and calendars created during Activity One. Paper and pen. Objective: To identify, differentiate and produce dialogues with the sounds /n/, /Ĺ&#x2039;/ Procedure: Using the calendars created during Activity One, divide the students into pairs, preferably with different vacation destinations. Together they must create a dialogue about their vacation plans. The dialogue should include specific questions using words with the sounds /n/, /Ĺ&#x2039;/ for example: plan, can, tan, plane, train, walking, doing, going, swimming, etc. The dialogue must include questions for the vacation schedules of both students. After they write the dialogue down on their notebooks, they should practice it and take note of the sounds they need to improve and share feedback about their strengths and weaknesses for these sounds. Advise students to listen to their classmates' pronunciation carefully and compare it with their own. Finally, have the pairs perform their dialogues in front of the class. Review the sounds after all students have presented.

These are the documents you could use in relationship to activity on page 12 and the activity on page 13. Here you have some maps

Here we have some other maps:

etacognition should be nowadays in teacher's repertories. So first of all, what do we mean by metacognition? It means knowing "what we know" and "what we do not

know".

Here are some strategies to develop metacognitive behaviors: 1. Identifying "what you know" and "what you don't know." At the beginning of a research activity students need to make conscious decisions about their knowledge. Initially students write "What I already know about..." and "What I want to learn about...." As students research the topic, they will verify, clarify and expand, or replace with more accurate information, each of their initial statements. 2. Talking about thinking. Talking about thinking is important because students need a thinking vocabulary. During planning and problem-solving situations, teachers should think aloud so that students can follow demonstrated thinking processes. Modeling and discussion develop the vocabulary students need for thinking and talking about their own thinking. Labelling thinking processes when students use them is also important for student recognition of thinking skills. Paired problem-solving is another useful strategy. One student talks through a problem, describing his thinking processes. His partner listens and asks questions to help clarify thinking. Similarly, in reciprocal teaching (Palinscar, Ogle, Jones, Carr, & Ransom, 1986), small groups of students take turns playing teacher, asking questions, and clarifying and summarizing the material being studied. 3. Keeping a thinking journal. Another means of developing metacognition is through the use of a journal or learning log. This is a diary in which students reflect upon their thinking, make note of their awareness of ambiguities and

inconsistencies, and comment on how they have dealt with difficulties. This journal is a diary of process. 4. Planning and self-regulation. Students must assume increasing responsibility for planning and regulating their learning. It is difficult for learners to become selfdirected when learning is planned and monitored by someone else. Students can be taught to make plans for learning activities including estimating time requirements, organizing materials, and scheduling procedures necessary to complete an activity. The resource center's flexibility and access to a variety of materials allows the student to do just this. Criteria for evaluation must be developed with students so they learn to think and ask questions of themselves as they proceed through a learning activity. 5. Debriefing the thinking process. Closure activities focus student discussion on thinking processes to develop awareness of strategies that can be applied to other learning situations. A three step method is useful. First, the teacher guides students to review the activity, gathering data on thinking processes and feelings. Then, the group classifies related ideas, identifying thinking strategies used. Finally, they evaluate their success, discarding inappropriate strategies, identifying those valuable for future use, and seeking promising alternative approaches. 6. Self-Evaluation. Guided self-evaluation experiences can be introduced through individual conferences and checklists focusing on thinking processes. Gradually self-evaluation will be applied more independently. As students recognize that learning activities in different disciplines are similar, they will begin to transfer learning strategies to new situations.

Reference Blakey, E., & Spence, S. (2008). Developing Metacognition. Retrieved from education.com, Educational Resource Information Center Web site: http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Dev_Metacognition/

Pronunciation 10 Tips to Improve Pronunciation Listen to yourself. If you cannot hear your pronunciation problems, they will be difficult to correct. Try to record your conversation on tape and compare it to the conversation from a native. 2. Slow down! Many learners say that talking fast reinforces their bad habits. Practice some basic words every day. Start with sound alone, then with a word and finally joins several words. 3. Picture it ... Close your eyes and think about how to make the sound before trying to speak. Visualize the position of your mouth and your face. 4. Get physical! Pronunciation is a physical skill. You are teaching your face and mouth new ways to use different muscles. Concentrate on difficult sounds every day. Having problems with the sound "TH"? Put your tongue between your teeth (do not bite it) and release the air. Feel how the air moves toward the top of your tongue. 5. Watch yourself. Stand in front of a mirror to see the position of your tongue, lips and the shape of your mouth when you make certain sounds. Compare what you see in yourself with a video of pronunciation! 6. Copy the experts. There is nothing better for learning proper pronunciation than having an expert - A native - So Listen! Listen to the radio, television and watch English movies. (Do not read the subtitles) Imitate what you hear - even if you're not sure what you're saying. 7. Practice alone. Pronunciation problems persist because we are afraid to make mistakes. Create scenarios - meeting someone, ordering in a restaurant, asking for directions, and then act the dialogue. Do not be shy! 8. Find a language buddy. Having an objective opinion of a friend is crucial. Find a friend who is interested in improving his/her English. Try to exchange recorded messages so that you can hear the pronunciation of each other. 9. Be poetic. Good pronunciation is more than just play individual sounds; it is also understanding, intonation (raising, lowering and modulating voice). Read poems, talk, sing and focus on the emphasis and intonation of words. 10. Sing a song! Learn the words of popular songs in English and sing along. Singing will help you relax and say the words casually; it will also help you to improve your rhythm and intonation. Source: EF EnglishTown. Retrieved from: http://www.englishtown.com/community/channels/article.aspx?articleName=pronounce

When it comes to teaching English pronunciation we tend to think that simple repetition and certain teaching methods will suffice. And so they do, most of them will depend on our preference and style. However, from experience I refer to the metacognition process for the pronunciation learning in the EFL classroom. We have already known for some time now, that teaching a foreign language requires a communicative approach, and so it does. Combine this approach with a solid metacognition procedure for most of your activities, and you will develop an effective habit that will make your exercises more productive and it will ensure your studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; progress. Try it! I t will also enhance your studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; confidence in the classroom. Such simple and quick activities as check lists, small questionnaires answered in a few minutes, specific instructions to listen more carefully to their classmates, feedback sessions in pairs or groups, dialogues and role plays presented in front of the whole class, group corrections, reflective essays (this will obviously depend on the level and the time), listening and repeating after you, recording themselves and listening to their own pronunciation to detect errors. There are many activities that you can come up with. Once a learner has heard his or her own mistakes they are likely to correct them. Thus, developing a habit that will help them become their own monitors of their improvement. Learning how to compare their pronunciation with others such as classmates, teachers, native speakers and the like is a very useful habit, many language skills will benefit from this practice. Even teachers must be in constant vigilance of our own performance! Try some metacognition exercises after regular pronunciation activities such as minimal pairs with vowels and consonants, which activities are designed to provide awareness of some sounds that often cause confusion and can result difficult to pronounce. Direct comparison can be done and once the activity is over the learner will evaluate his or her performance and learning process.

You might want to begin by comparing some of the sounds that do not exist in the native language of the learner, helping them become aware of the difficulties this may cause and giving them opportunity to assess their own progress and abilities. Good luck!

When we refer to English pronunciation is not very hard when we have rules. Even though, we do not have certain English sounds in Spanish or any other language once we get to pronounce a certain sound correctly, and if we practice it every day of course, we will get it right most of the time. Now, what happens if there are some exceptions to the rules? We will need word really hard to learn those exceptions. Some people might be thinking why to have a perfect pronunciation in English? I learned this last quarter that we have to pay close attention not to the vowels and the stress of the word, which in English is very important, but to the final sound,

and especially if we have a consonant(s) at the end. In Spanish, for instance, you can differentiate the final ending sound on past tense verbs, but in English the final sound we can barely notice it. This final –ED sound for regular past tense verbs is that hard for Hispanics that we do not even pronounce it because we do not have such a rule in our language (for reference see page 6 & 7). Something else, we as Hispanics do, is to put an “e” in front of the initial “s”. Why? Because we do not have that sound either and we tend to reproduce the sound and find the closest sound that we have in our language and use it. For example, we should not say “Ehspanish” because it should be pronounce “Sssspanish”. We have to remember that a good pronunciation does not mean to have an American or a British pronunciation, but is about stress, intonation as well as vibration on voiced sounds. The easy fix is just to focus on stretching out the S sound at the beginning of any words that have a consonant cluster beginning with S. We also have the s that vibrates and that sometimes it does not. I learned as well that the “s” on final voiced sound on plurals becomes a “z” sound. Also, we know that every vowel is voiced, so if we have an “s” between two voiced sounds it usually becomes a “z” sound, like the word “lose”, which is between two vowels and it is transcribe as /luːz/, but the word “case” is between two vowels, but the “s” does not sound like a “z”. Unfortunately, we do not have a rule, but this is English and this is something that we have to memorize. Remember that if you improve your English pronunciation and feel that you are one of those looking for perfection, then this reflects that you will do great job on any other work you do. We are aware that we are not perfect, but that will be your goal, improving what you do every day, and that is the attitude most businesses are looking for.

Why pronunciation matters? By Dagmar Mora Pronunciation is one of the most important areas in any language, but it is also one of the most neglected. For many language teachers, pronunciation is something that the student acquires with time, “after having learned the language.” Then, correcting the student’s pronunciation is not as important as correcting their writing mistakes. In fact, pronunciation activities are not even included in most of the lesson plans. According to Adrian Tennant, this happens because pronunciation is difficult to teach or there is a

perception that it is like this. Thus, for many teachers it is hard to find adequate pronunciation activities to include in their lessons. In addition, instructors feel that they are not enough prepared to teach pronunciation and others not even handle the phonemic alphabet. The result is that the emphasis that is given to pronunciation is not appropriated since the focus is on individual sounds. Sometimes, teachers work on stress and intonation using questions tags, but not because they are useful for the students but because these areas are easier to teach. Now, what is the aim of teaching pronunciation? Is it that the students will acquire a native accent or copy a particular English accent? No, because it will not be a sensible goal. So, the main purpose is to be understood and communicate effectively because English can be used also as a Lingua Franca (common language) between two non-native speakers who need to have a model of Standard English which at the same time has to be standard between the English native speakers. When teaching pronunciation, teachers must think about why to teach that sound? Choose the sounds that are difficult to produce and do not exist in the students’ native language, so that they will learn how to make those sounds and be understood by both native and not native speakers. Therefore, it implies that not only separated sounds must be taught but word stress, sentence stress, intonation and also connected speech (assimilationi, elisionii and liaisoniii), which also help the student to understand what they hear. Retrieved from : http://www.onestopenglish.com/skills/pronunciation/pronunciation-matters/pronunciation-matters-sound-reasonsfor-teaching-pronunciation/155507.article

P vs. B On this activity the professor will give a word to each student and they will have to look for their minimal pair. The only difference on each word is that one final sound is voiced and the other is voiceless. After they find the other classmate that has their minimal pair, then they have to do a sentence using that word and then both students go to the front and read the sentence aloud. The mentor has to tell the students to focus especially on the minimal pair. After the activity the professor will explain the difference between the two voiced/voiceless final sounds.

Here is a sample on how the minimal pair flashcards should look like:

At then end the professor will mention that there are two differenced between these minimal

pairs. The sound pairs have distinct sound at the end and also the word with the voiced final is longer.