Chapter 2Chapter 2

Teaching PronunciationTeaching Pronunciation

I why teach pronunciation?I why teach pronunciation?

1. Inaccurate production of a phoneme o1. Inaccurate production of a phoneme or inaccurate use of suprasegmental elr inaccurate use of suprasegmental elements such as stress or intonation cements such as stress or intonation can cause reception or comprehension an cause reception or comprehension of the meaning or the function of an utof the meaning or the function of an utterance to a native speaker or even a terance to a native speaker or even a speaker from another language commspeaker from another language community.unity.

2. Pronunciation can affect the perceived 2. Pronunciation can affect the perceived

tone or mood of an utterance.tone or mood of an utterance.

3. Not all pronunciation difficulties 3. Not all pronunciation difficulties

necessarily get in the way of necessarily get in the way of

communication, students often like to communication, students often like to

have their pronunciation mistakes have their pronunciation mistakes

brought to their attentionbrought to their attention..

I I Problems and approaches in I I Problems and approaches in pronunciation teachingpronunciation teaching

1.1. A paradoxA paradox: pronunciation teaching tends to b: pronunciation teaching tends to b

e neglected and when it is not neglected, it tene neglected and when it is not neglected, it ten

ds to be reactive.ds to be reactive.

2.2. From reactive to planned teachingFrom reactive to planned teaching: integrate: integrate

d, remedial and practice lessons d, remedial and practice lessons

(1) Pronunciation teaching as well as grammar teach(1) Pronunciation teaching as well as grammar teach

ing should be planned too instead of being done in resing should be planned too instead of being done in res

ponse to students’ errors in the classroom.ponse to students’ errors in the classroom.

(2) Integrating pronunciation teaching (2) Integrating pronunciation teaching

fully with the study of grammatical fully with the study of grammatical

and lexical features benefit students and lexical features benefit students

in successful communication.in successful communication.

3. what pronunciation model to teach 3. what pronunciation model to teach

(the pronunciation characteristics of (the pronunciation characteristics of

the language a teacher presents to the language a teacher presents to

learners in the classroom)learners in the classroom)

(1)Received Pronunciation (RP): The Queen’s (1)Received Pronunciation (RP): The Queen’s

English or BBC English as signifying status English or BBC English as signifying status

and education and education

(2) Issues of production and reception: To (2) Issues of production and reception: To

enable students to understand a wide enable students to understand a wide

range of accents and varieties of range of accents and varieties of

English and also to allow them to English and also to allow them to

choose their own target model so long choose their own target model so long

as it is widely comprehensibleas it is widely comprehensible

4. techniques and activities: teaching of 4. techniques and activities: teaching of

receptive and productive skillsreceptive and productive skills

(1) drilling: (1) drilling:

(a) (a) definition:definition: the teacher says a word the teacher says a word

or structure and gets the class to or structure and gets the class to

repeat itrepeat it

(b) (b) purposes:purposes: to help students achieve to help students achieve

better pronunciation of language better pronunciation of language

items and to help them remember items and to help them remember

new itemsnew items

(c) (c) elicitingeliciting ( prompts, pictures, mime to e ( prompts, pictures, mime to e

ncourage students to bring up a previoncourage students to bring up a previo

usly studied word, phrase or structure)-usly studied word, phrase or structure)-

> choral drilling-> individual drilling> choral drilling-> individual drilling

(d) (d) chainingchaining: back chain, front chain, ope: back chain, front chain, ope

n pair drilling, substitution drillingn pair drilling, substitution drilling

(2) minimal pairs and related activities(2) minimal pairs and related activities

(a) (a) definition:definition: words or utterances which words or utterances which

differ by only one phonemediffer by only one phoneme

(b) (b) aim:aim: to focus on sounds which have to focus on sounds which have

been causing difficulties for studentsbeen causing difficulties for students

(c) (c) in a monolingual class:in a monolingual class: the teacher the teacher

can practice sounds that are likely to can practice sounds that are likely to

cause problems but would do better to cause problems but would do better to

concentrate on sound that actually do.concentrate on sound that actually do.

(d) (d) in a multilingual classin a multilingual class: the same as that applied : the same as that applied

to a monolingual class but multilingual peer to a monolingual class but multilingual peer

teaching for bigger problemsteaching for bigger problems

e.g. 1. Students can be given lists of words and e.g. 1. Students can be given lists of words and

work with a partner to decide which words have a work with a partner to decide which words have a

particular sound (to introduce phonemic symbols)particular sound (to introduce phonemic symbols)

e.g. 2. Students might also listen to a succession of e.g. 2. Students might also listen to a succession of

words and, decide how many times a particular words and, decide how many times a particular

sound is heardsound is heard

e.g. 3 Sounds can also be contrasted by appearing in e.g. 3 Sounds can also be contrasted by appearing in

close proximity. The teacher can drill these utterances close proximity. The teacher can drill these utterances

chorally and individuallychorally and individually

e.g. 4. In a similar vein, but moving slightly away e.g. 4. In a similar vein, but moving slightly away

from the idea of minimal pairs, teachers can also ask from the idea of minimal pairs, teachers can also ask

students to listen for the odd one out among a list of students to listen for the odd one out among a list of

words that they are given:words that they are given:

(3) Pronunciation and spelling activities(3) Pronunciation and spelling activities

(4) taping students’ English(4) taping students’ English

(5) Listening activities(5) Listening activities

(6) Reading activities(6) Reading activities