Pronunciation: the one that got away
Wayne Rimmer
Liverpool 2014
Barriers• Poor training
• Meta-language
• Under-emphasis
• Confused priorities
• Lack of confidence
• Poor curriculum
Curriculum• Teachers• Methodology• Materials• Assessment• Syllabus
Syllabus
The selection and sequencing of learning items
Pro-syllabus
• Facilitates macro-planning• Pedagogic tradition• Face validity
Anti-syllabus
• Restrictive• Over-generalised• Not based on SLA
Syllabus
• Syllabus = the textbook• The selection and ordering of
grammar items
Roads to a pronunciation syllabus
• Off-the-peg solution
• Intuition
• Frequency
• Variety-based
• ELF
• Integrated
Off-the-peg
Band 9: “Uses a full range of pronunciation features with precision and subtlety.”
Band 3: “uses a limited range of pronunciation features”
Intuition
Past simple copular be
Past simple lexical verbs
Present continuous
Present simple copular be
Present simple lexical verbs
Intuition
Present simple copular be
Present simple lexical verbs
Past simple copular be
Past simple lexical verbs
Present continuous
Frequency
nsl
m g (Fry, 1947)
Variety-based
• RP• Regional• World Englishes
ELF
• High functionality• Low codification• Perceptions
Integrated: morphology
paper clip vs. paper bag
Integrated: syntax
Actually, he passed.
He passed actually.
Integrated: discourse
Well /ə/ I’m not sure /ɜ:/ it depends on /əm/ lots of things
Integrated: literacy
Spellings of /ı/
i rich, film 61%
e pretty, houses 16%
y happy, symbol 20%
(Cruttenden, 2008)
Forwardwash
• Test what we teach• Integrated testing