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Macmillan Online Conference

8
th
November 2012
Make pronunciation physical, visible, audible!
drian !nderhill
"isit my pron blo# http://adrianpronchart.wordpress.com/
1$$ %s pronunciation the Cinderella of lan#ua#e teachin#&
I have suggested that pronunciation is the CINDERELLA of language teaching in that it has een
neglected! and ecome disconnected from other language learning activities. "owever I claim that
if we pa# attention to this Cinderella we will find something trul# magnificent in terms of
engagement for learners! impact on the rest of language learning! and en$o#ment. I suggest that
there are two significant wa#s to reconnect with pronunciation teaching%
&. 'tudents and teachers need a M' in order to have a clear mental concept and sense of
direction. (he phonemic chart )see elow* provides such a +A, ecause information aout
-"ERE . "/- sounds are made is emedded in it. (his chart is not $ust a list li0e some other
charts. (he arrangement of sounds on this chart tells #ou aout how to ma0e them. And % the
chart also ecomes a wor0tale! a place to en1uire and e2periment! and where mista0es can
ecome successes.
3. ,ronunciation needs to e '()*%C+. -hile grammar and vocaular# ma# somehow ta0e
place 4in the head!5 pronunciation is the ph#sical aspect of language! it manifests through the od#.
,ronunciation is li0e an e2traordinar# dance! which has se1uence! coordination! grace and eaut#.
(his approach has a methodolog# to enale #ou and #our students to discover and connect with
the muscles that ma0e the difference! to locate what I call the internal buttons. 'o! #ou can start #
discovering and engaging the muscles that change the sounds. And this changes ever#thing. And
also since muscles wor0 # moving! we gain access to the visiilit# of pronunciation.
In summar# I am proposing that # using a mental map and # ma0ing pronunciation physical we
can dem#stif# pronunciation! ring it in from the cold! and relate to it full# and profital#.
2$$ ,he chart as map
(he chart contains information aout "/- and -"ERE sounds are made emedded into its
design.
Loo0 at the (/, LE6( 78AR(ER of the chart. 9ou will see the &3 vowels.
Imagine that #ou are loo0ing at a cross section of the mouth! from the side:
(he 6R/N( of the mouth )and the lips* are at the LE6( of this 1uadrant on the chart.
(he :AC; of the mouth is at the RI<"(.
(he (/, of the mouth is along the top of that 1uadrant! and the :/((/+ of the mouth is the
ottom.
'traight awa# #ou can see the "I<" vowels )along the top line* and the L/- vowels )along the
ottom line*. And #ou can see the :AC; vowels )to the right* and 6R/N( ones )to the left*! and
finall# the two central vowels /=/ and />:/ in the centre
(his is helpful ecause the terms front and back refer to whether the tongue itself is front or ac0 in
the mouth! and high and low refer to whether the tongue is higher or lower in the mouth. (his also
corresponds with the $aw eing more closed or more open. Now e2periment a it and see if #ou
can relate the position of the vowels on the chart to their position in #our mouth when #ou sa#
them. Rememer too that neighours on the chart are neighours in the mouth.
&
Now loo0 at the first two rows of consonants elow the vowels. (here are ? consonants in each
row. /nce again! the consonants made nearer the 6R/N( of the mouth are at the LE6(! and
those made further :AC; in the mouth are to the RI<"(. Note also that in these two rows the
sounds are in unvoiced / voiced pairs.
'ound 6oundations ,ronunciation Chart @ Adrian 8nderhill
Classroom poster availale free from +acmillan EL(
-$$ ,he physicality of pronunciation
-hen #ou learn sport or dance #ou ecome more attentive to sutle muscular movements that #ou
ma# not e aware of in ordinar# activities.
,ronunciation is no different. "ere too we must help students connect with the muscles that ma0e
the difference. 'o! one of m# first tas0s during the first lessons with a new class )eginners!
intermediate or advanced! teacher or student! native or nonAnative English spea0er! itBs all the
same* is to help them )reA*discover the main muscles that ma0e the pronunciation difference! to
locate the internal buttons that trigger the muscle movements. I do this starting with the vowels!
and #ou can see and hear this at the lin0 elow. At the eginning it is enough to help students
identif# C such buttons )ph#sicall# as well as cognitivel#* which enale them to get around the
mouth and consciousl# find new positions of articulation. (hese muscle buttons are:
&. (ongue )moving forward and ac0*
3. Lips )spreading and ringing ac0! or rounding and pushing forward*
>. Daw E tongue )moving them up and down*
C. Foice )turning it on or off! to ma0e voiced or unvoiced sounds*
(his is the asic muscle kit #ou need to navigate round vowels and diphthongs! and it also
transfers neatl# to consonants and gets #ou round most of them.
If #ou would li0e to see and hear a demonstration of how I introduce the chart and the ph#sicalit# of
pronunciation tr# .http/00111$macmillanen#lish$com01ebinars2
3
3$$ (o1 to introduce the pronunciation chart to your class
(he phonemic chart )Gpron chartB* is to pronunciation what the whiteoard is to vocaular# and
grammar: it is the essential wor0ench on which #ou wor0 things out! e2periment! anal#se! clarif#!
chec0! test! gain insight! understand and create. "owever! the pron chart needs some introduction.
It needs Gputting into circulationB.
9ou can do this two wa#s: ,hrou#h the front door by directl# teaching the sounds on the chart!
and ma0ing up words and phases! or throu#h the back door! # ma0ing use of sounds and words
occurring naturall# in the lesson and showing them on the chart )4%.# the wa# this is what #ou
$ust said%.5*. /nce the student )and #ou* 0now their wa# round the chart #ou can get on with using
it to integrate pronunciation an#time in an# lesson.
"ere is a mi2 of front door and back door wa#s of introducing the chart: use all of them in an#
order and ma0e more of #our own.
1$$,each some of the sounds separately # sa#ing them #ourself! or # listening to them on a
recording! or even m# miming them. "ave the students sa# the sound in isolation reasonal# well!
then indicate the sound on the chart
2$$ !se a more opportunistic approach
-hen a student ma0es a sound! perhaps while tr#ing to pronounce a new word! and #ou realise it
is a sound on the chart!
A simpl# indicate that sound on the chart
A tell them 4-hat #ou $ust said is this%5!
A revise that new sound a it later
-$$ 4hen teachin# ne1 vocabulary
either write the word on the oard in normal spelling!
- then help the students to sa# it
A then as0 them 4"ow man# sounds are there in that wordH5
A the# proal# give slightl# different estimates )eg C! or I or J. (he point is the# donBt have to e
GrightB ecause the aim is for them to separate and identif# the sounds in their Ginner voice.B
A then get the class to call out the sounds separatel# and in order )At this pint donBt sa# the sounds
#ourself! ut count them on #our fingers for all the class to see*
A finall# as0 a student to come to the chart and point out the sounds on the chart
Or say the word )or listen to a recording or in a dialogue*
A then have the students sa# and practise it!
A then #ou point out the word on the chart
A then get one or two students to come to the chart and do the same.
-hen pointing out the sounds on the chart note these t1o rules/
A (he person who is pointing on the chart is silent
A (he rest of the ass should call out whatever sound is pointed at! right or wrong! allowing the
student to correct him/herself
3$$ 4orkin# 1ith vocabulary and dictionaries!
<ive students some new words #ou want them to learn
A get them to find them in a dictionar#
A and notice the pronunciation
A and sa# the words
A then one student leaves the dictionar# ehind and goes to the chart to point out the word in
phonemes.
A if s/he ma0es a mista0e
A call another student
Aif she ma0es a mista0e! give the pointer ac0 to the first student!
>
A and so on til the word is correctl# spelt.
5$$ 6indin# e7ample 1ords for the vo1els
A as0 the students to draw an empt# grid in their oo0s! C s1uares wide and > s1uares deep. (his
represents the vowel grid containing the &3 vowels in the top left 1uadrant of the chart.
A the# write the phoneme s#mol in the top corner of each o2.
A as0 them to find one English word as an e2ample for each vowel sound and write it in the correct
o2. (he# can do this for homewor0! or in pairs in class. A draw a ig grid on the oard and get
ever#one to come up and put their e2ample words in the correct o2 in normal alphaetic spelling.
(hen #ou and the class can spend a few minutes chec0ing them! seeing which words are in the
right o2! and which need to e moved to another.
8$$ *imple sound #ame
A invite students in turn to sa# an# sound in English )K*
A if in #our opinion it is close enough! point to that sound on the phonemic chart
A if not close enough! point outside the chart and sa# )as a tease* 4'orr# thatBs not English%.5 And
let them tr# it a little differentl#.
9$$ *tudents: names
; instead of using vocaular# items! as0 students to sa# their own names! with an English
pronunciation )as an English spea0er might sa# it*. 9ou can help them.
A as0 each to count the sounds in their name
A and then come to the chart and point out their name on the chart.
A this time of course ever#one 0nows what sound the student is loo0ing for! ut still the same rules
appl#: the class sa# whatever is pointed at! wrong or right! while the person pointing does so
silentl#! enaling them to hear what the class are sa#ing and to correct if necessar#
8$$ )our familiar pronunciation e7ercises
A do #our usual pronunciation activities )for e2ample minimal pairs*
A identif# the sounds #ou are practising on the chart
A re1uire students to come to the chart and point out the sounds or words #ou are practising.
<$$ =ive class instructions on the chart
'ometimes give class #our usual class instructions silentl# # pointing on the chart:
<ood morningK
,lease turn to page CJ.
/; hereBs the homewor0 etc.
"ow do #ou spell this word%H
etc
C
10$$ (ave a pron crib 1hen you are startin# out!
A if #ou are not sure of the sounds! cop# the pronunciation 0e# from the front of #our learner
dictionar#
A 0eep it # #ou in class and consult it whenever #ou are uncertain
A after a while #ouBll find #ou donBt need it
5$$ 'ronunciation and listenin#/ usin# the %nner >ar and %nner "oice
It is eas# to thin0 of pronunciation as $ust an aspect of the e2ternal speaking s0ill %%. :ut
pronunciation activit# also ta0es place internall#! in #our mind! when #ou do other
language activities. 6or e2ample:
-hen #ou read, #our inner voice ma# e sa#ing! and therefore pronouncing! the phrases.
-hen #ou prepare to speak! an inner voice ma# e rehearsing the words! and therefore of course
the pronunciation.
-hen #ou 1rite! #ou ma# e sa#ing the phrases internall# with #our inner voice! and without
thin0ing aout it #ou are practising #our pronunciation.
,ronunciation is ever#whereK
And what aout when #ou listenH -ell! in this case #our pronunciation is eing tested all the time
as #ou use sounds )and conte2t* to recognise and discriminate sounds and words from each other!
identif#ing them and fitting them into what #ou thin0 is eing said )and sometimes eing confused
# them*. (here is a relationship etween what #ou can sa# with #our mouth and what #ou can
hear with #our ears. /nce #ou can sa# it! #ou can proal# hear it! so developing pronunciation
improves listening. ,ronunciation affects ever#thingK
(ere is a 1onderful practice tip/ %t needs no teacher and takes no time!
&% -henever #ou hear a word in English that interests #ou )on (F! in a shop! on the us! at a
movie! in school! in a song* $ust let #our inner voice repeat that word a few times! so that #ou are
hearing it internall# in #our minds ear! 9ou ma0e no e2ternal soundK DonBt change the word! donBt
tr# to sa# it! Dust let the word repeat in #our mindBs ear! as if #ou are tasting itK Do this for J or &L
seconds! no longer.
After #ou have done this a few times #ou ma# notice that #ou get etter at hearing the word
internall#! and etter at not changing the word! and etter at letting it repeat itself in the original
speakers accent.
4hen you can do this, then add this second step/
3% 'low the word down in #our inner ear! and simpl# count how man# sounds it contains )for
e2ample the word GhowB has 3 sounds! Gman#B has C sounds! GcontainsB has M sounds*. It doesnBt
matter if #ou are wrong or right since the aim is to ma0e #ourself hear the sounds in a word! and #
doing this #ou will get etter at it. Again! donBt ta0e longer than &L seconds.
>%. 6inall#! put the sounds together to ma0e up the word! listen to it internall# again! and now! ut
onl# now! sa# the word )or phrase* aloud 1uietl# to #ourself )unless #ou want to surprise the people
around #ou*
(he aim of this is to use #our inner ear and #our inner voice to develop #our talent for sounding
good when #ou spea0! and for gaining confidence.
If #ou have read this far! and #ou re interested in what this approach might offer! and would li0e
further insight into how to do it in practice! #ou can see demonstrations! tal0s and classes online at
the following lin0s:
J
8$$ Online links for ideas and demonstrations on usin# the phonemic chart
=uided tour of the pron chart
,lus demonstration of gestures and sound positions! and accompan#ing ppt notes.
http://www.macmillanenglish.com/weinars
and scroll down to 3L&L -E:INAR ARC"IFE
)outube clips of some of my teacher trainin# sessions$
(here are four here of etween > and J minutes duration:
http://www.#outue.com/macmillanelt
%ntervie1 1ith drian on >+, and pronunciation
http://www.teachingenglish.org.u0/logs/adrianAunderhill/adrianAunderhillAinterview
?ook *ound 6oundations/ +earnin# and ,eachin# 'ronunciation
http://www.macmillanenglish.com/NJCCategor#.asp2HidO3?3JC
pp, usin# the chart! *ounds/ ,he 'ronunciation pp
http://www.onestopenglish.com/s0ills/pronunciation/phonemicAchartAandAapp/theApronunciationA
app/
My pron blo#
http://adrianpronchart.wordpress.com/
s a chan#e from >+, you mi#ht like to hear Django Djazz, my @aAA Buartet/
http://#outu.e/s<PQCR6,g
http://www.#outue.com/watchHvO#I9?&n0o#E.featureOrelated
http://www.#outue.com/watchHvODfRgw-A'89
http://www.#outue.com/user/"otCluof"astingsSp/u/L/poIs/JQ0C:+
http://www.#outue.com/watchHvO$&Fu0(I9Csg
I

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