Expert Teacher Knowledge

2 Word Stress Snap

Stage

Task Objective:

Word

The first person to hold the most

cards wins.

Phrase
Sentence
Whole Text

Materials:

This task raises awareness of

English language word stress, and
provides opportunities for CPs to
practice pronouncing words with
the correct stress

11 Word Stress
Snap Cards
(1 per group of 3)

Procedure:
Write these words on board:
zoo
tortoise giraffe
hospital

computer

1. Ask: How many sounds?

2. Where is the big sound?
3. Write stress patterns above or below the word (the circles)
Stress Snap:
1. Give each group of 3 a set of cards
2. Deal all cards out equally to all group members, face down. (CPs cannot touch
cards or look at them).
3. CPs take turns taking 1 card from their pile and putting it in the middle.
4. As they place the card (without first looking at it), they must say the word,
then the stress pattern (eg big small small)
5. If the card being placed has the same stress pattern as the previous card, any
team member can slam their hand on the pile of cards and yell SNAP
6. This team member then puts all the cards under their hand at the bottom of
their own pile of cards.
7. Continue placing cards in the middle (even if only one CPs still has cards to
place) until 1 CPs snaps ALL the cards and wins.

Discussion/ Additional note:

Some CPs may not be able to hear the difference in stress patterns. You will
need to model the difference repeatedly with them following you. EgPOlice.
Police (You model they repeat.)
Adapted from Hancock, M. (1995). Pronunciation Games.Cambridge University
Press.

WORD STRESS SNAP CARDS (1): Animals, Classroom Objects,

Buildings

computer

table

crayons

pen

tortoise

lion

tiger

jungle

pencil
marker

giraffe
dog

bag
chair

monkey
cat

jungle

ruler

lion

book

pen

zebra

table

tiger

dog

tortoise

giraffe

crayons

marker

computer

pencil

cat

desk

monkey

zebra

chair

book

bag

ruler

desk

Adapted from Hancock, M. (1995). Pronunciation Games. Cambridge University Press

cinema

station

start

zoo

pharmacy

police

apartment

finish

eraser
elephant

temple

snake

animal

hospital

mouse

mosque

office

zoo

hare

start

airport

station

apartment

cinema

airport

finish

hare

police

office

pharmacy

eraser

mosque

library

snake

mouse

temple

hospital

elephant

animal

library

WORD STRESS SNAP CARDS (2): Animals, Classroom

Objects, Buildings