Universidad de Carabobo

Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación

Departamento de Idiomas Modernos
Cátedra de Fonética y Fonología del Inglés
Elaborado por Dra. Jurate M. Kukanauza

Stages and Activities

in the Teaching of Pronunciation

Description & Analysis p. 45

Description of the Sound

Simple description. Articulatory Description ( In short phrases or sentences to describe the
production of the sound). Use facial diagrams (usually for sounds you can’t see). Use
mirrors for students to see sounds that are articulated with the organs of speech visible to
our eyes (bilabial, labio-dental. labio-velar, dental).

Hints (cues or tips) to remember in order to produce the sound accurately.

Orthographic relationship
 Usual spelling representation.
 Examples of each letter in initial, medial, and final position (3 examples of each).
If a letter does not appear in one of the positions just leave an empty space.

Semantical contexts with many natural occurrences of the problematic sounds. (it is only
placed in the teacher’s handout)

Does it exist in Spanish or not?

Problems for Spanish speakers Why do students have problems with the sound?

Is the problem produced because of the

spelling differences in English and Spanish?

Orthography exercise (each exercise minimum 8 + example 0.)

 Read the words and circle the syllable that has the focus sound. (Always put
tricky words –those spelling representations that seem to have the sound, but
are not pronounced with the focus sound).
 Sound Maze (Hancock, pp.55-60; Internet , www.english-zone.com [see
handout])
 Ludo (Hancock, pp. 48-51, see handout)
 Find the word that does not belong (Internet , www.english-zone.com [see
handout])
 Choose the correct sound (Internet , www.english-zone.com [see handout]

1
 Listening Discrimination ( (See Handout “Traditional Techniques in p. 46
the Teaching of Pronunciation –Listening” for examples)

A. In Isolation Identification task Column A- Column B

(Students do not see Discrimination task Same-Different p.114
the words) Isolation task (p.114) Circle the different sound: a b c d
Sorting Task
Picture task p. 70 & p. 113
Bingo (Hancock, pp. 70-73); p.118
Simon Says p. 121 (if teacher reads & students
respond physically).

B. In Context: 1) Minimal Pair Sentence Task (Paradigmatic Drills)

a. The words must belong to the same grammatical category.
b. Show only the words in parentheses not the whole sentence.

2) Contextualized Minimal Pairs (Bowen)

Example:
1. The blacksmith (hits / heats) the horseshoe.
a. _____ with the hammer.
b. √ in the fire.

3) Minimal Pair Sentence Picture Task (p. 76, read p. 119 -120 summary).

Controlled Practice & Feedback p. 47

Oral reading with special attention to the highlighted features

a) In isolation → minimal pairs (known vocabulary)

I3
Place the letters in different positions M3
F3

2
 -minimal pair sentences (Syntagmatic Drill) both in ones.
b) In context -Sentences with many instances of the contrasted sounds.
-Short paragraphs
-Dialogues
-Tongue twisters (see internet & handout).
-Proverbs / Sayings / Idioms / Slogans. (p.170, see internet)
-Limericks (p. 128 if students have to read only, see internet &
handout).
-Fill in the blanks with all options given (p. 58).
You can also add the controlled information gaps (p. 171 & 121)

*Note: All the exercises to be read by the students should have the focus sounds underlined (one, twice) or in
different colors. Also the students could be asked to recognize the sounds first, in other words, they do the
underlining or coloring and afterwards read the sentences

Guided Practice and Feedback p. 47

Structured activities that enable the learners to monitor the specified feature (information
gaps, cued dialogues). There is a certain limited freedom to answer.

a) Fill in the gaps w/ no options given or options that eliminate other (p. 60)
b) Information gap (except the ones in p. 171 and p. 121; Harmer, pp. 96-98)
b1) Picture Dictation. (Student 1: describes and Student 2: listens and
draws (p. 171; Harmer, p. 126 )
b2) Relaying Instruction (Harmer, pp. 125-126)
b3) Find the Similarities or Spot the Differences (Harmer, pp. 126-127;
Hancock, pp. 40-45; Seligson, pp. 88-89)
b4) Describe & Arrange (Harmer, p. 127)
b5) Find someone who & report (Harmer, p. 105; Seligson, p. 64)
c) Cued dialogues (Porter, pp. 38-39)
d) Chain stories (p. 124; Harmer, p. 95)
e) Picture description w/ sounds. (Hancock, p. 41; p.126 (last paragraph)
f) Games
1.20/20 (p. 60 and figure 3.7, p. 61; Harmer, p. 101)
2. Stop (pp. 115-116)
3. Hangman (p.125)
4. Tic-tac-toe or Noughts & Crosses (Harmer, p. 102 )
g) Limericks (If students fill with their own words the spaces. pp. 127-128)
h) Simon says (If students only listen it’s a listening activity. If a student
reads a word given and his/her classmates listen to it, it’s a
controlled activity, and finally, if the student has freedom to
say any word he pleases, it’s a guided activity. p. 53; p. 121).

3
 Communicative Practice & Feedback p. 48

Less structured activities that require the learner to attend both to form and context.

1) Role play: (pp. 71-72 , do not use as an example. See sample handout)
 Setting; situation, participants & roles.
 Provide words in categories – provide a balanced number of both sounds)
 Do not place words under sound symbols.

2) Group Story (see sample handout)

 Place words in categories – provide a balanced number of both sounds).
 Do not place words under sounds symbols.

3) Problem Solving (see sample handout; Harmer, pp.117-120)

4) Reaching a Consensus. (Harmer pp. 122-123; Grant p. 213)

5) Jigsaw or Story Reconstruction (Harmer, pp .128-129; comic strips)

6) Story in a bag