HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT METHODOLOGY - Module 2

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Work with a partner. Discuss these statements and decide to what extent you agree.

a. The best model for teaching pronunciation is British English.

b. Mispronunciation of individual sounds (the 'small' features) is less important than errors at the
level of stress, intonation and rhythm ('big' features).
c. It is hard to unlearn incorrect habits; therefore it is important to get pronunciation right as soon
as possible.
d. Intelligibility (i.e. being understood) is more important than sounding like a native speaker.
e. One of the best ways of teaching pronunciation is always to speak naturally to the learners.

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The aspects
- Speech sounds – consonants, vowels
- Stress, intonation
ð Good pronunciation = accurate reproduction of phonemes, correct stress and intonation

2. The aim of teaching pronunciation: intelligibility: be understandable & convey the meaning that is
intended.

Some common pronunciation problems of Vietnamese learners?

Study these learner errors. Identify the area of pronunciation that each of them relates to and suggest the
correct versions.

Learner pronunciation Correct versions

a Our president is very IMportant.
b It is bad to heat children.
c It’s a nice day, isn’t it?ä
d Who are you waiting FOR?
e How many beeble live there?
f IF ONLY I HAD KNOWN!

Could you think of more pronunciation problems that Vietnamese learners often have?

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 1

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT METHODOLOGY - Module 2

vowels consonants stress intonation

Discuss the possible causes for these problems and possible solutions. (textbook)

3-When taught?
• whole lesson (Pronunciation Pairs)
• discrete slot (Tieng Anh 10, 11, 12)
• integrated phase (Four Corners)
• opportunistic teaching

II. TEACHING A SOUND

(Tieng anh 10 – Pearson & NXBGD)

TEACHING A SOUND (Discrete slot) (15 min.)

I. PRESENTATION (5’)

Method: D……………… - I…………………. – E…………………

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 2

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT METHODOLOGY - Module 2

I.1 Lead-in

Using ………………….……………/ ………………………………………. to elicit answers from Ss/Game

Notes

• No ……………………………… at this stage

• Don’t ………………………… on the board at this stage

I.2 Presenting
Imagine that you want to focus on a sound that your students are having difficulty with. Which of the
following steps are necessary? In what order would you teach and practice the sound? In the first
column on the right, tick the steps that you think are necessary. In the second column, write the
order numbers.

Get Ss to repeat the sound in chorus.

Explain how to make the sound
Contrast it with other sounds.
Write words on the blackboard.
Get individual Ss to repeat the sound.
Say the sound in a word.
Say the sound alone.

II. PRACTICE (10’)

Minimal pairs: pairs that differ in only one phoneme & also differ in meaning
e.g.

II.1 Aural Practice

Aim: to develop the ability to identify and distinguish between different sounds

1) One/Two drill

2) Same/Different drill

3) One/Two/Three drill

4) Odd one out drill

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 3

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT METHODOLOGY - Module 2

II.2 Oral practice

Aim: Ss practise pronouncing (chorally & individually)
Techniques:
• Repetition drill (repeating after teacher / CD)

- say the sound alone: .h9.

- say the sound alone in words (of different spelling):
sheep, leave, machine
- say the sound in phrases:
an old sheep, going to leave, a new machine
- say the sound in sentences:
It’s an old sheep.
She’s going to leave with her mother.
He’s bought a new machine.
• Performing dialogs
(Sound /i:/)
Listen and read the dialog.
Deena What are you getting to eat, Lee?
Lee The meat pizza and Greek salad. And a cup of coffee.
Deena Me, too. Are you getting the meat pizza, too, Steve?
Steve No, the cheese pizza. I don’t eat meat.
Lee Really?
Waitress Good evening. Are you ready to order?
Deena Let’s see ... We’d like two meat pizzas and one cheese pizza.
Waitress Bean soup or Greek salad to start?
All three Greek salad.
Waitress And would you like coffee or tea?
Deena Three coffees, please.
Steve Make that two coffees. Tea for me, please.
Waitress (repeating the order) Three Greek salads ... two meat pizzas one cheese pizza ...
two coffees ... one tea.
• Tongue twisters
She sells seashells on the seashore.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Roofs of mushrooms rarely mush too much.
• Games
Find the way out - Final sounds of regular V, past tense

booked opened seemed rented used solved

laughed filmed planted learned flowered stored

stopped closed robbed fixed coped stressed

kissed hoped coughed shopped needed typed

lived played mouthed naked noted looked

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 4

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT METHODOLOGY - Module 2

[III. PRODUCTION]
Aim: to develop the ability to communicate in real life.
Techniques: Free practice in communicative utterances and dialogues/ conversations.
Communicative Practice
/R / & /sR/
Class survey
a) Ask three classmates this Q:
How much do you enjoy the things below?
playing chess – watching TV – washing up –
cooking chips – lying in the sunshine – shopping

b) Now tell the rest of the class what you found:

e.g.: Nam doesn’t like watching TV much, Thu & Nga like shopping but they
don’t like washing up.

Remember:
ü each activity should not ………………………..

ü ss should ………………………. what they’re required to do.

ü T should ……………………………………… in modelling the drills:

- ………………………………… facing class &

- speak at ………………………….

- use …………………………………… of NS

III. TEACHING STRESS & INTONATION

III.1 Stress

1. Word stress => Stressed syllables

Where does the main stress fall on the following words? Be careful, there are some tricky
ones included.
1. telephone
2. cassette
3. surprising
4. conduct
5. notebook
6. address
7. worked
8. examination
9. photograph
10. photographer

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 5

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT METHODOLOGY - Module 2

2. Sentence stress

How does the meaning of this sentence change when the words are stressed as follows?

1. I gave Gaston a book.

2. I gave Gaston a book.

3. I gave Gaston a book.

4. I gave Gaston a book.

5. I gave Gaston a book.

v Words that carry stressed syllables

• ………………………. (Ns, main Vs, adjs, advs, numbers, Q words)

• Auxiliary verbs in ……………………. sentences will also be stressed.

• Words at ………………….. of the sentence

e.g.: Who are you writing to? - Are you writing to Mark?

v Words that are unstressed

• …………………………… (preps, articles, demonstratives, prons) and ………………….. in

affirmative and interrogative sentences)

v Techniques for teaching stress

• Use your voice + gestures (non-text stage)

• Use BB (text stage)

Task: Show the stressed syllables in these sentences.

1. She was buying vegetables at the supermarket.

2. The film I saw on Saturday was about pirates.

3. How many e-mails did you receive from Carlos last week?

III.2 Intonation

• Intonation = very important in expressing meaning.

e.g.

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 6

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT METHODOLOGY - Module 2

A: Would you please turn down the radio a little bit?

B: Sorry. ( (………………………..)
B: Sorry. & (……………………… .)

1. Two basic types of Into. (the rising & falling into.)

Rising

Falling

2. How to teach Into.

- using gestures
- using BB: arrows, lines up/down
- using back-chaining technique

How to conduct rep. using back-chaining technique:

- decide stressed syllables & key sounds
- divide sent. into sections
- decide the into. pattern, then mark with arrows
- conduct repetition from end towards beginning.

e.g.

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 7

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT METHODOLOGY - Module 2

QUESTIONS
1- Identify possible pronunciation problems and point out their causes when these lexical items are
taught: relationship, block, improve
2- Think of 4 minimal pairs for the class to contrast the sound /P/ and /N9/ and state how you would
use them in practice.
3- What should you do to help the students pronounce the consonant cluster in the world ‘clap’
correctly?
4- Design a lesson of 15 minutes to teach the confusing sounds /t/ and /d/.
5- Your students have problems with the intonation of YES-NO questions. Design a task to help
them.
6- How would you conduct repetition of the following sentences?
a. I’ve been learning English since I was six years old.
b. When she was 2 years old, she suffered from an illness.
c. After two days without sleep, a person finds that lengthy concentration becomes difficult.
d. Why do we tip waiters, hairdressers and taxi drivers but not nurses and shop assistants?

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 8