1. Integrating Pronunciation
A ctivities into Divers e
Language Practice
E nvironments
L iu b o v i B u r la
M A , L e c ture r a t
t h e In s t it u t e o f
C o n t in u in g E d u c a t io n
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2. The first goal for a teacher is to help students in mastering
suprasegmental pronunciation features including intonation, linking,
reduction, stress, rhythm, and fluency. This area requires students to
put effort in listening to and communicating with native English
speakers, pay much more attention to how they utilize these features
while speaking, and thereafter, try to keep practicing.
The second goal is to provide assistance for the students who
are having difficulty in pronouncing particular sounds: vowels and
consonants that are segmental pronunciation features. The particular
sounds that students have trouble in pronouncing differ as their
language backgrounds vary. The reason is that many errors in
pronunciation result from the interference of the first language. For
instance, there is no /θ/ sound in Russian and many other languages,
which results in difficulty for Russian students to learn it.
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3. It would be better if there is sufficient time to
balance the teaching of both segmental and
suprasegmental pronunciation features. In
case of a short term pronunciation course, it
is recommended to focus on suprasegmentals
as they have the greatest impact on the
comprehensibility of learners’ English. If a
person is not able to speak with correct
intonation, then misunderstanding will
probably happen.
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4. After highlighting the need for a balanced
approach, it is recommended to integrate
pronunciation activities with the practice of
other skills. Even in a short term course,
integrating pronunciation activities with
listening, reading, grammar points is highly
encouraged.
Pronunciation Activities while:
-Listening –even to songs (reduction,
assimilation, linking r)
- Public Speaking (loudness, quality of
sounds)
- Civilization (accents)
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6. “ S M A L L T A lk
M O R E J A Z Z C HA NT S
”
- Save it, b y it. Put it in the bank. rah am
save C arolyn G
- Save it, save it. Put it in the bank.
- Spend it. Take it out of the bank.
- Spend it. Take it out of the bank.
- Save it.
- Spend it.
- Save it.
- Spent it.
- Save it.
- Spend it.
- Put it in the bank.
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7. Characteristics of Fluent Speech
Reduction, Assimilation, Linking
The most familiar case of linking or joining in
English is the use of linking r.
Many English speakers use linking r in a similar
way to link words ending with a vowel even
when there is no “justification” from the spelling,
as in: formula A [fo:mjulərei], media event
[mediərivent]. This has been called intrusive r;
some English speakers and teachers still regard
this as incorrect or sub-standard pronunciation,
but it is undoubtedly widespread.
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8. 1. Distinguish between linking and intrusive /r/ in
these phrases:
better off Africa and Asia four or five
care upon care a pair of sheets a villa in Italy
hear it drama and music to err is human
2. Read and imitate the sample rhythmic group with different sentences.
A) |____ .. _____|̣ B) |____ …. _____|̣
Send him away. Show him up to his room.
Give him a toy. Throw it into the fire.
Why have they left? Why did you run away?
Show me the place. Tell her not to be late.
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9. 1.Say the following phrases, reducing the
function words:
as good as gold ham and eggs
ugly as sin pencil and
paper
as quiet as a mouse tea or coffee
as fast as he can time and money
for ever and ever for love nor money
2.Give the phonetic transcriptions of these
phrases to show the assimilations that can
occur:
ten girls that cat stand by
ten boys won’t you this year
last year could you it was your duty
newspaper this shop don’t you
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11. Purpose: Practicing weak forms/reductions
Skill area: Oral intelligibility/ segmental/ vowels and consonants
Type: Group/ Pair Activity
Activity Procedures
1. Choose a limerick or poem (example below) and provide a copy for each student in the
class.
2. Read it out loud (or play from a cassette) to show the rhythm or flow of stressed and
unstressed syllables.
3. Then let the class as a whole read the poem.
4. Form different groups and have each group mark the schwa on their handout while you
read.
5. Do it two or three more times until they get the flow and then have one group read the
poem to the other groups.
6. The group that reads best becomes the Group of the Week.
Example:
The IRISH PIG
‘Twas an evening in November
AS I very well remember
I was strolling down the street in drunken pride.
But my knees were all aflutter
So I landed in the gutter,
And a pig came up and lay down by my side.
Yes, I lay there in the gutter,
Thinking thoughts I could not utter,
When a lady passing by did softly say:
‘You can tell a man who boozes
By the company he chooses’ --
And the pig got up and slowly walked away!
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12. Exercises on sounds practicing:
1.Spell your names and surnames and pronounce
them. Now, spell and pronounce your neighbor’s name
and surname.
2.Transcribe your names and surnames.
3.Find words for sounds: e – ε:, Λ – æ, i: - u:, α: - au,
ei – ai, etc.
4.Contrast these pairs of words (/n/ or /ŋ/):
thin thing run rung
sinner singer sung sun
kin king win wing
ban bang wing winged
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13. 5. Link each capital city to the correct country:
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19. Tongue twisters
Whether the weather be fine,
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold
Or whether the weather be hot,
We'll weather the weather
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not.
She sells sea shells on the sea shore, but the
sea shells she sells on the sea shore are not
the real ones.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
if Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers,
where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter
Piper picked?
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20. Here’s an easy
Game to play.
Here’s an easy
Thing to say …
New socks.
Two socks.
Whose socks?
Sue’s socks.
Who sews whose socks?
Sue sews Sue’s socks.
Who sees who sew
Whose new socks, sir?
You see Sue sew
Sue’s new socks, sir.
That’s not easy,
Mr. Fox, sir.
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21. • Put down the sentences and intone them:
1.First performance is at 7.30, second one 8.45.
2.What about a Japanese bar next to the
cinema.
3.The number is 352001.
4.It also involves being seen in shopping areas,
zones of schools, noisy crossroads.
5.I do really have a typical day.
6.No, I prefer to hang on, it's very important.
7.But still, what do you feel about this young
man?
8.We were just sitting in a café and just talking,
when we suddenly saw them, walking along the
street, hand in hand.
9.Who doesn't love to have the nice white lily as
part of the Easter gift?
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22. Syllable stress
Civil Civility Civilize Civilization
Equal Equality Equalize Equalization
Fertile Fertility Fertilize Fertilization
Final Finality Finalize Finalization
General Generality Generalize Generalization
Hospital Hospitality Hospitalize Hospitalization
Legal Legality Legalize Legalization
Mobile Mobility Mobilize Mobilization
National Nationality Nationalize Nationalization
Neutral Neutrality Neutralize Neutralization
Personal Personality Personalize Personalization
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29. Transcription for Pronunciation
Transcribe some quotes on the blackboard. Then ask your students to spell them.
Finally, have the students think up their favorite quotes and transcribe them.
Give me a fruitful error any time, full of seeds,
bursting with its own corrections. You can keep
your sterile truth for yourself. ~Vilfredo Pareto
[gɪv mi ɘ frutfɘl ɛrɘr ɛni taim ful ɘv si:dz bɘ:stiŋ wɪɵ
ɪtz oʊn kɘrɛkʃɘnz ju: kɘn ki:p jo: stɘrɘl truɵ fə jo:səlf]
(no capital letters, commas, dots, even space in the
transcription)
brαιtfjutSərizinsto:fərimənizsΛn
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30. Practicing contraction and linking
I Don'no
Make the whole class practice both forms that are in their
handout. Write some sentences using the phrases in both
short form and actual form that are given in the handout and
practice in the same way.
Make variations such as giving half of the students sentence
strips that have only short pronunciation and others longer
one and asking them to find their partners. Examples:
Gonna going to
Wanna want to
Hafta have to
Gimme give me
Hasta has to
Can'tcha can't you
Won'tcha won't you
Watcha what are you/what do you
Didja did you
Hadja had you
Wouldja would you
Whydja where did you
Wheredja where did you
Howdja how did you Liubovi Burla
31. Here is some pronunciation
Wear a boot upon your foot,
Root can never rhyme with soot.
Here is some pronunciation: In muscle, Sc is S,
Ration never rhymes with nation,
Say prefer but preferable, In muscular, it’s Sk, yes!
Comfortable and vegetable. Choir must always rhyme with wire,
B must not be heard in doubt,
Debt and dumb both leave it out. That again will rhyme with liar.
In the words psychology, Then, remember it’s address,
Psychic and psychiatry,
You must never sound the P.
With an accent like possess.
Psychiatrist you call the man G in sign must silent be,
Who cures the complex, if he can. In signature pronounce the G.
In architect, Ch is K,
In arch it is the other way.
Please remember, say towards
Please remember to say iron
So that it’ll rhyme with lion. Just as if it rhymed with boards.
Advertisers advertise, Weight’s like wait, but not like height,
Advertisements will put you wise.
Time when work is done is leisure, Which should always rhyme with
Fill it up with useful pleasure. might.
Accidental, accident, Sew is just the same as so,
Sound the G in ignorant.
Relative, but a relation, Tie a ribbon in a bow.
Then say creature but creation. When you meet the queen you bow,
Say the A in gas quite short,
Bought remember rhymes with thwart,
Which again must rhyme with how.
Drought must always rhyme with bout, In perfect English make a start.
In daughter leave the Gh out. Liubovi Burla
Learn this little rhyme by heart.
32. Read the following dialogue, mark the stress, mind the
rhythmic groups.
A young man comes before the Customs agent.
A: "State your citizenship."
B:"American" (pronounced with a Spanish accent).
A: "Hold on there, buddy. Say that again."
B: "I sed American."
A: "I'm going to give you a test."
B: "No, no senor, no need for test, I tell you I’m
American."
A: "Yeah, sure buddy. OK, let's see, ... I've got it.
Make a sentence with the following colors: green,
pink and yellow."
B: "Oh senor, I tell you I'm American. But OK, let's
see...I was at my bruder-in-laws house and the
phone went 'green, green, I pinked it up and sed
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yellow!"
33. Resources:
1. Kirillova E., Lazaryeva B., Petrushin S. Readings in Methods of teaching
English as a foreign language. Vyshaya Schola, Moscow.- 1981
2. Rogerson P., Gilbert J. Speaking clearly. Teacher’s book, Cambridge
University Press.- 2002
3 Roach P. English phonetics and phonology. A practical course. Cambridge
University Press.- 1983
4. Cruttenden A. Intonation. Cambridge University Press.- 1986
5. Ladefoged P. A course of phonetics. Second Edition, New York.- 1982
6. “English Pronunciation Illustrated”J.Trim, CUP
7. “English pronunciation in use” M.Hewings, CUP,2007
8. Roach P. English phonetics and phonology. A practical course, Cambridge
University Press.- 2000
9. Dobos D. A handbook of English phonetics and phonology, Iasi.- 2001
10. M.Vaugham-Rees. Rhymes and Rhythm. Illustrations Macmillan
Publishers Limited, Hong Kong.- 1994
11. Pronunciation Games, CUP
12.Pronunciation Portfolio EDUC 647, University of Delaware Madhav
Kafle Jinyu Xia Fran Durbin
13.www.soundsofenglish.com.
14.www.bbc.co.uk
15. www.bbclearningenglish.com
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