Thank you to Lisa Uribe Ceciliano for her insight and wisdom about teaching pronunciation! She taught the pronunciation class in the ESL Teacher Certificate Program for many years, and has a depth of knowledge when it comes to the subject. Here’s what she had to say in response to my questions.
What are your top five tips for teaching pronunciation?
- Be prepared with on-the-spot mini-lessons
- Don’t try to teach 3 hours of non-stop pronunciation – break it up
- After your presentation, PUT THE SPEAKING ON THE STUDENTS!!!
- Learn about teaching pronunciation so YOU feel comfortable teaching it
- Concepts like rate of speech, stress, intonation, rhythm, linking, and reduction are more important than concepts of individual sound clarity
BONUS TIP #1: Shoot for improvement, NOT perfection. Consider comprehensibility in choosing which topics to teach (“does “x” affect comprehensibility?” – if NO, move on; if YES, work on it).
BONUS TIP #2: (For students) speaking faster is not speaking better. Work on rate of speech.
How often should you teach pronunciation?
It should be built in the lesson based on the needs of the class. Some lessons need to be explicitly taught, while others can be covered in a short, mini lesson. It depends on the demographics and needs of the class. Assess their needs and the level of instruction that may be required.
What are your favorite websites for teachers?
http://bogglesworldesl.com/
NCLOR.org
eslblogs.waketech.edu (the WTCC EL Civics blog!)
What books do you recommend for teaching pronunciation?
Gilbert, Judy B. (2005). Clear Speech: Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension in North American English. Cambridge University Press. (ISBN 978-0-521-54354-5)
Baker, Ann. (1990/2008). Pronunciation Pairs: An Introduction to the Sounds of English. Cambridge University Press. (ISBN 0-521-34972-9/ISBN 978-0-521-67808-7)
Hancock, Mark. (1995). Pronunciation Games. Cambridge University Press. (ISBN 978-0-521-46735-3)
Note: I can attest to the usefulness of all these books. Pronunciation Games has activities to address rhythm, stress, intonation, etc. There are activities for almost all levels too! Maggie
Wisdom to share with teachers:
See TIPS ~ especially learn how to teach pronunciation so you feel comfortable with it. We avoid things that make us uncomfortable. Don’t make it up – learn how to teach past tense endings – it’s easier than you think once you know it!
Also, have fun! Use props – feathers, rubber bands, foam, colors, games. Pronunciation has fun props ~ use them!
As a teacher make sure you are comfortable with the concepts! As with any material, once you understand the material and are comfortable with it, the instruction get easier.
Keep an eye (and ear!) out for students “relapsing” – progress is made while “in” the lesson, and then “forgotten” after the lesson, so keeping the awareness and practice going is important.
Final thought:
If you haven’t learned how to teach pronunciation, or if you’re not comfortable with it, take a class (the WTCC Certificate class can be taken by itself), or read up on it before you tackle it in class – just as you would with any other topic. There’s no “mystery” in teaching pronunciation – just understanding the concepts.
Thanks again Lisa for all the information! Super helpful!
In addition to the info from Lisa, here are a few other places you might want to check out:
http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/resources/pronunciation.html
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Dalton-Pronunciation.html
A compilation of practice sites: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/03/31/the-best-websites-for-learning-english-pronunciation/
