Teaching Pronunciation

For example, 'gowaway,'

• For example, 'gowaway,'
• then 'aymeegowaway,'
• and finally 'Willaymeegowaway' without any pauses between words.

Vowel Length You can demonstrate varying vowel lengths within a word by stretching rubber bands on the longer vowels and letting them contract on shorter ones.

• Vowel Length You can demonstrate varying vowel lengths within a word by stretching rubber bands on the longer vowels and letting them contract on shorter ones.
• Then let the students try it.

For example,

• For example,
• the word 'fifteen' would have the rubber band stretched for the 'ee' vowel, but the word 'fifty' would not have the band stretched because both of its vowels are spoken quickly.

Syllables

• Syllables
• Have students count syllables in a word.
• Illustrate syllable stress by clapping softly and loudly.

For example,

• For example,
• the word 'beautiful' would be loud-soft-soft.
• Practice with short lists of words with the same syllabic stress pattern ('beautiful,' 'telephone,' 'Florida') and
• then see if your learners can list other words with that pattern.

Specific Sounds

• Specific Sounds
• Minimal pairs, or words such as 'bit/bat' that differ by only one sound, are useful for helping students distinguish similar sounds.
• Tongue twisters are useful for practicing specific target sounds.

Techniques

• Techniques
• Exercise should be simple, accessible, fun and combine reception and production.
• Some students do feel embarassed to pull ridiculuous faces when practising vowel sounds
• but this soon passes and students enjoy the pronunciation work.
• Where possible, exercises should be communicative.