6.Teaching Pronunciation in 8 Steps

Today I watched a video about teaching pronunciation in 8 steps. Here comes my reflections.

#1 Perception

Introduce the sound and make sure the students can actually HEAR it. It’s always a good idea to allow them to hear it in comparison to a similar sound that exists in their language and that they might be confusing it with. For example, the tense /i/ as in ‘see’ versus a neutral /i/ that might exist in the student’s first language’. 

It’s also a good idea to introduce similar vowels in English, that might sound the same to your students like ‘sheep’ vs ‘ship’ when learning one of them. 

Also, discuss the possible spelling patterns of the sound and show them how it may be confusing for them when pronouncing it. For example, the schwa might be represented with the letters ‘o’ ‘a’ ‘u’ ‘i’ or more, yet, the vowel is pronounced the same. 

#2 Pronunciation 

First, start with a clear description of the physical aspects of the articulation of the sound. Make sure they know where to position their tongue, how low should be their jaw, whether they should round their lips or not, and if their vocal cords should vibrate. Use pictures if needed. 

Afterwards, see if you can use imageries that may make it more tangible for them. Things like: be lazy, yawn, imagine you have a golf ball in your mouth, push your lips for a kiss - anything that may help them get to the right position WITHOUT thinking of their muscles.

You can also think of sounds they know from the world around them to which they can more intuitively compare the sound. For example, if /h/ doesn’t exist in their first language, compare it to someone whispering, or blowing on their own hands to warm them up. Or talk about the sound of an annoying fly or a bee when teaching the /z/ sound.

 #3 Predict 

Help students identify the possible pitfalls before they start practising. That means telling them what are the possible mistakes that they might be making when practicing this sound. You want to make sure they don’t practice it ‘the wrong way’ and by telling them what to avoid, or what are they likely to do wrong, you help them practice accurately. 

For example, when teaching the TH, you can tell them that they are likely to keep the tongue inside (even though they THINK it’s out), so they need to work with a mirror or feel the tongue with their fingers to overcome this possible mistake. 

#4 Performance

Listen to your student making the sound and evaluate their performance. In other words, give them precise feedback. Try to be as specific as possible so you don’t create overwhelm. Remember, if they don’t know how to use the feedback you give them because there is so much to take in, they are likely to give up or practice it wrongly. From all the things you can think of when giving feedback, try to focus on one thing that is tangible and is going to make sense to them, and most importantly get them results. At the same time, be attentive and be ready to give another explanation if needed. 

#5 Practice 

Your most important role as a teacher is to help them understand the importance of practice and the value they’ll get from practising properly. It’s the key to their success. Communicate clearly what will happen when they practice consistently (speaking will become effortless, they’ll use the sound spontaneously, etc.) and build the ideal practice routine with them. Take into consideration their habits and daily schedule. Set expectations (how much time they should invest in their weekly practice, what they should expect to feel) and tell them exactly what they need to do and where they can find the resources. Communicate the fact that when it comes to pronunciation, quality is more important than quantity. It’s not about practising the same sound over and over, it’s about practising it accurately and changing habits.

 #6 Perseverance 

Encourage them to persist even when it gets hard. Explain to them the challenges they are likely to face and how to overcome them. When you outline their experience it’ll be easier for them when they confront those challenges, because they’ll know it’s part of the work. After all, you told them that’s what’s going to happen, right? If relevant, share with them your own challenges, past or present, related to pronunciation and how you managed to overcome them. 

 #7 Praise 

Acknowledge their progress even if it’s small. If they don’t see their efforts pay off, they may quit. Tell them what is working for them, help them realize the progress and feel proud. Then, explain what is still missing and give them the tools to understand what they still need to do to achieve it and improve even more. 

#8 Pareto Principle 

Also known as the 80/20 rule, the Pareto principle states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. And when it comes to pronunciation it’s not any different. It is important to identify the essential things - the 20% - that students need to learn, that will get them 80% of the results (will help them achieve 80% of their goals). Teach them only the things that will significantly move the needle in how they sound in English and not less important, how they feel when speaking English. When learning a particular sound, communicate to them how important the sound is for their overall clarity - whether this sound will boost their speech immediately and they should make it a priority, or will only have a mild impact (and therefore they shouldn’t spend too much time practising it). Also, throughout the training, as you’re teaching them new things, you should always go back and remind them what they need to focus on - what’s their 20% - so you sort out all the unnecessary information and help them focus, get clear and see better results.

Resource: https://youtu.be/Ajpy9_eiH10