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Two types of issues involving pronunciation
1.Problems that interfere with understanding
2.Problems that don’t interfere with understanding
Ability to pronounce content vocabulary affects confidence and therefore the student’s willingness to participate in class
Pronunciation work is valuable for all Ss, even NESs
For info on speakers of specific languages, see:
Swan, M., & Smith, B. (Eds.). (2008). Learner English: A teacher’s guide to interference and other problems (2nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Vowels and consonants (multiple sounds for a single letter and even for a unique combination of letters)
▪ ex: cat vs city▪ ex: gender vs gap▪ ex: shook vs tooth
Long vowels and short vowels are actually totally different sounds
▪ ex: The polish vs The Polish▪ ex: bow (for a boat) vs bow (after a performance)▪ ex: dove vs dove
Intonation and pitch▪ ex: I don’t care to…▪ ex: produce vs produce▪ ex: object vs object
Consonants in final position▪ These sounds are dropped in some languages ▪ ex: -ing, -ed
Consonant combinations▪ Compare church vs machine vs chemistry
Sounds in English that don’t even exist in other languages▪ th- in the or thumb
Break complex words into syllables to focus on sounds; blend together at different paces until more appropriate sound (including intonation and rhythm) is attained
Individual, private work, one-on-one Use audiotape to let student hear their
own sounds
The need for preteaching…
Words provide anchors and context
Hearing words in isolation helps the ELL “locate” them within longer passages
Include phrases or even sentence patterns as appropriate for your content area. Ex: geometric proof language (If,…then),
therefore, as a result, so, and vs. or
Point out “false friends” (false cognates). Ex (Sp.) : embarassada = pregnant; caravana
= traffic jam (Ger.): Sympathie = liking (not condolences)
Idiomatic expressions ex: Out of the blue, once in a blue
moon, single file, hold your horses, etc. Conger (2006). Between the lines.
Idioms. Greenville, SC: Superduper.
Phrasal verbs ex: Apply to/for ex: take with/from/away/away
from/over/along/up/ place/part
Words and phrases specific to content area
Use of words in noun form, for ex., rather than verb or another more common usage (run, strike)
Essential conjunctions (cause/effect, contrast, chronological/sequence, etc.)
Provide visuals (still or moving) If moving, any accompanying audio
should reflect directly the image seen
Use gestures and/or demonstrations
Hands-on activities with extensive use of the new vocabulary
Provide active repetition practice (for pronunciation purposes as well as use of the new/difficult/focus vocabulary in context)
Compare/contrast the various meanings of multiple meaning words ex: table, cable, acute, obtuse, plot,
meter, etc.
Break words into prefix/root/suffix to teach meaning▪ Ehrlich, I. (2003). Instant vocabulary. NY:
Penguin Books.
Compare and contrast similarly spelled words that have different meanings▪ Phythian, B. A. (1989). A concise dictionary of
confusables. Kent, U.K.: Hodder & Soughton.
Students comprehend, but do not produce language (they do not speak or write)
Also true for parents and any newcomer Length of time varies in part according
to educational background
How do we know if content is understood?
How do we ensure that learning is taking place?
How do we lower the affective filter to encourage eventual speech/writing and general participation?
How do we know if learning is taking place?
Brainstorm at least 2 ways you could know whether the ELL is learning…
Brainstorm at least 2 ways you think you could help to lower the affective filter…
(Remember that you should not force language production during this period)
Teacher: Repetition is key (same phrase, simple
structures—not variations)
Support oral language with gestures and/or visuals
Students: Illustrate or gesture a response
Point to a visual
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