Pronunciation: the one that got away

Wayne Rimmer

Liverpool 2014

Barriers• Poor training

• Meta-language

• Under-emphasis

• Confused priorities

• Lack of confidence

• Poor curriculum

Curriculum• Teachers• Methodology• Materials• Assessment• Syllabus

Syllabus

The selection and sequencing of learning items

Pro-syllabus

• Facilitates macro-planning• Pedagogic tradition• Face validity

Anti-syllabus

• Restrictive• Over-generalised• Not based on SLA

Syllabus

• Syllabus = the textbook• The selection and ordering of

grammar items

Roads to a pronunciation syllabus

• Off-the-peg solution

• Intuition

• Frequency

• Variety-based

• ELF

• Integrated

Off-the-peg

Band 9:  “Uses a full range of pronunciation features with precision and subtlety.” 

Band 3: “uses a limited range of pronunciation features”

Intuition

Past simple copular be

Past simple lexical verbs

Present continuous

Present simple copular be

Present simple lexical verbs

Intuition

Present simple copular be

Present simple lexical verbs

Past simple copular be

Past simple lexical verbs

Present continuous

Intuition

mglsn

Frequency

nsl

m g (Fry, 1947)

Variety-based

• RP• Regional• World Englishes

ELF

• High functionality• Low codification• Perceptions

Integrated: morphology

paper clip vs. paper bag

Integrated: syntax

Actually, he passed.

He passed actually.

Integrated: discourse

Well /ə/ I’m not sure /ɜ:/ it depends on /əm/ lots of things

Integrated: literacy

Spellings of /ı/

i rich, film 61%

e pretty, houses 16%

y happy, symbol 20%

(Cruttenden, 2008)

Forwardwash

• Test what we teach• Integrated testing

wrimmer@hotmail.com