Pronunciation Practice

Course Code: 4CD232Instructor: Inga Koehler

Required Textbook: Ann Baker, Sharon Goldstein, Pronunciation Pairs, 2nd Ed.

Course objectives

This course aims at helping students at the false beginner level to look at their own accents. During the course the students

will practice the vowel and consonant sounds of American English. They will learn about word and sentence stress, and they will work on their intonation patterns. At the end of the course the

students will be able to pronounce English in a way that approaches native

speakers’ patterns.

Week 1

Course Introduction, Student Expectations, U 1 /iy/ (tea)

Vocabulary with target sound Dialog (Listening exercise) Word Stress Role Play Spellings for the target sound

Week 2

Brief review U1 U2 /ɪ/ (sit) Minimal Pairs sheep-ship Stress in Numbers Spellings for the target sound U3 /ɛ/ (yes) Minimal pairs bill-bell Falling and Rising Intonation in

sentences Spellings for the target sound

Week 3

U4 /ey/ (day) Minimal Pairs pen-pain Dialog (Listening and choral practice) Sentence Stress Spelling for the target sound U 5 /æ/(hat) Minimal Pairs pen-pan The most important word Spellings for the target sound

Week 4

U 6: Review U1~5 In this session students have a chance

to correct their pronunciation and ask for clarification before Quiz 1 in week 5.

Week 5

U7 /Ʌ/ (cup) Minimal Pairs cap-cup Strong and weak pronunciations Spellings for the target sound Quiz 1 – This quiz counts for 15% of the

semester final grade.

Week 6

U8 /ə/ a banana Vocabulary /ə/ in unstressed syllables and words Can and can’t U9 /ɚ/(letter) /ɚ/ in Unstressed syllables and words Intonation in choice questions with or Spellings for the target sound

Week 6 continued

U10 /ɑ/ (hot) Minimal Pairs hat-hot Phrase Groups Spellings for the target sound

Week 7

U 11 /ɔ/ (ball) Minimal Pairs cut-caught Using stress and intonation to show a

contrast Spellings for the target sound U12 /ow/ (go) Minimal Pairs saw-sew Linking vowel sounds

Week 7 continued

U13 /uw/ (too) Vocabulary Stress and pronouns Spellings for the target sound

Week 8

U14 /ʊ/ (book) Minimal Pairs pool-pull Negative Contractions Spellings for the target sound U15 Review of U7~14 Oral and written exercises to assist

student in their final corrections before the midterm exam.

Week 9

Midterm exam The exam covers U1~14. It counts for

30% of the semester final grade.

Week 10

U16 //ɑy/ (fine) Minimal Pairs back-bike Stress in compound nouns Spellings for the target sound U17 /ɔy/ (boy) Minimal Pairs buy-boy Sentence Rhythm and Timing Spellings for the target sound

Week 10 continued

U18 /ɑw/ (house) Minimal Pairs shot-shout Stress and linking in phrasal verbs Spellings for the target sound U19 and U20 are homework

assignments

Week 11

U21/ɝ/ (word) Minimal Pairs four-fur, far-fur, shut-bird Tag questions with falling intonations Spellings for the target sound U22/p/ (pop) Vocabulary Intonation in lists Spellings for the target sound

Week 11 continued

U23 /b/ (baby) Minimal Pairs pear-bears Stress in compound nouns Spellings for the target sound

Week 12

U24 /t/ (two) Vocabulary Linking a final consonant Spellings for the target sound U25 /d/ (did) Minimal Pairs time-dime -ed endings Spellings for the target sound

Week 13

U26 /k/ (key) Vocabulary Stress in noun phrases with compounds Spellings for the target sound U27 /g/ (good) Minimal Pairs coat-goat Gonna (going to) Spellings for the target sound

Week 14

U28 Review U22~27 Quiz 2 – This quiz covers U16~27. It

counts for 15% of the semester final grade.

Week 15

U29 /s/ (sun) Vocabulary Linking a final consonant cluster Spellings for the target sound U30 /s/ (zoo) Minimal Pairs Sue-zoo -s endings Spellings for the target sound

Week 15 continued

U31 /ʃ/ (shoe) Minimal Pairs Sue-shoe Linking words with /ʃ/ Spellings for the target sound

Week 16

U32 /ʒ/ (television) Vocabulary Stress in words with -ion Spellings for the target sound U33 /ʧ/ (chips) Minimal Pairs shop-chop Silent syllables Spellings for the target sound

Week 16 continued

U34 /dʒ/ (joke) Minimal Pairs cheap-jeep Didja; wouldja; didncha; doncha Spellings for the target sound

Week 17

Comprehensive review U1~34 This review highlights L1-specific

difficulties the students have encountered during the course and provides them with coping strategies for the final exam.

Week 18

Semester final exam. This exam is comprehensive. It covers

U1~34. It counts for 40% of the semester final exam.