----- Original Message ----- From: Lora Walters - walters.lora@xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Pronunciation Also, 1) looking at your face to SEE the difference in pronunciation is valuable 2) using mirrors for the students to see how their mouth changes it's shape from the two examples you mentioned - short a and short e and b and p. 3) when I exaggerate the sounds in class, my students do understand the difference but it takes a lot of reinforcement until they assimilate these differences. Leah Jennifer wrote: >Of course you can teach pronunciation, and differenciation between the sounds. >For many years I taught in the Tel Aviv University language lab, and I >still apply what I taught then to any and all ethnic groups, and a lot of fun they find it. >You write up on the board two columns of the problem sounds, e.g. bad/ bed, or, for Arabic speakers, pan/ban. >Put about 10 words in each column. On the top of column one, you write 1, and on top of column two, you write 2. You then face the class and say one word from one of the columns. All the students have to take part together. Hands up those of you who think the word was from column one. Hands up for those who think it was column two. >After a few tries, most of the class can hear the difference. Then you turn your back. (Yes you can do it. The pupils are all very eager.) Now you do the same thing, but they have no visual clues. >Then you go round the class getting them to pronounce the sounds. >The pupils enjoy it. In classes where they are just learning to read, it reinforces reading, and the same goes for non-reader classes. >I did it at university level. >Yes, it is very important. It helps with spelling (up to a point), and it reduces confusion. No more "Why are the words man and men written differently, when they sound the same?" ----------------------------------------------- ** The ETNI Rag ** http://www.etni.org/etnirag/ Much more than just a journal ** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org or - http://www.etni.org.il ** ** for help - ask@xxxxxxxx ** ** to post to this list - etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** -----------------------------------------------