Design of a teaching pronunciation course for teachers
of English from the South-East Asian region.
Defence International Training Centre
Melbourne
Role: to enhance the training provided in Australia to
South-East Asian and South Pacific defence
force
personnel
o Cross cultural awareness training
o English language training
o Teacher training
Current Teacher Training Courses
o Initial teacher training (MELT)
o Advanced teacher training (ETDC)
Need for the new course
o Few progress from MELT to ETDC
o Recent increase in proficiency issues –
including pronunciation
o Lack of confidence as models and as
teachers of pronunciation
o Vicious circle
Pathways
Introducing some of the teachers
video\Interviews.wmv
Aims of theTeaching Pronunciation*
Course
SHORT TERM
1. (Re-)Mobilise teachers’ own pronunciation
development
2. Develop confidence and motivation
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making decisions re pronunciation teaching
using a range of (easy) techniques
integrating more pronunciation work into existing lessons
encouraging learners to pay more attention to pronunciation
Aims of the Teaching Pronunciation*
Course
LONG TERM
o To improve the pronunciation – and therefore
communicative ability – of potential defence
training participants …
o To increase the pool of potential defence
training participants
o To improve the pronunciation of future
teachers of English
o And so on…
video\ShoppingList.wmv
Guiding principles
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Practicality/cost-effectiveness
English as a lingua franca
Communicative value
Evidence from research – explicit vs implicit
Achievability – teachers/teaching context
video\Channa2.wmv
video\Channa1.wmv
Challenges
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teacher proficiency
Teacher awareness
Different L1s → some differences in
pronunciation difficulties especially re tone
and non-tone languages
Context of training ≠ context of teaching
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multilingual vs monolingual
teaching resources
video\ShoppingList.wmv
video\Stress.wmv
video\Mulyono1.wmv
video\Channa1.wmv
Course details
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DITC, Melbourne
6 weeks full time (38 hours/week)
18 participants
MELT graduates
Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam,
Malaysia, Indonesia
3 instructors
Textbook:
Kelly, G. 2000 How to Teach Pronunciation
Pearson Longman
Learning Outcomes
o Make principled decisions about
pronunciation teaching (within a lesson or
series of lessons)
o Teach English sounds (phonemes) effectively
o Teach English word stress effectively
o Teach sentence stress and intonation
(suprasegmental features) effectively
o Teach features of connected speech in
English effectively
o Teach pronunciation in an integrated manner
Example of a Learning Outcome
LEARNING OUTCOME 4
To teach sentence stress and intonation (suprasegmental
features) effectively
To identify
• patterns of strength or weakness in their own and their
students’ stress and intonation - receptive as well as
productive
• priorities …
• useful knowledge …
• appropriate metalanguage …
• resources and techniques … – both proactive and remedial
• learner difficulties … in existing lessons/materials
• learner strategies for developing confidence …
To apply…
Focus on integration into any course
LEARNING OUTCOME 6
To teach pronunciation in an integrated manner
o to identify the various aspects of pronunciation relevant to
particular lessons relating to receptive as well as
productive skills
o to identify a range of techniques to help learners with more
than one aspect of pronunciation in a lesson in relation to
receptive as well as productive skills
o to apply a range of techniques to help learners with more
than one aspect of pronunciation in a lesson relating to
receptive as well productive skills
Timetabling
Week 1
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
0800–0850 h
2
0855-0945 h
Introduction to the course
3
1005-1055 h
4
1100-1150 h
Sounds 1
Word endings
CLO1 LO2
5
1300–1350 h
6
1355-1445 h
Principles 1 Teaching aims
7
1500-1550 h
Intro to the IRC
and SAC
Fri
Assessment
overview
CLO1 LO1
Sounds 2
Consonants – place and manner
CLO1 LO2
Sounds 3
Integrated approach 1
Consonants – diagnostic workshop Issues in vocabulary lessons
CLO1 LO2
CLO1 LO6
Sounds 4
Consonants – teaching techniques
CLO1 LO2
Sounds 5
Consonants –published materials
CLO1 LO2
Principles 2 Determining
Priorities
Set up MT 1
Includes plan requirements
Includes intro to DVD camera
Set up Portfolio
Assessment
task
CLO1 LO1
Thu
8
1555–1650 h
Sounds 6
Vowels and diphthongs
CLO1 LO2
Sounds 7
Vowels and diphthongs
CLO1 LO2
GO consultation preparation for
MicroTeaching 1
MicroTeaching 1
3 groups 6 x 15 mins
MicroTeaching 1
Group feedback
Week review and set up MT2
CLO1 LO1 LO2
CLO1 LO1 LO2
SPORT
CTO2
Independent
study
Assessment - questions
Major Issue
Standard level of performance or individual
development?
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o
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Micro teaching – peers – isolated aspects?
Micro- teaching – migrant volunteers – validity?
Portfolio – related to own context
Quiz – background issues
Course evaluation
• Short term
• Long term
video\Sack_E.wmv
References
o Fraser, H. 2006 ‘Helping teachers help students
with pronunciation: A cognitive approach’
Prospect 1/21 p 80-96
o Fraser, H. 2010 ‘Cognitive theory as a tool for
teaching second language pronunciation’ in De
Knop et al. (eds) Fostering language teaching
efficiency through cognitive linguistics. Berlin:
Mouton de Gruyter
o Kenworthy, J. 1987 Teaching English
Pronunciation London: Longman