Teaching Pronunciation: Theory and Practice
TESL 642, Spring 2017
Instructors
Email:
Office Hours:
Robin Barr
and
[email protected]
Tu/Th 3-5 p.m. MGC 326
Rebecca Wilner
[email protected]
M-F 4-5pm MGC 330N
and by apt. in SVB 442
Course Description
Teaching Pronunciation introduces the formal analysis of phonetics and phonology
along with techniques for incorporating these into practical classroom instruction. This
course places an emphasis on problem-solving strategies using data from many
languages and contexts, and on effective techniques for instruction. The main project
for this course involves working with a non-native English speaker to identify and
address pronunciation issues relevant to the learner’s needs.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will:
• Have deepened their understanding of theoretical linguistic and psycholinguistic
principles involved in second language acquisition
• Be able to use these theoretical principles to devise effective teaching
techniques, construct syllabi, and adapt instructional materials to a specific
student’s needs
• Have synthesized their theoretical and practical knowledge by collecting their
own data and writing up an extensive case-study of an adult English learner.
Assessment
Assignment
5 Problem sets @ 4%
Phonetics quiz
Type of Grading
Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory
Graded
Phonology take-home quiz
3 Tutoring Reflections/
Lesson Plans @ 5%
Materials Adaptation
Pronunciation Project
Weight
20%
5%
10%
Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory
15%
Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory
Individual components will be graded
separately. See project guidelines.
10%
40%
Problem Sets
Five problem sets will prepare you for class discussion, quizzes and your pronunciation
project. You will collaborate with classmates on these assignments and turn them in
individually. Late or incomplete assignments may not receive full credit. Problem sets
may not be returned; please make a copy for yourself if you want to use them for study.
Quizzes
There are two quizzes: a short, in-class quiz on phonetic transcription and features, and
a take-home quiz on phonology. There is no collaboration on quizzes.
1
Teaching Pronunciation: Theory and Practice
TESL 642, Spring 2017
Tutoring Reflections and Lesson Plans
More than a simple blow-by-blow account of what you have been doing with your
pronunciation student, this assignment allows you to plan and reflect on the practical
applications of this course to your tutoring sessions, and to share your experiences with
your classmates. Each reflection paper must include these components:
• Tutoring Update: provide an update on your tutoring sessions followed by observations
and/or any questions you may have about the instructional work you are doing with your
subject. Include any adaptations you made to the lesson plans we gave you.
• Lesson Plans: Given a particular concept, chapter, or activity in your
pronunciation textbooks (Color Vowel Chart or Targeting Pronunciation), design
a lesson plan around it for use with your tutoring student. Successful lesson
plans will add personalization, adaptation (for level or learning style), and
scaffolding to the textbook lesson.
• Connections: explore an idea, experience or discovery from your tutoring
session that illustrates points emphasized in your readings and in class.
Materials Adaptation Assignment
Starting from typical non-pronunciation instructional material, you will 1) identify
opportunities for pronunciation instruction and practice, and 2) adapt material to reflect
the specific needs (goals, interests, background, learning style, and level) of your tutee.
This may involve personalizing content, omitting content or activities that do not match
your tutees’ needs, and adding activities or smaller instructional steps that will benefit
your tutees. 3) You will then present it to the class as a mini-lesson. We urge you to
collaborate with others in the class whose tutees have similar needs.
Pronunciation Project
Here, you will use the insights and skills that you are developing in this class to perform an
in-depth assessment of your tutee’s pronunciation. See the Pronunciation Project Overview
and additional handouts for more information. This task will include:
• Finding a cooperative non-native English speaker who wants to improve his/her
pronunciation
• Recording interviews and making transcriptions of his or her pronunciation
• Using this data to analyze and diagnose his/her pronunciation problems
• Developing an individualized pronunciation syllabus and lesson plan for a
hypothetical 12-week course that will improve your student’s intelligibility
Required Texts
• Avery, Peter and Susan Ehrlich. 2007. Teaching American English Pronunciation
• Grant, Linda, ed. 2014. Pronunciation Myths. [graduate course]
• Miller, Sue F. 2006. Targeting Pronunciation, 2nd Edition (with audio CDs)
• Taylor, Karen and Shirley Thompson with Robin Barr. 2016. Color Vowel Chart
Teaching with the Color Vowel Approach (with color vowel charts).
• Yavas, Mehmet. 2006. Applied English Phonology
• Additional required and supplementary readings will be available on e-reserves or
from the professor. Some homework may require use of computer software.
12
Teaching Pronunciation: Theory and Practice
TESL 642, Spring 2017
PreCourse
Week 1
Jan 19
Week 2
Jan 26
Week 3
Feb 2
Week 4
Feb 9
UNIT I: INTRODUCTION and SUPRASEGMENTALS
Readings:
Find a tutee
Grant: Prologue, 1, 2.
Wong (1993)
Course Introduction: a suprasegmental approach
Introduction to the Project: first, catch your rabbit.
Introduction to sociocultural issues and NVC.
Practice diagnosis and phonetics review.
Pronunciation discovery stations
Introduction to Project Part 1.
Introduction to suprasegmentals (intonation and
stress).
I got rhythm
Project pt. 1 Prep. Suprasegmentals (rhythm) and
sociocultural issues, continued.
Language Assessment (ACTFL/CEFR)
Rubber bands, Color Vowel Charts, and Koosh
Balls™
Vowel length and reduction.
Introduction to Project Part 2.
Related Readings:
• Avery intro,1
• Yavas & phonetics
charts
Coursework Due:
• PS1 DUE
Related Readings:
• Avery 2, 4,16
• Ladefoged 5
• Yavas 7
• Grant 4
Coursework Due:
• PS2 DUE
Related Readings:
• Avery 5, 6
• Yavas 6
Coursework Due:
• Project Part 1 DUE
Related Readings:
• Avery 3, 11
• Yavas 3, 4, 5
UNIT II: SEGMENTAL PHONETICS
Week 5
Feb 16
Week 6
Feb 23
Week 7
Mar 2
Coursework Due:
• Reflection 1 DUE
Related Readings:
• Avery 7, 8
• Taylor & Thompson
• Yavas 2, 8
Coursework Due:
It’s not ‘sloppy,’ it’s efficient!
• Project Part 2 DUE
Why linking, vowel length, and vowel reduction are
Related Readings:
necessary rules of English. Introduction to Project
• Avery 2, 3, 4 (review)
Part 3.
• DARE excerpt :“Arthur
the Rat” dialect variation
Saturday, February 25, 9-2, Phonetics Workshop: Call ‘Em as You Hear ‘Em
Pronunciation students’ attendance required.
Coursework Due:
Songfest: the music of suprasegmentals
• PS3 DUE
Using songs to teach pronunciation.
Related Readings:
You’re from a cow?!
Linking, glottal stops and other rules your students
don’t believe in. Phonetic Transcription Review
Introduction to syllable structure and its effects on
phonology.
•
Week 8
Mar 9
Mar 16
PHONETICS QUIZ
Syllable structure and phonological rules. Introduction
to Project Part 3. Pigeonholes and phonemes Finding the rules
Avery 9
Related Readings:
• Ohio Files
• Halle & Clements
excerpts
SPRING BREAK
UNIT III: PHONOLOGY: sound patterns, rules, and mental representations.
13
Teaching Pronunciation: Theory and Practice
TESL 642, Spring 2017
Metalinguistic attitudes. Which English do we
Week 9
Mar 23
Coursework Due:
• PS4 DUE
•
teach?
Learner attitudes about dialect variation.
Reflection 2 Due
Related Readings:
• Eimas, Velleman
• Video: “American
Tongues.”
Tuesday, March 28, 8:10 – 9:30 p.m. MGC 247.
Categorical Pizza. Led by Robin Barr. How phonemic categorical perception develops. Free to all.
Pronunciation students are strongly encouraged to attend. Pizza is provided.
How to describe linguistic patterns and systems.
Coursework Due:
Your Students’ Phonologies
• Project Part 3 DUE
Week 10
PHONOLOGY QUIZ distributed (due Week 11).
Related Readings:
Mar 30
Sound patterns in the classroom.
• Avery 13, 14
Introduction to Project Part 4 .
• Grant 3
Coursework Due:
Lesson Plans
• Take Home Phonology
Week 11 Planning effective pronunciation lessons.
Quiz DUE
April 6
Materials Adaptation introduction.
Related Readings:
• Grant 5, 6, 7
Week 12 What Goes on in Your Mind
Coursework Due:
April 13
Language processing. Lexical chunks.
• PS 5 DUE
Coursework Due:
Syllabus Design
• Reflection 3
Week 13 What doesn’t happen in class: the pronunciation
• Materials Adaptation
learner’s learning curve.
Related Readings:
April 20
• Avery 10
• Celce-Murcia 9
UNIT IV: INTERACTION OF PHONOLOGY WITH OTHER AREAS
Week 14
April 27
Week 15
May 4
Pronunciation in the ESL/EFL Classroom
Integrating pronunciation into daily instruction.
Materials adaptation demos.
What’s that in the road, a head?!
Finish materials adaptation demos.
General conclusions.
14
Coursework Due:
• Part 4 DUE
Related Readings:
• Avery 12
• Yavas 9
Teaching Pronunciation: Theory and Practice
TESL 642, Spring 2017
TESL 542 Supplementary Readings. Note: Some of these will be required, others
recommended or optional. These and other additional readings will be available on
Blackboard, at the library, or from the professors.
Acton, William (1984) “Changing Fossilized Pronunciation,” TESOL Quarterly, V18, N1, pp.
71-85.
Anderson-Hsieh, Janet. 1989. “Approaches toward teaching pronunciation: a brief history,”
Cross Currents Vol. XVI No. 2, pp. 73-78.
Anderson-Hsieh, J. 1992. “Using electronic visual feedback to teach suprasegmentals,”
System 20(1): 51-62.
Bloch, Bernard. 1941. “Phonemic Overlapping,” American Speech Vol. 16, pp. 278-284.
Bråten, Stein. 2009. The Intersubjective Mirror in Infant Learning and Evolution of Speech.
Advances in Consciousness Research 76. Benjamins.
Brazil, David. 1994. Pronunciation for Advanced Learners of English, Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge
Cassidy, Frederick, ed. 1985. “Guide to Pronunciation” & “Language changes especially
common in American folk speech,” in Dictionary of American Regional English.
Celce-Murcia, Marianne, Donna M. Brinton, and Janet M. Goodwin. 1996. Teaching
Pronunciation: A Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
New York, NY: Cambridge.
Collins, B. & I.M. Meese (2003) Practical Phonetics and Phonology (with CD).
Dalton, C. & Seidlhofer, B. (1994) Pronunciaton, Oxford, UK: Oxford, chapter 1, pp. 3-12.
Derwing, Bruce & William Baker. “Is the child really a ‘little linguist’?” Chapter 6 in J.
Macnamara, ed., Language Learning and Thought.
Dogil, Grzegorz, and Susanne Maria Reiterer. 2009. Language Talent and Brain Activity:
Trends in Applied Linguistics I. Mouton de Gruyter.
Eimas, Peter D. 1974. “Linguistic processing of speech by young infants,” Chapter 2 in R.
Schiefelbusch & L. Lloyd, eds., Language Perspectives: Acquisition, Retardation, and
Intervention, pp. 55-73.
Eimas, Peter D., E.R. Siqueland, P. Jusczyk, & J. Vigorito. 1971. “Speech perception in
infants,” Science, Vol. 171, pp. 303 - 306. [Blackboard link]
Fangshi, Cheng. 1998. “The Teaching of Pronunciation to Chinese Students of English,”
Forum 36, no. 1, Jan-Mar 1998.
Gilbert, Judy. 1993. Clear Speech (student and teacher editions). Cambridge University
Press.
Gilbert, Judy. Clear Speech From the Start (student and teacher editions). Cambridge
University Press. [if your student is a beginner]
Gilbert, Judy. 1994. “Intonation: a navigation guide for the listener,” in J. Morley, ed.
Pronunciation Pedagogy and Theory. Alexandria, VA: TESOL, pp. 36-48.
Grant, Linda. 2001. Well Said. Boston: Heinle & Heinle
Grant, Linda. 1995. “Creating pronunciation-based ESL materials for publication,” in Byrd,
ed. Material Writer’s Guide, Boston: Heinle & Heinle, pp. 118-120.
Halle, Morris and G.N. Clements. 1983. Problem Book in Phonology. [problems on
Blackboard]
Kaltenboek, Gunther. 1994. “‘Chunks’ and pronunciation teaching,” Speak Out! 13, pp. 1722.
Katamba, Francis. 1989. An Introduction to Phonology.
15
Teaching Pronunciation: Theory and Practice
TESL 642, Spring 2017
Kiparsky, Paul & Lise Menn. “On the acquisition of phonology,” Chapter 4 in J. Macnamara,
ed., Language Learning and Thought.
Ladefoged, Peter. 1993 (or later editions – 2010 edition includes CD). A Course in
Phonetics.
Ladefoged, Peter. 2001. Vowels and Consonants: An Introduction to the Sounds of
Languages. (& CD)
Levis, John. 2001. “Teaching Focus for Conversational Use,” ELT Journal v.55 n1, Jan.
Pp. 47-54.
Lewis, Michael. 1993. The Lexical Approach. Hove, UK: ITP. [Using chunks in second
language teaching.]
Lewis, Michael. “Implementing a Lexical Approach,” Hove, UK: ITP, esp. Chapter 8.
Liberman, Alvin. “The Speech Code,” Ch. 12 in G. Miller, ed. Communication, Language,
and Meaning.
Matthews, John & Cynthia Brown. 1998. “Qualitative and quantitative differences in the
discrimination of second language speech sounds,” Proceedings of the B.U. Conf. on
Lang. Devel, Vol. 22, pp. 499-510.
Menn, Lise. 2011. Psycholinguistics: Introduction and Applications. [a clear intro to ‘brain
stuff’].
Miller, Sue F. 2000. Targeting Pronunciation (including CDs). [1st edition] Houghton Mifflin.
Ohio State University. Language Files: Materials for an Introduction to Language and
Linguistics.
Pennington, Martha C. 1999. “Computer-aided pronunciation pedagogy: promise,
limitations, directions,” Computer Assisted Language Learning, Vol. 12, No. 5, pp.
427-440.
Philp, Jenefer, Rhonda Oliver, Alison Mackey, eds. 2008. Second Language Acquisition
and the Younger Learner: Child’s Play? Benjamins.
Reis Pereira, Ivana Brasiliero. 2009. The Effects of Bilingualism on Children’s Perception of
Speech Sounds. Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics/ Landelijke – LOT.
Roach, Peter. 2000. English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course. 3rd
edition. Sapir, Edward. 1933. “The Psychological Reality of Phonemes.”
Swan, M. & B. Smith, eds. 1987. Learner English: A Teacher’s Guide to Interference and
Other Problems.
Velleman, Shelley L. 1998. Making Phonology Functional: What Do I Do First?
Wong, Rita. 1986. Teaching Pronunciation: Focus on English Rhythm and Intonation,
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Wong, Rita. 1993. “Pronunciation Myths and Facts,” English Teaching Forum, Oct. 1993, pp.
45-46.
16
Teaching Pronunciation: Theory and Practice
TESL 642, Spring 2017
Teaching Pronunciation
Assignment Due Dates Overview
The table below provides another view of the work you will be doing for this course. Please
budget your time and energies accordingly—as you can see, this course is more of a
“marathon” than a “cramathon”—aim for even pacing and consistent performance.
Week
Date
1
Jan 19
2
Jan 26
3
Feb 2
4
Phonology
Pedagogy
PS 1
PS 2
Part 1
Feb 9
5
TR #1
Feb 16
6
Feb 23
7
Mar 2
8
Mar 9
Project
Part 2
PS 3
Phonetics Quiz
Mar 16 – No
class
Spring Break
9
Mar 23
10
Mar 30
11
Apr 6
12
Apr 13
13
Apr 20
14
PS 4
TR #2
Phonology take-home
distributed
Phonology
take-home quiz due
Part 3
PS 5
Materials Adaptation/
TR #3
Part 4
Apr 27
15
May 4
17