Module 1 (1 of 3)

TASK 1
COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES

TERMINOLOGY IN PHONOLOGY AND PHONETICS

Look at the sums overleaf. Complete each one with an

appropriate word, as has been done in the first example.
Choose different words from those exercise above.

cheer

tourist

e hair

a how

e
paint

toy

a
pride

show

TASK 2
ACTION RESEARCH
Choose and carry out ONE of the action research projects outlined
below.
Project A
With a class, plan and teach a lesson which involves an introduction
to the phonemic chart. In your presentation of the project include
class profile, brief individual learner profiles, lesson plan, rationale,
materials, and reflections on the lesson.
In a class composed of Korean students, I first introduce the phonemic
chart with some basic vowel sounds monothongs and diphthongs.

In my class with Korean students, I was able to understand that their

writing system is pretty easy and actually follows the phonemic alphabet.
So then, I introduced each vowel using their Korean phonemic
counterpart:

In this method, my korean students realise how similar the English vowel
sounds are to their languages. For instance

Is the same as

Its Korean phonemic counterpart.

I then ask my students to provide examples for each vowel sound with
more varied words.

Reflection:

It is highly crucial that an English teacher has basic knowledge in his

students mother tongue. Knowing a little of their language helps me to
teach pronunciation to my students more easily. Vowels are a bit
challenging though because I need to illustrate to them the correct the
correct positioning of the tongue and shape of the mouth.
Illustrations/pictures of mouth and tongue position are not as helpful as
coming up with this way of teaching the English vowels sounds. This
method, I hold, makes it simplier and easier for me to teach and bridge
the difference and similarities.

TASK 3
Choose and use in a lesson one activity from Hancock.
Write a short class profile.
Give a detailed description of how you conducted the
activity, any adaptations you made of the material, and an
assessment of the usefulness of the material for your
students learning.
The lesson below is taken from
Pronunciation in Use Book, Unit 3:

Mark

Hancocks

English

basically follow the lesson plan by Hancock. I also include my own strategy
which is introduce the lesson by using the counterparts of the English
consonants in this way:

I let my students produce this sound by pressing their upper and lower
lips and making a sound without vibrating the vocal cords.

The students are asked to reproduce this sound by pressing their upper
and lowers together and making a sound while clearly vibrating the vocal
cords.
In addition, I also used minimal pairs:

Beginner:

BP

bar Pa

bay* pay

be P

bear* pair

berry perry*

bet* pet

big pig

blaze* plays

but putt*

butter putter*

buy pie

by pie

bye pie

cub* cup

Pre-Intermediate

band panned*

bat pat*

beer pier*

belt pelt*

bill pill

bin pin

bit pit*

blade* played

blain* plane

bland* planned

bore poor

bored pawed*

bought port

braid* prayed

bull* pull

lib* lip

pub pup*

tab* tap

Intermediate

banned panned*

bare pare*

base pace

beak* peak

bear pear

beat peat*

bee pee*

bitch* pitch

blain* plain

blank plank*

blot* plot

board pawed*

bow pow*

braise* prays

bride pride

browed* proud

burr* per

robe rope

Upper-Intermediate

bah* par

bead peed*

beak* peek

bier* peer

blaster* plaster

bleed plead*

blink plink*

bore pour

braise* praise

breast pressed

breech* preach

brick prick*

cab cap

rib rip

tribe tripe*

Advanced

batty patty

beep peep

beet peat

bi pi

blade plaid

bleat pleat

bloom plume

blunder plunder

blush plush

boar paw

boar pour

boo poo

braise preys

brat prat

brawn prawn

brig prig

brim prim

burr purr

butt putt

TASK 4
LABELLED DIAGRAMS TO SHOW:
The position the speech-organs move through in pronouncing the
word afterwards.

Transcription:

//

ftwrdz

stress the first

syllable

/f/

/t/

dont vibrate vocal cords

dont vibrate vocal cords

//

make unstressed schwa sound

/w/

//

/r/

make unstressed schwa sound

vibrate the vocal cords

/d/

/z/

vibrate the vocal cords

vibrate the vocal cords

TASK 5

Prepare to write ONE essay. Arrange for a colleague to

supervise the writing of the essay. Do not use any
reference materials or rouge notes. Do not write for more
than 40 minutes.
To what extent, in your opinion, are the symbols of the
International Phonetic Association useful for (a) teachers and (b)
learners at different levels?
The International Phonetic Association symbols are very functional for
teachers and learners at different levels. Owing to the fact that the subtle
English language does not really have a distinct or clear-cut set of rules
for spelling is indeed challenging and difficult. Hence, learning usually
just happens by following and imitating the teacher. However, anyone
who is not a native of the English language would easily lose focus as to
how to articulately pronounce an unfamiliar word. The IPA symbols is
designed to exclusively aim at this weakness of the English Language.
Learners of the English language nowadays keep their learning of the
language handy by checking on the accurate enunciation of unfamiliar
words in their electronic dictionaries.
It is also advantageous for teachers to discover the most widely
acknowledged ways of enunciatiating a word. Whilst it could be easier for
a non-native English teacher to please a learner at elementary level, still a
a teacher has to be cautious and conscious when teaching learners of the
English language at advanced level.
In addition, the IPA symbols benefit both teachers and students to
learn the differences between some vowels and consonants. With
conscientious practice, both non-native teachers and students will be able
to enhance their pronunciation and command of the English sounds.