How to Teach Phonetics to ESL Students
Phonetics in English can pose a challenge to language learners. Your students may not be familiar with the Latin alphabet, which makes the task of mastering English all the more difficult. English spelling and pronunciation are often inconsistent, and the sounds of the letters as they are used in English may be different from what your students are used to. However, there are many ways you can help your ESL students to improve their understanding of English phonetics. Though your students may never lose their accents, you can help them become more comfortable with English phonetics and pronunciation.
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Instructions
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Clarify the stress in multi-syllabic English words. This is especially effective for beginning or intermediate students whose reading level is more advanced than their spoken English. Give your students worksheets or have them write down a few multi-syllabic words. Have your students indicate how many syllables are in each word by placing lines around the syllables, marking them into sections. Ask your students to mark which syllable carries the stress of the word by marking a large dot over the stressed syllable and small dots on the unstressed syllables.
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Integrate some theatrical games into your class. Add some fun to your class time and take away the pressure of having perfect grammar and pronunciation by having your students be a little silly. Do this at the end of class or after a test, or when your students need a break from the regular curriculum. Require them to exaggerate their accents when they speak, even coaching them to pretend they are acting in a play or movie as a native English speaker with a thick accent. You can even ask them to impersonate a specific actor or actress. You will be surprised at how well they can "fake" a native English accent. Your students will enjoy hearing one another with exaggerated accents and appreciate the chance to not take class so seriously for a short time.
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Integrate music into your class. There are several ways to use music to help your students understand and improve their pronunciation and comprehension of phonetics. For example, English language learners often have trouble distinguishing between the words "ninety" and "nineteen." Play Prince's classic hit "1999" and have the students sing along with the chorus, paying special attention to the clear pronunciation of the numbers. Sing along with them. If you put the music on at a loud volume and everyone sings together, even your shy students won't be afraid to sing along and get some extra pronunciation practice.
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Tips & Warnings
Unless you are teaching an accent reduction course, allow your students to keep their accent. Many language learners choose to speak with their accents and are not interested in sounding like native speakers. One can still have clear pronunciation and be fully understood while having a foreign accent.
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