S5-£. 83-93, 1988

The Importance of the. Alphabet

in Initial EFL Instruction

Paul V. Griesy*

(Received October 15, 1987)

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The old English expression, "It's as easy as A B C," is used by native speakers to describe the ease

with which something can be learned. The recitation of the alphabet and the writing of the 26 letters

are for the native speaker tasks which require little or no effort. Yet for students of English as a foreign

language the recitation of,, the alphabet is often very difficult. Writing these 26 letters in their four

different forms can often be an insurmountable obstacle. It is for these reasons that care must be given

in the initial stages of English language instruction to the recognition, pronunciation, and writing of the

letters of the alphabet. By careful instruction initially, we not only provide students with mastery of

these basic building blocks, but give them insights into many significant aspects of English language

itself. This study will indicate methods for instructing students in the pronunciation of the names of the

letters of the alphabet, the rationale for such instruction, and the positive influences such instruction will

have as students learn other aspects of the language."

When students begin learning English most teachers in Japan assume that they have already

mastered the names of the letters of the alphabet. This assumption is based on the fact that "romaji" is

taught in elementary school, and on the belief that most children have learned the names of the letters of

the alphabet by the time they enter junior high school. This assumption often results in the handicapping

of unprepared students from the very beginning of their study. Many teachers fail to realize how limited

the students' knowledge of the alphabet names is. The first two or three hours of EFL instruction

should seek to train children to recognize the names of the upper case block letters and to pronounce

those names as nearly as possible as native speakers would. The following techniques will give just such

careful guidance in the initial stages of EFL instruction.

1) The theories and techniques described in this study are derived from studies conducted by the author and hiscollaborator, Yoshiko Yanoshita, currently a teacher in Kumamoto Shiritsu Izumi Minami Chueakko. The system ofinstruction is called Sound Spelling Harmony (SSH). A series of four books have been printed for use in junior highschools. See bibliography for further information on this series.

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Paul V. Griesy

In order to facilitate this instruction, the alphabet should first be divided into sub-groups rather than

recited in the normal order, A to Z. If the alphabet is analyzed you will discover that there are sevensub-groups derived from the names of the letters. The following paradigm is used to illustrate thesesub-groups.

These sub-groups each share a common vowel phoneme, i.e., [i:], [ei], [ju:], [ou], [ai], [e], and [a]. The

largest of these sub-groups is comopsed of letters whose names include the vowel phoneme [i:], i.e., E,

B, C, D, G, P, T, V, Z. The second largest group includes the phoneme [e], i.e., F, L, M, N, S, X. The

third largest group containt the phoneme [ei], i, e., A, H, J, K. The fourth contains [ju:], i.e., U, Q, W.

The fifth contains [ai], i.e., I, Y. Two phonemes, [ou] and [a], have only one letter containing each

sound, 0 and R, respectively. Division of the alphabet into these "families" helps reinforce the common

vowel phoneme found in each group.

Ecd 22*

A ^14hK4H4H-{fl y.K|f4-POR^-l4--4\/W-><:-¥/

The first group of letters that is taught is formed by a combination of a consonant phoneme plus the

vowel [i:]. The name of the vowel letter E is the independent vowel phoneme [i:], and hence differs from

the eight remaining letters in this group all of which contain an initial consonant phoneme plus [i:], i.e.,

[bi:], [si:], [di:], etc. At this point it is possible for students to recognize a fundamental characteristic of

the language, i.e., that there are certain letters which are called vowels, and other which are called

consonants. Here the Japanese words for vowel and consonant are useful. Boin (MH) contains the

character for "mother" and "shiin" (-]ria) contains the character for "child." Hence we call this group

of letters the E family. It is composed of one "mother" (the vowel), and eight "children" (consonants).

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Alphabet in Initial EFL Instruction

Since the use of phonetic symbols is not permitted in the initial stages of language instruction in

Japan, teachers must find other mnemonic devices to create recall of the names of the letters in this

group. This is done by using two techiques, colors and numbers. Since this group of nine letters is the

largest single group in the alphabet we use the first primary color, red, to indicate these letters. We also

attach a number to the group.2' The number we use is 22, read [ni:] — [ni:]. This assignment of a

number is very simple because the manner in which the name of the number 2 is pronounced [ni:] is

identical with the manner in which the names of the consonants are pronounced, i.e., [bi:], [si:], [di:], etc.

The doubling of the number, 22, indicates that the vowel phoneme in the name of each letter in this

group is tense. Doubling later numbers will indicate that those vowels are also tense. This is a

significant aspect of English vowels which differs markedly from that of Japanese vowels in which a

major distinction is length.

When teaching the names of the nine letters in the No. 22 family, care should be taken to make sure

students pronounce clearly. This can be done by giving students various hints, indicating the position of

the tongue with one's hands or with an oral cavity diagram, or by attaching key words or concepts to the

pronunciation of certain sounds. The pronunciation of the initial phonemes in the names of the letters D

and T, unlike the voiced and voiceless dental plosives found in Japanese, are alveolar plosives. To make

this distinction clear the teacher can use anroral cavity diagram, or his hands to indicate that the tip of

the tongue touches the upper gum ridge in about the same position as the hour hand of a clock would

point to 10. This simple technique will help students avoid the appearance of having a frontal lisp, a

condition native speakers often sense as they hear Japanese pronounce [d], [t],

as well as [n] which is also in English an alveolar phoneme. Similar techniques

can be employed in teaching the initial phoneme in the name of the letter G,

which unlike Japanese is an alveolar affricate with a strongly articulated

plosive. Care of course must be taken to make sure students do not pronounce

certain letters as they are normally pronounced in Japanese, i.e., C as [si] not

[shi], of Z as [zi] not [zed].

2 ) The numbering system for the fifteen vowel phonemes of English was developed by the late Robert L. Allen,professor of Columbia University, Teachers College. Permission to use this system was granted to the author byProfessor Allen in 1982, shortly before his death. The numbering system is most carefully denoted in Allen, RobertL., Virginia French Allen, and Margaret Shute, English Sounds and Their Spellings (New York: Thomas Y. CrowellCo.. 1966).

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Paul V. Griesy

Another significant aspect of English phonology, voicing, can be introduced at this point. In the No.22 family there are three pairs of homorganic consonant phonemes present in the names of the letters. Inthese the only distinctions are voicing and aspiration: [b] and [p], [d] and [t], [z] and [s]. Students shouldbe made aware of the similarity of these phonemes and taught to distinguish the voiced or voiceless

elements. This distinction will later aid teachers when vowel length is indicated, and even when teachers

wish to indicate how certain phonemes change to their voiced or voiceless cognates in specific contexts,

i.e., why the plural marker, s, on roots ending in voiced consonants or vowels is pronounced [z]; or whythe past tense marker ed is pronounced [t] when preceded by voiceless consonants other than [t]. Thebenefits from such early instruction in these distinctions cannot be overestimated.

(2) A© 42S

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The second largest group of letters in the alphabet contains the vowel [e], but within this group

there is no vowel letter, only consonants, i.e.; F, L, M, N, S, X. For this reason we set this group asideuntil later and introduce those letters next which' contain the sound [ei]. Here the rationale for this

choice is two-fold. First, this group contains four letters, more than any of the remaining groups except

those with the phoneme [e]. The common vowel [ei] also concludes with the shortened from of the

phoneme [i:] which appeared in the E family. Determining a number for this group is therefore simplified

since the students have already attached the number 22 to the sound [i:]. The sound [ei] is a

diphthongized vowel and students are able to recognize two distinct sounds as they say the name of the

letter A The latter sound is a shortened from of the No. 22 sound. The initiating phoneme must

therefore be given a different number. We arbitrarily attach the number 4 to the initial sound in the

phoneme [ei], and explain that vowels appearing in the alphabet which have two digit numbers will

employ other even numbers, 6, 8, or 0. The color chosen to represent this third largest group is yellow,

the third primary color.

In teaching the No. 42 family, it is impor

tant to arrange the letters so that the letter J

is on the left hand side of the picture, closest

to the letter G in the No. 22 family. This is

done to indicate that the initiating consonant

phoneme in both letters is identical. This has

another significance. The letter G has two

pronunciations in English words, [g] and [d3].

The latter pronunciation is identical with the

pronunciation of the initial phoneme in the

name of the letter J. In words G is generally

given the sound H3] when it is followed by

the letters E, I, Y, e.g., gem, giant, gym. By arranging the letters side by side on the blackboard and

calling them "cousins" this relationship can be established early and later instruction in this principle can

be simplified.

In the No. 42 family H should be displayed beside A since unlike J and K the initial phoneme is not a

consonant, but the vowel [ei]. Its form is also similar to A except that the two outer lines are

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Alphabet in Initial EFL Instruction

perpendicular, not diagonal. By indicating this with his/her arms, the teacher can indicate to slower

students how A and H are similar! The letter K should be displayed on the right of this group to

indicate its relation to Q, one of the letters appearing in the following group.

(3) V<D5i.m 66*

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The next group of letters that is taught contains the vowel phoneme [ju:], U, Q, W. Here the

number 66 is assigned since neither of the previous vowel phonemes is found in the names of these

letters. The initiating consonant phoneme [j] in the name of the letter U is not considered at this point,

but only later when actual words are taught and a distinction is made between the pronunciation of the

U in different contexts, i.e., the u in flute [flu:t] as opposed to the u in cute [kju:t]. At that time this

distinction is clarified by the addition of the consonant letter y_ before 66 to indicate [ju:], y66.

The 66 group is not called a family, but

"brothers." The reason for this distinction is

that although U is a vowel, it is not always

pronounced as a vowel phoneme in words. In

combination with Q it is pronounced [w].

Likewise, the consonant W is not *always

pronounced as the consonant phoneme [w], but

often becomes the shortened from of [u:] when

it appears other than initially in monosyllable

words, i.e., now [nau], grow [grou], or town

[taun], grown [groun]. The letter W is a

semi-vowel, and U functions as a consonant in certain environments. The color selected to represent the

No. 66 "brothers" is orange, a combination of the two previously used colors, red and yellow. The

inter-relatedness of U, Q, and W is stressed in order to prepare students to extrapolate relationships

between these letters when they appear later in words.

By arranging the letter Q on the left hand side of the chart for the No. 66 group, it is displayed next

to K, both of which share the common initiating phoneme [k]. This relationship again described as

"cousins", helps students learn that Q is always pronounced [k]. By putting U in a central position on the

chart, students see that it is central to Q and W, i.e., the letter Q must always be followed by U in the

spelling of English words, and the U in that context is given the consonant phoneme [w]. By separating

W slightly from the letters Q and U, students learn that W is a somewhat troublesome brother. This

will aid teachers later when they teach that W is a semi-vowel, or that the letter W exerts an influence

on certain vowel letters causing them to vary from their normal pronunciation, i.e., the vowel in pan [pssn]

as opposed to the vowel in wan [wan], the vowel in far [far] as opposed to the vowel in war [wa:r], or

the vowel in fork [fo:rk] as opposed to the vowel in work [wa:rk]. All such later instruction can be

enhanced by simply pointing out to students initially that these letters behave like people, i.e., that they

change character in different contexts.

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A-nt">-r7h

Paul V. Griesy

(4) UtOl^-DhOO </u 86§

^ ^ •'••••v-rV"yv/"^:

The next letter taught is 0. The selection of this isolated letter is determined

primarily by its sound [ou]. The latter part of this diphthongized phoneme is the

shortened from of [u:], the sound just previously learned. Hence students quicklyattach the number 86 to this sound, the previous three sounds having been given

initiating numbers 2, 4, and 6 respectively. The color used to represent 0 is

purple, a color associated with loneliness, since, [ou] does not appear in the name of

any other letter in the alphabet. Students are reminded that 0 is a vowel since it

has no other associated consonant phoneme as is the case for all consonant

letters.

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l^f-^h^-4H+rf^l MK^HQ^44-4VWXY/

The letters I and Y are taught next. Here once again the shortened from of a previously learned

vowel phoneme [i:] is recognized in the name of the letter I. In the vowel I it is preceded by the

phoneme [a]. Since all even numbers other than zero have been used to indicate the previous vowels, I

is given the number 02. This number is further reinforced as the students watch the teacher's mouth as

he/she pronounces the name of the letter I. By making a circle with the tip of the index finger and the

thumb, and by putting this over his/her lips, the students can see that the shape of the mouth initially

resembles a large zero before moving on to the final part of the diphthong [ai]. Although Y is considered

a consonant, it like W functions in certain environments as a vowel. Hence these two letters together we

call "twin sisters." In an environment other than initial, Y is pronounced in the same manner as I,

i.e-./bi and by, tire and tyre, lie and lye, or [i] in trip, and tryst, mitt and myth, or [ 5 ] at the end of

taxi or tacky. Bambi or baby. Since these two letters function in nearly complete harmony, they are

called "twins", and given the color green. In Japan green signifies peace. Later when teaching spelling

teachers should assist students in selecting one or the other of these letters by referring to I as the elder

sister (onesan) and Y as the younger sister (inioto). This will aid students in establishing the correct

spelling of words with the vowel phoneme [ai].

At this point teachers should arrange these five groups of letters

on the blackboard from left to right in the order they have been

taught: 22, 42, 66, 86, 02. The teacher should indicate to students

that in each of these groups there is a central vowel (in the case of

0 only that letter) and surrounding consonants. The pictures noted in

this article clarify this point. This is important since the remaining

groups of letters have no central vowel letter although they possess a

common vowel phoneme. The small number of vowels as opposed to

3) barred [£]

Alphabet in Initial EFL Instruction

large number of consonants will later explain the necessity for various spelling combinations of vowels

semi-vowels to be employed to indicate the fifteen vowel phonemes* in English.

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^•|^^.^|.^p..[^.f.^j_4.j,,„q^\Ji ^JtXC) ft j\/ vv A T /

The next group of letters to be taught is F, L, M, N, S, and X. As noted above, there is no vowel

er present in this group, but the common vowel phoneme is [e], hence students can clearly distinguish

i group from others learned earlier. Another charateristic of this group of letters, unlike other groups

letters learned earlier (with the exception of H) is that the vowel phoneme in the names of these

ers precedes the consonant phoneme, cf. B [bi:], K [kei], Q [kju:], Y [wai] and F [ef], L [el], M [em],

en], S [es], X [eks].

This group of letters is the second largest after the E group (No. 22), and therefore is colored blue,

second primary color. A number must be attached to the group . Since the initial sound in each

er's name is a lax vowel phoneme as opposed to the tense vowel phonemes in the earlier groups, a

gle digit number must be used. The number 4 is attached to this group and they are called "friends"

ner than a family. The number 4 has been used previously to initiate the diphthongal A group , No.

In order to assign a number to each of the remaining vowel phonemes and to keep diphthongs within

j digit combinations, the number 4 must be used twice even though the phoneme in the No. 4 group

and the initiating sound in the No. 42 group [ei] are not identical, the former being a mid-front lax

vel and the later being a mid-front tense vowel. The distinction between the sounds if clearly taught

this stage will not create confusion later when words and their spellings are taught. Care must also be

en to make certain students do not misunderstand the doubling of a number to indicate vowel length,

jbling a number indicates that the vowel is tense. A single digit number indicates the vowel is lax.

In displaying the No. 4 letters, care should

be taken to attach the picture of these letters

beneath that for No. 22 family. This is done to

p \J JYCjfkiM \lf Gm€>^^ rV7f^(rv <^J indicate that even though there is no centralvowel letter in the No. 4 group , there is a

vowel phoneme and that phoneme must later be

represented in words by a vowel letter. The

vowel letter that indicates [e] in words is E, the

letter central to the No. 22 group displayed just

above. Other realtionships between these groups

l also be taught at this point, i.e., the voiced and voiceless cognates that appear in the two groups, F

1 V, S and Z. The relationship between C and S too can be indicated by such arrangement of the

ters and by first pronouncing S and then C without interruption [es--si:]. Here students will recognize

it the concluding phoneme in S is identical with the initiating phoneme in C. This knowledge can

er be drawn upon when teaching the two pronunciations for the letter C as seen initially in cat, cut,

it, and in cent, city, cycle.

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Paul V. Griesy

(21) ( 7) UizQ&i^oRZ/v 0^

M¥^H-^hHrm y- Ltt^u h4w^^h

R is the final letter in the alphabet to be considered. The initiating phoneme in the name of this

letter is [a]. Students have encountered this phoneme earlier when they pronounced the name of the

letter I [ai]. At that time the number 02 was given to this letter. The students can easily extrapolate

from that experience and assign the No. 0 to the letter R. Since R is the only letter initiated with the

phoneme [a], it like O, is called a "loner", hitoribotchi no R-san. The picture used to indicate R though

differs from earlier pictures. Unlike the other harmonious groups, or the friendly O, R is shown as a

haughty young lady, secure in herself and somewhat of an irritation to others. The color pink which is

used to indicate R emits an air of arrogance and disdain when worn by R-san. The color and the

attitude will later aid students in recognizing that the letter R influences the pronunciation of many

vowel letter combinations, i.e., in lateralizing vowels, and in noting that R in combination with E, I, or U

(er, ir, ur) does not reduce to the schwa in unstressed syllables. The significance of these facts cannot be

overstated and by presaging these characteristics of R in the initial stages of instruction, teachers will

lessen the burden of instruction later.

When displaying R for students on the blackboard, it should be placed just

beneath the letter 0. This reinforces the fact that although R is a consonant, the

imbedded vowel phoneme [a] when it appears in one syllable words should be

represented by the vowel letter 0, i.e., hot, spot, doll, knob.

The placement of the pictures of the letter groups in the following manner thus

indicates another fundamental characteristic of English, i.e., the harmony betweem the

alphabet name sounds, commonly referred to in Japan as "long vowels", and their

associated basic sounds, commonly referred to in Japan as "short vowels." The five

vowel letters, E, A, U, 0, I, have at least two pronunciations, those found in their

names, the tense vowels, and those found in groups of consonant letters, the lax vowel phonemes [e] and

[a] displayed immediately beneath them. By arranging the groups of alphabet letters in this way students

will recognize the inter-relatedness of the groups and notice as well that there are blank spaces beneath

the Nos. 42, 66, and 02 groups. This will later aid in assigning vowel letters for the vowel phonemes [ae],

[a], and [i] which harmonize with the vowels phonemes [ei], [ju:] and [ai]. This relationship of course is

not taught until words are encountered, but by indicating these blanks it will ease the introduction of

vowel letters for the remaining lax vowels later.

Na22[i=] Na42[ei] Na66[ju:] Na86[ou] Na02[ai]

E A U O I

Na 4[e] [ * ] [A] Nlot 0[a] C ! 3

e 0

For older students who are being intro

duced to this method of instruction after

learning English in the traditional manner,

the harmony between the vowels [i:] and [e]

or [ou] and [a] can be most helpful in under

standing another important characteristic of

English. The stressed vowels in words which

are derived from the same root may be

pronounced with either their alphabet name

sounds, or their basic sounds. The distinction

is often based on morphological conditions, but the fundamental charcteristic is that vowel letters

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Alphabet in Initial EFL Instruction

will generally be given one or the other vowel phoneme, the alphabet name sound or the basic

sound. Examples of this principle are abundant, i.e., [i:] and [e]: deep-depth, mean-meant,read-read; [ou] and [a]: holy-holiday, tone-tonic, know-knowledge. The harmonic principle holds forother phonemes as well, i.e., [ei] and [se]: nation-national, grade-gradual, Spain-Spanish; [(j)u:] and[ a ]: produce-production, student-study, judicial-judge; [ai] and [i]: wide-width, five-fifth, type-typical.

Knowledge of this harmonic relationship will aid students particularly when they must learn words

associated with a key word in their texts. We find this knowledge of vowel harmony aids students

in the mastery of some irregulary conjugated verbs, i.e., meet-met, feel-felt, keep-kept, hide-hid,

bite-bit, etc.

Students also recognize another interesting feature of English spelling once they have associated

the tense vowels (alphabet sounds) with their lax vowel (basic) counterparts. If we are to spell

words which are pronounced in the same manner as the names of the letters of the alphabet, it is

generally necessary to use two vowel letters to indicate those vowel phonemes, In the No. 22 group

for example we have words which are pronounced just as the names of the letters B, C, D, G, P,

and T are pronounced. In those instances the vowel phoneme in each word generally requires two

vowel letters, i.e., bee, Bea,4) see, sea, Dee, gee, pea, tea, tee. In the No. 42 group [kei] is written

Kay. In the No. 66 group [ju:] is written you or yew and [kju:] is cue or queue. This pattern is

retained as well in monosyllable words where the vowel phonemes are followed by consonants, i.e.,[i:] meet, seed, meat, team: [ei] cake, came, wait, gain; [(j)u:] flute, cube, fruit, cruise; [ou] rope,

phone, coat, road; [ai] pipe, pine.

Here students see that the alphabet name sounds when they appear in words are generallywritten with two vowel letters, the first being given its name while the latter is silent. Studentscan then be led to conjecture that when they hear a basic vowel phoneme in a word they shoulduse the associated vowel letter alone, i.e., when they hear [e] as in the name of the letter' L in a

word, it should be spelled e as in bell, or [e] as in the name of the letter F, it should be spelled eas in left. Likewise, if alphabet sounds require in most instances two vowel letters in transcription,one vowel letter in a one syllable word should indicate that vowel letter is pronounced with its basicsound.

As students learn the names of the alphabet letters they master seven of the 15 vowelphonemes (eight if the consonant phomeme [r] in the name of the letter R is considered identical, in

production, as the author does, to the vowel phoneme [a:r]). They also master 17 of the 25consonant phonemes (18 if [hw] is considered a separate phoneme). By simply pronouncing the

alphabet with care, later instruction in eight of the 15 vowel phonemes and 18 of the 25 consonant

phonemes is greatly facilitated. In many instances, the consonant phonemes can be easily produced

by a simple process of subtracting the common vowel phoneme from the names of certain groupsof letters, i.e., [b] is achieved by removing the vowel phoneme [i:] from the name of the letter B,

[d] by removing the [i:] from D, [k] by removing [ei] from K, [f] by removimg [e] from F, etc. Withthis simple teachnique 14 of the 25 consonant phonemes can be learned.

Careful instruction in the pronunciation of the names of the letters of the alphabet also aids

students in recognizing another fundamental characteristic of English, vowel length. Unlike

Japanese in which vowel length is phonemic, English vowel length does not make a difference in

meaning. In Japanese, for example the difference between the word for prisoner and the word for

husband is simply the length of the vowel phoneme in the initial syllable, [shu:jin] as opposed to

[shujin]. Here length is phonemic. In English the length of vowels in one syllable words or in

4) [bi:] is of course most often spelled be.

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Paul V. Griesy

stressed syllables is determined by the consonant phoneme that follows, or the lack of a consonantphoneme. If the vowel in a one syllable word is followed by a voiceless consonant, the vowel isshort. If the vowel is followed by a voiced consonant or appears in final position in a one syllableword or stressed syllable, that vowel is lengthened. Vowel length is arbitrary, but normally it

requires twice as long to pronounce the vowel phoneme when it is followed by a voiced consonantor when it appears word/syllable finally, than it does to produce the vowel phoneme when it isfollowed by a voiceless consonant, cf., cap and cab; rip and rib; mop and mob; pup and pub; lope

and lobe or low; rope and robe or row.

This characteristic of the language can be introduced in the initial stages of instruction by

taking care to lengthen the vowel phonemes in the letters of the alphabet that end in vowel

phonemes, or voiced consonant phonemes, and to shorten the vowel phoneme in the names of the

letters of the alphabet where the vowel phoneme is followed by a voiceless consonant. The names

of the following letters are pronounced with long vowel phonemes because the vowel appears

finally: E, B, C, D, G, P, T, V, Z, A, J, K, U, & W, 0, I, Y. The following letters are pronounced

with long vowel phonemes because the vowels are followed by voiced consonants: L, M> N, R. The

following letters are pronounced with short vowel phonemes because the vowels are followed by

voiceless consonant phonemes: H, F, S, X- Care in maintaining the length of the vowel phonemes

in the names of these letters will later aid students in' recognizing how vowel length is determined

in words. A useful technique for teaching length in this way is to snap your fingers, tap with a

pencil, or beat time with your hand twice when the vowel is long and once when the vowel isshort.

AHf^f+(4Hlrl^l MNf4P*4WVWVW*¥7

Teaching the names of the letters of the alphabet in their traditional order, A to Z, is essentialfor obvious reasons, i.e., in dictionary work, in alphabetizing, in using computers or telephonedirectories, encyclopedias, or catalogues. This instruction though can be delayed until much laterwhen students are trained in writing the alphabet in it's four forms, upper and lower case block and

upper and lower case cursive. At the conclusion-of the exercises in the writing of each of these

forms training in writing and reciting the alphabet in its usual order is stressed.

The importance of carefully teaching the names of the letters of the alphabet at the veryoutset of EFL instruction cannot be overstated. Skill in pronouncing the names of the letters is anindispensible tool for mastery of the language, but it is also an invaluable source of information

about the language itself. The oral repetition of the alphabet should therefore be taught with a

thoroughness many teachers neglect. With such instruction, it may one day be possible for

Japanese students of English to say with confidence, "English is as easy as A B C!"

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Alphabet in Initial EFL Instruction

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, Robert L., Virginia French Allen, and Margaret Shute, English Sounds and Their Spellings, New York: ThomasY. Crowell, Co., 1966.

Griesy, Paul V. and Yoshiko Yanoshita, Sound Spelling Harmony: Guidebook, Penmanship Workbook, SpellingWorkbook, Teacher's Manual, Kumamoto, Japan: SSH Eigo Kyoiku Kenkyukai, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988.

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