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lis te n in g to th e m w e w o u ld a ss u m e th a t th e y w e r e B r itish , A m e r ic a n , A u s t r a lia n o r C a n a d ia n ?

th e y so u n d e x a c tly lik e s p e a k e r s o f a p r e s tig e v a r ie t y o f E n g lish (s e e p a g e 2 4 ) s o th a t ju s t b y

A q u e s t io n w e n e e d to a n s w e r is h o w g o o d o u r s t u d e n t s'

p r o n u n c ia t io n o u g h t to b e . Sh o u ld

P e r fe c t io n v e r s u s in t e ııig ib ilit y

n o t o n ly to tlıe ir o w n p r o d u c t io n , b u t a lso to th e ir u n d e r s ta n d in g o f s p o k e n E n g lis h .

F o r a ll th e s e p e o p le , b e in g m a d e a w a r e o f p r o n u n c ia t io n is s u e s w ill b e o f im m e n s e b e n e ó t

s o m d s w h ic h c a u s e d if ū c u lty fo r s p e a k e r s o f v a r io u s d ifre r e n t ū r s t la n g u a g e s .

a n d s e n te n c e s w h ic h s o u n d st r a n g e w h e n r e p lic a te d in E n g lish , a i ıd th e r e a r e m a n y in div id u a l

m o u th s . S o m e la n \ a \ g r o u p s m a y h a v e p a r tic u la r in to n a tio n o r s tr e s s patterns in p h r a s e s

iss u e o f n a s a lit y (e . g . V ie tn a m e s e ) o r th e d e g r e e to w h ic h s p e a k e r s d o o r d o n o t o p e n th e ir

ń u t h e r fo r w a r d , in c r e a s e d in te llig ib ilit y o c c u r s . W ith o th e r la n g u a g e g r o u p s it m a y b e a n

m o u th . T h e m o m e n t y o u c a n g e t C a n to n e s e s p e a k e r s , s h e s ug g e s te d , to b r in g th e ir v o w e ls

o f th e m o u th , E n g lis h o n e s a r e fr e q u e n tly a r tic u la te d n e a r e r th e fr o n t o r in th e c e n t r e o f th e

- c h a n g in g M s fo c u s o f r e s o n a n c e . W n e r e a s m a n y C a n to n e s e v o w e ls o c c u r to w a r d s th e b a c k

o f E ng lish a c h ie v e c o n s id e r a bly g r e a te r in te llig ib ilit y b y w o rk in g o n h is p o in t o f a r t ic u la tio n

E L IC O S c o n fe r e n c e in Melbourne , A u s tr a lia ) h o w sh e w a s a b le to h e lp a C a n to n e s e s p e a k e r

in te llig ibility p r o b le m s . Jo a n K e r a sp e e c h p a th o lo g is t , d e s c r ib e d (in a p a p e r a t th e 1 9 9 8

In s o m e p a r t ic u la r c a s e s , p r o n u n c ia tio n h e lp a llo w s s t u d e n ts to g e t o v e r s e r io u s

E n g lis h a n d h e lp th e m a c h ie v e th e g o a l o f im p ro v e d c o m p r e h e n s io n a n d in te llig ib ility .

o f w h e r e w o r d s s h o u ld b e s tr e s s e d - a ll th e s e th in g s g iv e th e m e x tr a in fo r m a t io n a b o u t s p o k e n

C o n c e n t r a t in g o n s o u n d s , s h o w in g w h e r e tlıe y a r e m a d e in th e m o u th , m a k in g s ıııd e n t s a w a r e

s o u n d fe a t u r e s (a n d w h a t th e s e m e a n ), b u t c a n a ls o im p r o v e th e ir s p e a lcin g im m e a s u r a b ly .

in o u r le s so n s . P r o n u n c ia tio n te a c h in g n o t o n ly m a k e s s t u d e n ts a w a r e o f d iĦe r e n t s o u n d s a n d

o v e r t p r o n u n c ia t io n te a c h in g sh o u ld n o t b lin d u s to ilıe b e n e fits o f a fo c lıs o n p r o n u n c ia t io n-

H o w e v e r , th e fa c t th a t s o m e s t u d e n ts a r e a b le to a c q u ir e r e a s o n a ble p r o n u n c ia tig ņ .

w ith o u t

s tu d e n ts s e e m to a c q u ir e s e r v ic e a ble p r o n u n c ia tio n in th e c o u r s e o f th e ir s t u d ie s a n y w a y .

w ith o u t a fo r m a l p r o n u n c ia tio n s y lla b u s , a n d w ith o u t s p e c ilic p r o n u rıc ia t io n te a c h in g , m a n y

d o a lr e a d y a n d p r o m ın c ia tio n t e a c h in g w ill o n ly m a k e th in g s w o r s e . T h e y m a y d a im th a t e v e n

a r e n e r v o u s o f d in 8 w ith s o u n d s a n d in to n a tio n p e rh a p s th e y fe e l th e y h a v e to o m u c h to

p r o n u n c ia tio n in a n y o v e r t w a y a n d o n ly g iv e a tte n tio n to it in p a s s in g . It is p o ss ib le th a t th e y

in lis te n in g a n d r e a d in g . Y e t s o m e o f th e s e s a m e te a c h e r s m a k e little a t te m p t to te a c h

fu n c tio n a l d ia lo g u e s , t a k e p a r t in p r o d u c tiv e s k ill a c tiv itie s a n d tr y to b e c o m e c o m p e te n t

A lm o s t a ll E n g lish la n g u a g e te a c h e r s 8 e t s t u d e n ts to s t u dy g r a m m a r a n d v o c a b u la r y , p r a c tis e

A P r o n u n c ıa t ıo n ıs s u e s

p r o n u n c ia tio n .

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a n d th e c le a r e st w a y o f p r o m o tin g th is a w a r e n e s s is to in tr o d u c e th e s y m b o ıs fo r th e m .

e tćc e p tio n s fa ir ly s m a ll), it m a y m a k e s e n s e fo r th e m to b e a w a r e o f th e d iĦe r e n t p h o n e m e s ,

sp e llin g c o r r e sp o n d e n c e (th o u g h in fa c t m o s t s p e llin g is h ig h ly r e g u la r a n d th e n u rııb e r o f

H O W e v e sin c e E n g lis h is b e d e v ille d , fo r m a n y st u d e n ts , by a n ap p a r e n t la c k o f s o u n d a n d

p ic tu r e s o f th e m o u th a n d lip s o r e x p la in in g w h e r e th e s o u n d s a r e m a d e ).

n o t b e e fre c tiv e . W e c a n a ls o d e s c r ib e h o w th e s o u n d s a re m a d e (by d e m o n s tr a tin g , d r a w in g

sh ip a n d s h e ep ju s t b y s a y in g th e w o r d s e n o u g h tim e s . Th e r e is n o r e a s o n w h y th is sh o u ld

sy m b o ls . W e c a n g e t s tu d e n ts to h e a r th e d ifre r e n c e , s a b e tw e e n s h e ep a n d c he a p o r b e t w e e n

It is p e r fe c tly p o s s ib ļ e to w o r k o n th e s o u n d s o f E n g lish w ith o u t e v e r u sin g a n y p h o n e m ic

43 P h o n e m ic s y m b o ls t o u s E o r n o t t o u s e ?

th e y a r e , th e g r e a t e r th e c h a n c e th a t th e ir o w ıL in te lligib ility le v e ls w ill ū se .

E n M h is s p o k e n - e ith e r o n a u dio o r v id e o o r b y th e ir te a c h e r s th e m se lv e s . T h e m o r e a w a r e

p r o d u c e c o r r e c t s o u n d s o r in to n a t io n tu n e s , b u t r a th e r to h a v e th e m liste n a n d n o tic e h o w

T h e k e y to s u c c e s s fu l p r o n u n c ia tio n te a c h in g , h o w e v e r . Is n o t s o m u c h g e ttin g st u d e n ts to ı ·

o f th e diffe r e n t in to n a t io n patterns themseles .

th e s e m o o d s a r e a r tic lıla te d , e v e n th o u g h w e m a y n o t (b e a b le to ) dis c u s s th e te c h n ic a lit ie s

o r th r o u g h th e w a y w e o u r s e lv e s m o d e l th e m . W e c a n th e n g e t s t u d eııts t o in ıita te th e w a Y

s tu d e n ts o p p o r tu n it ie s to r e c o g n ise s u c h m o o d s a n d in te n t io n s e ith e r o n a n a u d io tr a c k

r a th e r th a n ju s t confirming s o m e thin g th e y a lr e a dy k n o w . O n e o f o u r ta s k s , th e n , is t o g iv e

w h e n s o m e o n e is s rır p r is e d , e n th u s ia s tic o r b o r e d , o r w h e n tlıe y a r e r e a lły a skin g a q u e s tio n

n o t m e a n tlıa t w e s h o u ld a b a n d o n in to n a t io n te a ch in g a lto g e th e r . M o s t o f u s c a n h e a r

H O W e v e th e fa c t th a t w e m a y h a v e diffic u lty r e c o g n is in g s p e c ffic in to n a t io n m e s d o e s

b e fo o lis h to tr y to te a c h th e m .

o r to id e n w th e d if 【e r e n t patterns o f ris in g a n d fa llin g to n e s . In su c h situ a t io n s it w o u ld

in to n a t io n . S o m e o f u s (a n d m a n y o f o u r s t u d e n ts) fin d it e x tr e m e ly d iffic u lt t o h e a r'

m e s'

T h e iııtım a t io ń p r o b lm fo r m a n y te a c h e r s th e m o s t p ro b le m a t ic a r e a o fp ro n u n c ia t io n is

in r e la t io n t o e te e th ? W n a t is th e sh a p e f th e li s w h e n m a k in g a c e r ta in v o w e l?).

to b e a ble to s h o w a n d e x p la in e x a đ ly w h e re so u n d s a r e p ro d u c e d (e . g . W n e re is th e to n g u e

u s in g p a r tic u la r p a r ts o fth e m o u th , a o r n a s a l c a v ity ). T o c o m te r th is p r o ble m , w e n e e d

h a b it o f m a k in g s o m e o f th o s e s o m d s . H a m in g a fo r e i8 n la n g u a g e o fte n p r e s e n ts u s w it�

a v a ila b le to h u m a n b e in g s . B u t a s w e g ro w a n d fo c u s in o n o n e o r t w o la n \ g e s , w e lo se th e

W h a t s tu d e n ıs c a n W a ll b a b ie s a re b o m w ith th e a b ility to m a ke th e w h o le ra n g e o fs o u n ds

th e y a r e o n th e w a y to b e in g a b le to s p e a k c o rr e c tly .

c o n v e r s a tio n . In th is w a y w e g r a d u a lly tr a in th e stu d e n ts'

e a r s . W n e n th e y c a n h e a r c o rr e đ l»

d r a w th e s o u n d s to th e ir a t te n tio n e v e r y tim e th e y a p p e a r o n a r e c o r d n 8 o r in o u r o w n

s o u n d s a r e m a d e th r o u g h d e m o n s tr a tio n , d ia g r a m s a n d e x p la n a tio n . B u t w e c a n a ls o

T h e re a r e tw o w a y s o f d e a lin g w ith th is in th e f st p la c e , w e c a n s h o w s tu d e n ts h o w

th e y w iu fın d it a lm o s t im o i le to p ro d u e th e tw o difï e r e n t E n slish ph o n e m s .

th e ir la n \ a g e d o e s n o t h a v e th e s a m e t w o s o u n d s . If th e y c a n n o t dis tin g u ish b e tw e e n th e m ,

p ro b le m s w ith d if re r e n t s o u n d s , e s p e c ia lly w h e r e , a s w ith / b / a n d / v / fo r S p a n ish s p e a k e r s ,

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