1:19:10
Teaching Pronunciation: Seven Essential Concepts with Judy B. Gilbert | The New School
The New School
Overview
This video features Judy B. Gilbert, an expert in teaching English pronunciation, who outlines seven essential concepts for effective pronunciation instruction. She addresses common challenges teachers face, such as lack of time and student discouragement, and proposes solutions centered on simplicity and prioritizing high-impact elements. Gilbert emphasizes the importance of 'prosody' – the rhythm, stress, and intonation of English – over individual sounds, likening language to music. She introduces the 'pro pyramid' model, highlighting thought groups, focus words, and stressed syllables as foundational. The presentation also covers practical tools and techniques like template sentences, coral repetition, and the use of a kazoo to illustrate pitch changes, all aimed at improving both intelligibility and listening comprehension for English language learners.
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Chapters
- Pronunciation is a high-priority topic for English language learners, yet many teachers feel inadequately prepared to teach it.
- Common obstacles include time constraints, fear of alienating students by altering their 'identity' (accent), and student discouragement.
- The goal should be 'accent addition'—enabling clear communication—rather than 'accent reduction,' which implies removing something.
- Learners need practical strategies to fix communication breakdowns, not just correction of errors.
Understanding these common challenges and reframing the goal from accent reduction to accent addition helps teachers approach pronunciation instruction with a more effective and student-centered mindset.
The speaker contrasts 'accent reduction,' which sounds like stain removal, with 'accent addition,' which empowers students to communicate effectively in different contexts.
- English has its own unique 'music' or melody, which is crucial for comprehension and intelligibility.
- Prosody encompasses timing, pitch patterns, rhythm, melody, and intonation (super-segmentals), which are more critical than individual sounds (segmentals).
- The 'pro pyramid' model starts with thought groups (clauses/phrases), identifies a focus word within each, then a primary stress syllable, and finally the peak vowel within that syllable.
- The peak vowel is signaled by a change in pitch and lengthened duration, serving as the primary cue for the listener.
Recognizing pronunciation as a musical system, with prosody as its core, shifts the focus from isolated sounds to the natural flow and rhythm of English, which is key to effective communication.
Dictating two sentences, 'John said the boss is an idiot,' with and without punctuation, illustrates how musical cues (implied by punctuation) signal who is speaking and how ideas are grouped.
- Template sentences provide a manageable way to practice pronunciation elements one at a time.
- Quality repetition, not just rote drilling, is essential for building long-term memory, enabling students to internalize language chunks.
- Coral repetition offers social support, reducing anxiety and building confidence, making practice more effective.
- Mastering a chunk as a 'little song' allows for later analysis of its grammatical components.
Using template sentences and quality, coral repetition provides a structured and supportive method for learners to internalize pronunciation patterns, leading to greater fluency and confidence.
The repeated phrase 'How do you spell easy?' serves as a template sentence for practicing rhythm and intonation, emphasizing the importance of hearing it at a consistent speed.
- English relies heavily on contrast, achieved through highlighting key information and backgrounding less important elements.
- Linking and blending allow words to flow together smoothly within thought groups, aiding intelligibility.
- Contractions are a natural part of spoken English, used to make certain parts of speech smaller and clearer, facilitating contrast.
- Learners must be trained to hear contractions, as they are a significant barrier to listening comprehension.
Understanding and practicing contrast, including linking, blending, and contractions, helps learners produce and comprehend natural-sounding English by mastering the system of highlighting and backgrounding information.
Practicing pairs like 'can not' vs. 'can't' and 'I am' vs. 'I'm' demonstrates how contractions function as a form of contrast within the language.
- Variable syllable length is a key feature of English, with stressed syllables being longer and clearer.
- The schwa sound (an unstressed, reduced vowel) is the most common sound in spoken English and often a major barrier for learners because it doesn't appear in print.
- Stressed vowels need to be lengthened and clear to signal importance, while unstressed vowels are often reduced to a schwa.
- Focusing on the peak vowel in the stressed syllable is crucial for intelligibility.
Mastering the concept of variable length and the function of the schwa sound is vital for both producing clear English and accurately understanding spoken language, where these features are pervasive.
Using a rubber band to demonstrate lengthening stressed syllables, and contrasting 'banana' (with varied lengths) with languages that have more equal syllable lengths, illustrates the concept.
- While prosody is paramount, certain individual sounds (segmentals) are also high priority.
- Final consonants (like -s and -ed) are often missed by learners whose first languages do not feature them prominently.
- Learning to hear and produce final consonants is crucial for distinguishing meaning (e.g., plural vs. singular, past vs. present tense).
- The 'Clear Speech' apps include games specifically designed to help learners practice hearing these final sounds.
Prioritizing high-frequency and meaning-distinguishing sounds, particularly final consonants, directly addresses common intelligibility issues and improves learners' ability to decode spoken English.
The example 'he has a lot of money' versus 'he had a lot of money' highlights the critical role of the final -s and -d sounds in conveying meaning.
Key takeaways
- Pronunciation instruction should prioritize 'accent addition' for clear communication over 'accent reduction'.
- The 'music' of English (prosody: rhythm, stress, intonation) is more critical for intelligibility than individual sounds.
- The 'pro pyramid' provides a framework for understanding English pronunciation, focusing on thought groups, focus words, and stressed syllables.
- Template sentences and quality, coral repetition are effective tools for building long-term memory and confidence.
- Contrast, achieved through linking, blending, contractions, and variable syllable length, is fundamental to spoken English.
- The schwa sound is pervasive in unstressed syllables and a major challenge for listening comprehension.
- High-priority sounds, especially final consonants, significantly impact intelligibility and should be taught explicitly.
Key terms
Accent AdditionAccent ReductionProsodySuper-segmentalsSegmentalsPro PyramidThought GroupFocus WordPrimary Stress SyllablePeak VowelTemplate SentenceCoral RepetitionSchwaLinkingBlendingContractions
Test your understanding
- What is the difference between 'accent addition' and 'accent reduction,' and why is this distinction important for pronunciation teaching?
- How does the 'pro pyramid' model help break down the components of English pronunciation?
- Why are template sentences and quality repetition considered effective tools for teaching pronunciation?
- What role does contrast play in spoken English, and how can teachers help students practice it?
- Explain the significance of the schwa sound and final consonants in English pronunciation and listening comprehension.