Flp Pro Hometowns

Sample Formal Lesson Plan: Pronunciation: Hometowns Bruce Lawrence

Objectives: Students will learn to recognize and produce some difficult English phonemes including the vowels: [i] and [ı] and, if time allows, the vowels [a,^, υ, u] and the consonants [l, r, p, f]. They will also learn the English pronunciation of some world famous cities. Prerequisites: Students should have a very basic knowledge of the existence of the IPA from their dictionaries. Level: Beginner-Intermediate Duration: 2 hours Materials: Photocopies of “IPA vowels and consonants” and “Hometowns” from “Pro Games” Set up: individual and large group work; one S is caller, the rest try to follow Anticipated problems: Constant repetition of the same minimal pairs can get boring. Occasional explanation or teaching a new minimal pair will be necessary.

Warm up: T: Did you have a good weekend? What did you do on the weekend? S: I went to the beach. I went to a club/restaurant/etc. <Specific Qs: pronunciation of [i] and [ı] > T: Did anyone go to the beach? Has anyone been to the beach here? Ss: Y/N etc. T: Do you ever get nervous pronouncing that word (beach)? Yeah, it sounds like something else doesn’t it? Don’t be afraid. This is English class. It’s very important to know the difference between those two words. One is a place to go swimming; the other is a female dog, which can be used as an insult against women. One is very common; the other is very offensive. We want to be able to hear and produce the difference, right? So, let’s try: T: beach Ss: beach T: bitch Ss: beach/bitch T: Can you hear the difference? What’s the difference? Ss: length T: Length? Is it length? Really? Listen again. Just listen. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeach, beach Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch, bitch No, it’s not length, is it? It’s pronunciation. They are two different vowels Teaching: If this is the first time teaching a group, you should teach them the basics of the IPA using the vowel and consonant charts. This usually takes 30 to 50 minutes. <Whiteboard form/pron: [i] and [ı]> (T writes [i] on the left and [ı] on the right and “beach” on the left and “bitch” on the right) T: How many differences are there between these two words? I don’t mean spelling. If you look at spelling there are two differences. I mean pronunciation. How many differences are there? Ss: one? T: Right one. Everything else is the same. There’s a [b] at the beginning of both and a [č] at the end of both. Only the vowel in the middle is different. So, if you have two words, with only one minimal difference between them, you call them a “minimal pair.” What other minimal pairs can you give me that have those two vowels as the difference? (T elicits 8 minimal pairs, not necessarily those written here. Be careful not to include near minimal pairs such as “dream” “dim” with more than one difference)

[i] beach sheet leak lead seen peak deem deed

[ı] bitch shit lick lid sin pick dim did

< Concept checking & drilling> T: So, what’s a minimal pair? Ss: give answer How do you say this word? (point to random words) T: So what’s the difference between these two vowels? It’s not length right? How do we describe the difference between these two vowels? Ss: various guesses T: It’s hard, isn’t it? So, let’s use a picture. (T draws a Sammy) For this vowel [i] the tongue is high and front as far as it can go. (T draws tongue) And for [ı] the tongue is just a little bit lower, a little more relaxed (T draws second tongue in different colour). T: The second one is a little more relaxed. So we call it “lax” and [i] is tense so we call it “tense” So [i] is a high, front, tense vowel and [ı] is a high, front, lax vowel. Main Activities So try T: [i] Ss: [i] T: [ı] Ss: [ı] <Pair practice> T: OK, with a partner, I’d like you to pick a word and say it, two times, and your partner says either “right” or “left” depending on which side they think it is and you say “right” or “wrong” to their guess For example: “lick” did you hear “right” or “left” Ss: right/ left various guesses T: the correct answer is…. Right. OK, understand? Ss: Yes

T: (choose someone who said yes) OK, what are we supposed to do? T: Here’s a game (pass out Hometowns). It’s called “Hometowns” Before we play this game we have to write everyone’s hometown. Cheol Soo, where’s your hometown? Cheol Soo: Seoul T: OK, so everyone, at the first space, write Seoul. (T writes on board and checks to make sure everyone has written it in the right space) OK, Sumiko, where’s your hometown? (T elicits 16 different cities on the board. If students have the same hometown, elicit which district or village) T: OK, so now we all have the same map. Starting at the airport, try to follow me. At point one turn left. At point two turn left. At point three turn right. At point four turn right. (All Ss and the teacher should end up at the same hometown.) OK, now faster. right. left. left. right. Where are you? (again, make sure they all go to the same place) OK, starting from the top (point to minimal pair chart), I will say one of the minimal pairs, either the right one or the left one; not both. If you hear the one on the left, turn left, etc. I’ll say them two times. (Move down to the next minimal pair and repeat.) When I have said four words you should be at a destination. <example> For example “heed, heed; lead, lead; bid, bid; sheet, sheet” Where are you? (Check and see how many students made it to the same destination.) OK, ready? What will I do? Ss: You’ll read the words T: How many times? Ss: two times T: And what do you do? Ss: turn left and right <more/final instructions> T: OK. Good job. Now NAME (next S) are the caller and you guys (point to Ss) try to follow NAME. Go!

Wrap up: (T goes to w/b and puts brush beside word) How do you say this? Ss say it (T erases it. In this way you review and drill the words and erase the board, killing two birds with one stone in the process) (As T reviews as mentioned above, reinforce the idea that [i] and [ı] are different in terms of vowel quality, not length) T: “liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid” Which one? Left or right? Ss: guess T: It was right. (erase it) lead! (really fast) Which one? Left or right? etc. Contingency Plan: If students get tired, bored, or finish early, introduce a new sound, have them generate the minimal pairs and continue. Homework: Easy: Go home and play this game with your friends Difficult: Write down 16 minimal pairs for 4 other sounds.

Hometowns