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Download the tools you need for Teaching English Pronunciation
If you have any question, please contact ckliu@mail.ntpu.edu.tw
A tentative schedule for Teaching English Pronunciation
Course schedules

Instructor: Ching Kang Liu
(National Taipei University)
Tel. (02)2674-8189; Ext. 66633; E-mail: ckliu@mail.ntpu.edu.tw
Office: Room 6F33, Humanity Hall

Class Schedule: Every Wednesday and Friday, March 29-July 14, 2011

Textbooks or references
Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M.,, & Goodwin, J. M. (1996). Teaching Pronunciation. New York: Cambridge University Press (Crane in Taipei).
Morley, J. (Ed.) (1994). Pronunciation pedagogy and theory: New view, new directions. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Teaching American English Pronunciation. New York: Oxford University Press.
Shockey, L. (2003). Sound Patterns of Spoken English. Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Website of this course
http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~language/workshop/workshop2011.html


Course Description [Top]

This course will be a mixture of lectures, discussions and presentations. It is assumed that all attendants finish the reading materials required for the next class. Praat and other mulitmedia instruments will be fully employed in this on-the-job training course. This course will focus on the basic knowledge of English phonetics and phonology that are related to English pronunciation instruction and how this knowledge can be applied to the EFL English classes. Other related subject matters, such as phonetics and pronunciation pedagogy theories will also be included in this courses. The ultimate goal of this course to to help all attendants get ready for teaching English pronunciation using appropriate methods and strategies on the basis sufficient understanding of English phonetics and phonology.


Instruction [Top]

1. Explanation

The instructor will introduce and explain the materials covered in each lecture, including basic theories, physical features of sounds, and instruments or materials to aid instruction of English pronunciation.

2. Project-based/task-based activities

After explaining the basic theories and how to use the instruments, the attendants will have to finish assigned tasks/projects to make sure that all the theories of phonetics, phonology, and pedagogy discussed in class can be applied in instruction of pronunciation. For each task/project requied, the attendants have to write a teaching plan first, including strategies to be used in class and expected results to be seen after the instruction. These "teaching plans" are required to present in class. All classmates will be evaluators and helpers to improve the presenter's teaching plans.

Assessment and Evaluation [Top]

Quizzes (or pop quizzes) will be given almost every lecture. Reviewing exams will be given when every two or three sectiions are completed. Other forms of formative evaluation (including assignment and presentation in class) will also be employed to observe the performance of the attendance for different perspectives. The final grades are based on all the scores cumulated from the evaluations mentioned above.

Percentage of Grading:
1. Participation & performance = 40%
2. Homework & quizzes = 20%
3. Review tests = 20%
4. Final Paper = 20% (Total = 100%)


A Tentative Weekly Calendar (Subject to change for instruction reasons)

Schedule for Section 1 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Week 1

Introduction of the course and the tasks to be done in class;
Questionnaires about how pronunciation should be taught;
Start introducing the tools PRAAT to be used in this class;
Reviewing the KK phonetic symbols and see the differeces between the KK and the IPA systems.

(Readings on the website)
Read the first four chapters

Task 1: Explore the physical features of sounds.

Schedule for Section 2 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Weeks 2/3 ntroducing the pysical features of English vowels and how tense and lax vowels differ;

Using Praat to find physical evidence of where the vowels are located


Compare the features of your vowels with those of the model sounds
(Readings on the website)
Continue reading the first four chapters

Task2: Explore the qualities of different vowel sounds (in groups) and practicing how to interpret the charts produced by PRAAT.

Schedule for Section 3 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Weeks 3/4 Exploring the mechanism of English vowels;
Observing physical features of English vowels and how we can judge as well as evalute our students' pronunciation by self-improving our own pronunciation of English vowels;
Trying to to figure out the common errors our students can make and how to help them

Finish reading the first four chapters and try to solve all possible questions related to English vowels.

Task 3: Try to start thinking about how you will teach English pronunciation in your class.


Schedule for Section 4 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Week 5 Introducing basic features of English consonants and how they should be grouped and how each consonant is related to or affected by adjacent vowels; observing the contrasts of how English consonants and Mandarin consonants behave in different phonological environments


Review the first four chapters on the website.

Task 3. Try to demonstrate, using PRAAT, how the articulation postion of the consonant can be affected by that of a vowel. Try to demonstrate the articulation positions of /k/ in "key," "Kate," and "cool." /b/ in "bee," "bat," and "boot."


Schedule for Section 5 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Week 6 Introducing the allophones of the English vowels and consonants; trying to understand how each consonant and vowel should be pronounced properly in the context; tryring to distinguish different ways of performance of English consonants and vowels in real speech

(Readings on the website)
Read the fifth chapter

Task 4. Try to demonstrate, using PRAAT, the acoustic facts of assimulation and deletion in English.
Task 5. Try to demonstrate, using PRAAT, the allophones related to vowels and consonants


Schedule for Section 6 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Week 7 Reviewing the history of pronunciation teaching and the features for each approach;
Combining language isntruction, pronunciation instruction with the fundamental knowledge of phonetics;
Discussing how these approaches can be applied to our "English classes"
How to write a teaching plan for pronunciation teaching?

(Readings on the website)
Read the sixth chapter

Task 5: Find a story, poem, rhyme, or anything else that you want to focus on "pronunciation" teaching in your English class.


Schedule for Section 7 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Week 8-9 Introducing English intonation contour, pitch range, and how different contours representing different meanings

Double-checking draft of the teaching plan (mail it to the instructor)
(Readings on the website)
Read the seventh chapter

Task 7. Apply whatever learned in class to the story you have for pronunciation instruction, e.g., intonation contour, pitch range, etc..

Schedule for Section 8 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Week 10 Revisit the theories of pronunciation instruction;

Intonation; contrasting intonation languages and tone languages and how the differences might interfere with language learner's intonation? What the real data tells us about intonation and what can we be inspired? How theories of intonation can be applied to instruction of English pronunciation

Practice the instruction in class (1 or 2 groups, in 10 minutes)

Task 8: Demonstrate the materials you have and use the materials in your teaching plan.


Schedule for Section 9 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Week 11 Presenting the teaching plan:
Other teachers evaluating the presentation and provide comments and suggestions
Modify the teaching plan and get ready to do the demonstrating teaching in class.

Schedule for Section 10 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Week 12-13 Introducing phonics and how it should be added to English instruction Getting ready for the final report (15-20 minutes for each group)

Schedule for Section 11 [Top]

  Instruction Homework
Week 14-15 Demonstrating the final teaching plan (15-20 minutes for each teacher);
Comments from the peers
Getting ready for the final report (15-20 minutes for each group)
Review all the readings and get ready for the final exam

Schedule for Section 12 [Top]
  Instruction Homework
Week 16-18 Demonstrating the final teaching plan (15-20 minutes for each teacher);
Comments from the peers
Final exam
Getting ready for the final report (15-20 minutes for each group)
Review all the readings and get ready for the final exam

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