RUNNING HEAD: Final Project Pronunciation 1

Final Project Pronunciation

Linguistics for Second Language & BBL Specialists

Andrew Hill

The University of Texas at San Antonio

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Justification

My pronunciation diagnostic (Appendix A) tests Carlie, a Masters student at Korea

National University of Education. She studies English Language Education. She will pursue a

PhD-English Education in the United States next fall. I have been asked to improve Carlies

pronunciation. I tested discrete aspects of pronunciation (Appendix A). Carlie struggled with

minimal pairs two words that differ by only a single sound (Finegan, 2014, p. 116)

particularly phonemes /u/ and //. My lesson plan (Appendix B) addresses this weakness.

The lesson begins with a warm up activity: minimal pair bingo. The worksheets

features 30 words (15 minimal pairs) (Appendix C). One-third are /u/ and // minimal pairs,

one-third are /s/ and // minimal pairs, and another third are /l/ and /r/ minimal pairs. The latter

two sets were not tested in my diagnostic but are minimal pairs that consistently challenge

Korean L2 learners. In this activity, the tutor says 24 words (each one-half of a minimal pair).

For example: Alive/arrive, siege/seize, and kooky/cookie. The student must be able to

distinguish between them. Carlie selects 24 of these words and writes them into the worksheets

boxes. For example, if the tutor says arrive but Carlie marks alive, she cannot mark her

respective box.

The subsequent lecture and activity target phonemes /u/ and //. To teach Carlie to

pronounce and recognize /u/, we will access the University of Iowas Sounds of Speed online

phonetics demonstrations (Appendix D). The tongue should be placed high in the back of the

mouth, and the lips should be rounded and tense (p. 93). Given Carlies background in

linguistics, I can use specific academic terminology (as we do in our own linguistics class) to

communicate how best to achieve these vowel positions.

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To teach Carlie how to pronounce and recognize // - and ultimately distinguish it from

/u/ I will again access the aforementioned webpage (Appendix D). I will explain the

positioning of this vowel: high in the back of the mouth, and the lips should be rounded and lax

(p. 93). As Finegan asserts: High front vowels in English tend automatically to be rounded

(p. 95).

I will also demonstrate this with my own mouth. Finally, Carlie will practice. Afterward,

we will engage in our primary activity: Telephone Numbers. In doing so, she will practice /u/

and // minimal pairs and demonstrate her understanding of the vowel positions she just learned.

As this activity comes to an end, we will briefly wrap up the class. I will give Carlie paper and

markers and ask her to draw visual representations no words permitted of the content of our

lesson. This activity is based not in any specific pedagogy but in Carlies love of the visual and

artistic medium. This creative exercise will serve to reinforce what she has learned in a unique

way.
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Works Cited

Finegan, Edward (2014-01-01). Language: Its Structure and Use (Page 309). Cengage Learning.

Kindle Edition.
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Appendix A
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Appendix A contd
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Appendix A contd
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Appendix A contd
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Appendix B

Lesson Plan: Pronunciation

Your Name: Andrew Hill
Students Pseudonym: Carlie

Objective(s):
Student will be able to identify and correctly enunciate /u/ and // minimal pairs.

Material(s):
Worksheet: Minimal Pair Bingo
Website: Phonetics, The sounds of American English
Other: Poster paper and markers

Time: Lesson Activity Sequence Materials

10 minutes Warm Up: Minimal Pair Bingo Worksheet:

Greet student. Minimal
Distribute Minimal Pair Bingo worksheet Pair
Instruct student to select and write down 24 Bingo
of the worksheets words in the given boxes. (Appx. C)
As tutor says a word, student marks an X
on that word. When student marks four in a
row they yell Bingo!

10 minutes Discussion and Instruction: Minimal Pairs /u/ Website:

and // Phonetics, The
Show Phonetics websites /u/ mouth sounds of

positioning explanation American

Practice making shape with students English

(Appx. D)
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Show Phonetics websites // mouth

positioning explanation
Practice making shape with students

10 minutes Activity: Telephone Numbers

Write /u/ and // minimal pairs on the left
half of the board as follows:

(1) Pool (2) Pull (3) Stewed (4) Stood

(5) Luke (6) Look (7) Pooling (8) Pulling
(9) Suit (0) Rule

Tell students they must share their phone

number by saying the correct corresponding
numbers. Teacher will write the number on
the boards right half.
Afterward, write a new minimal pair list on
the board:

(1) Cooky (2) Cookie (3) Luke (4) Look

(5) Suit (6) Soot (7) Pool (8) Pull
(9) Stewed (0) Stood

Tell student you will now give your

telephone number by saying the
corresponding words. The student must
come to the board, as you speak, and write
down the correct corresponding numbers.
("English Current")
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5 minutes Wrap Up: Other:

Tell students they will draw what they Poster
learned using only pictures, no words. They and
can use butcher paper and markers. Markers

Assessment Informal assessment during activity.

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Appendix C
Minimal Pair Bingo1
Name: __________

Directions: Choose 24 of the 30 words. Write them into the empty spaces below. If the teacher
reads a word you chose, put an X over that word and box. If you get five in a row (upward,
downward, or diagonally) yell Bingo!

Alive Correct Belly Rather Stage Ways Rage Stood Boot Fool
Arrive Lace Berry Siege Stays Forge Raise Pools Choose Kooky
Collect Race Lather Seize Wage Fours Stewed Pulls Cool Cookie

FREE

(Teacher, 2013)

1
Inspired by cited source.
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Appendix D
Minimal Pair Pronunciation

("Phonetics: The sounds of American English")

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Appendix D contd
Minimal Pair Pronunciation

("Phonetics: The sounds of American English")

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Works Cited

(n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from

http://www.englishcurrent.com/pronunciation/pronunciation-lesson-plan-activity-esl/

Phonetics: The sounds of American English. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from
http://soundsofspeech.uiowa.edu/english/english.html

Teacher, M. (2013). Minimal Pairs for Spanish Speakers. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Minimal-Pairs-for-Spanish-Speakers-861619