Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h23CvxP01704; Mon, 3 Mar 2003 07:57:59 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 07:57:59 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <001601c2e184$6437b3e0$6501a8c0@cableone.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Richard Russell" <richtiger@cableone.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8703] Re: schematic of vowel sounds/explicit teaching of pronunciation X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 1422 Lines: 32 > Consonants are graphically depicted as specific > points of articulation using the same sideview of > the vocal tract, but you have to remember that > humans are not really used to thinking in > specific, explicit ways about how they use the > internal aspects of their vocal tract. Also, a > diagram cluttered up with IPA symbols can just > confuse students. I just wanted to agree with Charles as regards the relative ineffectiveness of using mouth schematics to teach pronunciation. In fact, I'd argue that very much time spent explicitly teaching pronunciation is probably wasted. A silent period during which students hear a lot of English, in my experience, produces better pronunciation among students. It seems that if the brain gets used to the new sounds of English by hearing them a lot, the mouth then cooperates better. If a true silent period is not "politically" possible, I do believe ESL teachers should at least de-emphasize speaking at first. Of course, some rough explicit instruction like "put the tongue against the teeth and blow" may be useful; but--again--a lot of time spent on pronunciation is probably counterproductive. I'm not saying that pronunciation isn't important. It's the "thing" that keeps English speakers from easily understanding foreigners. I just think that we should go easy on explicit teaching of pronunciation until later. Richard Russell richtiger@cableone.net
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Mar 11 2004 - 12:15:46 EST