ABOUT THIS SITE
DEVELOPMENT: CRITERIA FOR SELECTING VIDEOS
After viewing and evaluating over 300 videos, 72 were chosen according to multiple criteria. First, we focused on finding online videos that show teachers how to teach pronunciation to students, rather than those intended for language-learners hoping to improve their own pronunciation. We chose videos containing lessons on highest functional load segmentals and suprasegmentals (Catford, 1987) and categories of pronunciation that elicit the highest intelligibility (Avery & Ehlrich, 1992). Other considerations include the areas of struggle for individual languages, namely Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Suprasegmentals were given special focus due to their importance in ESL learners’ intelligibility. To sum up, the videos we chose had these characteristics:
The videos:
This website links to videos chosen to give teachers the instructional models and the encouragement they need in order to feel the competence and confidence that many ESL teachers state they lack (Yates, 2001). The videos have a variety of approaches to teaching the desired pronunciation goal so as to reach varied teaching and learning styles.
APPLICATION
Our intent is that after teachers have recognized their students’ pronunciation needs, they search our website to find online videos that are related to those concerns. At the website, they select and watch two or three of the videos, and then incorporate that instruction in their own classes. Ideally, teachers would feel inspired to combine a few techniques and develop one that reaches their students. Put more systematically and in greater detail, we envision teachers following these steps:
Teachers…
We hope you will find this guide useful and learn to be confident in teaching pronunciation!
DEVELOPMENT: CRITERIA FOR SELECTING VIDEOS
After viewing and evaluating over 300 videos, 72 were chosen according to multiple criteria. First, we focused on finding online videos that show teachers how to teach pronunciation to students, rather than those intended for language-learners hoping to improve their own pronunciation. We chose videos containing lessons on highest functional load segmentals and suprasegmentals (Catford, 1987) and categories of pronunciation that elicit the highest intelligibility (Avery & Ehlrich, 1992). Other considerations include the areas of struggle for individual languages, namely Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Suprasegmentals were given special focus due to their importance in ESL learners’ intelligibility. To sum up, the videos we chose had these characteristics:
The videos:
- Fit with widely used categories of ESL pronunciation difficulties, as described in Teaching American English Pronunciation (Avery & Ehrlich, 1992)
- Address pronunciation features with high functional load (Catford, 1987)
- Focus on areas of difficulty associated with many ESL learners’ L1s (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish)
- Are quick and easy for non-linguistic teachers to understand (not overly technical)
- Are interesting, entertaining
- Have a variety of presenters
- Have visual support showing articulatory positions and movements (mouth, tongue, etc.)
- Have a speech rate targeted towards teachers, not L2 learners
- Provide viewer involvement--things to learn and DO, not just watch
- Have a length of 1 to 27 minutes
- Give the “Biggest bang for the buck” (precise, useful pedagogical skills presented for the targeted pronunciation feature in a short amount of time).
This website links to videos chosen to give teachers the instructional models and the encouragement they need in order to feel the competence and confidence that many ESL teachers state they lack (Yates, 2001). The videos have a variety of approaches to teaching the desired pronunciation goal so as to reach varied teaching and learning styles.
APPLICATION
Our intent is that after teachers have recognized their students’ pronunciation needs, they search our website to find online videos that are related to those concerns. At the website, they select and watch two or three of the videos, and then incorporate that instruction in their own classes. Ideally, teachers would feel inspired to combine a few techniques and develop one that reaches their students. Put more systematically and in greater detail, we envision teachers following these steps:
Teachers…
- Notice and identify their ESL student’s pronunciation need
- Go to the website: www.englishpronunciationguide.weebly.com
- Choose Segmentals or Suprasegmentals, whichever corresponds with the need
- Choose from 3 to 8 videos to view and learn from
- Practice and prepare the lessons therein
- Implement the lesson in the classroom with confidence
- Try variations of the methods presented to reach students with different learning style
We hope you will find this guide useful and learn to be confident in teaching pronunciation!