🚀 go-pugleaf

>So, what do *YOU* think? Do you have any hints for helping students improve
>their pronunciation?

In response to the notion that pronunciation cannot be taught in
classroom situations, it is helpful to ask how much time a student
spends practicing what is taught in the classroom. I wonder if most
student's pronunciation is any higher or lower on average than their
level of reading, writing, and so on.

Students don't learn to read or write from classroom lessons if they
don't spend a lot of time outside the class reading and writing.  What
homework assignments do people give, check, and evaluate related to
pronunciation?

In my experience with Silent Way materials developed to teach
pronunciation, students made significant progress in acquiring the
discrete sounds of English as well as awareness and control of stress,
rhythm, and intonation. The SW word charts -- when left up on the
walls all the time -- enabled the students to always be able to see,
practice, figure out, be aware of pronunciation.  They seemed very
effective to me and others I worked with in this area.  Did they work
equally well for every student?  Not at all.  But did they work? Yes.

Sharon Bode <sbode@ORION.SAS.UPENN.EDU>

>I'm pretty sure that a clear and native-like accent has more to do with
>DESIRE than with good teaching or even with ability.
>

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
To get a list of TESL-L archived files, write to LISTSERV@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Put these two words in the body of the message:  INDEX TESL-L