Joanna Smith
I taught English and trained teachers for a decade then moved into workplace learning. I then founded Language Fuel to bring together these two passions. We help English teachers grow their practice.
Location New Zealand
Activity
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Joanna Smith replied to Luis Guarda
Yes, agree. I think the point is that pronunciation is not just an aid for accuracy. Which is what most people assume. :)
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Joanna Smith replied to Luis Guarda
Welcome!
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Joanna Smith replied to Denise R
Great!
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HI Luis. Absolutely, some words are pronounced differently in different regions. :) Usually a good dictionary will show different variations of words if that's the case. Also, to understand which is the stressed syllable (without checking a dictionary for 'standard') say it in different ways yourself, TRYING to stress other syllables, and see which one feels...
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Joanna Smith replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
@ViktoriiaTaranenko Each vowel has its own square. :)
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Joanna Smith replied to Emily Davies
Hi Emily. See conversation below. the vowels on the right hand side of the Vowel area. Like /u/
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Joanna Smith replied to Emily Davies
Hi Emily. The colon symbol only indicates 'length'. In English that backwards C sound is by default long, so it's always got the colon after it. But the sound of the vowel is indicated by the symbol.
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I think it's a very quick way to see who's right and wrong. It's quite fun, too. Worth a try, to see if you and your students enjoy it Maybe try a simple one first, like a hand raise. I have sometimes even had "run to a side of the room" as a task. High energy, and funny.
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Joanna Smith replied to Sandra Barreda
Any time a new word or phrase is introduced, practice the pronunciation of it! Any time a text is used (listening or reading), pick some key phrases, and practice pronunciaiton!
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@AnabellaDemarchi This is a great question. I think consistency very much is important. As a listener, when I hear someone with a 'mixed accent' I get very confused. I'm comfortable with the Irish accent, the Australian accent, the Singaporean accent, the South African accent. My brain knows how to 'translate' the different accents into what I might consider...
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Joanna Smith replied to Carol V
Yes. At the end of the day, one's accent is a matter of identity. If a student can pronounce words in a variety of ways, but chooses to keep an "accent" they are choosing an identity to represent. They have the ability to choose how "strong" their accent will be. That's then up to them. Our job as teachers is not to erase that choice, but to enable students to...
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Joanna Smith replied to bourg c
Always a good idea to try one new thing, then master that, then come back and try another idea.
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That is a matter of teaching about how to link words together. See the later weeks!
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That depends on what the learning objectives of your class are.
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Joanna Smith replied to Francis Ryall
Yes, the field of articulatory phonetics is used in speech language therapy as well as in linguistics and applied linguistics. Learning the true 'phonetic alphabet' is much more complex than the English phonemic alphabet we use in teaching English. But understanding the basics of the English phonemic alphabet is a great help when teaching English sounds.
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I think the important point is to make sure learners practice the spoken form, and don't get confused by the written form (spelling). The order of which is introduced first is possibly less important than ensuring the two forms are clearly distinguished and practised separately.
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Just added a comment with the video
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Just added a comment with the video
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Just added a comment with the video.
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Joanna Smith made a comment
Here's the missing video! https://youtu.be/pit0OkNp7s8
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Joanna Smith replied to Aswini Lakshmi
Remember, it's a physical skill that you can practice until it becomes automatic. Like playing a musical instrument.
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Joanna Smith replied to Aswini Lakshmi
I personally don't link in either situation. In "far less" in my accent (NZE), it's not 2 consonants anyway. Far is /fa:/.
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Joanna Smith replied to Sophie P
Hi Sophie, The most important thing is to try to diagnose what the problem is. It might take some time. You may need some 1:1 time with him. I once had a student who spoke very oddly. Not like his classmates who had the same L1. I asked him if he had a speech impediment in his first language. He was horrified and said no. But the next day, he told me that his...
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Joanna Smith replied to Sophie P
Repetition is always a great idea!
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They might understand which vowel is the "lowest" (The one the dentist asks us to say!)
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Joanna Smith replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
@FrancisRyall One thing you could try is to put a thin strip of paper on the tip of your tongue, so it's visible and hangs out of your mouth. Switch between /i:/ and /u:/ and see the paper move.
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@NatashaW It's quite tricky, isn't it. I'm not a big fan of using "native speaker" but perhaps I could say "speakers of the varieties of English typically labelled as standard." By that, I mean American or British English. There may be native speakers of other varieties of English that have different pronunciation habits. E.g. Singaporean English.
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Worth a try!
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Joanna Smith replied to Carol V
You’re welcome to download and use them. :)
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Joanna Smith replied to Sophie P
Hi Sophie. Different L1s definitely have different needs, so you’re on the right track. I’m not super familiar with teaching students with native Romance languages, but it’s good to be aware they’ll have different learning needs from other learners.
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Joanna Smith replied to Natasha W
Hi Natasha. I’m not familiar with any research about different speeds of talking in different languages, but I know it can be very subjective.
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@KobitaKumariJugnauth It's native English speakers who don't perceive the difference. Precisely because they are part of the same phoneme.
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Unless they speak a language where these sounds are distinct from one another. In that case, they will be more aware of it than native speakers!
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Joanna Smith replied to Kobita Kumari Jugnauth
You can probably Google this, it comes from the International Phenetic Alphabet. What they have in common is that the air is continuously flowing easily through the mouth.
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Joanna Smith replied to Kobita Kumari Jugnauth
Yes. French uses front rounded vowels, which English doesn't use!
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Learners of English can absolutely learn these concepts. As with any teaching, it's important to teach small steps at a time. Most good quality textbooks include these kinds of pronunciation exercises with teaching notes too.
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Joanna Smith replied to Denise Mallinson
@DeniseMallinson yes.
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No, not incorrect. Could easily be linked together.
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Agree! It's a great strategy for children and can be good for adults too, with well chosen songs.
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Joanna Smith replied to bourg c
Welcome. This course may help a little, but it's not designed specifically for teachers of deaf learners. I hope you nevertheless find some good nuggets!
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C-C linking can be quite complex. If you want a meaty website to read more, check out https://www.sltinfo.com/csp101-contents/ You might find it interesting! But I would not teach all that to learners. It's too subtle. Stick to the general rules I've mentioned.
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@DeniseMallinson It's not a hard rule, just like any linking rules are not "hard". We always have the option of articulating the words separately. But if there are three, and a speaker drops a sound, it's almost always the middle one. I encourage you to do some experiments. Ask friends to say a few phrases quickly, and listen carefully to how they say it. ...
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Joanna Smith replied to Audry Candida Da Silva Wickham
@AudryCandidaDaSilvaWickham You can see them on the same line as the stops. They are technically stops, that release the air with some friction.
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Joanna Smith replied to Audry Candida Da Silva Wickham
The same types of activities as for any sound pair. Focus on perception first. They are different in their manner of articulation. The "l" sound touches the roof of the mouth with the middle part of the tongue and air escapes out the side. The "r" sound has the sides up, and the centre lowered. You may be able to find some tongue diagrams online.
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Joanna Smith replied to Audry Candida Da Silva Wickham
Affricates are "ch" and "j" sounds.
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Yes. Some words have different stress, depending on the variety of English. A good dictionary will indicate both versions and tell you which is which.
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Yeah, I think you're right. There could be a link there.
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Joanna Smith replied to Denise Mallinson
Hi Denise. How questions don't necessarily go up at the end. Intonation patterns vary greatly, especially between varieties of English. But the rule for "wh" questions going down is pretty consistent. Experiment for a bit. Say some "wh" questions with rising intonation. How does it sound to your perception?
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Hi Denise. In 'best friend' you have three consonants together. But in 'work together' you only have two. (Remember, it's sounds, not spelling. The 'or' is one vowel sound.)
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Joanna Smith replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Hi. Yes, there are C-C links. We often reduce complexity (clusters) across word boundaries. But it does differ between accents. I'd argue that in your two examples, those who drop the T or keep the T would do it in both. It would be an interesting experiment for you to ask 10 people how they say those phrases and listen to see what they do. :)
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Joanna Smith replied to Helen Limer
Ah dang. I read too fast. In Dem Fall, Grüsse aus Neuseeland. ;)
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Joanna Smith replied to George Adams
Look them up in a dictionary to see!
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Try saying it in a sentence at normal speed.
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Joanna Smith replied to Kendra Mortureux
Not everyone does. Your learners will see the symbols in the dictionary if they use one.
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Joanna Smith replied to George Adams
Yes. Fricatives make friction. Feel the friction with the sound /v/.
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Joanna Smith replied to George Adams
Yes.
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Glottal is a place of articulation. Fricative is a manner of articulation. /h/ is indeed a voiceless glottal fricative.
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Joanna Smith replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
In the vowels area of the chart, the squares on the right hand side contain back vowels. Like /u/.
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Joanna Smith replied to Francis Ryall
If using the spelling is enough, that’s great. But some words have different spellings and are not said differently. Eg. they’re, their, there. Heir, air (depending on accent), pear, pair, bare, bear. Etc.
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Joanna Smith replied to George Adams
If the video is turned on, then hand motions can be used successfully.
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Feel free to ask! I’m here in the chats every now and again. :)
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Any material you choose to use in your class should of course be carefully chosen for appropriateness. But there is no lack of real live examples of English pronunciation!
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Joanna Smith replied to Amber Moss
Yes! Sometimes, when two consonants are together, the first one is dropped, and only the second is pronounced.
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Joanna Smith replied to Helen Limer
Greetings also from downunder!
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Joanna Smith replied to Sophie P
Hi. I just replied to someone else about the back chain. Here’s what I said: t’s a technique often used in music as well - another physical skills based discipline. The idea is: if you keep practising the first part, but not the last part, you might never “finish well”. But if you practise the ending first, then when you finally get the beginning part right,...
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It’s a technique often used in music as well - another physical skills based discipline. The idea is: if you keep practising the first part, but not the last part, you might never “finish well”. But if you practise the ending first, then when you finally get the beginning part right, it’s easy sailing down the home stretch. It’s very satisfying for learners!...
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Hi George. The idea is that learners need to hear the difference, and recognise it, before they can work to produce it. Listening is often referred to as a passive skill (with reading) as opposed to the active, or productive, skills of writing and speaking. But really, the term "passive" is inaccurate. There's a lot going on!
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Yes, peer assessment can work with pronunciation. Especially if students have different first languages. They'll pick up different things.
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Joanna Smith replied to Martin Cooke
@KathleenLawrence Yes, indeed, it is because of the "phonotactic" rules of Korean, which does not allow them to have those sounds at the end of a syllable. If they add a vowel, suddenly they "can" pronounce the sound (because it's at the start of a syllable). I trained my adult Korean students to bridge the gap by whispering that final vowel, and then...
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Joanna Smith replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
That's a really good point. There are two instances of 'a' in the text, and neither of them have been programmed as being possible weak forms. I think because we pronounce it weakly most of the time, it's more like the non-weak version is kind of 'stressed'. In any case, if one does include both instances of 'a' as potential weak forms, there would be 17 weak...
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Joanna Smith replied to Francis Ryall
Hi @FrancisRyall I think you do need to use your judgement. You might not choose to use phonemic script with absolute beginners. But you'd be surprised how many students already know it. Most good dictionaries use it. It's easy to distinguish. Always use slanted brackets around phonemic script, to distinguish it from written text. I'm currently learning...
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Joanna Smith replied to Francis Ryall
You're right. Intonation does vary the most of the suprasegmentals. It's word stress and weak forms and linking in particular which are consistent. Having said that, some intonation patterns are consistent, e.g. emphatic pronunciations.
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Joanna Smith replied to Martin Cooke
@MartinCooke I'm learning Korean now. Korean (like some other languages) has rules about which sounds are "allowed" at the end of syllables. Only a small number of consonants can close a syllable, so it's hard for them to use consonants at the end of syllables in English. Adding the vowel means the consonant is now at the beginning of a syllable, and they can...
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Any one! Grab any YouTube video spoken by a native speaker, get a transcript, and listen closely. It's all there!
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Joanna Smith replied to Kendra Mortureux
I've taught the rules overtly to advanced speakers. But just one at a time. I think with lower levels, just demonstrating it is enough.
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Joanna Smith replied to Kendra Mortureux
Agreed. Intonation patterns vary across regional accents. Mimicking recordings or YouTube videos helps here.
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Hi Elly. We don't teach any singing skills, however, I don't believe there is a difference between pronunciation in speaking vs in singing. I have an opera singer friend, and she reads the international phenetic alphabet in order to learn how to pronounce foreign words when she sings.
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Hi Monika. Learning to decode words is a slightly different skill from pronouncing the words properly. Having said that, learning how the spelling relates to the sounds is definitely easier when the sounds are well understood.
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Joanna Smith replied to Martin Cooke
Welcome. I also taught mainly Chinese students. You've likely got a good instict for the types of issues these students have when learning English pronunciation.
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Some excellent resources in there!
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Welcome!
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Welcome Elly!
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Hi - The task is to find where there are potential Vowel-vowel links. Links happen between words. So which pairs of words exist, where the first word ends in a vowel sound, and the second word begins with a vowel sound. Click in the space between those pairs. There are two possible pairs that would give a V-V link.
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Joanna Smith replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Other languages also have quite predictable connected speech rules.
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It may take some time to catch word stress if you're not a first language speaker. In the same way, I'm learning Korean at the moment, and I'm still struggling to differentiate the sounds. Definitely use a dictionary to check, and listen carefully and slowly to examples of people speaking the words. Sometimes it's also fun to ask a native speaker what a word...
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Joanna Smith replied to Jo Montebello
Sometimes it's simple things that make a difference!
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Joanna Smith replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
I'm from the US originally, lived in NZ for many years. My accent changes. My English learners in NZ have a variety of different target accents!
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Joanna Smith replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Hi Kathleen. As you'll learn more in the course, pronunciation doesn't have to have its own separate lesson time. I recommend you weave in micro activities all throughout. Eg in reading lessons, or listening lessons too. Good luck!
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Welcome Kendra. Pleased to have you on board. :) And yes, as you'll learn, practicing active pronunciation definitely helps with receptive comprehension.
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Hi Leonie - Our Language Fuel website has 2 micro courses about understanding the English Phonemic Alphabet. https://www.languagefuel.com/collections/pronunciation That might help! The other Language Fuel pronunciation courses are all together here in this Future Learn course.
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Joanna Smith replied to Sophie Anderson
Thanks for the heads up - will swap out for the right file!
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That issue of having difficulty pronouncing consonants at the ends of words is actually very common. Many languages have open syllables only. I used to train my students to say a very 'quiet' vowel at the end, and then they could pronounce the consonant quite happily.
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Joanna Smith replied to Sophie Anderson
I love the fact that you're showing empathy for how your students might feel while learning English. I agree many students do tend to "agonise" and want to be perfect. And Yes! Doing physical stuff (and stuff that might make us feel a little uncomfortable) is definitely memorable. Hopefully the feeling turns into one of fun quite quickly. Good luck.
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Welcome, Leonie! I love your mission. Teaching is definitely a way to give back to humanity.
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Joanna Smith replied to Sophie Anderson
It's always great to become more aware of what we are already doing. Hopefully you feel confident to continue to work on those suprasegmental features.
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Welcome Sophie! Your experience teaching a range of learners will be valuable as you learn more in this course. You'll recognise some of the issues that certain learners have, that others don't!
