Teaching Pronunciation for the EFL Students in China

Introduction

The Inquiry Learning Project that I designed is for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) class (usually 30 students in one class) at a intermediate level in secondary schools in China in the study of pronunciation of English. This project takes two periods of class time (45 for each).

Task

Teaching pronunciation class to the Chinese EFL students can be tricky sometimes, because students come from different parts of China, with a variety of accents of dialects in one classroom. So, for teachers, this could be a great challenge. This Inquiry Learning Project is to give a general knowledge as well as some useful strategies and tips to those who teach pronunciation class in China.

Essential Question

1. Remembering question: How to pronounce all the vowels and the consonants in English?

2. Understanding question: Compare English and Chinese Pinyin system, find out which sound(s) are more difficult for Chinese speakers to pronounce?

3. Applying question: How to effectively pronounce those difficult sound(s) in English by using minimal pairs?

4. Analyzing question: What’s the relationship between pronunciation and effective communication?

5. Evaluating question: Read 10 words, record it on your computer, listen to the English native speaker’s recording of the 10 words, then listen to your own, and compare the two recordings to find out what you should improve.

6. Creating question: Design a simple by effective game of practicing pronunciation.

Online Resources

Oxford Dictionaries Online

Oxford Dictionaries Online is Oxford’s modern English dictionary and reference service. It provides more than 350,000 entries and definitions of words. It is a great source for students when learning English and other subjects.

Mango Languages

It is a great website to learn some popular languages. It helps learners fill their growing language learning needs with the most effective and fun tools, like pictures, podcasts, games.

Reading Assistant Software

Reading Assistant is a scientific learning tool that helps students improve their reading skills. It provides the latest reading science to strengthen students’ reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

OhioLINK OhioLINK, short for The Ohio Library and Information Network, is a searching system of 88 Ohio college and university libraries materials. OhioLINK and its member libraries provide access to 48 million books and other library materials for students

Channel 4 Learning

It is a website designed for UK secondary students. It helps them in many subjects in schools, like English, Geography, History, Mathematics, Music, Physical education and Science. It also provides some games for brain training.

ESL Podcast

This website provides podcasts of English as a second language learning. It also has learning guide to go with the podcast. Together, students can learning English by improving listening skills

Listen to English – learn English!

The podcasts on this website helps students improve their vocabulary, pronunciation and listening skills. Two short podcasts would be updated every week, in clearly spoken English.

Process/ Class Activities:

1. Instructor will divide class into groups of five.
2. Each group will be assigned with a paper with 30 words on it (the words may or may not have been taught). And each group has a different 30 words. (The words are actually 15 set of minimal pairs, but they are reordered.)
3. Students try to read the 30 words to each other within the group. (10 mins)
4. Each group will need at least one computer (or some other technology that can help them log on to the internet).
5. Students try to sort the 30 words into minimal pairs with the help of Oxford online dictionary or some other credible online dictionaries (should consult teacher if it’s not a commonly used resource). The online dictionary should have function for users to hear pronunciation of every word. (25 mins)
6. Each group has a representative student to give a presentation about the minimal pairs by using a presentation tool. (25 mins)
7. Each student chooses 10 words out of the list, read the words, record it on the computer and export it into an mp3 file. (10 mins)
8. Students listen to the English native speaker’s pronunciation of the 10 words, then listen to their own, and compare the two recordings to find out what they should improve. (10 mins)
9. Teachers give homework: ask the students to create games or activities of pronunciation after class, and ask them to think about the essential questions by ralating them to the class activities and their findings.

Final Product

1. Presentation of the minimal pairs of the 30 words.
2. Mp3 files of their pronouncing 10 words chosen from the 30 words.
3. Comparison between their own pronuncaiton and the standard.

Rubric/Evaluation (100 points in total)

Teacher Notes

1. Teacher will divide students into groups.
2. Teacher will supply words list for the students.
3. Teacher will supply computor/laptop and projector for presentation.
4. Teacher will guide the students to use credible online sources.
5. Teacher will comment on students’ performance and provide correct answers if students’ are not correct.
6. Teacher will give homeworks.