INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

Name: English Language Teaching Techniques

Course Code: NN008
N0 of Criteria: 03
Type: Core/compulsory
 Objectives
By the end of the course the student teachers will be
able to:
 know the basic principles of designing and delivering
a language lesson
 learn how to teach a language lesson and language
skills lesson
 plan a language lesson and language skills lesson
 evaluate a language activity and design or adapt a
language activity
 know how to observe and give feedback to an English
language teaching lesson
 Outline of the Course

Module 1: Teaching Language Knowledge

Module 2: Preparation for PPP lessons & Microteaching

Module 3: Teaching Receptive Skills

Module 4: Preparation for Skills Lessons & Microteaching

Module 5: Teaching Productive Skills

 Course Materials
1. Nguyen Thi Van Lam & Ngo Dinh Phuong (2007).
English Teaching Methodology: Practice (For internal
circulation only)
2. Forseth, R. & C., Ta Tien Hung & Nguyen Van Đo
(1996). Methodology Handbook for English Teachers
in Vietnam. English Language Institute America
3. Ur, P. (1996). A Course in Language Teaching:
Practice and Theory. Cambridge, New York and
Melbourne: Cambridge University Press
 Module 1
Teaching Language Knowledge

Lesson 1:
Teaching Pronunciation
INTRODUCTI
Contents
1. Importance of Pronunciation in Communication
2. Basic Strategies on Teaching Pronunciation
ON

3. Principles for Teaching Pronunciation

4. Teaching English Sounds
PRONUNCIATION

5. Teaching Stress

6. Teaching Intonation
TEACHING

7. Practice & Evaluation

 PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Importance of Pronunciation in
Communication
2. Factors Affecting Pronunciation Learning
3. Approaches to Teaching Pronunciation
 1. Importance of Pronunciation
in Communication
1. Misunderstanding caused by bad pronunciation
 Bad pronunciation -> misunderstanding -> wrong
responses -> difficulties or failure in communication
To have the pronunciation of L2 as correct as possible right
from the start for the following reasons:
 Sound system – language element to acquire and produce
language
 Correct pronunciation -> progress in listening, speaking,
reading-aloud skills ….
 2. Factors affecting Pronunciation Learning
12 to 14 years = critical period for LA
Older children and adults – own strength

Amount & quality Ages Motivation &

has strong influence Method & concern for good
teaching Motivation pronunciation
quality What
Exposure
affects ? Influence
Amount & quality to L2 of L1 native
of training in Personality, language
pronunciation Aptitude interference
Shy and outgoing
Aptitude/talent for LL
3. Approaches to teaching pronunciation

3.1. Intuitive – imitative approach:

3.2. Analytic – linguistic approach
3.3. Integrative approach
 3.1. Intuitive – imitative approach
 used to teach pronunciation
based on the learner’ ability to
listen and imitate the sounds
and rhythm of the target
language without giving any
explicit information
 More effective for the young
learners and also more helpful
to teach diphthongs in which
explicit instruction does not
 3.2. Analytic – linguistic approach
Pronunciation learnt through instruction
in order to raise awareness:
 Phonetic alphabet, articulatory
descriptions, charts of the vocal apparatus,
contractive information and other aids to
supplement listening, imitation, and
production
 explicitly informs Ls & focuses attention on
sounds and rhythms of L2
 Used to complement rather than to replace
the intuitive-imitation approach
 More effective for older Ls when teaching
3.2. Analytic – linguistic approach

• Using the charts of vocal tracks, the phonetic

alphabet in imitation, listening, and production as
supplementary materials.
• Different aspects of pronunciation such as the
position of the tongue, manner of articulation
and place should be made clear
 3.2. Analytic – Linguistic Approach (cont)
Reform Movement
 International Phonetic Association founded 1886 and IPA
(International Phonetic Alphabets) was developed to describe and
analyze the sound system of languages
 The phoneticians & teachers specifically advocated the following
notions and practices:
(1) Spoken form of a language is primary and should be taught
first.
(2) Findings of phonetics should be applied to LT
(3) Teachers must have solid training in phonetics
(4) Learners should be given phonetic training to establish good
speech habits.
 3.3. Integrative approach
 Mainly focuses on rhythm, intonation & supra-segmentals
of stress, as it is necessary to practice them in a discourse
beyond the word level and phoneme (Roohani, 2013).
 For Lee (2008), pronunciation in the scope of the approach
is integrated into meaningful task-based activities.
=> pronunciation is considered as an integral component of
communication rather than an isolated drill. Thus,
pronunciation is practiced in meaningful task-based
activities that may facilitate learning pronunciation
 3.3. Integrative approach
 as some teachers see pronunciation as an integrated part of
communication, => using the integrative approach.
 Do not use isolated drills but place them in the courses as an
important feature to communicate.
 In addition, focus on intonation, supra-segmentals of stress
and rhythm, as practice in a discourse beyond the phoneme
and word level.
Conclusion: Ages of Ls & subject of the lesson => important
criteria for selecting the most suitable approach
Ex: Young Ls => intuitive-imitative approach;
Adult learners => analytic-linguistic approach
Teaching diphthongs => intuitive-imitative approach
Teaching vowels => analytic-linguistic approach
 PART B:
TEACHING PRONUNCIATION
1. Should we teach pronunciation to the students?
2. What is the goal of teaching pronunciation?
3. What aspects of pronunciation do we need to
teach?
4. How can the teacher help the students to
practice pronunciation?
 Two points of views on teaching
pronunciation
 Ss do not need to learn pronunciation, because
pronunciation will take care of itself as the Ss develop
overall language ability
 Failure in pronunciation is a great hindrance in
language learning. Therefore, the teacher should
spend some time in teaching pronunciation
 Which one do you advocate to?
 1. Goals of Teaching Pronunciation
1. Intelligibility (easy to be understood by listeners
from different backgrounds)
2. Comprehensibility (able to understand what
others speak in English)
 2. What to Teach?
In the past:
 Focus on the articulation of consonants and
vowels & the discrimination of minimal pairs
In recent years:
 focus on supra-segmental features (stress,
intonation, rhythm)
 Emphasis on the teaching pronunciation as
communicative interaction along with other
aspects
 3. How to Teach?

 The communicative approach (1980s) suggests that

using language to communicate should be central in
all classroom language instruction
 Intelligible pronunciation is necessary for
communication to take place
 3. How to Teach?
 How then do we teach pronunciation?
 Ts and developers of materials found that an emphasis
on rhythm, word stress, sentence stress and
intonation is the best way to organize a short-term
pronunciation course for non-native speakers
 It is imperative for the instructor to have knowledge
of the English sound system and to be familiar with a
variety of teaching techniques using communicative
activities
 4. Basic Teaching Strategy
4.1. Fundamental principles
The eclectic and CLT approaches suggest:
1. Be Integrated with other aspects of language (grammar,
vocabulary, style, function, discourse))& other language skills,
with non-linguistic cues (e.g. gestures, facial expressions etc.)
Be taught as an integrated part of language teaching program
from the early stage till the achievement of intelligibility with
the motto ‘frequent practice makes perfect’, ‘little and often’
2. Items of pronunciation need to be isolated for practice in
words, phrases then reintroduced in contexts (sentence, short
texts, etc.)
 4. Basic Teaching Strategy
4.2. Procedure:
Fundamental principles may be realized in the following steps. (can
be modified and adjusted)
a) Presentation:
1. Introduce the item alone clearly, slowly 2 or 3 times for Ls to
perceive
2. Say it in some words
3. Contrast it with some similar ones in L2 or in L1 (minimal pairs)
4. Write the words on the board. Explain how to make the item
visually or verbally
5. Get Ss to repeat it in chorus 2 or 3 times
6. Get individual students to repeat it
 4. Basic Teaching Strategy
b) Practice:
 Give recognition drills
 Give Ss imitation drills of the target item first in words:
+ then in groups of words or phrases
+ then in minimal pairs
+ then in sentences
+ then in tongue twisters
+ then in short dialogues
 Provide varied repetition (varied speed, volume, mood, etc.)
 Learn & perform dialogues
 Self-correction
 4. Basic Teaching Strategy
Production:
 Pronunciation games
 Pair-work, group-work activities
 Etc.
 5. Teacher’s & Learner’s Roles
5.1. Teacher’s Roles
• Helping Ss hear & perceive the model as exactly as possible
• Helping them make sound intelligible
• Providing them with feedback of their pronunciation
• Correcting S’s mistakes if necessary
• Pointing out what is going on
• Establishing priorities
• Devising activities for different stages
• Assessing S’s progress
 5. Teacher’s & Learner’s Roles
5.2. Learner’s Roles
• Perceiving the model as exactly as they can
• Responding as much and as well as they can to the
recognition, imitation and repetition activities
• Doing self-correction of their pronunciation
mistakes
6. Techniques of Teaching Pronunciation
 7. Teaching English sounds
7.1. Aspects of English Pronunciation & How to Teach
Them
7.1.1. Aspects of English Sounds
 The sounds of the English language, or
phonology
 Stress and rhythm; Intonation
7.1.1.1. English Sounds & How to Teach Them
 Individual sounds: consonants and vowels
 Sound clusters (cụm âm): /spr/, /br/
 7. Teaching English sounds
7.1.1.1. English Sounds
a) Individual sounds
 Consonants: English consonants can be classified in different
ways:
o According to the place of articulation: dental, bilabial,
alveolar (chân răng), palatal (vòm miệng), velar (âm vòm
mềm- âm gốc lưỡi)
o According to the manner of articulation: plosive, affricate (âm
tắc xát), fricative, nasal and lateral (âm cạnh (lưỡi)
o According the involvement of vocal cords: voiced and
voiceless
 7. Teaching English sounds
7.1.1.1. English Sounds
a) Individual sounds
 Consonants: Each English consonant has all the features of
these classifications, for example:
Consonant Place Manner Voice
/k/ in kick Velar(âm vòm mềm) plosive voiceless
/l/ in long Alveolar (âm lợi) Lateral (cạnh lưỡi) voiced

 Most of the English consonants sound rather similar to Vietnamese

ones except for the English plosives in the initial and final positions
of a word. The English /ð/ & /θ/ have no similarities in
Vietnamese.
 7.1.1.1. English Sounds
a) Individual sounds
 Consonants
 Vowels
 English vowels are always voiced, formed by the position of
the tongue, the shape of the lips and the movement of the
jaw.
 Different vowels are determined by how high the tongue is
raised in the mouth & by whether the front, middle or back of
the tongue is being used.
 English has some pairs of short and long vowels (/i/ & /i:/),
Vietnamese doesn’t have and Vietnamese Ls of English have a
lot of trouble to distinguish.
 7.1.1.1. English Sounds
a) Individual sounds
 Consonants
 Vowels: Each English vowel bears the mentioned features,
for example:
Vowel Tongue level Part of tongue Length lips
æ Low front Short spread
u: high Back long Rounded
 7.1.1.1. English Sounds
a) Teaching individual sounds (See 5.2.)
For example: Teaching /i/ & /i:/
 Presentation:
 T says the sound /i/ clearly 2 or 3 times so that Ss
listen, observe her mouth shape and perceive the
model
 T says again in such words as in tin, thin, it, ill
 Ss repeat them in chorus 2 or 3 times
 T shows them a picture of the tongue, lips & mouth
shape for /i/ to explain how it is made
 a) Teaching individual sounds (See 5.2.)
 T gets Ss to repeat the above words again in chorus, in
groups, then individually
 In the same way T introduces /i:/ & gets Ss to repeat
in such words: eat, team, eel, teens.
 T contrasts /i/ & /i:/ in minimal pairs
 Ss are divided into groups, then repeat the minimal
pairs after the tapes or T for several times
 T uses picture to show the difference mouth shapes
for these two sounds
 7.1.1.1. English Sounds
a) Teaching individual sounds: (Teaching /i/ & /i:/)
 Practice: Get the students to:
1) Do some recognition exercises by listening carefully
to & picking out the /i/ and /i:/ in words said in
disorder by the T, for example: it, it, eat, it, eel, ill, eel,
ill, etc.
2) Repeat the minimal pairs again in pairs, groups then
individually
 7.1.1.1. English Sounds
a) Teaching individual sounds: (Teaching /i/ & /i:/)
 Practice: Get the students to:
3) Practice the sounds in groups of words: In it, this thin tin,
it is thin/ eat meat, eat eel meat, steam eel meat. Etc.
4) Then in sentences: Miss Tin hit it. It is thin. /Dean eats
eel meat. Eat steamed eel meat, please
5) Then in tongue twisters:
Eat this thin eel meat in a steamed tin
This steamed thin meat is heated in a tin.
Little jean is seated in a bit heated tin.
 7.1.1.1. English Sounds
a) Teaching individual sounds: (e.g: Teaching /i/ & /i:/)
 Practice: Get the students to:
6) Listen to, repeat and learn a short recorded dialogue.
6) A: Is Jean in, Miss Dean?
7) B: Is she heating up a tin of meat?
8) C: She’s ill. Sorry Tim.
7) Act the dialogue in pairs then prolong it by adding some of
their own words or sentences containing /i/ and /i:/, provided
that they sound meaningful.
 Production: play a mini bingo game in groups of three
 7.1.1.1. English Sounds
b) Sound Clusters
 Consonant Clusters: two or three consonants are joined
together, e.g. /st/ in ‘stop’, /str/ in ‘street’. These consonant
clusters do not exist in Vs
=> Vietnamese Ss are always adding a weak vowel like /i/ or /ə/
between the consonants of the English cluster. The word
‘stop’ may sound like /sətɒp / or /sɪtɒp
 Vowel Clusters: diphthongs / ɪə , eə, əʊ, eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ, əʊ, aʊ/
and triphthongs /eɪə, aɪə, əʊə, aʊə/, in fact,=> the glide from
one vowel to another (diphthong) then to a third
(triphthong).
 7.1.1.1. English Sounds
c) Linkage of Sounds
 Linking the last consonant of the previous word with
the initial vowel of the following one:
Not at all/ Fred doesn’t like it/ What time is it?
 The linkage like these seems to sound strange to
Vietnamese Ss’ ears as getting used to saying every
syllable or every word separately and clearly. => think
the linkage as a new word.
 7.1.1.1. English Sounds
d) Teaching Sound Clusters
 A sound cluster taught somewhat like the teaching of an
individual sound using the procedure of Basis Teaching
Strategy (5.2).
 But advisable to separate the cluster into individual
sounds first for practice then quickly join them together
again.
 7.1.1.2. Stress & Rhythm
a) Word Stress
 Primary stress: the stressed syllable is said slightly louder; the
vowel is held a little longer to give it prominence or stress.
 In a long English word, there are some syllables:
a) syllable with primary stress mentioned above, said with the
most breath effort,
b) unstressed syllable(s) => to be said very quickly, lightly with
very little breath effort,
c) syllable with a secondary stress said with more breath
effort than “b” but less than “a”
 7.1.1.2. Stress & Rhythm
b) Sentence Stress – Rhythm
 Stressed Words: content words, essential for conveying a
message, often NOUNS, main VERBS, ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS
and DEMONSTRATIVES.
 Unstressed Words: are the form words, grammatical or
structure words.
Ex: John has finished his work.
(John, finished, work are content words and stressed; others
are form words and unstressed).
 Rhythm: These stressed and unstressed words form tone units
which work just like bars of music (strong beat & weak beat)
 7.1.1.2. Stress & Rhythm
c) Teaching Stress and Rhythm
Process can be summarised as follows:
Repeat the whole phrase isolate & repeat the stressed
syllable or word only.
 Repeat the whole phrase again
Position of the stressed by writing the words, sentences and
marking the stresses on the board or using gestures, signals or
T’s voice.
 7.1.1.2. Stress & Rhythm
c) Teaching Stress and Rhythm
 Gestures: The teacher may indicate the stress pattern
by:
Ω thumping the air when saying the stressed syllables
Ω making a downward stroke of the hand like a
conductor
Ω punching the palm of the other hand
Ω clapping her hands
Ω striking a ruler on the board or table
The Board
 7.1.1.2. Stress & Rhythm
c) Teaching Stress and Rhythm
Repeat the whole phrase again
 Gestures:
 The Board :can be used as the most valuable aid to make the
stress visible to students in the initial non-text stage
 Non-Text Stage
o The stress pattern is indicated by using symbols, before word
or sentence written on the board
Ex:
 7.1.1.2. Stress & Rhythm
c) Teaching Stress and Rhythm

 Text Stage
 an example can be given and the difference between
stressed and unstressed syllables is exaggerated.
Example a sack of carrots
de _ da _ de _ da_de
 Ss imitate the rhythm then say their own phrases to fit in
the pattern.
 7.1.1.3. Intonation
a) Forms and Meanings
 Intonation: melody of speech with two basic ones: rising or
falling
 Forms of Intonation: 6 forms
 Meaning: These 6 intonations have 2 functions:
1) Indicating grammatical meaning in much the same way as
punctuation used in the written language;
Ex: He lives here: → statement;
He lives here?: → question.
 7.1.1.3. Intonation
a) Forms and Meanings
2) Indicating the speaker’s attitude, feelings towards the listener:
Example:
Really? : → shocking feeling…
Really? : → exciting feeling
 7.1.1.3. Intonation
a) Forms and Meanings
 Forms of Intonation: 6 forms
1) High Fall: a fall from a high level – to be used with
statements, Wh-Qs.
2) Low Fall: a fall from a middle or lower level –
conveying the same meanings as the High Fall but not
so politely.
3) High Rise: a rise from a middle or higher level – to be
used with questions, request for repetition.
 7.1.1.3. Intonation
a) Forms and Meanings
 Forms of Intonation: 6 forms
4) Low Rise: a rise from a low level – to be used with
YES/NO questions, listing up, and conversation oilers.
5) Fall-Rise: a fall from a higher level and then a rise
from a lower level – to be used with corrections,
polite contradictions.
6) Rise-Fall: a rise from a low level then a fall from s
higher level – expressing certain more exaggerated
attitudes: surprise, flattery, admiration.
 8.1.1.3. Intonation
a) Forms and Meanings
b) Teaching Intonation
 Gestures: A sweep of the arm from high to low will indicate
the fall and vice-versa for the rise. Other intonations such
the fall-rise and rise-fall can also be suggested by the
movement of the arm.
 The Board: write a sentence or a dialogue then mark the
stressed syllables with dashes, the unstressed with dots and
the intonation with an arrow on the board after oral
presentation of it
 7.1.1.3. Intonation
a) Forms and Meanings
b) Teaching Intonation
 Teacher’s voice: The teacher’s voice => very important
role in creating the moods, the models for students to
use or practice the right intonations in different contexts.
 Other Audio-Visual Aids: Pictures, mood cards, tapes,
etc. can be used for the effective presentation and
practice of intonation in class.
7.2. Some Vietnamese Learners’ Common Mistakes in
English Pronunciation

1) Mispronunciation of /l/ in lot and /n/ in not, /ʃ/ in show and

/s/ in so, /tʃ / in chain and /tr/ in train.
2) Failure to distinguish the English /d ͡ʒ / in Jorn, /ʒ/ in
measure and /z/ in pens.
3) Replacing the English /θ/ in thank and /ð/ in this with the
Vietnamese th and d.
4) Silencing or swallowing the final consonant of a word.
 7.2. Some Vietnamese Learners’ Common Mistakes in
English Pronunciation
5) Confusion between long and short vowels, for example, /i/
& /i:/;
6) Adding a weak vowel like /ə/ or /i/ in between the
consonants of a cluster to make a syllable.
7) No or wrong stress on English word or sentence
8) Broken rhythm or wrong pause in a sense group.
9) Failure to use correct intonations in clauses or in a
sentence.
10) Pronouncing English word from its spelling like a Vs word.
3. Standard British English: RP and IPA
 RP: Received Pronunciation – the educated
British English spoken by educated Londoners
Other names: BBC English or the King/Queen’s
English
 IPA script: International Phonetic Alphabet.
Articulation of Vowels