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Ruth · Joined: 02 Feb 2004 Posts: 105 Location: China

While teaching on the custom of Groundhog Day, I also taught the tongue twister 'How much wood would a woodchuck chuck....' The kids LOVED it. It worked out well for pronunciation practice.

I know 'Peter Piper picked...' and 'She sells sea shells...' but my brain ran dry after that. Does anyone know any more?

If someone creative could write one for Valentines Day - using lots of V's - I'd be grateful. Even when I say 'V-V-V Valentines' I still get Walentines. Of course, my Chinese pronunciation is way off, so can't judge too harshly.

rick_martin_78 · Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 35

tell them to bite their bottom lips when they pronounce their Vs.

If that doesn't work, tell them to use an F instead. F sounds close to V than W.

goldstar · Joined: 22 Feb 2003 Posts: 44 Location: Henan

Here's an activity:
start with their names, have them make a list of words that start with the same letter. Emma eats eggplant elephants each evening. You will have to make some kind of silly sentence with the words they come up with. Do a few as a class, see if they can make one themselves afterwards.

It's also a very good exercise to give kids who are having problems pronouncing a certain letter.

NumberOneSon · Joined: 03 Jul 2003 Posts: 314

Ricepaddy · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 219

A good one for the 'th's...

I can think of thin things
Six thin things, can you?
I can think of six thin things
And six thick things too.

You'll be listening to a lot of "sick sings", though....(as opposed to the London "fick fings", or Dublin "tick tings").

Ruth · Joined: 02 Feb 2004 Posts: 105 Location: China

Thanks for the ideas.

Rick Martin - The whole class says v-v-v with me. I model biting the lower lip and they get it - until they say the next word with a v in it. We're working on it, though. I refer to it as 'our friend V'.

Goldstar - great idea. Think I'll have a lot of Z, W, and L words?

#1Son - My cousin recommended that website and it is a good one. Good old Google. Why didn't I think of that? Embarassed

As for tones - I have barely learned to count to 10 and am still working on the concept that shi = shur (how did they come up with that one?). I could have great fun in class with that tongue twister. They already laugh when I try to say their names. I have no face left, if I ever cared about maintaining face. My theory is that if I can laugh about the mistakes I make, maybe they'll get more comfortable and realize it is no big deal.

Ricepaddy - 'th' is another 'friend' to go along with 'v'. That's a good one.
Thanks all.

NumberOneSon · Joined: 03 Jul 2003 Posts: 314