Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I believe in taking time to teach pronunciation to adolescent language learners. There are some who would disagree and that's fine - that's not a debate I'm looking for here. What I would like to know is if anyone has tried using this series with Korean middle or high school students. If so, how did it go? What types of activities in the books worked well and what didn't? Did you tweak or modify anything and, if so, what?

I find that there are heaps of phonics materials made for little children, and some made for adults, but very little directed at teens. Oviously Up and Away is directed at elementary school children, but I'm hoping that their level 4-6 material, seemingly geared roughly for 9-12-year-olds, would work for teens, too. Any thoughts?

[some waygug-in]

I've used them sparingly, but not with middle school students.


One thing that I noticed was that some of the material in books 5 and 6 is really what I would call "introductory grammar", not phonics. But I'm sure some would disagree.

You could try looking books 4 - 6 and then deciding if the material is appropriate.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[BS.Dos.]

YBS, I've done some pronunciation work with my 2nd grade HS last year although, it was basic and only covered a couple of lessons.

I warmed up by talking about how English is a stressed-timed language etc and recapped on vowel sounds including the use and sound of 'Y' (e) etc. I also gave the students a few simple 2/3-syllable words like 'DON-KEY' 'COM-PUT-ER' and explained how our jaws will move with each syllable (vowel) sound, demonstrated by placing the back of your hand under your jaw as you say the words. Give them a few more words and get them to practice.

I then began with a syllable counting exercise using worksheets with varying length words which the students have to put into the correct groups i.e. 2, 3, 4, 5 syllable groups. Circulate and help as required. Once you've gone through the answers with them demonstrate how the sound of the word changes depending on which syllable we stress (for this use the words Photograph, photography and photographic for good effect and illustrate by stressing the wrong syllable e.g. Pho-to-gra-phy) (link)

I then moved on to word stress and wrote this sentence on the board and demonstrated how meaning changes depending on which word we stress:

I asked you to buy me a bunch of red roses.
I asked you to buy me a bunch of red roses.
I asked you to buy me a bunch of red roses.
I asked you to buy me a bunch of red roses.
I asked you to buy me a bunch of red roses.
I asked you to buy me a bunch of red roses.
I asked you to buy me a bunch of red roses.

Give them a few additional sentences so that they can practice themselves.

I then moved onto sentence stress and spoke about sentences having both content words and structure words or, joining words (bricks and cement is a good analogy to use if they need additional clarification) and then wrote the following words on the board:

YOU ME HIM HER

Say each word in turn and repeat continuously at a steady pace and for about 6 or 7 times, then add AND after each word:

YOU and ME and HIM and HER

Repeat as before without pausing for another 6 or 7 times before adding THEN:

YOU and then ME and then HIM and then HER

Repeat as before and then add IT's

YOU and then it's ME and then it's HIM and then it's HER

They'll probably be in stitches as you say the sentence faster and faster and the added structure words become lost as the content words become more pronounced. It's a good little exercise that none of my students could do without getting tongue tied. (Link)

I haven't really done much work emphasising tone as such, but I did do some work on mood and feelings in words. Obviously pre-teach some mood vocabulary and then give them a sentence or two and get them read the sentences using a different mood (desperate, angry etc)

Think drama classroom work would be a good way to get the idea of tone and feeling across by perhaps getting the students to rehearse a scene from a movie or something (perhaps?), although it's unlikely that this would be something you could do in a regular class, but maybe in a smaller club activity class perhaps.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Yeah, I've worked in quite a few excercises like the examples you give. It's also fun to show them how English-speakers speak Korean, in contrast: for instance, we tend to say ajuma / ajeoshi, becasue we like to stress certain syllables. What would be nice is some material that covers things like that systematically that doesn't look like it was made for kindergarten children.

Re: the debate over pronunciation, I'd strongly recommend Robertson, Paul, 'Teaching English Pronunciation Skills to the Asian Learner' - http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/june2003subpr.php

[some waygug-in]