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Anjuman I Islam's
Begum Sharifa Kalsekar Girls' English High School

Action Research 13-14

Understanding Pronunciation

Introduction

1. English is a language of International communication.

2. It deals with intelligibility, comprehensibility, interpretability, while the speaker produces sound patterns for the understanding of the listener.

3. Clear pronunciation is extremely essential in spoken communication.

Pronunciation Overview

Pronunciation refers to the phonology of the language-or the meaningful perception and production of the sounds of that language and how they impact the listener. It includes various features that make up the production of sounds.

Essential factors affecting the learning of Pronunciation

1. Accent: An accent is the cumulative auditory effect.
2. Stress Intonation: Stress intonation and rhythm deals with research and teaching focus on vocal effects, sound and intonations.
3. Motivation and exposure: Motivation and exposure is extremely important for learning proper pronunciation. Learners need a considerable drilling and repetition because practice makes the learning perfect.
4. Conversation: Teachers can help their children with new and innovative strategies to initiate and maintain conversation.
5. Expert Guidance: Expert guidance is the proper training and help provided to the learner
6. Conclusion: Pronunciation can be one of the most difficult parts for a language learner. It can be concluded with careful preparations and integration.

Evaluation of the Students

1. Learners had problems in reading with proper pronunciation. They were unaware about the important features of pronunciation sounds of vowels and consonants, phonology, linking words, stress intonation patterns and pitch.
2. Mispronunciation of words was very frequent including errors in articulation and intonations.

Learners Observation:

1. Helps in identifying the problems in the learners.
2. Noting the learner’s responses.
3. Deciding on the activity according to the knowledge and awareness of the learner’s.
4. Diagnosing the problems and applying the required remedial measures according to level and requirements of the students.

ACTION  RESEARCH

STD VII

PROBLEM NO 1

UNDERSTANDING PRONUNCIATION

IMPORTANCE OF PRONUNCIATION IN LANGUAGE LEARNING

English language play a very important role in the day communication as it is used for international communication. The speakers of English are able to exchange meanings effectively and communication easily .The speakers of English can achieve.

1) Intelligibility (Speakers produces different sound pattern of English)

2) Comprehensibility (listener understands  the meaning of speaking)

3) Interpretability (listener understands the purpose of speaker).

Clear pronunciation is essential in spoken communication effective communication cannot take place where there are inaccuracies in vocabulary and grammar.

Pronunciation is referred to the phonology of the language and production of the sounds of that language and the impact on the listener.

Presentation -I- Contextualizing Pronunciation

STEP– I

The learners are introduced to the overall theme of Time and Change and to the focus sound ai and ei words are listed are on the B.B.  And learners repeat them after the teacher.

The teacher asks the students to suggest other words containing the focus sounds.

STEP-II

The teacher asks the students to give examples of the ways in which modern life is different from the era of their grandparents.

STEP-III

The teacher play a short audio recording of a text students provide feedback on the changes and give examples of words containing the sounds ai and ei from the text.

STEP-IV

The students check their dictionaries to match focus words with their meanings. They then reinforce the pronunciation of the focus sounds by listening to single words. Then the students listen to individual words and identify which focus sound they hear.

STEP-V

Group discussion among the students about changes over the past 25 years in 4 areas relating to themes .

1. Communication (2) Transportation (3) Education (4) Entertainment each group report back to the rest of the class on their discussion.

Teacher provides feedback on their pronunciation of the focus sound within the overall theme. Teacher focused on both macro and micro aspect. This enables the students to practise pronunciation at both discourse and single sound levels within a communicative activity.

 IA. Listen as you read the text about Time and change.

Time and Change

  It’s right to say that life has changed. The pace and style of life today is not the same as it was in our grandparent’s day. Science has changed the way of life in almost every place on earth at quite an amazing pace. I’m sure can relate many changed that have taken place in your lifetime.

We now have machines that reduce work and make, more free time available each day. We’ve gained better ways to fight crime and to take away pain. We can now travel great distances at an amazingly fast pace by plane or train, where people of the past had to allow a lot of time to hike, ride or sail to faraway places. We can now communicate instantaneously by e-mail rather than waiting many waiting many days to

Receive letters by regular mail. Yes- It’s impossible to deny that the pace and style of life has changed in many ways.

MATERIALS USED BY THE TEACHER

IA. In part- I -> Focus on what the speaker says about the topic

                         (Any passage from the text bk)

                         Explain in short the summary of the passage

        Part – I -> Focus on how words are pronounced

                         (Read the passage loudly in the classroom)

                         Underline the difficult word from the passage read and

                         Repeat the words loudly.

I B. Write the underline words in the text next to the correct meaning below

I B Listen and check the answer to IB

Repeat the words after the speaker

I C. Now discuss the following questions

1) Why has life changed since our grandparents day?

2) What examples dose the text give of ways that life has changed?

Which words contain the sound ai / ? which contain the sound / ei / ? .

Right   say      life         pace    style   same   place

Mail    gained    time   crime    hike    sail      deny

PART – II FOCUS PRONUNCIATION

II (A) Listen to the underlined vowel sound in the following words

REPLY –II (A) PAUSE THE RECORDING AFTER EACH WORD

Write the words in the correct list below, according to the underlined sound

Don’t be confused by the spelling. You need to listen to the pronunciation of the words

II (B) Listen to the questions

Mark where sounds are deleted to form contractions

1) How has communication changed in the last twenty five years?

2) How has transportation changed in the last twenty five years?

3) How has education changed in the last twenty five years?

4) How has entertainment changed in the last twenty five years?

5) What changes have taken place in your life in the last five years?

6) How do you think science will change our lives in the next five years?

LEARNER OBSERVATION

EVIDENCE  BEFORE & AFTER ACTIVITY

NAME OF THE STUDENT

1. Shaikh Ruba Adil

PROBLEM :-Evidence Before activity

She identified herself –namely incorrect syllable stress for eg correct, cassette.

SOLUTION:-

She would benefit from awareness – raising regarding the use of (neutral vowel) to help avoid errors such as pronouncing people as people.

She has the tendency to use an o sound for A or OU.

Evidence After Activity

She is able to identify herself correctly syllable stress is done correctly.

For e.g. correct, cassette, pronunciation, don’t, don’t.

2.Marfani  Shifa Tosif

PROBLEM:-

Her major problem is incorrect word stress eg Com/fort/able incorrect word stress is before

SOLUTION:-

  To focus on the sound and understand stress at word level focus on word ending as unclear finals that may be a grammatical error or a pronunciation error

The S at the end of understands needs to be available.

Evidence after activity

She is able to understand stress at word level understand the end words.

3. Khan  Alina Zahoor

Problem:-

She needs to open her mouth wider and to use her lips more. The formation of constant sound such as M and N are still problematic.

Solution

She needs to from the sound L more clearly.

Usually-usuarry

Carefully-carefurry

EVIDENCE AFTER ACTIVITY

She is able to open her mouth wider and is able to use her lips. After the practice of constant sound able to pronounce properly

4.Khan Azkiya Rais

Problem

Lack of differentiation between (as seen in risten for listen another is that between W and V for eg boice for voice.

SOLUTION

Would benefit from learning how to say words such as Language and pronunciation accurately.

EVIDENCE AFTER ACTVITY

Able to listen and pronounce the words properly identify the difference between the words.

 Action Research

STD VII

PROBLEM NO 2

STRESS AT SUPRASEGMENTAL LEVEL

In English language stress at suprasegmental level is very important because it is a stress on sentences which have a ‘regular’ or a ‘usual’ stress pattern rather than on sentences which may vary accordingly to different contexts and situations . Focusing on suprasegmental features ofpronunciation enables students to improve their overall intelligibility from an early stage as an integral part of lessons.

It is introduced to the beginner learners:

1)  Syllable stress at the suprasegmental level across whole utterances.

2)  Typical stress patterns in short, familiar, personally relevant questions.

Presentation-I

Stress At Suprasegmenal Level

Step-I

The teacher reminds the learners of the words pronunciation and stress. Teacher confirms them that stress refers to syllable sounds that are ‘long and loud’ or the important words. Teacher writes the sentence What’s his address? On the board, and the class identifies the number of syllables (four) and which ones are stressed.

What’shis address?

●      • •     ●

Da   di di    Da

The learners practice this pattern by repeating it after the teacher.

Step- II

Teacher shows the learners green cards with short questions written on them and orange cards marked with dotted stress patterns. She first demonstrated the activity, using the questions .How old are you? She asks three learners holding orange cards to pronounce their stress patterns to see if they correspond with his question card. How old are you? The third learner she asks has a stress pattern matching the questions.

Step-III

Teacher divides the class into two groups and distributes green or orange cards to the two groups. After individually practising their questions (green cards) or stress patterns (orange cards) the learner circulate to find their partners.

Step-IV

When most learners appear to have found partners teacher assembles them in a circle. They place their cards on the floor and together they check which ones match. Where learners cannot find a match or their match is incorrect. Teacher helps them find their partners.

Step-V

Teacher concludes the sequence with a class drill of the sentences used in the activity.

Materials used by the teacher

Flash cards with questions written on them (green cards) and orange cards marked with dotted stress patterns.

Green card               what’s your address

Orange Card            ● ••       ●

Green card               Are you married or single?

Orange card             •      •        ●       • •    ● •

Green Card              What was your job in china?

Orange Card            ●         •        •    ● •    ●

Green card               When did you come to Australia?

Orange card             ●           •     •       ●     •     •    ● •

Green card               Do you have any children?

Orange card             •   •     ●         ••   ●    •

Depending on the level of the learners, develop a short dialogue on a topic of interest to them. When the learner are familiar with stress patterns, get them practice the dialogue in pairs. Note how accurate they are in producing the stress patterns.

Learners Observation.

Evidence Before And After Activity

Name Of The Students.

1) Ansari Tasleem Fatima

Problem: Evidence before activity

Her major problem is incorrect syllable stress (for example) Remember as reemember, Forgotten as frgotun.

Solution:  She would benefit from awareness raising regarding the use of schwa (neutral vowel) to help avoid errors such as pronouncing correct as crRect she has the tendency to use an o sound for r.

Evidence After The Activity

She is able to identify herself correctly syllable stress is done correctly.

2) Khan Nishat Sohail

Problem: She is aware that her major problem is incorrect syllable stress and gives an example Im/por/tant. Another instance of incorrect word stress is balance, Urgent . As well as incorrect syllable stress.

Solution: Speech reveals the need to focus on the schwa sound and to understand the role of schwa in achieving correct stress at word level.

Evidence after the activity:she is able t

3) Shaikh Shiza Shehzad

Problem: Her major problem is word stress exchange, valuable

Solution:  She needs to focus on sounds in achieving correct stress at word level.

Evidence after the activity: She is able to focus on correct stress at word level.

CONTEXTULISING PRONUNCIATION – PROBLEM-1

POST OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

NAME OF TEACHER:-  MRS PARVEEN SHAIKH.

NAME OF THE OBSERVER :- MS NAZNEEN KHAN.

CLASS OBSERVATION             VII A

DATE OF OBSERVATION          13^TH FEBRAUARY 2013

AIMS OF LESSON :-                    TO CONTEXTUALSE PRONUNCIATION.

AIMS OF OBSERVATION :-

To focus on both macro (suprasegmental) and micro (segmental) aspects.

WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN FEEDBACK

In the feedback it was discussed that the lesson enable the learner  to practise pronunciation  at both discourse (micro and macro) aspect and a single sound level within a communicative activity.

FOLLOW ON ACTION

Develop a short lesson sequence where possible and discuss the sequence.

NEXT REASERCH OBJECTIVES

Stress at the suprasegmentals level.

Objective – To improve their overall intelligibility from an early stage.

Pronunciation activity should stand as integral part of lesson.

STRESS AT SUPRASEGMENTALS LEVELS – PROBLEM – 2

PEER OBSERVATION FORM.

To be filled in by the teacher

NAME: - MRS PARVEEN SHAIKH.

DATE

CLASS:-VII A

TIME OF CLASS:-1 / HR.

TIME FOR POST LESSON FEED BACK 60 MINS.

Aims of observation

To words with sentence which have a regular or a usual stress pattern rather than sentences which may vary according to different context and situation.

I would like you to help me with.

Class drilling of the sentences in the activity.

During the lesson I would like you

Pair the students and give them the dialogue to narrate.

To be filled in by the observer

Name: - Ms Nazneen Khan.

My note

What I learned from watching the lesson

Proper pronunciation , syllable stress , typical stress pattern meta language to be used in the lesson.

My feedback to the teacher

The lesson was interesting. more activities can betaken where children are involved.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM – LEARNER STRAGEIES – PROBLEM-7

POST LESSON EVALUATION

DID I ACHIEVE MY AIMS ?

Yes, I achieved my aim because different words were focused from phonemic chart and the students were able to identify the words and sounds while reading aloud from the text.

WHICH PART OF THE LESSON WENT WELL ?

Reading aloud from the short text.

HOW WOULD I CHANGE THE LESSON NEXT TIME ?

Instead of reading the text – listen to the audio and repeat the sentences.

WHAT DID I LEARN FROM TEACHING THIS LESSON ?

Learners became aware of pronunciation errors and are able to focus on most stressed words in phrases or sentences.

Activity 3

Topic: Intonation Patterns

Grade: 7

Time: 3o minutes

Introduction: In this activity all pronunciation including sounds are utilized. It is for the development of the pronunciation skills including articulation, the use of rhythm, stress and intonation. These skills are taught and practiced.

Presentation Sequence

Step 1: Introducing the learners to the overall context and theme of the activity.

Step 2: Making the learners read a paragraph or two from their    English text book. (Diagnosis of their errors)

Step 3:  Making them aware of their errors in reading. The teacher reads the same content with proper intonations. She teaches them proper intonations with explanation.

Step 4: The teacher plays an audio recording of a semi-scripted dialogue. The learners listen to it carefully.

Step 5: Here the activity focuses on the identification of the stress pattern. She plays the recording again.

Step 6: She repeats the Video once again on the A.V.

Step 7:  She distributes the work sheets or writes on the board the same extract or dialogue without any punctuations or stress syllables.

Step 8: She asks the students to copy the content in their books and mark the punctuations according to the intonation patterns in the video.

Step 9: In the final step the learner use the dialogue to integrate all the pronunciation skills they have practiced.

Step 10: The learners read aloud the script with proper pronunciation.

Reflection Point

1. The teacher shows her learners how to use a notation system.
2. She teaches them how to mark the stress marks and punctuation according to the voice recording in the video.

Materials Used

1. Voice recording system through devices such as Audio- Visual voice recording system.
2. Chalk board.
3. Sheets of papers or note books for writing.
    Or
4. Readymade worksheets.
 

Learners Observation

Activity 3 (Intonation Pattern)

Grade: 7

Name: Ayesha Sonde

Problem: Had a problem of pronouncing with incorrect syllable stress improper pauses, voice modulations and improper intonations.

Solution: The activity conducted gave the child the idea regarding proper patterns of pronunciation. They need to practice the language by continuous exposure to it with proper pronunciation. The use of Audio visual sound system makes it better for the learners.

Evidence after the activity:

Post lesson Self-evaluation

 After the lesson the learner was tested and asked to mark herself from 1 to 10 on the basis of their understanding, level of interest, how much they enjoyed and how useful the activity was.

Example score cards.

Learner’s response on their improvements in Pronunciation after the activity was conducted:

Pronunciation of difficult words:

Very difficult                          easy                            very easy

Usage of intonation patterns:

Excellent                                          Useful                not very useful

How did you find the activity?

Very enjoyable                              enjoyable                        very boring

Student journal questions: