Free Technology for Teachers: How to Apply Custom Sizes to Images in Blogger Posts
Useful information about inserting images
Friday, October 11, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
American English Dialects
American English Dialects
WOW! An amazing map of dialects with a wealth of information about the differences (e.g. those who use the cot -instead of caught only have 14 vowel sounds instead of 15....
WOW! An amazing map of dialects with a wealth of information about the differences (e.g. those who use the cot -instead of caught only have 14 vowel sounds instead of 15....
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Pronunciation e-resources These are some links to websites and blogs that are a little beyond the tried and true - a bit quirky if you will:
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/pronunciation-what-why-when-and-how
Handily answers the "Why teach pronunciation?" question and gives tips and pointers on how to go about this.
http://tomtesol.com/blog/2013/04/6-quick-pronunciation-techniques/ Dynamite blog and comments about teaching beyond "listen and repeat". Some excellent tips - also entertaining reading .(?My friends will say "Claudie, get a life! - but truly I am entertained by blogs and I love the power of
the internet to connect me to colleagues everywhere
http://esl.about.com/od/speakingenglish/a/8wspatterns.htm Kenneth Beare - good overview of stress patterns about.com is a good resource and Kenneth Beare is a good Guide. Like all online resources - need to read with a critical eye... (He also wrote a good guide to intonation patterns)
http://busyteacher.org/classroom_activities-pronunciation/intonation_rhythm_and_stress-worksheets/#.UV1Yyy8DLqE.blogger Busy Teacher is pretty commercial - but there are some free resources for teachers. The above is quite quirky - some songs - again, a little out of the ordinary
http://www.dialectsarchive.com/#.UVhN_vlxpU4.blogger A FAVOURITE because it is so interesting and makes us realise that there is no standard English...the best we can do is learn the basic sound system of English for intelligibility and then get used to the many ways it is spoken!
mELTing Activities, Lessons and Ideas: The 34th ELT Blog Carnival- Pronunciation
mELTing Activities, Lessons and Ideas: The 34th ELT Blog Carnival- Pronunciation
Fun way of getting contributions for a "communal posting" about teaching pronunciation.
I like Carissa's blog and it made me aware that I need to be more professional and organised in my own blogging.
Fun way of getting contributions for a "communal posting" about teaching pronunciation.
I like Carissa's blog and it made me aware that I need to be more professional and organised in my own blogging.
Teaching intonation and stress - Let's hear it for the lowly kazoo!
http://www.vidyablog.com/2011/12/using-kazoos-to-teach-suprasegmentals/#.UVW665_Sc60.blogger. This is a lovely lesson plan on using kazoos but here is my course presentation. IF YOU CAN'T BUY A KAZZOO YOU CAN MAKE ONE WITH A COMB!
Celce-Murcia, Brinton and Goodwin (1996) argued for the use of props in teaching pronunciation to introduce multi-sensory modes into the pronunciation class with the aim of helping break down the ego barriers of learners. They suggested (among other items); matches (for helping with aspirated consonants), rubber bands (for demonstrating differences in vowel length); and.......the kazoo for illustrating intonation patterns.
The kazoo is a wonderful prop for helping students whose first language is not stress timed (as English is) to “feel” the difference in length and loudness between stressed and unstressed syllables. This length-loudness distinction,together with together with the ability to link words together smoothly and pronounce them in meaningful units is what is required for natural English rhythm.(Celce-Murcia, Brinton and Goodwin.)
Students who come from stress-timed languages such as Spanish, Italian, Korean, Cantonese can sound very robotic unless they gain knowledge (and control)of word stress and sentence stress. The students need to understand which words (function or content) in a sentence tend to receive stress (content, of course), they need to know the basic distinction between function and content words, then they need to learn how to decide which word is the prominent or “focus” word, and how to modulate their pronunciation/sound production so that the listener can "catch" the meaning.
To help the students be able to discriminate the "sound" difference between the function and content words I introduce the idea of emphasis and focus by writing sentences (usually connected to our theme or topic)on the board. and read the sentences exaggerating the focus words. The students identify the focus words. I play dialogs (e.g. from Judy's Gilbert's "Clear Speech" - an excellent ESL pronunciation resource - I wouldn't be without it!) and talk about stressed syllables being extra long, vowel extra clear, slight pitch, slightly louder. I discuss the rule that the focus word at the beginning of a conversation usually comes at the end of the sentence - but then it can move, depending on context. We hum the sentences from the board. Then I give out kazoos.
The students need to be able to make short sounds (which will be soft) and LOOOONG sounds (which will be high in pitch, that is the beauty of a kazoo!) (In my experience it is actually a little difficult for some students to get the short/long distinction – just as it is for them to get the short-long distinction with rubber bands) Then students “mirror” the dialogs....no words, just sounds. In pairs students look at a short list of phrases and a couple of sentences and decide (underline) which are the focus words. Then they take turns reading them to each other - one reads, the other kazoos: then they can switch from first reading to first kazooing and the students guess which sentence was "kazooe") I will ask them to go round the class alternately reading and kazooing (three or four example are usually enough)
The lesson then continues to practice with dialogs and the kazoos are put away for another time... Note: Some students enjoy the kazoos, others less so..the instructors needs to be judicious in their use...Kazoos can be purchased at party stores - usually pretty cheaply. If no kazoos are available - "humming" can also give the length and loudness difference. Have fun (prewarn your colleagues the lesson might get a bit noisy that day!)
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
face2face Second edition webinars | Cambridge University Press | ESL
face2face Second edition webinars | Cambridge University Press | ESL
Also has a webinar on pronunciation coming up in May
Also has a webinar on pronunciation coming up in May
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Online Odysseys: 3 Websites to Help You Teach Pronunciation
Online Odysseys: 3 Websites to Help You Teach Pronunciation
Includes Rachel's English - but also Merriam Webster. Interesting
Includes Rachel's English - but also Merriam Webster. Interesting
Monday, April 1, 2013
Learning and Practicing Truespel Phonetics by Tom Zurinsk... - justpaste.it
Learning and Practicing Truespel Phonetics by Tom Zurinsk... - justpaste.it
Here is more on "truspell" (this is not an endorsement from me - it is just interesting...
Here is more on "truspell" (this is not an endorsement from me - it is just interesting...
Sunday, March 31, 2013
IDEA International Dialects of English Archive
IDEA International Dialects of English Archive
Amazing website - different dialects...FAVOURITE this...
Amazing website - different dialects...FAVOURITE this...
Friday, March 29, 2013
Pronunciation and kazoos | TESOL at Rennert NYC
Pronunciation and kazoos | TESOL at Rennert NYC
More thumbs up for the kazooo - and for teaching prosody...
More thumbs up for the kazooo - and for teaching prosody...
Teaching Pronunciation in the Learner-Centered Classroom
Teaching Pronunciation in the Learner-Centered Classroom
An older paper by university students - the suggestions for props etc are interesting...good reminders of things that I had forgotten... some more useful than others, but all good for a repetoire...
An older paper by university students - the suggestions for props etc are interesting...good reminders of things that I had forgotten... some more useful than others, but all good for a repetoire...
Using Kazoos to Teach Suprasegmentals | VidyaBLOG
Using Kazoos to Teach Suprasegmentals | VidyaBLOG
I was looking for some material to substantiate my choice of "kazoo" for a prop to teach pronunciation elements - word and sentence stress (Love Kazoos - can't find bags of them now as in days of yore...if you do, get 'em quick - gone probably because of liability (choking, small parts)
Party favours now to use - squakers (not great) but the ones that have mylar streamers can be used for practicing fricatives...
I was looking for some material to substantiate my choice of "kazoo" for a prop to teach pronunciation elements - word and sentence stress (Love Kazoos - can't find bags of them now as in days of yore...if you do, get 'em quick - gone probably because of liability (choking, small parts)
Party favours now to use - squakers (not great) but the ones that have mylar streamers can be used for practicing fricatives...
tesol-summer2008r3.pdf
tesol-summer2008r3.pdf
This is landing here by default - should be in myedtech blog...but it also has useful sites so I will let it be...
This is landing here by default - should be in myedtech blog...but it also has useful sites so I will let it be...
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Teaching English with Nielsen | Interacting with your students - YouTube
Teaching English with Nielsen | Interacting with your students - YouTube
Makes you think...my not agree with everything...but provocative - teacher behaviour....
Makes you think...my not agree with everything...but provocative - teacher behaviour....
TESOL 2013 Highlights – Day 2 – Part 1 | English with Jennifer
TESOL 2013 Highlights – Day 2 – Part 1 | English with Jennifer
(This should be in my edtech blog...)
(This should be in my edtech blog...)
Leoxicon: What corpora HAVE done for us
Leoxicon: What corpora HAVE done for us: Sinclair's seminal work - the bible of corpus linguistics In this post I would like to defend linguistic corpora and their relevanc...
Monday, March 25, 2013
Well, just a few days left of the course - still have all Journal tasks to do (FIVE) and one test.
Best part was websites - and then the links that I found after going to the websites...which is what this
blog turned out to be - although I also bookmarked on Diigo...
In class session on Saturday...5 and a half hours...should be interesting...
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Teaching Pronunciation - www-teachingenglishgames-com.pdf
Teaching Pronunciation - www-teachingenglishgames-com.pdf
This approach is different from the "introduce pronunciation through vocabulary" - start with phonemes...
This approach is different from the "introduce pronunciation through vocabulary" - start with phonemes...
English Pronunciation, Lesson 02: Word Stress and Syllables
English Pronunciation, Lesson 02: Word Stress and Syllables
Really Learn English - great videos...maybe more for teachers who haven't taught pronuciation before and wnat to see a "master teacher"...
Really Learn English - great videos...maybe more for teachers who haven't taught pronuciation before and wnat to see a "master teacher"...
Ben Franklin Exercise: Free Time | Rachel's English
Ben Franklin Exercise: Free Time | Rachel's English
Rachel's English - excellent teacher.. good model...
Rachel's English - excellent teacher.. good model...
Saturday, March 23, 2013
American English Pronunciation | Rachel's English
American English Pronunciation | Rachel's English
Another really good site!! (I think I'll just retire...)
Another really good site!! (I think I'll just retire...)
Favorite Poem Project
Favorite Poem Project
From Sounds of English site...suggestions for resources - poetry is one - this is great!
From Sounds of English site...suggestions for resources - poetry is one - this is great!
Learning English pronunciation | Antimoon
Learning English pronunciation | Antimoon
short clear advice on how to improve your pronunciation (student focus)
short clear advice on how to improve your pronunciation (student focus)
Wimba Voice Board for Teachers - YouTube
Wimba Voice Board for Teachers - YouTube
Eva Easton - soooo cool - who needs to work out their own stuff?
How to get a WIMBA voice board. e-mail centre for learning - listen to her...microphone...create voice board
Eva Easton - soooo cool - who needs to work out their own stuff?
How to get a WIMBA voice board. e-mail centre for learning - listen to her...microphone...create voice board
Word Final /-ed/ - Pattern - Authentic American Pronunciation
Word Final /-ed/ - Pattern - Authentic American Pronunciation
BINGO!!!
A GREAT ONLINE LESSON ABOUT -ed endings. Pattern, practice (dynamite) and quiz.
EXCELLENT content (presentation a bit date because not as much 'decoration) but very solid info. Very accessible language for students.
BINGO!!!
A GREAT ONLINE LESSON ABOUT -ed endings. Pattern, practice (dynamite) and quiz.
EXCELLENT content (presentation a bit date because not as much 'decoration) but very solid info. Very accessible language for students.
American Accent Training - Intonation
American Accent Training - Intonation
This is a straightforward site - good description of aspects of intonation....
This is a straightforward site - good description of aspects of intonation....
English Tongue Twisters | 1st International Collection of Tongue Twisters
English Tongue Twisters | 1st International Collection of Tongue Twisters
self -explanatory - don't appear in normal speech but can be fun to do - upper reaches of brain's ability...to do two things at once...
self -explanatory - don't appear in normal speech but can be fun to do - upper reaches of brain's ability...to do two things at once...
Phonetics: The sounds of American English
Phonetics: The sounds of American English
This is the most amazing, the best site I have seen for pronunciation...clear, interesting, interactive, something for everyone....can't stop now but I can't wait to check out the German and Spanish section....for my own use!!!!
This is the most amazing, the best site I have seen for pronunciation...clear, interesting, interactive, something for everyone....can't stop now but I can't wait to check out the German and Spanish section....for my own use!!!!
Teaching Pronunciation - www-teachingenglishgames-com.pdf
Teaching Pronunciation - www-teachingenglishgames-com.pdf
Good description of some learner difficulties and some suggestions as to what can be done to help overcome them...
Good description of some learner difficulties and some suggestions as to what can be done to help overcome them...
Friday, March 22, 2013
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab - For English as a Second Language
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab - For English as a Second Language
Golden Oldie...but still useful...probably first online resource I show students...definitely helps them...many enjoy it...even if it is BE!!!
Golden Oldie...but still useful...probably first online resource I show students...definitely helps them...many enjoy it...even if it is BE!!!
Thompson Language Center | English is Stupid but Students and Teachers are not!
Thompson Language Center | English is Stupid but Students and Teachers are not!
My least favourite approach to teaching pronunciation...but getting very slick indeed and may be improving (thanks to criticisms by other professionals...)
My least favourite approach to teaching pronunciation...but getting very slick indeed and may be improving (thanks to criticisms by other professionals...)
Free ESL Worksheets, English Teaching Materials, ESL Lesson Plans
Free ESL Worksheets, English Teaching Materials, ESL Lesson Plans
Love the little "phonics lessons here" crawler....
Love the little "phonics lessons here" crawler....
BusyTeacher: Free Printable Worksheets For Busy Teachers Like YOU!
BusyTeacher: Free Printable Worksheets For Busy Teachers Like YOU!
(I am subscribed to this but just wanted to list it on my Problog...
(I am subscribed to this but just wanted to list it on my Problog...
Clearly Speaking | Redefine Your Communication - Blog
Clearly Speaking | Redefine Your Communication - Blog
Look at the entry - 9 ways to put your audience to sleep...(or something like that) Good to use for teaching presentation skills (original, get the students interested...)
Look at the entry - 9 ways to put your audience to sleep...(or something like that) Good to use for teaching presentation skills (original, get the students interested...)
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Language Log: Instilling linguistic anxiety in Raachester
Language Log: Instilling linguistic anxiety in Raachester
how obtuse can one get...nonlinguist talking)
how obtuse can one get...nonlinguist talking)
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
So far, so terrible...not enjoying this course although it is filling some gaps in my knowledge
Very choppy presentations - I guess it is the Moodle layout...can't see what I have done, what not - same complaint as LIT2T...very "unfriendly" no support - details later...looks like cut and paste - very amateurish - test was a bugger - really quite difficult - TF stuff, multiple choice - devil is in the reading...well got 85% and at this stage don't care enough to go back and do it again...well, keep on trucking...
I did find useful website on my own - IPAtypeit.com
Pronunciation 101: 7 Things Your Students Need to Hear You Explain
Pronunciation 101: 7 Things Your Students Need to Hear You Explain
Interesting how many sites are now including pronunciation - after years of it being the "p" word...
Interesting how many sites are now including pronunciation - after years of it being the "p" word...
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Taking me forever to write up first Journal task - to hit all the points- make it original, and at the same time academic. Concepts swirling in my head - acquisition theory, affective issues, learning styles, Myer-Briggs, etc. Can't remember if I put this in my first reflections but this really is POST TESL Certificate stuff - now I have experience, can use my experience to think about the readings. This has validated many things I do...given me some new ideas, new directions.
Getting a bit overwhelmed...need to sort things out...pace myself a bit - or not...intuitive as usual...so try to keep it sequential...
There is a "TEST" coming up - scary.....but OK.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Printing Press
Printing Press
Cool tool for creating a newsletter...brochure...flyer.... will publish this on my blog - but also useful here - could do a "pronunciation page"...ss have to research articles about pronunciation, or write about particular issue /th/ for example...
Cool tool for creating a newsletter...brochure...flyer.... will publish this on my blog - but also useful here - could do a "pronunciation page"...ss have to research articles about pronunciation, or write about particular issue /th/ for example...
Course started...some really good articles...
INTRODUCTION...revisiting some theory..Krashen, Chomsky...and some content - Phonology, Phonetics, Morphology. The course looks exciting. I am glad I decided (again impulsively) to do it fast track.
Two items that made me think (1) Guiora (1972) found the EMPATHY was a predictor of good pronunciation..."Pronunciation had nothing to do directly with things associated with phonetic ability (e.g. good ear for sound) but the ability to appreciate the identity of the other, a temporary narrowing of the ego boundaries - to narrow the limit of "us" and "not us" making it easier to "hear" ourselves....
and
(2)"...the importance of classroom climate for developing successful skills in communication. One of the skills in teaching is knowing how to create a positive atmosphere...Making speaking easier has more to do with the affective side than the cognitive side. Focus on ss attitude less than linguistic content "What have they learned"
Of course a lot of things made me think - but on the whole I felt validated by what I had self-learned (and implemented) in my own classes.....
Some of the "thinking" is a bit "70s" ...I should google and see if theories have been updated...
I had some problems opening some links...was able to suggest that the problem might be the Moodle settings...if I hadn't done the learnIT2teach...I would not have known to suggest this...one thing leads to another...
Now onto the nasty phonetic IPA charts...(nasty only in that I never learned phonetic alphabet that way - know about it, looked at it, too complicated, won't need it, so ignored it...)
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Why Do Some People Have an Accent? | Linguistic Society of America
Why Do Some People Have an Accent? | Linguistic Society of America
(Basically, the course Introduction..)
(Basically, the course Introduction..)
Registered for PTCT Pronunciation course...
This is my first blog...I wonder what I will learn from this course..
I have taught myself a lot about pronunciation and this seems a good time to institutionalise the learning...and get a certificate...Looking forward to it..ope it does not take much more time than predicted (20 hours online...6 hours face to face in class...blended learning)
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