Friday, May 12, 2006
ESL Classics 01: English Pronunciation Exercises for Chinese Students
In the decades since ESL first emerged as a distinct discipline with its own agendas and vision, many, many resources have come and gone. It's heart-breaking how many outstanding books are out off print by the time we have mastered them! They deserved better! In this series of blog entries, I reclaim them from the attic. For more than a decade, my clients benefited from them, and I believe they still have much to offer for your students as well. Read my comments, form your own conclusion, and then good luck trying to find them. Maybe some can be reprinted...
First on our via dolorosa is an outstanding book for improving pronunciation:
English Pronunciation Exercises for Chinese Students, Harriette Gordon Grate, Prentice Hall Regents, ISBN 8487-0058-9.
Don’t be misled by the title. This text may have been intended for Chinese students, but ESL learners from many backgrounds will find these exercises valuable.
Let me explain why. Here’s an example from pages 14-15, covering [l/r] in final position. First: numerous pairs: pale/pair, snail/snare, mall/more, etc., in an 18x6 chart. Dozens of these! Then exercises with three dozen sentences like these:
I fear they will feel Cecile’s sincere.
Eagle is eager to help poor Poole.
I’ll hire Neal as an engineer.
Which are arranged to match the chart’s pairs.
That’s just [l/r] in final position! Besides this, there are 111 others, including [s/sh] (sin/shin) and the two [th] sounds: (thus/thud, teethe/teeth, and clothe/cloth, for example). I have used this effectively with Chinese and non-Chinese learners. These would be maddening if done for extended periods, but these are perfect for warm-up in conversation classes, and for references in focusing on discrete student problems as they are spotted. And the material is so well-organized, that when a particular need emerges, you can quickly turn to the right page, and help students make progress.
Anyone teaching pronunciation at any point would find these exercises valuable. It is simple, well-organized, easy to use, and fills a definite need. Sounds like a classic to me!
Recommendation: Must-have for pronunciation work, and not just for Chinese speakers!
First on our via dolorosa is an outstanding book for improving pronunciation:
English Pronunciation Exercises for Chinese Students, Harriette Gordon Grate, Prentice Hall Regents, ISBN 8487-0058-9.
Don’t be misled by the title. This text may have been intended for Chinese students, but ESL learners from many backgrounds will find these exercises valuable.
Let me explain why. Here’s an example from pages 14-15, covering [l/r] in final position. First: numerous pairs: pale/pair, snail/snare, mall/more, etc., in an 18x6 chart. Dozens of these! Then exercises with three dozen sentences like these:
I fear they will feel Cecile’s sincere.
Eagle is eager to help poor Poole.
I’ll hire Neal as an engineer.
Which are arranged to match the chart’s pairs.
That’s just [l/r] in final position! Besides this, there are 111 others, including [s/sh] (sin/shin) and the two [th] sounds: (thus/thud, teethe/teeth, and clothe/cloth, for example). I have used this effectively with Chinese and non-Chinese learners. These would be maddening if done for extended periods, but these are perfect for warm-up in conversation classes, and for references in focusing on discrete student problems as they are spotted. And the material is so well-organized, that when a particular need emerges, you can quickly turn to the right page, and help students make progress.
Anyone teaching pronunciation at any point would find these exercises valuable. It is simple, well-organized, easy to use, and fills a definite need. Sounds like a classic to me!
Recommendation: Must-have for pronunciation work, and not just for Chinese speakers!
