Mastering Pronunciation Lesson Planning

Mastering Pronunciation Lesson Planning
Are you looking to help your students overcome specific pronunciation hurdles? Whether you are planning a dedicated segregated pronunciation lesson or integrating pronunciation into skills work, effective planning is key to learner success.
In this video, we break down the essential questions every educator should ask at the planning stage in order to move learners from ear training to confident, intelligible production.
What You Will Learn:
• Segmental vs. Suprasegmental Phonology
Understand the difference between teaching individual phonemes (vowels and consonants) and larger pronunciation features such as stress, rhythm, and intonation.
• The Goal of Intelligibility
Learn why modern pronunciation teaching prioritizes being understood rather than achieving a native like or RP standard.
• Effective Staging
Discover how to guide learners through a logical progression from recognition and ear training to contextualized practice in dialogues.
• Tools and Technology
Practical tips on using phonemic script, audio equipment, and helpful mobile apps such as Sounds of Speech.

Video Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to Pronunciation Planning
1:15 Identifying the Focus Segmental or Suprasegmental?
3:45 The Shift to Intelligibility Standards
5:20 Essential Tools Phonemic Script and Apps
7:30 Staging Your Lesson From Ear Training to Production
10:00 Case Study Intonation in Question Tags
12:45 Case Study Minimal Pairs (/θ/ vs /s/)
Teacher’s Note:
Suprasegmental features often cause greater problems with intelligibility, but even small segmental issues such as omitting final consonants can significantly change meaning.

Key Takeaways for Your Next Lesson:
• Start with the Ear Learners need to hear and discriminate sounds or patterns before they can produce them.
• Context Matters Move as quickly as possible from isolated words to sentences and natural dialogues.
• Be Realistic Set pronunciation goals that reflect real world international communication.
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