Exploring the Color Vowel Chart for Pronunciation

Transcription

1 START YOUR NEW YEAR OFF WITH COLOR! Exploring the Color Vowel Chart for Pronunciation The Third Salon NYS TESOL Adult Ed SIG January 10, :00-9:00pm Member Tamara Kirson s Manhattan Apartment Facilitator: Shirley Thompson ESL Teacher Trainer & Consultant, Washington DC shirl.thom@gmail.com

2 AGENDA Facilitator: Shirley Thompson ESL Teacher Trainer & Consultant, Washington DC The Color Vowel Chart is a powerful visual tool that enables teachers and learners to talk easily and accurately about the vowel sounds of English. 1. Activity: Discovering how the CVC works [Note: Detailed instructions can be downloaded from the website.] 2. Discussion: A brief look at the linguistic underpinnings of the CVC a. Shape of the chart b. The IPA symbols: Why vowel or vowel + superscript /y/, /r/, /w/? Why not use only symbols? 3. Activity: The importance of noticing: What color is your name? Your hometown? Your favorite vegetable? Your favorite leisure activity? The street you live on? 4. A look at the website 5. Discussion: Trust your Ears, Not your Eyes or How do you pronounce a in English? 6. Activity: Color sounds of the Alphabet (an activity for low-level learners) [Note: I can this to you.] 7. Activity: Sorting by Syllable The States Activity (a more advanced activity) [Note: me if you d like detailed instructions for this activity.] 8. Discussion: Vowel sounds and stress, vowel sounds and intonation 9. Activity: Color-coding vocabulary 10. Activity: Putting it all together with a jazz chant or two 11. Discussion: Other ways you can use the CVC in the classes you already teach

3 A Sample Lesson: A Visit to the Clinic You ve been doing a unit on visiting the doctor. First, let s imagine how learners might pronounce the following words when they re at home trying to review what they learned in class. Then, think about how you can use the CVC to help your students learn and remember how to pronounce their vocabulary words. clinic, doctor, nurse, treatment, advice, assist, exam, shot injection, band-aid, cough syrup, infection, headache, medicine, prescription, pharmacy With whatever vocabulary you re practicing whether it s in a reading class, a grammar class or a speaking class -- you can point out and practice stress patterns. Practice them with claps, rubber bands, hand signals or even knee bends. Help students identify the color of each word, which is, of course, directly related to syllable stress. Students can also categories the words by the number of syllables and then by the stress pattern. 1 syllable: nurse, shot 2 syllables: (DA da) clinic, doctor, treatment, band-aid, headache, etc. 2 syllables: (da DA) advice, assist, exam 3 syllables: (da DA da) injection, infection, prescription, 3 syllables: (DA da da) medicine, pharmacy, cough syrup You can categorize the words according to the color of the stressed vowel and add them to a word wall or vocabulary chart. (See below.) As students add the words, be sure that they indicate which syllable is stressed. Underlining is probably the simplest method. Putting it All Together with Jazz Chants by Carolyn Graham* Suggestions for teaching Jazz Chants: Introduce the chant orally so students focus on SOUNDS, not spelling ( Trust your ears... ). Exaggerate the rhythm. Finally, show them a written version with notations. I ve used different notations to give you ideas for what you might do. You can also indicate intonation and linking. *Carolyn Graham has a number of jazz chants books. My favorites are Grammar Chants (a fun way to practice grammar without a lot of explanation) and Small Talk (lots of useful expression for

4 everyday interactions). Oxford University Press publishes all of them. Carolyn will perform at this year s TESOL Convention in New Orleans. She puts on a fun show! 1. Is the Post Office Open Tomorrow? [Excerpt] Is the post office open tomorrow? It s open from nine to five. Is the post rose office open rose tomorrow olive/auburn? It s open rose from nine white to five white. What time white does it open rose? It opens at nine. What time does it close? It closes at five. It opens at nine and closes at five. It s open from nine to five. Activity: Find the o s in this chant. How many different pronunciations are there? Do the same for the next chant. 2. Do You Think It s Going to Rain? [Excerpt] Do you think it s going to rain? I hope not. Do you think silver it s going to rain gray? I hope rose not olive. It looks wooden like white rain gray. It looks wooden like white rain gray. Do you think it s going to rain? I hope not. 3. If I Can Do It You Can Do It [Excerpt] Do you think I can do it? Of course you can. If I can do it You can do it too. Do you think I can do it? [etc.]

5 COLOR-CODED VOCABULARY Put your words in the correct box according to the color of the stressed vowel. GREEN TEA PURPLE SHIRT BLUE MOON SILVER PIN A CUP OF MUSTARD WOODEN HOOK GRAY DAY OLIVE SOCK ROSE COAT RED DRESS WHITE TIE BROWN COW BLACK CAT TURQUOISE TOY AUBURN DOG