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From Wikigogy

Keyword

• ll_4 ll_5 ll_6 ll_7 ll_8 ll_9
• speak listen
• pronunciation of / l / and / r / (through listening practice learning to hear the difference)
• 10min 20min 30min -- break it into two 15 minute lessons with at least a day's rest between

Pronunciation contrast of / l / and / r /

[edit] Purpose

This lesson may be helpful to students who are having difficulty clearly pronouncing / l / and or / r / or differentiating between them. Students who are not having this difficulty will be bored by this lesson. Ascertain their need before using this.

[edit] Versions

If you can make it better, please do. A separate version would be a good idea for layout changes because layout can get messy. Please copy and paste whatever you like from this version into a new page, say L vs R/Sandbox, and experiment with creating an improved version. Thanks! :-) --Roger 00:51, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Materials

Print out the following four graphics to put on board:

• L vs R/Oral cavity L
• L and R/Oral cavity R
• L and R/Frog on rock
• L and R/Lock and key

If you have a large toy frog and or large toy lock and golden key bring them too, for fun :-)

[edit] Notes

Pronunciation lessons require a high level of concentration from students. So break this lesson into two 15 minute sessions with at least a day's rest between. If the first session goes badly, you might want to just not do a second session of it. ONLY do this lesson with students who need help pronouncing / l / vs / r /!

For Attention pointers -- minimal pairs -- draw a big rock with a "green" frog on it and a big paddle lock with a "gold" key in it, on the blackboard. Or even better, for realia bring a rock and a lock to class. My Chinese university class liked it when I used the realia.

For Inductive generalization draw diagrams of the tongue's position in the mouth for / r / and / l / respectively, on the blackboard (/ r / curls back inside the mouth and / l / touches the tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge -- the gum just behind the teeth).

You can print this lesson out and take it to class with you. Have fun.

You may also use this lesson plan as a model for other minimal pair pronunciation lesson plans. It takes some time to think up the minimal pair words. Share your lesson plans and ideas here on Wikigogy.org.

Abbreviations

T -- teacher speaking

SS -- students speaking

S1, S2, S3... -- student 1, student 2, student 3... speaking

[edit] Introduction for students

Introduce this lesson to students before plunging into it so that they know what to expect. Let them know that:

• This is a listening lesson
• Focused on the difference between / l / and / r /
• Students will learn to hear the difference
• This will help them learn to pronounce these sounds clearly and distinctly
• This lesson trains their ears so that they can use their ears to train their voices themselves

[edit] Attention getter

If students have no difficulty with this Attention getter step, you should skip the rest of the lesson! Pay CLOSE ATTENTION to how students handle the following and just drop the lesson with congratulations all round if they have no trouble with it! You DO NOT want to bore them with drills they don't need.

Bring students' attention to these sounds, / l / and / r /

T: Notice the first sounds in these words:

Have students repeat some minimal pairs after you to try / l / and / r / out on their ears and tongues.

T: Please repeat after me:

If students had no difficulty hearing and pronouncing the above, THEY ARE DONE! Congratulate them and move on to something else. Don't bore them with pronunciation drills they don't need! :-)

[edit] How to say / l / and / r /

A large illustration of the oral cavity will help you in pointing out the following details. Without the visual many students might not understand.

T: Yes, when you pronounce / r / in "rock" (pointing at the picture of a rock) you raise the tip of your tongue and curl it back inside your mouth, without letting it touch the top of your mouth. (Use a picture of the oral cavity to illustrate the tongue position.)

[edit] Hear / l / and / r /

[edit] Same or different?

T: Tell me if the sounds you hear (pointing out the / l / and / r / on the board once) are the same or different:

(Calling on whole class at first, then individual students)

T: Very good. Now let's try it with sentences:

(Calling on whole class at first, then individual students)

[edit] Name that sound

T: Tell me which sound you hear. Say "L" when you hear / l /. Say "R" when you hear / r /.

(Calling on whole class at first, then individual students)

[edit] Hear that sound and reply

Pseudo communication drill

T: Excellent, very good. Now, when I ask you, "Which is the lock?" you answer, "There's a gold key in it." (point at the lock), and when I ask you, "Which is the rock?" you answer, "There's a green frog sitting on it." (point at the frog).

T: Ok--which is the lock? SS: It has a gold key in it.

Calling on individual students (mix this up as you like -- it's in no particular order)

[edit] Say / l / and / r /

Production drill

[edit] Practice saying minimal pairs

Have students repeat after you. Cue them two words at a time, in minimal pairs.

Call on the class as a group for the first few pairs, then call on individual random students if you know their names or in order of seating maybe if you don't their names.

[edit] Reverse the sound

Opposite drill -- mixed recognition and production

T: Please repeat after me but when I say "rock," you say "lock" (point to each picture as you say its name); and when I say "lock," you say "rock."

That last one is a double switch (leer -> real)

[edit] Repetition in phrases and sentences

[edit] Correct me

Correcting -- mixed recognition and production

[edit] Resources

• http://www.soundsofenglish.org/about.htm