Expert Teacher Knowledge

1 Syllable Game: Buildings

Stage

Task Objective:

Word

The first person to get 4 squares

in a row (horizontally, diagonally,
vertically like Bingo) wins the
game.

Phrase
Sentence

Materials:

This task raises awareness of

hearing and pronouncing the
number of syllables in a word.

Whole Text

11 Syllable game
board for 32 CPs
(3 per board)

11 dice
(1 per group)

Procedure:
Write on board:
playground
2

school temple
1
2

cinema museum
3
3

1. Ask: How many sounds? 1? 2? 3? Write the syllable count under the word.
2. Write down the following words on the board. Ask: How many sounds? 1? 2?
3?
choc(o)late
2

fam(i)ly
2

strawb(e)rry
2/3

rest(au)rant
2/3

3. Explain to CPs that chocolate and family have two syllables each because
of a vowel reduction. American speakers are most likely to pronounce
strawberry and restaurant with three syllables while British speakers would
pronounce them with two syllables.
Model Game with A3 copy of SYLLABLE GAME BOARD:
1. Groups of 3 (around a table).
2. Give each group a SYLLABLE GAME BOARD. Give the CPs time to look at it.
3. CPs, listen! (hold up dice, throw dice eg #5) What number is this?
4. (Point to dice pictured on board) How many syllables for 5? 2 - Yes, Good
Job.
5. (Point to SYLLABLE BOARD GAME). Which word has 2 syllables? Police? Yes,
Good Job.
6. (Holding up Board and modelling). So I put S for Siti on this square. (Each
player has to decide on a letter to represent their name e.g. their initial).
7. (Pass dice to next person). Repeat steps 3-6 with.
8. (Holding board up and modeling) The winner has 4 squares down, across or
diagonally

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Expert Teacher Knowledge: Syllable Game

Discussion/ Additional note:

Depending on the lexical set you use for the game, you may need to teach
silent sounds. Eg chocolate (2 silent middle syllable) family (2 silent
middle syllable) debt(1 no /b/sound). Note to trainers: The number of
syllables for the words restaurant and factory can be either 2 or 3. This
depends on variations of English.

How can we calculate the number of syllables in a word?

Note to ELTC trainers: Write down the word manufacturing on the
board and underline every consonant.
manufacturing

Then draw arcs below the word to show the number of syllables.

manufacturing
1

(5 syllables)

Adapted from Hancock, M. (1995). Pronunciation Games. Cambridge University

Press.

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Expert Teacher Knowledge: Syllable Game

SYLLABLE GAME BOARD

post

office

hospital

zoo

temple

museum

bakery

playgroun
d

gallery

church

airport

pharmacy

school

food

stall

clinic

hall

hotel

cinema

bank

mosque

traffic
lights

restaurant

village

apartment

stadium

building

town

beauty

salon

house

factory

mall

library

city

tower

Adapted from: Hancock M. (1995). Pronunciation games. Cambridge UK:

Cambridge University Press.