http://sandunga.unistmo.edu.mx/~mdowless/VowelTest/VowelTest1.

htm

Question 1 (0 points)

We have not yet considered the issue of teaching approaches in pronunciation in any
depth, but most teachers have their views on the above. Simply in order to begin
thinking about the issue pedagogically, can you make a list of advantages and
disadvantages - specify the learning context as much as possible - of using phonemic
symbols in the foreign language class?

Student response

I will cover the teaching pronunciation issue and the learning context according to what
I have experienced working with people, different age, on a usually year basis process.
With children, I feel it is easier to take them through the correct way of pronouncing as
they are vice-free and happen to be excellent at imitating. Rules do not need to be
unambiguously given since these learners are easily encouraged to say words in a more
accurate way without following a learned pattern, words that, once repeated a few times,
become part of their linguistic repertoire. There will not be more emphasis on phonemes
than the one given to the word in a context where activities such as songs, rhymes, short
fairy tales, or tongue twisters are the daily model intending students to play with the
language. Symbols will be ignored at this time. With teenagers, the task seems to be
more symbol centered, the need of having the Oscar, as we called at university the
profile with the articulation apparatus showing how different sounds are uttered,
becomes practical. I have found quite useful to show students how the sounds are
represented, and how every single part of our body playing a role in the articulation of a
sound works while a phoneme is pronounced. Most of the students find symbols a good
reference, it is good to see themselves reading and deciphering the way a word is said
and once some experience has been reached, they manage to understand even tiny
differences in words such as leave and live. The downside, however, is the amount of
time and effort they spend on learning that new alphabet. I have tried to narrow the
quantity of symbols they might be using in a course to just the ones they could need to
achieve certain purpose, i.e. if the topic Im teaching is past, then we will be focused on
the phonemes /t/, /d/, /id/. With adults I have faced certain obstacles like the conscious
wall being erected by many of them to learn symbols that do not resemble anything
previously seen. The lack of understanding and the difficulty to recognise an awkward
hieroglyph is added to the load imposed by learning a new language. Adults tend to feel
it is much easier to learn the words by heart. Nevertheless, sometimes they try and use
their own alphabet to represent the way words are uttered such as tuelf for twelve
which is obviously far from what the word is pronounced in standard English. The
advantages and disadvantages then depend on the age mostly, from my view, and
according to Celce-Murcia, Brinton, & Goodwins (1996) view, also on the instructional
method used. Learning how to use the dictionary as a readily available tool when
pronunciation cannot be approached by listening; identifying slight differences in
sounds apparently alike; and imitating new sound patterns not existing in their L1, are
some of the pros teachers and students can use those symbols for. On the other hand,
having mastery in a new alphabet, interpreting it with a strong effort sense, and relating
speaking to symbol reading, become, sometimes, futile responsibilities not inherent to
the aim of communicating, yet deficiently, in an L2.
Correct answer

Disadvantages:
1. Young learners have enough cognitive load learning their own scripts, without the
extra burden of phonetic script.
2. Young learners cannot abstract sufficiently to see phonemes as representations of
orthographic symbols.
3. Many older learners find a new set of symbols threatening.
4. The approach is too segmental and simplified. Phonemes never really function in
isolation. Learning phonetic symbols does not guarantee an appreciation of the
problems of phonology.
5. Pronunciation is a problem in itself, and having to deal with the symbols as well
increases the chances of students seeing this as an added problem.
6. If the teacher or the students are not sure that knowing the symbols is useful, and
time is scarce, other aspects of language may be seen as having more priority.
7. It may be difficult to integrate into syllabus teaching.
8. The use of phonemic symbols does not necessarily explain when a sound is used and
is thus of no help unless the learner already has a fairly good grasp of the written and
spoken language.
9. Some learners may feel that they have to pronounce correctly and thus become too
self-conscious and afraid to speak if what they say does not follow the phonemic
representation.

Advantages:

1. Phonemes are exact representations of the repertoire of English sounds. The teacher
can thus use the symbols to contrast pairs and highlight typical problems.
2. It increases the teachers methodological possibilities. Learning the symbols becomes
part of the pronunciation process.
3. There are many games that can be used to learn the symbols making it an enjoyable
part of the learning process, rather than just another product.
4. Not all the sounds in the phonemes inventory of a language are represented by
orthographic symbols. This is an important concept in the learning of languages.
Even children can learn sounds, if the approach is imaginative enough.
5. It provides learners with autonomy as they can guess the pronunciation of a word by
simply looking it up in a dictionary.
6. For students whose L1 has a completely different sound system to the TL, using
phonemic symbols can help the learner in allotting a new sound to an already know
letter, or in deciphering what sound the new letter has in the case where the L1
conforms to a different alphabet.
7. It is useful for advanced learners to fine-tune their pronunciation.
8. For learners with hearing problems who want to learn another language (or improve
the pronunciation of their L1) using phonemic symbols may help to distinguish
between sounds.
9. For non-native teachers in order to improve their own pronunciation of words etc.
before teaching them to their pupils.

10. In any learning context where the teacher may feel that certain similar sounds need a
 more effective explanation i.e. the sound of plural endings: /s/, /z/, /iz/ etc.

Question 2 (0 points)

The following sentences have been transcribed using phonemic script. However not all
of them are correct. Decide which are correct and which are not. For the ones that you
deem incorrect explain why you think this is so.

1- Im very fond of chips. -

2- Chips are what Im very fond of .-

3- What shall we do for the rest of the week? -

4- What are we going to do! -

5- Each one was a perfect example of the art that had been developed there. -

Student response

Correct answer

Sentences 1, 3 and 4 are incorrect. In sentence 1 the of should have a schwa as it is

weak. In sentence 3 what is strong while for, of and the are weak and should
thus have a schwa . Similarly in sentence 4 are and to are
weak .

Question 3 (0 points)

Match the sentences below with the examples:

Good girl
a. When is a /n/ a / /?
She was born in Birmingham b. When is a /d/ a /g/?
Good morning
c. When is a /z/ a / /?
Speed boat d. When is a /d/ a /b/?
Ten pin bowling e. When is a /t/ a /k/?
Bit part
f. When is /s/ a / /?
Ten players g. When is a /t/ a /p/?
This shirt h. When is a /n/ a /m/?
Good boy
Ten green bottles
She has, has she?
White paper
The right key

Student response

Good girl --> d Incorrect

Correct answer b
She was born in Birmingham --> g Incorrect
Correct answer h
Good morning --> b Incorrect
Correct answer d
Speed boat --> b Incorrect
Correct answer d
Ten pin bowling --> g Incorrect
Correct answer h
Bit part --> f Incorrect
Correct answer g
Ten players --> g Incorrect
Correct answer h
This shirt --> e Incorrect
Correct answer f
Good boy --> b Incorrect
Correct answer d
Ten green bottles --> h Incorrect
Correct answer a
She has, has she? --> e Incorrect
Correct answer c
White paper --> f Incorrect
Correct answer g
The right key --> c Incorrect
Correct answer e

Score 0%

Question 4 (0 points)
Choose which of the three possibilities would be the correct transcript into phonemic
script of the following sentence as if it were spoken quickly and informally. Justify your
answer.

She acts particularly well in the first scene

1.
2.
3.

Student response

Correct answer

Option 3 is the correct option due to the following reasons:

The t of acts is elided; particularly when spoken has 4 syllables making it sound like
particuly and the first syllable should have a schwa as it is weak, the stress falling on the
second syllable. The t of first would also probably assimilate to the s of scene
making the two words fuse together.

Question 5 (0 points)

Consider the stress placement on the following words. With each word, try to explain
why the stress occurs as it does. There may be up to four reasons for any one word.
Nominee
Canary
Realist/Realistic
Abundance
Determine/Determination
Potato
Alkali
Prospect (Verb)

Student response

Nominee: The vowel combination -ee is rather unusual in English and lengthens the
final vowel. Canary: The second syllable is stressed as it is in the word Canary comes
from. (Canario is stressed on the same part of the word). Realist/Realistic: Since the two
words share the same root, stress becomes one feature to mark a difference. On the
other hand, the suffixes -ist -istic are usually pronounced in an unstressed way.
Abundance: The only syllable containing a clearly articulated sound is the second. This
makes the other two too weak to bear the stress. Determine/Determination: As the two
words come from the same root, one feature that helps to distinguish one from the other
is where the stress goes. Potato: Given that English is left-biased and at the same time
there is a tendency for the stress to be marked on long syllables or diphthongs, this word
is stressed on the second syllable because the first is too weak and short and the third is
just too "on the right", in spite of it containing a diphthong. Alkali: The word has a Latin
origin. Consequently, it keeps the characteristic of stress on the first syllable. Prospect:
There is a tendency, if a word can work either as a noun or as a verb, to stress the verbs
on the second syllable.

Correct answer

Nominee: the ee suffix makes the final vowel sound unusually long and therefore
stressed. This may be due to it being part of the word that really carries the semantic weight.

Canary: Nouns tend to be front-weighted but stress falls on the diphthong on the second
syllable making the first vowel into a schwa.

Realist/ Realistic: there is a tendency for nouns to be left-weighted (when the 1st syllable is
long) and their adjectival equivalents to move one down. Also the suffix ic tends to
determine stress on the penultimate syllable.

Abundance: Words with initial isolates a tend to weaken and stress the following syllable
(like about). The suffix ance also determines stress on the penultimate syllable.

Determine/ Determination: the verb determine has a long vowel in its second syllable,
which is stressed. As regards the noun, the suffix -tion attracts the stress to its preceding
syllable (the fourth) and changes the grammatical category of the word (from verb to noun).
In addition, the fourth syllable contains a diphthong, making the stress fall on it. Another
reason seems to be that determination is a Latin borrowing (cf. Spanish determinacin,
stressed on its ultimate syllable), so the stress has back-stepped one syllable in English.

Potato: the diphthong in the second syllable attracts the stress.

Alkali: according to the Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary (2001), this word comes
from Arabic al-qili, stressed in the syllable qi. The pattern in its English counterpart
follows the tendency to stress the first syllable, known as left bias. It is a three syllable word
conforming to the rule for three-syllable nouns ending in long vowels or diphthongs which
according to Roach (1990) states that stress should fall on the first syllable, which it does.
The last syllable has the secondary stress.

Prospect (verb): Verbs tend to right-shift from their noun root (prospect) making the stress
fall on the second syllable.

Question 6 (0 points)

Considering tone units, see if you can distinguish the differences in meaning between
these pairs of sentences (Thornbury, 1997)
(a) I like Elizabethan drama and poetry.
I like Elizabethan drama // and poetry.

(b) The passengers who didnt have tickets were fined

The passengers // who didnt have tickets // were fined.

(c) She went to answer the phone hopefully

She went to answer the phone // hopefully

(d) We prefer dancing to music

We prefer dancing // to music

Student response

a) In the first sentence the pitch pattern ends in the final part of the statement which
makes both drama and poetry part of the same Elizabethan gender In the second
sentence we can isolate two patterns. This takes us to understand Elizabethan drama
as one category and poetry, in general, as a different one. b) In the first sentence the
tonic syllable is found in passengers and the rest of the sentence, being part of the
same tone unit, helps to define who the passengers fined were. In the second sentence
there are two tone units. The first located in passengers, the second in who, which
means that additional information, explaining clearer who the passengers fined were,
is provided. c) Since there is no pause in the first sentence, hopefully describes the
way she did the action. In the second sentence the pause indicates that the word
hopefully is a separate tone unit with the tonic syllable being hope. This describes a
feeling, that of relief maybe, the speaker had at the time she did the action. d) As in all
the sentences above, the pauses mark syntactic boundaries that, although maybe
somehow ambiguous in meaning, clearly set differences. Those syntactic boundaries, as
Underhill (1994) asserts, occur with a high tendency at the boundaries for tone units. In
the case of the two last sentences, the first one denotes in what way we prefer dancing,
i.e. at the rhythm of the music being played, the second means that we are fonder of
dancing than of listening to music.

Correct answer

a) In the first sentence, the speaker likes both Elizabethan drama and Elizabethan poetry. In
the second, the speaker likes Elizabethan drama and poetry in general.

b) In the first example, only the passengers without tickets were fined. There were others
who did have tickets and were not fined. In the second, all the passengers referred to were
fined because none of them had tickets.

c) In the first sentence the woman went to answer the phone feeling full of hope, perhaps
hoping that the call is prom her boyfriend. In the second sentence, the speaker hopes that the
woman has gone to answer the phone and not to do something else.

d) The speakers in the first example like dancing to the accompaniment of music. In the
second example, the speakers are making a comparison of preference and state that they
would rather dance than listen to or play music.
Question 7 (0 points)

Look at the six separate extracts (1-6) included in your printed study materials, and
consider the following:
What level of attainment is required for this activity? (e.g. beginner/intermediate
etc.)
What age (range) do you think the intended students are?
Refer back to Figure 9.1 and try to place the activity in the appropriate quadrant.
If it is not completely obvious, what is the objective of the activity?
Is it exposure, exercise, or explanation?
What sort of text is it from? A recipe book, a school textbook, an academic text?
When do you think the activity dates from? 1998, 1958?
Which variables (from Brinton) would be most important to consider before
trying each of these activities?

Student response

First extract. The level of attainment is intermediate. It is intended for teenagers and
adults. It must be placed in C (starting point-segmental units) in the quadrant. Its aim is
to identify how to pronounce the phoneme /h/ as well as to observe when it is silent. It is
explanation. It is part of a recipe book. It dates from 1998. The most important variables
to consider are those of the linguistic type. Second extract. The level of attainment is
advanced. It is intended for adults. It must be placed in B (destination-suprasegmental
units) in the quadrant. Its aim is to understand by means of acute self-observation what
the rhythms of a language are like. It is explanation. It is part of an academic text, one to
train teachers. It dates from 1998. The most important variables to consider are those of
the learner type. Third extract. The level of attainment is intermediate. It is intended for
teenagers and adults. It must be placed in C (starting point-segmental units) in the
quadrant. Its aim is to be acquainted with the phonetic symbols and their corresponding
sounds. It is explanation. It is part of a school textbook. It dates from 1958. The most
important variables to consider are those of the methodological type. Fourth extract. The
level of attainment is beginners. It is intended for children. It must be placed in B
(destination-suprasegmental units) in the quadrant. Its aim is to practice English
intonation through rhyme. It is exposure. It is part of a school textbook for children. It
dates from 1998. The most important variables to consider are those of the learner type.
Fifth extract. The level of attainment is low-intermediate. It is intended for teenagers
and children older than 8. It must be placed in C (starting point-segmental units) in the
quadrant. Its aim is to identify how a typical English sound is pronounced and the way it
is represented as a phonetic symbol. It is exercise. It is part of a school textbook. It dates
from 1998. The most important variables to consider are those of the linguistic type.
Sixth extract. The level of attainment is intermediate. It is intended for teenagers and
adults. It must be placed in C (starting point-segmental units) in the quadrant. Its aim is
to identify and practice slight differences in the pronunciation of words which are very
alike (minimal pairs). It is exercise. It is part of a school textbook. It dates from 1958.
The most important variables to consider are those of the methodological type.

Correct answer

Activity 1: focus on the sound /h/.

Level: lower elementary.
Age: teenage up.
Quadrant: C.
Objective: to identify and produce /h/ and recognise cases when it is not pronounced.
EEE: Exposure and exercise but mainly exercise.
Type of text: recipe book.
Date: 1980s
Brintons variables: Linguistic and Methodological approach.

Activity 2- discovery activity

Level: Upper-intermediate at least.

Age: Adults.
Quadrant: B.
Objective: Sensitizing students to stress-timing.
EEE: Exposure
Type of text: Recipe or academic.
Date: 1995
Brintons variables: Institutional and methodological.

Activity 3- phonological awareness

Level: Intermediate up.

Age: teenage up.
Quadrant: A or B.
Objectives: Phonological awareness
EEE: Exercise
Type of text: Recipe book.
Date: 1990s
Brintons variables: Learner and linguistic.

Activity 4- chant

Level: False beginner.

Age: 7-9
Quadrant: B.
Objective: Sensitizing students to English stress-timing.
EEE: Exercise.
Type of text: School textbook (Fanfare)
Date: 1992.
Brintons variables: Learner, method and institutional.

Activity 5 schwa in words

Level: Elementary.
Age: 11-12
Quadrant: C.
Objective: to identify the schwa sound.
EEE- Exercise (induction) and exposure
Type of text: school textbook (Password)
Date: 1995
Brintons variables: Learner, methodological and linguistic

Activity 6- Minimal pairs

Level: Elementary
Age: Teenage
Quadrant: D.
Objectives: Minimal pairs to distinguish between different but similar sounds.
EEE: Exposure and exercise.
Type of text: Recipe (Ship and Sheep)
Date: 1977
Brintons variables: Methodology

Question 8 (0 points)

here is one fundamental question which we have delayed considering in our treatment
of pronunciation so far. Read Reading 9.1 and Reading 9.2, and answer the following
questions:

1. What issue in pronunciation teaching are each of these writers addressing?

2. What solutions to the issue do each of the writers propose?

3. How far are the writers in agreement with each other?

Note: Ensure that your answer is in your own words.

Student response

1. What issue in pronunciation teaching are each of these writers addressing? Along the
years in all the innovative methods and approaches that have emerged to cover the
teaching of English, pronunciation has been part of a goal that implies native-like
accuracy. Just in the last communicative approaches, it has been acknowledged from a
more flexible standpoint. Jennifer Jenkins, in her article, is concerned about finding a
mid position in how pronunciation has to be taught and demanded from L2 learners.
This, tending to be a non-biased view, will place itself between a common and
international acceptance of L2 varieties, above the most general ones such as RP and/or
General American, and the inclusion of factors typical of the learners L1. Underhill, as
well as Jenkins, deals with the topic of what type of pronunciation is to be taught and
how it must be covered. He affirms that a focus on a native-like pronunciation target is
pointless and it must be, on the contrary, an issue that concentrates on helping learners
to have a good communicative competence. Besides, he mentions that pronunciation,
rather than being taught as a matter of drills, has to be conscious and from there
awareness must be incorporated. 2. What solutions to the issue do each of the writers
propose? Jenkins suggests that in order to find that mid-point two approaches should be
considered. The first one aims to adopt a half-way pronunciation on the road that comes
from what non-native varieties might have in common and goes to what general native
pronunciation is like. The second proposes a more customized perspective that suits
every learner in a way that he/she chooses from models and norms according to their
needs. The solution Underhill proposes is to work on making learners aware of
pronunciation. Every aspect of manner, place and voicing is to be observed both
mentally and physically and, at the same time, those features will be grasped by the ear.
The author also asserts the importance for learners to be exposed to different varieties of
English as a means to see to what extent they can accommodate their pronunciation. 3.
How far are the writers in agreement with each other? The two writers agree on the fact
that the pronunciation model learners must strive for has to be other than that deemed as
the most general in native speakers. One that sets a variety of options from which
learners choose based on their needs and interests. For both writers it is also quite
important to lead the pronunciation teaching to communicative competence and
intelligibility, through a process in which the learner is able to comprehend how the
articulatory system works.

Correct answer

1. Issues addressed
Both Jenkins and Underhill address the shift in focus of the teaching of pronunciation that
has gone from concentrating mainly on achieving native like accents to become one dealing
with intelligibility and successful communication between speakers of both native and non-
native origin.
Jenkins points to the difficulties in achieving this new focus and considers that there are two
main reasons why this is so. On one hand there is the problem of maintaining intelligibility
among all the new varieties of L2 English and on the other the need to respect the norms of
these varieties.

2. Solutions
Jenkins dismisses two existing ideas concerning a) a neutral version of pronunciation along
the lines of Gimsons rudimentary international pronunciation (1978), by stating that a
neutral and universal form of English pronunciation cannot successfully be imposed as a
norm since people cannot be forced to use a certain type of pronunciation; b) a provision of
multiple models consisting of both native and non-native accents, as put forwards by
Pennington (1996). This approach is apparently more acceptable than the first but it still fails
to provide a satisfactory solution to the problem of intelligibility.
A possible compromise is put forward by Jenkins to solve the problem, consisting of an
approach focusing on the three areas that appear to influence intelligibility most while being
part of all varieties of English. The areas in question are described as:

1. Segmentals: there is a common core of sounds that appear to interfere more with
intelligibility if used wrongly than other sounds. Emphasis should thus be put on
these common core sounds.
2. Nuclear stress: As the nuclear stress in English conveys differences in meaning this
adds to the non-natives problems both as a speaker and as a listener. Jenkins thus
calls for a need to teach the nuclear stress system in order to overcome such
problems.
3. Articulatory settings: By concentrating on how the articulators are positioned to
produce the sounds the speaker would achieve greater intelligibility as the muscles
 get used to making the sounds.

The advantage of focusing on these areas would be that they are fairly teachable and
learnable, unlike many other areas of phonology.
According to Jenkings therefore, this approach would bring the teacher and learner a perfect
match by providing a manageable core based on the native model while allowing for other
local and non-native norms to be applied around this core where acceptable. The language
spoken by native speakers (i.e. British or American English) should therefore be seen and
used as a model rather than a norm, the latter referring to a set rule of correctness.

Underhill suggests that in order to help learners develop the awareness that will enable them
to model their own pronunciation in any direction, awareness and insight has to be the
focus rather than habit formation and mechanicity. For this to be possible the approach has
to consider:

The physical movements that need to be done to make sounds and through this
awareness of how sounds are made learners would develop what he calls muscular
memory to recall vocabulary etc.
The visual concept of making sounds and the importance of observing how people
articulate sounds.
Educating the ear to new sounds by introducing an element of production practice to
help the ear make the necessary discrimination between sounds that are heard. If the
learner can make the sound he/she is going to be able to pick it up faster when
another speaker uses it.

In Underhills opinion, learners thus need to listen to a range of varieties of both native and
non-native speaker accents. He also states that learners need to practice sounds but more as
part of the educating the ear notion than as a means to incorporate these sounds into the
learners production repertoire.

3.How far in agreement

Both emphasise the need to move away from the traditional focus of pronunciation, being
that of sounding like a native speaker, towards a focus on international intelligibility. Both
mention that this need has come about due to the nature of English becoming a more global
language not only used for communication with natives but also, and perhaps to an even
larger extent, in non-native communication.
Both authors stress the importance to focus on how sounds are articulated in order to help the
learner attain enhanced intelligibility. However whereas Underhill appears to share common
ground with Pennington in that he advocates for the learner being exposed to a variation of
models, Jenkins prefers to pick out the core areas of pronunciation common to all varieties
and then allow for local non-native norms to be added to this core, thus arriving at a
compromise between native and non-native norms.
Underhill mentions another area of importance that Jenkins does not dwell on, this being the
importance to educate not only the mouth but also the ear to different sounds and through
this reach better intelligibility on both the receiving and productive end.
Both authors accept, although Underhill does not spell this out as clearly as Jenkins does,
that the language of native speakers can be used as models, but that it should not be the main
aim of pronunciation teaching unless of course the learner expressively wishes it to be so.