ESL 0150 PRONUNCIATION I
Summer 2011
Instructor, Dr. Tim Conrad
PHONE/EMAIL: 801-626-7146; tconrad@weber.edu
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: Clear Speech from the Start by Judy Gilbert (look for the
red book under “ESL” in the bookstore).
COURSE DESCRIPTION: In this course, you will practice the consonant and vowel
sounds used in spoken English. We will study English pronunciation in an
interactive approach so that you get many opportunities to improve your speaking,
listening, and conversational skills with your classmates and the instructor.
TEXTBOOK: Clear Speech from the Start by Judy Gilbert (look for the red book under
“ESL” in the bookstore).
GRADING: Your grade will count one-third of each of the following: 1) attendance
and in-class work; 2) homework and chapter quizzes; and 3) a comprehensive final
exam.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE:
1) Review the pronunciation of the letters of the English alphabet and ways to
sound out words on one’s own to participate in everyday conversation and to be
able to complete classroom assignments
a) Become familiar with visual images used in the curriculum to aid in the
pronunciation of vowels and consonants
b) Learn how to use phonetic symbols commonly used in dictionaries
c) Brainstorm pneumonic devices or words in basic English or one’s first
language that effectively model the new vowel and consonant sounds being
learned
2) Become familiar with the sounds of the five English vowels as they are
pronounced when saying the alphabet (A, E, I, O, U) and the important ways the
pronunciation of the vowels change based on surrounding letters in a word
a) Learn the “two-vowel rule”: When there are two vowel letters in a word: the
first vowel is pronounced with its alphabet name and the second vowel is
silent, as in “cake, eat, ice,” etc.
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b) Learn the “one-vowel rule”: When there is only one vowel in a syllable: the
vowel letter is not pronounced with its alphabet name; instead the vowel
letter is pronounced with a variety of reduced and altered sounds, as in “cat,
pet, it,” etc.
3) Become familiar with the sounds of the English consonants as they are
pronounced when saying the alphabet and as their sounds change based on
surrounding letters in a word and on word-choice meaning
a) Learn the differences in the pronunciation of consonants needed for “stops”
(P, B, T, D, K, and G), “continuants” (S, Z, etc.), and combination sounds or
“affricates” (as in church or judge)
b) Understand how the pronunciation of stops, continuants, and affricates can
function as grammatical signals, for example “book/books, can/can’t, I go/I’d
go”
c) Practice meaning differences created by “minimal pairs,” for example
“light/right, pear/bear,” etc.
MY TEACHING APPROACHES FOR THIS CLASS: I WILL…
1) Assess students in a variety of ways: work alone, work in pairs & small
groups, whole-class practice & discussion, dictations, games, exploratory
tasks and activities. Incorporate both practice quizzes, as well as graded
tests
2) Use pictures, illustrations, and media as available from the curriculum,
classroom technology, computer labs, and personal laptops or other devices
3) Focus on the most crucial vowel and consonant sounds, leaving the rest for
later study
4) Plan teaching points so that they not only teach content but also help
students improve their speaking ability and listening comprehension
5) Help students see that oral reading can be improved by learning basic
English spelling rules
6) Include contextualizing phrases and sentences in classroom lessons along
with the necessary focus on specific sounds of individual letters and words
OTHER UNIVERSITY COURSE/STUDENT REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES:
Academic Dishonesty: As specified in PPM 6-22 IV D, cheating and plagiarism
violate the Student Code. Plagiarism is “the unacknowledged (uncited) use of
any other person’s or group’s ideas or work.” Students found guilty of
cheating or plagiarism are subject to failure of a specific assignment, or, in
more serious cases, failure of the entire course.
Core Beliefs: According to PPM 6-22 IV, students are to “[d]etermine, before
the last day to drop courses without penalty, when course requirements
conflict with a student's core beliefs. If there is such a conflict, the student
should consider dropping the class. A student who finds this solution
impracticable may request a resolution from the instructor. This policy does
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not oblige the instructor to grant the request, except in those cases when a
denial would be arbitrary and capricious or illegal. This request must be
made to the instructor in writing and the student must deliver a copy of the
request to the office of the department head. The student's request must
articulate the burden the requirement would place on the student's beliefs.”
Disability Accommodation: PPM 3-34 notes: “When students seek
accommodation in a regularly scheduled course, they have the responsibility
to make such requests at the Center for Students with Disabilities before the
beginning of the quarter [semester] in which the accommodation is being
requested. When a student fails to make such arrangements, interim
accommodations can be made by the instructor, pending the determination
of the request for a permanent accommodation.”
Emergency Closure: If for any reason the university is forced to close for an
extended period of time, we will conduct our class . . . . [via e-mail, WebCT,
Blackboard, etc.]. Look for announcements on. . . . [Weber e-mail, our listserv,
etc.].