“You say tomato…”
Pronunciation
Objective: With this activity, students will be able to understand the differences between articulation and pronunciation and be able to identify obvious differences in pronunciation.
Materials: Students should have paper and pencil.
Steps:
1. Begin the unit on pronunciation by providing the students with a definition of the word.
• “Pronunciation is the ability to use the proper sounds to form words clearly and accurately…whereas articulation is concerned with the production of sounds, pronunciation concerns the sounds that form words in standard English.”
2. Provide a few examples of how certain words can be pronounced differently: such as the words tomato, aunt, wash…
3. On a piece of paper, have the students make a list of all the words they can come up with that are often mispronounced or may have multiple pronunciations.
4. After they have made their lists, have them share with the class and then form a cumulative list that can be written on the whiteboard.
5. Have a discussion about what, if any, pronunciation would be considered most correct for each word. Explain the importance of pronunciation when it comes to public speaking and that mispronouncing words can detract from a speaker’s credibility.
Results: This activity should encourage students to think more about how they pronounce different words. Encourage the students to think about how various factors can effect pronunciation, such as dialects and different regions of the country. Point out that these are important to consider when analyzing an audience.
Kit Mentzer
Sept. 16, 2009