Methods of Teaching EFL-Systems. Activity 2.

MASTERING THE near-open front unrounded vowel sound in english pronunciation

/æ/

Author: Eva Varela Liberatore Methods of Teaching EFL: Systems Activity 2

Mastering the /æ/ Sound in English Pronunciation

Objective:Producing and recognizing the English near-open front unrounded vowel /æ/ through the activities, fostering receptive and expressive skills. Expected Outcome: Students will demonstrate enhanced pronunciation of words containing the /æ/ sound, and the ability to identify, respond, and use the sound appropriately in both structured and spontaneous contexts. Length: An 80-minute session Resources: - List of minimal pairs - Text or song with /æ/ words - Bell for TPR activity - Handout for pronunciation maze - Whiteboard or presentation slides

Note:

The activities in this task are based on the General American English (GA) pronunciation of the phoneme /æ/, as opposed to its standard British pronunciation, otherwise known as Received Pronunciation (RP)

INTRODUCTION

(10 minutes)

The /æ/ sound and its spelling

A - /æ/

hat /hæt/cat /kæt/ man /mæn/ rat /ræt/

INTRODUCTION

The /æ/ sound and its spelling

A - /æ/

A - /ɑ:/

arm /ɑːrm/start /stɑːrt/ calm /kɑːm/ father /ˈfɑːðər/

hat /hæt/cat /kæt/ man /mæn/ rat /ræt/

Since this phoneme does not exist in Spanish, Spanish speakers tend to incorrectly pronounce it as /ɑ:/

ACTIVITY 1: GAP-FILL SONG exercise

(25 minutes)

CHOOSING BETWEEN MINIMAL PAIRS

b) Word selection song lyrics exercise using minimal pairs containing words with /æ/ sound, such as Black by Pearl Jam. hands - hensglass - gloss had - head bad - bed black - blink am - in

a) The teacher presents minimal pairs examples, contrasting /æ/ with other sounds.had /hæd/vs. hard /hɑːrd/ham /hæm/ vs. harm /hɑːrm/ match /mætʃ/ vs. March /mɑːrtʃ/ sad /sæd/ vs. said /sed/ gas /ɡæs/ vs. guess /ges/ campus /ˈkæmpəs/ vs. compass /ˈkʌmpəs/ ankle /ˈæŋkl/ vs. uncle /ˈʌŋkl/

(...) And now my bitter hands/hensCradle broken gloss/glass Of what was everything All the pictures head/had All been washed in black/blink Tattooed everything All the love gone bed/bad Turned my world to blink/black Tattooed all I see All that I am/in All I'll be (...)

ACTIVITY 2: tpr bell exercise

(15 minutes)

- Read sentences slowly, emphasizing words with the /æ/ sound. - Students respond by ringing a bell on their tables each time they hear a word with the /æ/ sound. - Reinforce the kinesthetic connection to correct pronunciation.

example sentences

She decided to add a new flat-screen TV to her black room and plan a movie night for her family. The man at the bank helped me understand the value of saving money. The black cat sat on the windowsill, and the family felt happy. During their travel to the mountains, they happened upon a flat clearing of land, where they started a campfire. Despite the fact that it was a sad occasion, the family carried on and thanked everyone.

ACTIVITY 3: PRONUNCIATION MAZE

(20 minutes)

Fat /fæt/Want /wɑːnt/ Hate /heɪt/

(Hancock, M. 2022)

ACTIVITY 3: PRONUNCIATION MAZE

(20 minutes)

(Hancock, M. 2019)

(Hancock, M. 2022)

COOL-DOWN ACTIVITY

(10 minutes)

RANDOM SENTENCE BUILDER

• Provide a list of words with the /æ/ sound.
• Students construct spontaneous, random sentences orally using many of these words.

COOL-DOWN ACTIVITY

RANDOM SENTENCE BUILDER

catapp fab add taxi stand thank travel understand value sanction catch vanish

"The fab cat downloaded a travel app to understand the value of standing patiently while waiting for the taxi"

References

Hancock, M. (2019, February 2). Mark Hancock's maze for the A vowel sound [Image]. Hancock McDonald English Language Teaching. http://hancockmcdonald.com/talks/pronunciation-muscle-mind-meaning-memory-0 Hancock, M. (2022, January 7). Mark's spelling maze 'a' [Image]. Hancock McDonald English Language Teaching. http://hancockmcdonald.com/materials/marks-spelling-maze Noriega, O. (2023). Methods of Teaching EFL: Systems. [PDF]. Retrieved from https://micampus.unir.net/courses/42274/external_tools/233276 Pearl Jam. (1991). Black. On Ten [CD]. Epic Records. Pérez, M. (n.d.). How to design a pronunciation-based lesson [Video]. Retrieved from https://micampus.unir.net/courses/42274/external_tools/233274