Pronunciation

Start at the 20 second mark to compare "Glee's" remake to the original.

B vs P

Hold up a piece of paper in front of your mouth. Say the "B" sound (the paper doesn't move). Now say the "P" sound – the paper should move. Think of five words what begin with B and five words that begin with P. Does it work?

English Version: Begin at 48 second mark.

Arabic Version: Begin at 1minute and 25 seconds. (Tongue Twisters, too)

Long E vs Short I/ Where vs Were

For students who cannot yet distinguish between a long “e” [i] or [iː] and short “i” [ɪ]. You can start by comparing the sounds in their L1.

אִי vs אְ

Ask your students: Why do photographers tell people to say "Cheese" when they take a picture?

Have each student place a finger on both sides of their lips. Say "Cheese". What happens to your lips?

Begin at 2 minute 10 sec mark.

Keep your fingers there. Try saying the following words. If students have a mirror, have them look at themselves.

1. This / These

2. It/ Eat

3. Live/Leave

4. Sit/ Seat

5. Where/ Were

Show how this small difference changes the meaning if one isn’t careful. ie. You SIT in a SEAT - not the opposite.

TH Sound

One method of helping students differentiate between a "mouse" and "mouth": Hold your finger up as if saying, "One minute." Now rest the top of the finger in that position on the tip of your nose. Say "th". When your tongue touches your finger, you should be able to make the correct sound. These are two of many clips online with ideas how to work on this skill. These clips are geared towards weaker, less mature 7th graders) - only use if beneficial and won’t insult the students. You can take it one step further by showing examples of “th” as in “think” and “th” as in “that”.

Quiet Activity - Pronunciation Maze

http://english-zone.com/teach/pdf-files/but.html

Looking for more? Search for "Pronunciation Maze"

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