Post on 05-Jul-2020
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UNIVERSIDAD DE GUAYAQUIL
Facultad de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias de la Educación
Escuela de Lenguas y Lingüística
EDUCATIVE PROJECT
TOPIC:
How Phonetics influence in the improvement of pronunciation.
PROPOSAL:
Design and implement a booklet with varied phonetics exercises.
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Licenciada en
Ciencias de la Educación, Major in Lengua y Linguística Inglesa.
RESEARCHER:
Castillo Sornoza Claudina del Carmen
DIRECTED BY:
MSc. Galo Donoso
GUAYAQUIL-ECUADOR
2017
II
UNIVERSIDAD DE GUAYAQUIL
Facultad de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias de la Educación
Escuela de Lenguas y Lingüística
AUTHORITIES
MSc. Silvia Moy-Sang Castro MSc. Wilson Romero Dávila
DEAN DEPUTY DEAN
MSc. Alfonso Sánchez Ávila Ab. Sebastián Cadena Alvarado
DIRECTOR SECRETARY
III
IV
MSc
SILVIA MOY-SANG CASTRO, Arq.
DECANO DE LA FACULTAD DE FILOSOFÍA,
LETRAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN
Ciudad.-
Para los fines legales pertinentes comunico a usted que los derechos
intelectuales del proyecto educativo con el tema: HOW PHONETICS
INFLUENCE IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF PRONUNCIATION.
Pertenecen a la Facultad de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias de la Educación.
Atentamente,
Claudina del Carmen Castillo Sornoza
C.I 0923650592
V
UNIVERSIDAD DE GUAYAQUIL
FACULTAD DE FILOSOFÍA, LETRAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN
PROJECT
TOPIC: HOW PHONETICS INFLUENCE IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF
PRONUNCIATION
PROPOSAL: DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A BOOKLET WITH VARIED
PHONETICS EXERCISES.
APROBADO
………………………… ………………………………
Tribunal No 1 Tribunal No 2
……………………………
Tribunal No 3
Claudina del Carmen Castillo Sornoza
C.I 0923650592
VI
EL TRIBUNAL EXAMINADOR OTORGA
AL PRESENTE TRABAJO
LA CALIFICACIÓN DE:
EQUIVALENTE A:
TRIBUNAL
VII
x
NATIONAL REPOSITORY IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THESIS REGISTRATION FORM
TITLE AND SUBTITLE: How phonetics influence in the improvement of pronunciation.
Proposal: Design and implemented a booklet with varied phonetic exercises .
AUTHOR: Castillo Sornoza
Claudina del Carmen
ADVISOR: Msc. Galo Donoso
REVIEWERS: Msc. Galo Donoso
INSTITUTION: University of
Guayaquil
FACULTY:
Filosofía Y Letras y Ciencias de la Educación.
CAREER: Languages and Linguistics
DATE OF PUBLISHING: No. OF PAGES: 134 pages
TITLE OBTAINED: Licenciado en Ciencias de la Educación mención: Ingles
THEMED AREAS:
KEYWORDS: learning techniques, strategies, application, phonetics, phonology
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this educational project is to implement techniques for learning
the vowel sounds in the English language in order to improve the linguistic competence of
the eighth grade students in the "Francisco Huerta Rendón" school in the city. of Guayaquil,
when carrying out a thorough investigation through different techniques such as
questionnaires, interviews and surveys; Low performance was detected in the pronunciation
of the students and the lack of motivation for the teaching of pronunciation in English mainly
because the institution does not have the necessary didactic materials for the students to get
hooked and motivate with the classes of the same. It was also observed that teachers do not
have enough academic training in how to teach pronunciation to develop an innovative and
fun class. For the reason already discussed, it is proposed to develop a guide with varied
exercises techniques for its use and application in classes in such a way that the learning of
the English language is more significant.
No. DE REGISTRO (en base
de datos): No. DE CLASIFICACIÓN:
DIRECCIÓN URL (tesis en la web):
ADJUNTO PDF: X SI
NO
CONTACTO CON
AUTOR
Teléfono:
0968724527 E-mail:
Carmencastillosornoza84@gmail.com
CONTACTO EN LA
INSTITUCIÓN:
Nombre: Secretaría de la Escuela de Lenguas y
Lingüística Teléfono: (04)2294888 Ext. 123
E-mail: lenguas.linguistica.filo@gmail.com
VIII
x
REPOSITORIO NACIONAL EN CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGÍA
FICHA DE REGISTRO DE TESIS
TÍTULO Y SUBTÍTULO: How phonetics influence in the improvement of pronunciation.
Proposal: Design and implement a booklet with varied phonetic exercises.
AUTOR: Castillo
Sornoza Claudina del
Carmen
TUTOR Msc. Galo Donoso
REVISORES: Msc. Galo Donoso
gINSTITUCIÓN:
Universidad de
Guayaquil
FACULTAD: Filosofía Y Letras y Ciencias de la Educación.
CARRERA: Lenguas y Lingüística
FECHA DE PUBLICACIÓN:
No. DE PÁGS: 134 paginas.
TÍTULO OBTENIDO: Licenciado en Ciencias de la Educación, mención: English
ÁREAS TEMÁTICAS:
PALABRAS CLAVE: Learning techniques, strategies, application, phonetics, phonology
ABSTRACT: Este proyecto educativo tiene como finalidad la implementación de técnicas
para el aprendizaje de los sonidos de las vocales en el idioma Inglés con el fin de mejorar la
competencia lingüística de los alumnos de octavo de educación básica en el colegio
“Francisco Huerta Rendón” en la ciudad de Guayaquil, al realizar una concienzuda
investigación a través de diferentes técnicas como cuestionarios, entrevistas y encuestas;
se detectó bajo rendimiento en la pronunciación de los alumnos y la falta de motivación para
la enseñanza de pronunciación en Ingles principalmente por que la institución no cuenta con
los materiales didácticos necesarios para que los alumnos se enganchen y motiven con las
clases del mismo. Además se observó que los maestros no tienen la suficiente
capacitación académica en cómo enseñar pronunciación para desarrollar una clase
innovadora y divertida. Por el motivo ya expuesto se propone desarrollar una guía con
técnicas variadas de ejercicios para su utilización y aplicación en clases de tal manera que el
aprendizaje del idioma ingles sea más significativo.
No. DE REGISTRO (en
base de datos): No. DE CLASIFICACIÓN:
DIRECCIÓN URL (tesis en la web):
ADJUNTO
PDF: X
SI NO
CONTACTO CON
AUTOR/ES
Teléfono:
0968724527
E-mail: carmencastillosornoza84@gmail.com
Contacto en la
institución: Nombre: Secretaría de la Escuela de Lenguas y Lingüística
Teléfono: (04)2294888 Ext. 123
E-mail: lenguas.linguistica.filo@gmail.com
IX
DEDICATION
To my grandma Rosa Carmen, she taught me what family love is.
To my loved children, Josue, Jenny and Paula. They were my support all
these years. Finally, to my mother. Jenny . Thank you for all.
Claudina
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To my great God for his blessings. Because for him nothing is impossible
to do. Our dreams and goals are an arrangement to him.
To MSc. Galo Donoso my Tutor, for his wonderful guide in the
implementation of this project and for give me the motivation to finalize the
same.
Claudina
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TABLE OF CONTENT
FRONT PAGE .......................................................................................... I
DIRECTIVES .......................................................................................... II
TUTOR REPORT .................................................................................... III
DEDICATION .......................................................................................... IX
ACKNOWLEDGE ..................................................................................... X
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM ......................................................................................... 3
CONTEXT OF THE INVESTIGATION.................................................... 3
CONFLICT SITUATION ......................................................................... 3
CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM ................................................................ 4
FORMULATION OF THE PROBLEM ..................................................... 5
OBJECTIVES OF INVESTIGATION ...................................................... 5
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES........................................................................ 5
QUESTIONS OF THE INVESTIGATION ................................................ 5
JUSTIFICATION ..................................................................................... 6
THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................ 8
BACKGROUND ...................................................................................... 8
THEORETICAL FOUNDATION .............................................................. 9
THE INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET (IPA) ........................ 10
ADVANTAGES OF PHONETIC IN PRONUNCIATION TEACHING ..... 10
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PHONOLOGY ...................................................................................... 11
PHONOLOGICAL SYSTEM OF ENGLISH .......................................... 12
PHONEMES ......................................................................................... 12
TYPES OF PHONEMES ...................................................................... 13
VOWEL SOUNDS ............................................................................ 13
THE ELEVEN VOWELS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH ......................... 13
CONSONANT SOUNDS ................................................................... 13
ALLOPHONES ................................................................................. 14
INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
............................................................................................................. 14
PRONUNCIATION ............................................................................... 15
ELEMENTS OF PRONUNCIATION ..................................................... 17
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PRONUNCIATION LEARNING ................. 17
AGE AND SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL ............................................... 18
EXPOSURE AND USE......................................................................... 18
NATIVE - LANGUAGE BACKGROUND ............................................... 19
PERSONALITY .................................................................................... 19
COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING FRAMEWORKS FOR
PRONUNCIATION ............................................................................... 19
PEDAGOGICAL FOUNDATION ........................................................... 21
INTUITIVE – IMITATIVE APPROACH .................................................. 22
ANALYTIC – LINGUISTIC APPROACH ............................................... 22
TECHNIQUES TO TEACH PRONUNCIATION .................................... 23
LISTEN AND IMITATE ......................................................................... 23
MINIMAL PAIRS TRAINING ................................................................. 24
TONGUE TWISTER ............................................................................. 25
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EPISTEMOLOGICAL FOUNDATION ................................................... 25
PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION ...................................................... 26
LEGAL FOUNDATION ......................................................................... 27
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING STANDARDS ................... 27
SOCIOLOGICAL FOUNDATION .......................................................... 28
METHODOLOGY, PROCESS, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF ....... 30
RESULTS ................................................................................................ 30
METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN ............................................................. 30
TYPES OF RESEARCH ....................................................................... 31
POPULATION AND SAMPLE .............................................................. 32
POPULATION DEFINITION ............................................................. 32
SAMPLE DEFINITION ...................................................................... 32
DEFINITION ......................................................................................... 34
INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET .......................................... 34
ADVANTAGES OF PHONETIC ON PRONUNCIATION ...................... 34
PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY ........................................................ 34
INTERALIONSHIP BETWEEN PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY ...... 34
THEORETICAL METHODS ................................................................. 36
ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS .......................................................... 36
INDUCTIVE – DEDUCTIVE METHOD: ............................................ 36
LOGICAL- HISTORICAL METHOD .................................................. 36
EMPIRICAL METHODS ....................................................................... 36
EMPIRICAL TECHNIQUES .................................................................. 37
Direct observation ............................................................................. 37
INTERVIEW ......................................................................................... 37
SURVEY ........................................................................................... 37
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MATHEMATICAL – STATISTICAL METHOD ...................................... 38
-Mathematical ................................................................................... 38
-Chi Square: ...................................................................................... 38
TABULACIÓN CRUZADA .................................................................... 39
INTERVIEW TO THE DIRECTOR ........................................................... 40
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS ....................................................................... 45
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 47
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 47
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 49
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 50
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 51
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 52
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 53
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 54
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 55
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 56
SURVEY TO STUDENTS .................................................................... 57
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ......................................... 60
CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................... 60
RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................... 60
THE PROPOSAL ..................................................................................... 62
TITLE ................................................................................................... 62
JUSTIFICATION ................................................................................... 62
OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................... 63
GENERAL OBJECTIVE .................................................................... 63
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES .................................................................. 63
XV
THEORETICAL ASPECTS ................................................................... 63
PEDAGOGYCAL FOUNDATION ...................................................... 63
UNIVERSIDAD DE GUAYAQUIL
FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA, LETRAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN
ESCUELA DE LENGUAS Y LINGÜÍSTICA
TEMA: Cómo influye la fonética en la mejora de la pronunciación.
PROPUESTA: Diseño y aplicación de un folleto con ejercicios fonéticos.
Autora: Claudina Castillo Sornoza
Tutor: MSc. Galo Donoso
RESUMEN
Este proyecto educativo tiene como finalidad la implementación de
técnicas para el aprendizaje de los sonidos de las vocales en el idioma
Inglés con el fin de mejorar la competencia lingüística de los alumnos de
octavo de educación básica en el colegio “Francisco Huerta Rendón” en
la ciudad de Guayaquil, al realizar una concienzuda investigación a través
de diferentes técnicas como cuestionarios, entrevistas y encuestas; se
detectó bajo rendimiento en la pronunciación de los alumnos y la falta de
motivación para la enseñanza de pronunciación en Ingles principalmente
por que la institución no cuenta con los materiales didácticos necesarios
para que los alumnos se enganchen y motiven con las clases del mismo.
Además se observó que los maestros no tienen la suficiente capacitación
académica en cómo enseñar pronunciación para desarrollar una clase
innovadora y divertida. Por el motivo ya expuesto se propone desarrollar
una guía con técnicas variadas de ejercicios para su utilización y
XVI
aplicación en clases de tal manera que el aprendizaje del idioma ingles
sea más significativo.
DESCRIPTORES: técnicas de aprendizaje- estrategias - aplicación
UNIVERSIDAD DE GUAYAQUIL
FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA, LETRAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN
ESCUELA DE LENGUAS Y LINGÜÍSTICA
TOPIC: How Phonetics influence in the improvement of pronunciation
PROPOSAL: Design and implement a booklet with varied phonetics
exercises.
Author: Claudina Castillo Sornoza
Tutor: MSc. Galo Donoso
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this educational project is to implement techniques for
learning the vowel sounds in the English language in order to improve the
linguistic competence of the eighth grade students in the "Francisco
Huerta Rendón" school in the city. of Guayaquil, when carrying out a
thorough investigation through different techniques such as
questionnaires, interviews and surveys; Low performance was detected in
the pronunciation of the students and the lack of motivation for the
teaching of pronunciation in English mainly because the institution does
not have the necessary didactic materials for the students to get hooked
and motivate with the classes of the same. It was also observed that
teachers do not have enough academic training in how to teach
pronunciation to develop an innovative and fun class. For the reason
already discussed, it is proposed to develop a guide with varied exercises
XVII
techniques for its use and application in classes in such a way that the
learning of the English language is more significant.
KEYWORDS: learning techniques - strategies – application
1
INTRODUCTION
English is the foreign language that students must study in Ecuadorian
schools. One of the most common problems in English classes is
pronunciation issues. Nowadays world demands that students in our country
who study in public schools reach the levels in the English language
established in the European common framework. Oral pronunciation is the
base for communication in languages, and the need to familiarize Ecuadorian
learners with knowledge English sounds is a priority.
Students of 8th course section “A” in “Francisco Huerta Rendón” with
bad pronunciation need explicit help from the teacher and provide some
pronunciation instruction. For this reason, the author of this project developed
this work to assistance teachers how to apply method and techniques with the
reliance on other sub-disciplines such as phonetic and phonology as a
framework through some practical activities and strategies that teachers have
to employ to their classes. Teachers have to make students aware of a new
system for English pronunciation and sounds and bring them a point where
they are able to explore, experiment, manipulate and finally control sounds.
Pronunciation should be viewed as an important part of communication
that have to be incorporated in classroom activities focused on the need of
learners. Physical factors also affect the learning of pronunciation, but a
teacher can help overcome physiological barriers and others challenges.
2
Fignally, the content of this work has been split into four chapters with the
purpose to emphasize each part of the schemes of the development of the
project, which are the following:
Chapter one: The problem
This chapter contains: Context of investigation, Conflict situation, Causes of
the problem, Formulation of the problem, Objectives of investigation, General
objective, Specific objectives, Questions of investigation and Justification.
Chapter two: Theoretical Frame
Background, Theoretical foundation, Epistemological foundation,
Psychological foundation, Legal foundation, Sociological foundation.
Chapter three: Methodology
Design of the investigation, type of investigation, level of the investigation,
procedures of the investigation, instruments of the investigation, application of
the investigation instruments, analysis of results, conclusions and
recommendations.
Chapter four: The proposal
Tittle, Justification, Objectives, Theoretical Aspects, Feasibility of its
application, Description, and Conclusions.
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CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM
CONTEXT OF THE INVESTIGATION
The project is applied to the "Francisco Huerta Rendón" School of the
city of Guayaquil located at Las Aguas Av. and Juan Tanca Marengo Av. The
school "Francisco Huerta Rendón" was founded in May 1971 and currently
has 2600 students, of which 1200 are men and 1400 are women.
The structure is composed of 2 buildings with two floors, the total
number of classrooms in the school is 26, each classroom has 55 students,
the area of each classroom is established 8 meters wide and 10 meters long
the working day in the School are morning and evening. The total of teachers
in the school "Francisco Huerta Rendón" is of 68 teachers of which 34 work in
the morning and is composed of 13 men and 21 women, in the afternoon
work day 34 of which 18 are men and 16 are women.
CONFLICT SITUATION
A close observation of students in English class showed a low level of
English pronunciation and lack of confidence for speaking tasks.
Consequently, they are afraid of speaking or they say they are not
comfortable when they have to speak. These students often think that having
a good pronunciation is not important, the possible reason for that is because
there is not a good motivation from teacher to make progress in this area.
4
On the other hand the difficulty for the teacher to spend time on
pronunciation with students. As a result the teacher did not develop the speak
competences in the whole context. The techniques for help students to
overcome pronunciation problems were not attended during the lesson. The
teacher does not have adequate didactic material, there are not necessary
tools such as laboratories, virtual books and access to internet neither have
not wallpaper, flashcard to work properly in the classroom.
The English lessons have been worked based on teaching grammar.
Teacher and students spent many time memorizing grammar rules and
working with the textbook. Grammar will not teach students a good
pronunciation; in contrast it makes the learning boring and ineffective because
pronunciation is necessary for a real communication.
The mother tongue interference is a common factor. This evidence is
very obvious because students have a tendency to apply the sounds and
intonation of their first language. These errors could be explained as a
negative interference from L1.
CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM
There are three main causes to mention:
Classes based on grammar.
Difficulties in learning pronunciation.
Influence of the mother tongue
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FORMULATION OF THE PROBLEM
How does phonetics instruction improve pronunciation in 8th EGB
students at “FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON” school, zone 8, district 6,
circuit 3, Province of Guayas, Canton Guayaquil, Parroquia Tarqui, school
year 2017 – 2018.
OBJECTIVES OF INVESTIGATION
To determine the influence of phonetics instruction in the improvement
of pronunciation through a field and bibliographic analysis to design a
booklet based on phonetic exercises.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
To define phonetics through a bibliographic analysis.
To assess the pronunciation of the students through a diagnostic test
and a survey to be applied to the students.
To design a booklet based on phonetic exercises to improve students’
English pronunciation through the data gathered.
QUESTIONS OF THE INVESTIGATION
1. How does the low level of teaching materials in eight schools affect
public school?
2. What is the relevance of implementing educational materials for
teaching pronunciation to students from eight Basic Grade of the
schools?
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3. What factors affect the poor performance of students on English
pronunciation?
4. How does the phonetics learning improve the quality of education?
5. Which methodology will be applied?
6. Why is it essential to encourage students to know about English
Learning nowadays?
7. What kind of impact can the implementation the booklet produce in the
students?
JUSTIFICATION
The educational proposal that will be developed in this work focuses on
establishing the influence of phonetics in the improvement of pronunciation.
Students will learn each vowel sound and become familiar with syllable
structure using a phonetic approach reaching a better pronunciation
performance.
This research that refers to the influence of phonetics to improve
student pronunciation is justified because it makes a description based on an
analysis of the student environment that predominates in their speaking
competence, so that the modifications can be carried out in this way required.
Negative or positive modifications that will depend on the management that
deals with them. In this way it will be possible to improve the level of
pronunciation in students within the current educational system.
Also the research can lead to new platforms to implement actions to
reduce pronunciation problems that are happening in the educational
establishment. In this way it would contribute to the elevation of the
educational quality. With this research it will be possible to generate progress
in the regional education system.
7
Taking into account the theoretical value, it is worth highlighting the
evident effective phonetic approach, which contributes significant data on the
importance for a good speak production in which a person develops
communication, having direct relation with human behavior. The human being
can perceive his surroundings in the same way as the environment where he
develops.
The Organic Law of Intercultural Education (LOEI) defines education
as "an instrument of transformation of society, contributes to the construction
of the country, life projects and the freedom of its inhabitants, peoples and
nationalities; Human beings, particularly children and adolescents as the
center of the learning process and subjects of rights, and is organized on the
basis of constitutional precepts "(LOEI, 2011, Art. 2 Principles, Lit.
For this reason is relevant to mention that this research will transform
this educative community, contributing to the empowerment of their learning
process and progress of their quality of life, fulfilling its rights of Ecuadorians
and with a new vision that means freedom.
The Common European Framework in its political and educational
approach promotes language activity, communicative acts entail the
performance of tasks, and to the extent that they are not routine or automatic,
those tasks require us to use strategies in order to understand and or produce
spoken or written texts.
8
CHAPTER II
THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
BACKGROUND
The process of teaching English language has changed during the last
two decades; the practice of exercising language skills has received important
attention from educators. Foreign language curricula in classrooms are
focused on productive skills with special emphasis on communicative ability.
Teachers face a new challenge providing pedagogical tools for English
lessons.
Thus, in the University of Guayaquil, as in many other institutions,
researches and instructional materials have been developed to provide
improvement in student’s pronunciation. These are similar to the present work
in they show how phonetics influence in pronunciation and how beneficial is it
in learning a second language. Reviewing files in the library has found the
following works: A first research corresponds to the researchers Jácome
Cordova Pablo and Muñoz Verónica. Their topic is “How to improve
pronunciation applying phonetic techniques”. The proposal is “Design of an
audio visual cd with phonetic techniques by using electronic devices”.
The second research will be mentioned is of researchers Contreras
León Sharleni Lisssette and León Escobar Daney del Rocío, their topic is
“Linguistic resources for improving the pronunciation of basic English” The
proposal is “Design and implementation of a guide with audio lingual activities
using phonetic resources.
9
Subsequent the line of research that analyzes the influence of
phonetics for the improvement of pronunciation it is possible to emphasize
that this research contributes significantly to the educational field as well as
being novel with its processes influence students to reach a good
pronunciation performance.
THEORETICAL FOUNDATION
Phonetics from the Greek word phone = sound /voice is the science of
speech and it is concerned with all aspects of the production, transmission
and perception of the sounds of language. It is concerned with the physical
properties of speech sounds. Roach defines phonetics as:
The scientific study of speech… the central concern in phonetics is
the discovery of how speech sounds are produced, how they are used
in spoken language, how we can record speech sou6nds with written
symbols and how we hear and recognize different sounds (1992, p.81).
Phonetics is divided into three branches that are inter-connected
through the common mechanism of the sound, Crystal (1985). These are:
Articulatory phonetics is the study of how speech sounds are produced by
the human vocal apparatus.
Acoustic phonetics is the study of the sounds waves made by the human
vocal organs for communication.
Auditory phonetics is the study of how speech sounds are perceived by the
ear, auditory nerve and brain.
10
THE INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET (IPA)
Language is a systematic means of communication which uses sounds
and symbols. Without a universal transcription system for phonetics and
phonology, writing down the unfamiliar sounds of other languages would be
impossible. Linguistics demonstrated the importance of the pronunciation and
developed a unique code “IPA” to standardize pronunciation. It is an
alphabetic system of phonetic notation based on the Latin alphabet. The IPA
is designed to represent qualities of the speech that are part of the language:
phones, phonemes, intonation and the separation of the words and syllables.
The International Phonetic Alphabet was proposed in 1888, it has been in
continual review by the International Phonetic Association.
ADVANTAGES OF PHONETIC IN PRONUNCIATION TEACHING
Teachers and students will benefit for using phonetics in classroom.
Students are unfamiliar with sounds and symbols, teachers often considered
it is too difficult to understand by them. Introducing this knowledge is a
possible purpose whereas integrating students with correct activities, using
techniques and strategies such as feedback. Then, teacher will be more
comfortable and students will be more self-aware learners.
Mompean (2015) points out potential advantages of phonetic notation
in pronunciation teaching – learning process: First, awareness – raising:
Alongside other strategies and techniques such as rhythms, tongue twisters,
etc. Phonetic notation is effective to increase awareness of pronunciation
features that regularly are unperceived.
11
Second, visual character or the visual support: It is useful because
help learners to regard the sounds of English less abstract in other words to
visualize the sounds of English. The visualness of symbols may be exploited
in pedagogically attractive ways by teachers when developing or adapting
materials for pronunciation work
Third, Autonomous learning: Phonetic symbols help to check the
pronunciation of words in dictionaries as well as to improve pronunciation. If
learners know how to interpret phonetic symbols, they can more or less know
how the word is pronounced and it is not essential to listen to the word as
pronounced by a native speaker.
Finally, Familiarity: Learners have often seen phonetic symbols in
dictionaries and textbooks. Learners have taught how to read at least some
phonetic symbols at school /high school. Learners are familiar with phonetic
symbols and what they mean.
PHONOLOGY
Phonology is the study of how sounds are organized and used in
natural language. Furthermore, it is concerned with the abstract, grammatical
characterization of systems of sounds or signs. Widdiwson states that “the
study of phonemes and their relations in sound systems is the business of
phonology” (1996, p.42). Phonology analyzes the sound patterns of a
particular language by:
Determining which phonetic sounds are significant, and
12
Explaining how these sounds are interpreted by native speakers.
Celce-Murcia et al., claimed:
It is important for ESL and EFL teachers to understand the
correspondences between English phonology and English orthography
so that they can teach their learners (1) how to predict the
pronunciation of a word given its spelling and (2) how to come up with
a plausible spelling for a word given its pronunciation (2010, p. 419).
PHONOLOGICAL SYSTEM OF ENGLISH
One of the characteristic features of the sound system of any language
is its inventory of sounds. That is, the particular combination of consonants
and vowels that makes up the inventory. Mannell refers that the phonological
system of English is the number of phonemes which are used in this language
and how they are organized. He defines the following:
PHONEMES
Phonemes are the distinctive sounds of a language. They are the
sounds that native speakers of the language consider to be separate sound.
Changing from one phoneme to other changes the meaning of the word, or
sometimes it makes a word meaningless. A phoneme is a set of allophones
or individual non-contractive speech sound. Alphabetic spelling systems are
frequently based on the phonemes of a language. There are 44 phonemes in
English each one representing a different sound a person can make.
13
TYPES OF PHONEMES
VOWEL SOUNDS
Vowels are the visual building blocks of words. English has relatively
large number of vowels. In contrast, to consonants, vowels are produced with
little obstruction of the airflow. Vowels also have longer durations than
consonants (Mehler, 1996). English vowel differences are produced by
varying the height of the body of the tongue (high, mid or low); the frontness
or backness of the tongue.
THE ELEVEN VOWELS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH
English learners usually know the five fundamental vowel sounds. This
familiarity will support with the master of the six other vowels in the language.
There are 11 Vowels in English:
Long a (pay, pain, feign) Short a (pan, Santa)
Long e (peak, peek, pique) Short e (peck, step)
Long i (by, bite, bright) Short i (bit, in, it)Long o (toe, tote, coat)
Short o (cot, bought, stop) German long u (book, look)
Long u (too, cute, flew) Short u (cut, flood, )
CONSONANT SOUNDS
Letters and phonemes are not the same because a sound can be
heard, but not seen. A letter is a written symbol that represents one or more
sounds. A consonant letter usually represents one consonant sounds. Some
14
consonants letters, for example c, g, s can represent two different consonant
sounds
ALLOPHONES
Allophones are the linguistically non-significant- variants of each
phoneme. Sometimes, there is more than one way to pronounce a phoneme.
These different pronunciations are called allophones. They are not
phonemes, because they do not change the meaning of the word.
INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
There are two sub-disciplines in linguistics which deal with sound: They
are Phonetics and Phonology. The relationship between phonetics and
phonology is complex. Kelly introduces that “the study of pronunciation
consist of two fields, namely phonetics and phonology” (2000). In addition he
mentions ”If phonetics deals with physical reality of speech sounds then
phonology, on other hand, is concerned with how we interpret and
systematize sounds”.
Roach emphasizes “Only by studying phonetics and phonology of
English it is possible to acquire a full understanding of the use of sounds in
English speech” (1998,p.43). In adittion, McMahon clarifies that “phonetics is
universal, while phonology is language-specific”(2002). Trubetskoy cited by
Mannell (2008) wrote:
It is the task of phonology to study which differences in sound are
related to differences in meaning in a given language, in which way the
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discriminative elements ... are related to each other, and the rules
according to which they may be combined into words and sentences.
Phonology is the link between Phonetics and the rest of linguistics.
While phonetics deals with regularities in speech typical for a given language,
phonology looks for phonemically meaningful regularities, and tries to explain
them and determine why they occur in a given language. The phonology of a
language organizes and changes its categories and processes within a
system that serves speech production and speech perception. Therefore, it is
possible to assume that phonology starts where phonetics ends. In other
words, the goal of phonology is complete what phonetics has started. These
two linguistic sub-fields are related and can be studied and presented
depending on its own principles and rules.
PRONUNCIATION
Pronunciation is also an integral part of oral communication. It makes
reference to the way in which we speak a language. According to Yates (as
cited in Pourhosein Gilakjani, 2016) pronunciation is the production of sounds
that is used for making meaning. This is learnt by repeating and correcting
them produced inaccurately. Otlowski defines “Pronunciation is the way of
uttering a word in accepted manner” (1998).
Pronunciation demands substantial attention in like manner other
language skills and its components. Teaching phonetics and phonology has
been discovered to facilitate pronunciation learning in a foreign language.
Learning seems to be clearer after a longer period of practice including
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various kinds of exercises on production, perception and self-analysis.
Educators are forced to integrate it into already overfilled curricula in other
skill areas. Celce - Murcia, Brinton, and Goodwin argue that:
Teachers must balance the needs of their students within a somewhat
fixed curriculum. If this is the case, pronunciation is not always
explicitly included even in a speaking course, and teachers need to
find ways to integrate pronunciation into existing curriculum and
textbook materials (2010, p.381).
English pronunciation is one of the most difficult skills to acquire. Flege
(1988) affirms that Phonological learning may be most rapid in the early
stages of the learning so that is important to start pronunciation teaching with
beginning learners. Phonetic and phonology knowledge is not something that
students have an easily access, they often have intuiton about language
without have an exactly notion, they are not conciously aware of these rules.
Morley expresses that teachers do not teach but facilitate learners´ learning
pronunciaiton presenting the general rules and principles toward
comprenhensible pronunciation.The goal of teaching pronunciation is to
develop in students functional integibillity, functional communicability,
increased self-confidenc, the speech monitoring abilities and speech
modification strategies. Pourhosein Gilakjani (2016) maintains that
understable pronunciation is one of the basis requirements of learner´s
competence and it is also one of the most important features of language
instruction .Therefore, Phonetics and phonology can help learners to establish
effective communication because through learning pronunciation instruction
builds the routes over new vocabulary. Harmer (2001) also emphasized that
through pronunciation instruction; students not only learn different sounds and
sound features but also improve their speaking skill.
17
Learners’ pronunciation goal is not mandatory to pronounce like native
speakers. Understandable pronunciation is one of the basic requirements of
the learners’ competence and it is also one of the most important features in
pronunciation instruction (Pourhosein Gilakjani, 2016). Morley (1991) stated
that learners should develop functional intelligibility, functional
communicability and increased self-confidence.
ELEMENTS OF PRONUNCIATION
Pronunciation includes segmental and suprasegmental features that
they all work in combination.
SEGMENTAL FEATURES: The individual sounds of a language (phonemes)
means to vowel sounds and consonant sounds. Traditional approaches to
pronunciation have often focused en segmental aspects.
SUPRASEGMENTAL FEATURES: Aspects of pronunciation that affect more
than one sound segment such as stress, intonation and rhythm. In other
words, rhythm is the musical aspect of pronunciation.
STRESS refers to the prominence given to certain syllables or words within
utterances.
INTONATION is the use of changing vocal pitch.
RHYTHM is the sense of movement in speech, marked by the stress timing,
and quantity of syllables.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PRONUNCIATION LEARNING
Lane determines the factors that affect pronunciation learning. These
are factors which are incorporated into student´s individual language. She
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also adds “the degree of success that learners achieve in adopting a new
pronunciation is influenced by these elements” (2012 .p. 4).
AGE AND SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL
According to Lennenberg (as cited in Lane, 2012) there is a crucial
stage in the human beings to learn a language with prolongs up to puberty.
Neurobiological changes in the brain conclude at puberty and block the native
- language ability. Another justification of this factor could be that adults’
greater cognitive abilities (especially analytic abilities) are reduce effective in
learning new pronunciation than the more natural abilities found in young
children. For a child the assimilation of L2 represents a natural process. A
child has an extraordinary brain plasticity that allows him to learn every
language existing on earth. As he grows up, his linguistic skills specialize for
his mother tongue and the ability to assimilate new languages gradually
diminishes.
EXPOSURE AND USE
Exposure and use of the new language also affect pronunciation
learning by the amount of exposure have to the new language. Baker (2006).
Contrasting two students, one of them has spent three months in the United
States and the other that has spent three years. Obviously the student that
has more exposure and use of the language pronounce better than that rarely
use it (Lane, 2012).
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NATIVE - LANGUAGE BACKGROUND
The native – language sound system (consonants, vowels, stress,
rhythm, intonation, and voice quality) affects not only how learners pronounce
English it also affects how learners hear it. Similarities between native
language and English can facilitate or obstruct learning. Language learners
have a habit to apply the sounds of their mother tongue in learning a second
language, leading to interlingual errors (Celce-Murica, Brinton, and Goodwin,
1996).
PERSONALITY
It is other factor that affects pronunciation learning according to Lane
(2012). She explains that there is a vinculum between personality
characteristics and success in learning a second language. It has not
scientifically demonstrated. Although Conti (2015) concluded the personality
traits as a factor can have a direct and indirect impact on the learning a
second language and he added that its impact cannot be considered in
isolation. Teachers should develop different strategies according to the needs
in the classroom.
COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING FRAMEWORKS FOR
PRONUNCIATION
The primary principle of CLT is that all activities managed and carries
in classrooms are supposed to be communication-centered and serve for the
goal of communication. Martin suggests the Communicative Language
Teaching (CLT) to teach pronunciation with its focus on the larger framework
of communication and the active use of authentic L2 language in the
classroom, has been the prominent methodology for English teachers.
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(Martin, 2013) These frameworks are also suggests by The five core tenants
of CLT are Celce and Murcia 2001 (Murcia Celce, Brinton and Goodwin,
2010).
These frameworks are:
Language is best learned within the larger structure of communication,
with the ultimate goal of teaching learners how to use the L2 effectively
in a variety of communicative situations.
Classroom tasks and materials should mirror students’ goals and
interests, and foster their desire to communicate in the L2.
The most effective way to acquire language is through active
participation. Students are encouraged to ask questions and work
independently in groups where there is negotiation of meaning.
The syllabus should focus on preparing learners to express themselves
in a variety of communicative situations.
Errors are a normal part of the language learning process. Therefore,
students are encouraged to take L2 linguistic risks and formulate
working hypotheses about the language system; these hypotheses
should eventually be confirmed or denied through L2 exposure or
instructor feedback (Swain, 1985).
The framework is divided into five phases that are meant to be
approached over the course of a few lessons for each new pronunciation
feature:
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1.-Description and Analysis: explanation of how a new pronunciation
feature is produced and when it is used.
2.-Listening Discrimination: focused listening practice with the goal of
accurate learner identification of the feature. Listening discrimination practice
has been shown to not only have a positive effect on learners’ perception
abilities, but also in their production capabilities of the target feature (Rochet,
1995; Wang and Munro, 2004).
3.-Controlled Practice: focus on monitoring the new pronunciation feature in
oral production. Controlled practice under Celce-Murcia communicative
pronunciation instruction framework provides learners the opportunity to
highly monitor their production of the target feature, with the goal of improving
the accuracy and form of student output.
4.- Guided Practice: structured communication exercises with some
monitoring. It takes student training a step further, with still a large emphasis
on target form accuracy and fluency, but with the added component of
attention to meaning. These “focused tasks” force learners to improve their
accuracy while beginning the process of automatizing the target feature
(McLaughlin, 1987; Doughty & Williams, 1998).
PEDAGOGICAL FOUNDATION
In the history of language teaching, speech and language has been
object of serious studies. However, the sound system and pronunciation have
begun studied systematically before the beginning of the twentieth century
and since then; two main general approaches to pronunciation have been
developed. These approaches are the intuitive – imitative approach and
analytic –linguistic approach.
22
Celce and Murcia explain these approaches to teach pronunciation (1996, as
cited in Lee, 2008):
INTUITIVE – IMITATIVE APPROACH
An intuitive-imitative approach (before the late 19th century)
occasionally supplemented by the teacher’s or textbooks writer’s
impressionistic (and often phonetically inaccurate) observations about sounds
based on orthography. In the intuitive-imitative approach, it is assumed that “a
student ability to listen to and imitate the rhythms and sounds of the target
language will give rise to the development of an acceptable limit of
pronunciation without the intervention of any explicit information” (Hismanoglu
and Hismanoglu, 2010, p. 984). Particular technologies, such as audio-tapes,
videos, computer-based programs, and websites, are used today for this
approach. It depends on the learner's ability to listen to and imitate the
rhythms and sounds of the target language without the intervention of any
explicit information; presupposes the availability, validity, and reliability of
good models to listen to.
ANALYTIC – LINGUISTIC APPROACH
Explicit intervention of pronunciation pedagogy is emphasized. The
learners are provided with explicit information on pronunciation using phonetic
alphabet, articulatory descriptions, and vocal charts. The explicit information
can be presented in different interactive speech software and websites (Lee,
2008). In the integrative approach, according to Lee “pronunciation is viewed
as an integral component of communication, rather than an isolated drill and
practice sub-skill (2008, p1). He also mentions that learners practice
23
pronunciation within meaningful task-based activities, and pronunciation is
taught to meet L2 learners’ particular needs.
According to Morley (1994), there exists a dual-focus oral
communicative program in this approach, in which the micro level instruction
attends to linguistic competence, i.e., phonetic and phonological competence,
via practice of segmental and supra segmental, and the macro level
emphasizes the more global elements of communicability to improve
discourse, sociolinguistic, and strategic competence through using language
for communicative purposes (as cited in Lee, 2008). This approach utilizes
information and tools such as a phonetic alphabet, articulatory descriptions,
charts of the vocal apparatus, contrastive information, and other aids to
supplement listening, imitation, and production. Explicitly informs the learner
of and focuses attention on the sounds and rhythms of the target language. It
was developed to complement rather than to replace the intuitive-imitative
approach, which was typically retained as the practice phase used in tandem
with the phonetic information.
TECHNIQUES TO TEACH PRONUNCIATION
Pronunciation teaching has changed significantly, emphasizing the
accurate production of discrete sounds; they incorporated more meaningful
and communicative practice. Yoshida (2013) describes techniques to teach
pronunciation:
LISTEN AND IMITATE
Perhaps the oldest method in teaching pronunciation involves
exercises in elocution: imitation drills and read aloud. A technique used in the
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Direct Method in which students listen to a teacher-provided model and
repeat or imitate it. This technique has been complemented by the use of tape
recorders, language labs, and video recorders. In controlled practice, students
work with new sounds in a very structured technique. Teacher provides
learner words to practice; the students just have to repeat them. Students
should be engaged in controlled practice when they begin to learn a new
sound. It gives them the chance to concentrate on reproducing the tongue
and lip movements without also having to decide what words they are going
to say or what grammatical forms they need. Repetition helps students to
build muscle memory, an increased ability to do a physical activity easily after
practicing many times. At this stage it is especially important for students to
have feedback about the accuracy of their pronunciation. They need to know
if they are doing something wrong so they can change it and they will not
keep practicing mistakes.
MINIMAL PAIRS TRAINING
In phonology minimal pairs are pairs of words or phrases in a particular
language that differ in only one phonological element, such as a phoneme
(units of sound), toneme (distinctive tone) or croneme (theoretical unit of
sound that can distinguish words by duration only of a vowel or consonant)
and have different meanings . Avery and Ehrlich states that minimal pairs are
“pairs of words that differ in meaning on the basis of a change in only one
sound” (1995, p.29). This technique introduced in the Audio- Lingual era, is
very useful because gives the support to students to discriminate the sounds
of a no native language through and spoken listening and spoken practice.
Minimal pair drills typically begin with word-level drills and then move on to
sentence-level drills. For instance, “mat” and “map” form a minimal pair in
English; they only differ only by the last consonant. In conclusion, minimal pair
25
training conserves a common goal that derives from constructs linguist theory.
Researches have established that minimal pair training can facilitate
production and accuracy. Furthermore, its effectiveness is based on the
pairing of sounds.
TONGUE TWISTER
The most commonly known and used diction exercises are tongue
twisters. These phrases or sentences are created to be challenging to say.
They usually consist of several words with the same sound or with two
sounds that are regularly confused. Many teachers use tongue twisters in
pronunciation practice, and they are valuable tools if they are used carefully.
Tongue twisters can also be used for repetition practice.
EPISTEMOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
The constructivism is a theory of learning that arises by the
contributions of: Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner and Ausubel. All of them consider
learning as a complex construction process based on the student's prior
knowledge. This is not a new concept, it has its roots in Philosophy and it has
been applied in psychology and education. Martinez defined that “Learning is
a process of knowledge construction in which the knowledge that has already
been internalized and representations that, with them have been formed,
students play a fundamental role” (2005, p .242). Researches on
constructivism affirm that learning is an active process of constructing rather
than passively acquiring knowledge. When it is applied in education, teachers
must present real world situations that give emphasis to on realistic
approaches to solving real world problems.
26
Today, in the communicative classroom, the goal is not to learn about a
second language, but to use it to communicate in various contexts.
Communicative tasks such as dialogues, games, work in pairs and small
groups of roles and other communicative activities within the classroom have
been incorporated and even recommended. These communicative tasks
based on a context or real situation of communication have given the
communicative approach "a plausible way to achieve the communicative
competence of the students, since the tasks cause in the student a need to
communicate and create meanings, an essential condition that allows,
through an internal process, to acquire the language "(Benítez, 2007).
PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
Jean Piaget was an epistemologist, psycholgist and Swiss biologist,
famous for his contributions to the study of childhood and his constructivist
theory of the development of intelligence. He founded there are four major
stages of development: the sensory-motor, the pre-operational, the concrete
operational and the formal operational. Inhelder and Piaget (1958) states
that:
The formal operational stage begins at approximately age twelve and
lasts into adulthood. As adolescents enter this stage, they gain the
ability to think in an abstract manner by manipulate ideas in their head,
without any dependence on concrete manipulation.
According to this theory, from the age of 12 onwards the human brain
would be potentially capable of correctly abstract cognitive functions, since all
the notions of conservation would already be rooted, there would be the
27
capacity to solve problems by hold several variables, the reversibility of
thought can already be handled simultaneously and one could thus access
deductive hypothetical reasoning. To this set of characteristics of the adult
thought Piaget called them "stage of the formal operations". The essential
characteristics of the formal operational stage are:
First, the Hypothetico-Deductive Reasoning that is a method in
which a hypothetical model based on observations is proposed and is then
tested by the deduction of consequences from the model. Consequently,
children will approach problems in a systematic and organized perspective
rather than trial and errors. They are able to identify the possible variables ad
estimate the most logical or sensible solution to a problem.
In addition, the Abstract thought which is defined by Rice as “going
beyond the real to what is possible” (1990). It is the ability to think about
objects, principles and ideas that are not physically present. It is symbolic
thinking which uses the substitution of a symbol for an object or idea. This is
characterized by adaptability, flexibility, and the use of concepts of
generalizations.
LEGAL FOUNDATION
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING STANDARDS
In Ecuador, The English Language Learning Standards are based on
the Common European Framework of Reference or the CEFR. It establishes
in a comprehensive method what knowledge and skill learners have to
28
develop in order to get an effective use of this language for communication.
The CEFR is elaborated taking into account skills: listening, speaking, reading
and writing. The proficiency levels set by this framework and established as
the benchmarks for Ecuador are:
Level A1 At the end of 9th year Basic General Education.
Level A2 At the end of 1st year Bachelor.
Level B1 At the end of 3rd year Bachelor.
This curriculum designed for Ecuadorian English learners is built with
monolingual and bilingual learners to generate a fondness for learning
languages developing learners´ understanding of the world and to
communicate their opinions to others through English. This educational
program aims to qualify Ecuadorian high school students for successful
involvement in a globalized democratic society. Stimulate linguistic
intelligence through language analysis guiding learners towards being able to
communicate and learn through a foreign language.
SOCIOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
Education is a social phenomenon; it is a part of social reality.
Education is a sub-system of society considering that education is involved by
social context. Thus, Education and society are terms closely related; formal
learning, informal learning or the acquisition of knowledge, skill, values,
beliefs and habits of a group of people immersed in constant social interaction
are determined and characterized by patterns of relationship between them.
Human beings are its building blocks. Hallinan states that “Sociology of
education has become a vital an expanding field with sociology and has made
a significant contribution to our understanding of the social structures and
29
process that affect students’ learning and social development” (2000, p.1).
The sociological principles on education are the process of education and the
interrelationship between education and the different areas of society.
Education shapes social processes and manipulate them. Education is
fundamental for social and human development. Plentful are the benefits of
education; overcome social prejucies along with contribute to a bigger growth.
30
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY, PROCESS, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF
RESULTS
METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN
This research has employed a mixed approach considering that there
is not a difference between two opposite things or ideas (dichotomy) between
the qualitative and the quantitative in the process of the scientific
investigation. A mixed approach is a methodology that integrates qualitative
and quantitative research. This approach to research is used when this
integration provides a better understanding of the research problem than
either each one alone.
Qualitative research collects and works with non -numerical data, is
based through the process of scientific interpretation that gathers with all the
logic of the research, which moves from that theoretical statement of the
variables analyzed, to a process of interpretation from the data obtain through
surveys, interviews and observations. This term is described Denzin and
Lincoln as “an interpretive naturalistic approach to the world. This means that
qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to
make sense of or interpret of phenomena in terms of the meaning people
bring to them” (2005,p.3).
Quantitative research permits the author to deduce the information
data of the instruments applied, in order to tabulate the results. Bryman and
Bell stated that qualitative research is a research strategy that indicates the
relationship between theory and research and usually emphasizes on how
theories were generated. As a research strategy qualitative research is
31
inductivist, constructionist, and interpretivist, but qualitative researchers
always don't subscribe to all three of these methods.
In this project according to the classification criteria, the research is
applied because its objective is to improve pronunciation ability for which the
following methods will be analyzed empirical, theoretical, and mathematical –
statistical.
TYPES OF RESEARCH
According to gnoseological objective it is descriptive because it has an
essential objective to label observable and general characteristics of
pronunciation. It is supported essentially in empirical methods. This type of
research offers detailed descriptions of specific situation using interviews,
observations, and document reviews.
The explanatory research intends to explain the phenomena. It is
focused on an analysis of a situation or a specific problem to explain the
patterns of relationship between variables. Consequently, this research is
explanatory because it is conducted to identify nature and the causes of the
low level of good pronunciation.
According to the same criteria the research is Pro-positive because is
elaborated a booklet of activities focused on the learning of vowel sounds.
Furthermore, this research is not exploratory because the matter of
examination has been already been studied.
This research project has been based on a pedagogical with
quantitative approach due it to consists in a process which is nature is
descriptive. It has helped the author of this research project to use research
methods that include surveys and experiments.
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POPULATION AND SAMPLE
POPULATION DEFINITION
It is a group of individual persons, objects or items from which samples
are taken for a statistical measurement. According to Tamayo “the population
is defined as the whole phenomenon to study where the population units has
a common characteristic which is studied and gives rise to research data”
(1997,p.114).
Chart #1
ITEMS UNIVERSE SAMPLE
Director
1
1
Teachers
68
1
Students
2600
33
TOTAL
2669
35
Source: Students of Francisco Huerta Rendon” school of the 8th
Elaborated by: Claudina Castillo S.
SAMPLE DEFINITION
It is a smaller, manageable version of a larger group. Samples are
used in statistical testing when population sizes are too large for the test to
include all possible members of observation. Tamayo defined sample as “the
group of individuals that are taken from the population, to study a statistical
phenomenon” (1997, p.38).
33
The population and the sample used in this research project
correspond to the students of the “Francisco Huerta Rendon”school of the 8th
year from the Zone 8, district 6, circuit 3, Province of Guayas, Canton
Guayaquil, Parroquia Tarqui, school year 2017 – 2018 with a number of three
students. It covers one hundred percent of the population.
34
OPERATIONALIZATION OF VARIABLES
VARIABLE
DIMENSION
INDICATORS
DEFINITION
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
DESCRIPTION
INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET
ADVANTAGES OF PHONETIC ON PRONUNCIATION
DEFINITION
PHONETICS
PHONOLOGY PHONOLOGY SYSTEM OF
ENGLISH
PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
INTERALIONSHIP BETWEEN PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
35
VARIABLE
DIMENSION
INDICATORS
AGE AND SOCIAL-
PSYCHOLOGICAL
EXPOSURE AND USE
FACTORSTHAT AFFECT
PRONUNCIATION
LEARNING
NATIVE LANGUAGE
BACKGROUND
PERSONALITY
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
ELEMENTS OF
PRONUNCIATION
SEGMENTAL FEATURES
SUPRASEGMENTAL
FEATURES
PRONUNCIATION
TECHNIQUES TO
LISTEN AND IMITATE
TEACH
PRONUNCIATION MINIMAL PAIRS TRAINING
(INDIVIDUAL SOUNDS)
TONGUE TWISTER
36
THEORETICAL METHODS
ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS: The author of this project had used this
method in order to distinguish and analyses each of the variables separately
each of the variables making a detailed and deep study of them, trying to find
the causes that affect the pronunciation in high school students.
INDUCTIVE – DEDUCTIVE METHOD: Using this method was possible
to get specifically information of the theme such as the importance of the
phonetic notation for design activities. Otherwise, it has been noted that the
application and the use this booklet in education helps to improve
pronunciation and have a better understanding of the sounds in English.
LOGICAL- HISTORICAL METHOD: In the process of this research
project the author used this method in order to connect the information of the
different phases of phonetic learning, having a chronological order. It was
necessary to disclose its history, the most important stages and the
fundamental historical connections in order to know and learn the
development and evolution of it.
EMPIRICAL METHODS
In order to get enough proofs and evidences, they were used as
instruments of investigation a survey aimed to the students, an interview to
the English teacher, an observation form; these are applicable to the students
and the teacher from eight course basic general education in the Francisco
Huerta Rendon School from the Zone 8, district 6, circuit 3, Province of
Guayas, Canton Guayaquil, Parroquia Tarqui, school year 2017 – 2018
37
EMPIRICAL TECHNIQUES
Direct observation
The author of this research applies an observation study with the goal
to collect evaluative information in which the evaluator watches the usual
environment without altering the environment
INTERVIEW
In this technique the interviewer personally meets the informants and
asks necessary questions to regarding to them regarding the subject of
inquiry. Acevedo and Lopez states that “The interview is an "oral form of
interpersonal communication, which aims to obtain information regarding a
target" (2000, p.10)
The author of this research project applied this method to the English
teacher of 8th at Francisco Huerta Rendón School in order to identify the
principal problems in English language mainly on pronunciation that affect to
the students, determining that the use of phonetics booklet with activities in
class influence significantly the pronunciation performance.
SURVEY
According to Briones the survey is: "a technique that set of resources
designed to collect, propose and analyze information given in units and
persons of a particular group.” (1995, p.51) Besides that a survey is defined
an examination of opinions, behaviors made by asking people questions.
The author of the research project applied this method, using the licker
scale counting with fifteen questions to the students of 8th year at Francisco
38
Huerta Rendon School in order to pinpointing their interest to improve the
pronunciation performance using phonetic and phonological notation.
MATHEMATICAL – STATISTICAL METHOD
-Mathematical – Statistical Analysis: Using this method, it was
possible and easier to gather statistical information witch it is detected in the
graphs and tables that the author have created consenting to highpoint the
fortes and the problems found in the specific areas.
-Chi Square: It shows connection between the variables and the
investigation.
CHI- SQUARE TEST
Casos
Válido Perdidos Total
N Porcentaje N Porcentaje N Porcentaje
A phonetic
booklet improves
the
pronunciation
* Pronunciation
is easy to learn.
33
100,0%
0
0,0%
33
100,0%
A phonetic booklet improves the pronunciation*Pronunciation is easy to learn. tabulación cruzada
Recuento
Pronunciation is easy to learn.
Totally agree Agree Indifferent Disagree
A phonetic booklet Totally agree improves the pronunciation Agree
5 0
6 6
0 7
0 1
Indifferent 0 0 0 5
Total 5 12 7 6
A phonetic booklet improves the pronunciation*Pronunciation is easy to learn.
39
TABULACIÓN CRUZADA Pronunciation is .. .
Total
Totally disagree
A phonetic booklet Totally agree improves the pronunciation Agree
0 0
11 14
Indifferent 3 8
Total 3 33
Valor
gl Sig. asintótica (2
caras)
Chi-cuadrado de Pearson 44,527a 8 ,000
Razón de verosimilitud Asociación lineal por lineal
48,809 24,765
8
1
,000
,000
N de casos válidos 33
a. 14 casillas (93,3%) han esperado un recuento menor que 5. El recuento mínimo
esperado es ,73
40
INTERVIEW TO THE DIRECTOR
1. Do you consider indispensable English language teaching?
Si, La enseñanza del Idioma Inglés es fundamental para un desarrollo
competitivo en los estudiantes actualmente.
2. What do you think about the level of English in your institution?
La pronunciación del idioma Inglés debe ser mejorada en esta
institución.
3. In your own words, why is important a self-evaluation in
teachers?
Es muy necesario porque los docentes deben reconocer sus
fortalezas como también sus debilidades con el fin de mejorar su
desarrollo profesional.
4. What is your opinion about the development of educative projects
from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Guayaquil in
private educative institutions?
Los proyectos educativos de la Facultad de Filosofía de la
Universidad de Guayaquil son muy beneficiosos porque encaminan al
empoderamiento tanto del docente como los estudiantes
desarrollando un proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje significativo.
5. How do you contribute to English language learning in this
educational institution?
Colaborando y apoyando a los profesores del idioma extranjero en sus
proyectos en lo que pueda.
6. Do you believe that school facilities are appropriate for learning?
41
Realmente no. En este momento contamos con suficientes bancas
pero aún hay otras necesidades que se deben solucionar.
7. Does the institution have the adequate technology for the process
of teaching-learning?
Si existe la tecnología necesaria pero la mayoría de las computadoras
y proyectores están defectuosos.
8. Are there educational activities to promote English learning in
your institution?
Si, las actividades formativas buscan desarrollar en los estudiantes
habilidades y destrezas preparándolos para su futuro.
9. How important is implement new methods of teaching?
Los salones de clase se han incrementado no tan solo en número de
estudiantes también en diversidad es por eso que hay que
implementar modernos métodos de acuerdo a la necesidad del
estudiantado.
10. What has been the most valuable aspect of education in your
current position?
La colaboración a mis compañeros docentes en sus iniciativas, todos
en busca del mejoramiento de la educación.
42
INTERVIEW TO THE TEACHER
1- What level of pronunciation have students acquired during their
academic life until now?
Students have acquired elementary pronunciation.
2- What do you think is the most difficult skill to develop in
students?
The most difficult skill to develop in students is speaking.
3- What do you do to develop that skill?
I use a play recorder to provide listening in English class.
4- Do you want to improve the English level on pronunciation in
your students?
Yes, I do. I usually correct pronunciation and ask students to repeat in
the interest of they learn how a word sounds.
5- What material resources does the teacher use to improve and
reinforce pronunciation?
The play recorder is the tool used in class to improve pronunciation.
There is not English Laboratory.
6- Is the English didactic material delivered by the government
sufficient?
Yes, it is.
7- Do you consider that phonetics and phonology help improve the
teaching process of a second language?
43
Yes, they do. But there is not enough material to work in class and
training for teachers to know how to work these subjects with students.
8- Does your school have booklets with English phonetics exercises
for the students?
No, it does not.
9- Do you consider that technology is indispensable for English
teaching language?
Of course, technology in classrooms provides a better comprehension
of topics for students.
10- Does the institution have the adequate technology for the process
of teaching-learning English language?
No, there is not adequate technology in this institution. This school
does not count with English lab and the most of computers do not
work.
44
Universidad de Guayaquil
Facultad de filosofía, letras y ciencias de la Educación
Escuela de lenguas y lingüística
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Grade: 8th EGB
Sample: 33 students
Cross out (x) the appropriate option
Questions
To
tally
Ag
ree
Ag
ree
Ind
iffer
en
t
Dis
ag
r
ee
To
tally
Dis
ag
r
1 I like English.
2 I like English classes.
3 I feel comfortable when I speak English.
4 I like to participate in class.
5 Learning English is important for me.
6 I cannot hear the difference between some of English language sounds and my first language sounds.
7 There is not enough training or practice on pronunciation when I learn the language.
8 It is important for me have a good pronunciation.
9 I do not know where my pronunciation problems lie. I do not notice them.
10 Pronunciation is easy to learn.
11 I am motivated to learn pronunciation.
12 The implementation of a phonetic booklet will improve my pronunciation.
13 I would like to learn English sounds.
14 I would like to learn new words.
15 There are material pronunciation.
resources in class for learning
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON RESEARCHER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
45
I like English
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
Sample: 33 students
1st. item: I like English.
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS Survey to students
TABLE#1
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
TOTALLY AGREE 22 67%
AGREE 8 24%
INDIFFERENT 0 0%
DISAGREE 2 6%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTAL 33 100%
Source: Framcisco Huerta Rendon School
Researcher: Claudina Castillo
GRAPHIC # 1
Comment:
According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 8 are agree and represent 24% , 22 are totally agree and it represent 67%, 0 are indifferent and represent 0%, 2 are disagree and represent 6%, 1 is totally disagree and represent 3%. This means that the most of students like English language.
46
I like English classes
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students
2nd. Item: I like English classes.
TABLE # 2
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 8 24%
TOTALLY AGREE 18 55%
INDIFFERENT 4 12%
DISAGREE 2 6%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON RESEARCHER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #2
Comment:
According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 8 are agree and represent 24% , 18 are totally agree and it represent 55%, 4 are indifferent and represent 12%, 2 are disagree and represent 6%, 1 is totally disagree and represent 3%. This means that the most of students like English classes.
47
I feel comfortable when I speak English.
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students
3rd Item: I feel comfortable when I speak English.
TABLE #3
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 5 15%
TOTALLY AGREE 5 15%
INDIFFERENT 3 10%
DISAGREE 10 30%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 10 30%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON
RESEARCHER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #3
Comment: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 5 are agree and represent 15% , 5 are totally agree and it represent 15%, 3 are indifferent and represent 10%, 10 are disagree and represent 30%, 10 is totally disagree and represent 30%. This means that the most of students do not feel comfortable when they speak English.
48
I like to participate in class
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students.
4th Item: I like to participate in class. TABLE #4
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 13 39%
TOTALLY AGREE 14 42%
INDIFFERENT 2 6%
DISAGREE 3 9%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 1 4%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC # 4
Comment: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 13 are agree and represent 39% , 14 are totally agree and it represent 42%, 2 are indifferent and represent 6%, 3 are disagree and represent 9%, 1 is totally disagree and represent 3%. This means that the most of students like to participate in English class.
49
Learning English is important
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students 5th Item: Learning English is important for me.
TABLE #5
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 18 55%
TOTALLY AGREE 13 39%
INDIFFERENT 2 6%
DISAGREE 0 0%
TOTALLY DISAGREE
0 0%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL
RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #5
Comment: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 18 are agree and represent 55% , 13 are totally agree and it represent 39%, 2 are indifferent and represent 6%, 0 are disagree and represent 0%, 0 is totally disagree and represent 0%. This means that the most of students think that learning English is important
50
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students 6th Item: I cannot hear the difference between some of English language sounds and my first language sounds.
TABLE #6
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 14 42%
TOTALLY AGREE 13 39%
INDIFFERENT 4 13%
DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL
RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #6
Comments:
According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 14 are agree and represent 42% , 13 are totally agree and it represent 39%, 4 are indifferent and represent 13%, 1is disagree and represent 3%, 1 is totally disagree and represent 3%. This means that the most of students cannot hear the difference between some of English language sounds and first language sounds.
I cannot hear the difference between some of English language sounds and my first
language sounds
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT.
DISAGREE
51
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students 7th Item: There is not enough practice on pronunciation when I learn English.
TABLE #7
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 18 55%
TOTALLY AGREE 9 27%
INDIFFERENT 4 12%
DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL
RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #7
Comments: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 18 are agree and represent 55% , 9 are totally agree and it represent 27%, 4 are indifferent and represent 12%, 1 is disagree and represent 3%, 1 is totally disagree and represent 3%. This means that students do not have enough practice on pronunciation when they learn the language
There is not enough practice on pronunciation when I learn the
language. AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
52
Is important to have a good pronunciation
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
.
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33students
8th Item: It is important to have a good pronunciation.
TABLE # 8
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 13 34%
TOTALLY AGREE 13 34%
INDIFFERENT 1 3%
DISAGREE 3 8%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 8 21%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #8
Comment: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 13 are agree and represent 34% , 13 are totally agree and it represent 34%, 1 is indifferent and represent 3%, 3 are disagree and represent 8%, 8 are totally disagree and represent 21%. This means that students think it is important to have a good pronunciation.
53
SURVEY TO STUDENTS Sample: 33 students
9th Item: I do not know where my pronunciation problems lie. I do not notice them.
TABLE #9
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 14 44%
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
8 25%
8 25%
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
1 3%
1 3%
TOTAL 33 100
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #9
Comment: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 14 are agree and represent 44% , 8 are totally agree and it represent 25%, 8 are indifferent and represent 25%, 1 is disagree and represent 3%, 1 is totally disagree and represent 3%. This means that students do not notice where pronunciation problem lies.
I do not notice where my pronunciation problem lies. I do not notice them.
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
54
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students 10th Item: Pronunciation is easy to learn.
TABLE #10
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 12 37%
TOTALLY AGREE 5 15%
INDIFFERENT 7 21%
DISAGREE 6 18%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 3 9%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #10
Comments: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 12 are agree and represent 37% , 5 are totally agree and it represent 15%, 7 are indifferent and represent 21%, 6 are disagree and represent 18%, 3 are totally disagree and represent 9%. This means that students think pronunciation is easy to learn.
Pronunciation is easy to learn.
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
55
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students 11st Item: I am motivated to learn pronunciation.
TABLE # 11
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 17 54%
TOTALLY AGREE 9 28%
INDIFFERENT 3 9%
DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 2 6%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL
RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #11
Comment: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 17 are agree and represent 54% , 9 are totally agree and it represent 28%, 3 are indifferent and represent 9%, 1 is disagree and represent 3%, 2 are totally disagree and represent 6%. This means that the most of students are motivated to learn pronunciation.
I am motivated to learn pronunciation.
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
56
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students 12nd Item: The implementation of a phonetic booklet will improve my pronunciation.
TABLA #12
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 14 43%
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
11 33%
8 24%
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
0 0%
0 0%
TOTAL 33 100% SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #12
Comment: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 14 are agree and represent 43% , 11 are totally agree and it represent 33%, 8 are indifferent and represent 24%, 0 are disagree and represent 0%, 0 are totally disagree and represent 0%. This means that students think that the implementation of a phonetic booklet will improve their pronunciation.
The implementation of a phonetic booklet will improve my pronunciation.
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
57
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students 13rd Item: I would like to learn English sounds.
TABLE #13
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 15 46%
TOTALLY AGREE 12 36%
INDIFFERENT 3 9%
DISAGREE 2 6%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #13
Comment:
According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 15 are agree and represent 46% ,12 are totally agree and it represent 36%, 3 are
indifferent and represent 9%, 2 are disagree and represent 6%, 1 is totally disagree and represent 3%. This means that students would like to learn new sounds.
I would like to learn new sounds.
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
58
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 Students
14th Item: I would like to learn new words.
TABLE # 14
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 16 49%
TOTALLY AGREE 10 30%
INDIFFERENT 5 15%
DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL
RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC #14
Comment: According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 16 are agree and represent 49% , 10 are totally agree and it represent 30%, 5 are indifferent and represent 15%, 1 is disagree and represent 3%, 1 is totally disagree and represent 3%. This means that students would like learn new words.
I would like to learn new words.
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
59
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Sample: 33 students 15th Item: There are didactic resources in class for learning pronunciation.
TABLE# 15
ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY PERCENT
AGREE 13 40%
TOTALLY AGREE 10 30%
INDIFFERENT 7 21%
DISAGREE 2 6%
TOTALLY DISAGREE 1 3%
TOTAL 33 100%
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON SCHOOL
RESOURCER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
GRAPHIC # 15
Comment:
According the survey result, It can be said that the 33 surveyed, 13 are agree and represent 40% , 10 are totally agree and it represent 30%, 7 are indifferent and represent 21% ,2 are disagree and represent 6%, 1 is totally disagree and represent 3%. This means that students think that there are not didactic materials in class for learning pronunciation.
There are didactic material in class for learning pronunciation.
AGREE
TOTALLY AGREE
INDIFFERENT
DISAGREE
TOTALLY DISAGREE
60
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSIONS:
a) The educational institution does not count with adequate didactic
material to learn English pronunciation in class.
b) There is not continuation on working English pronunciation in order to
improve students’ performance.
c) A close observation of students show that factors such as interference
of first language and unknown sounds in English language are barriers
to achieve a good level of pronunciation.
d) Mispronunciation is a common cause as result of the low level
knowledge of phonetic and phonology in students.
e) Students are interested in learning new sounds and new words but
they do not have the necessarily technology.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) English must be taught as an International language. Thus,
phonetics and phonology must be included in the
educational curricular for provide powerful tools to students for
achieve a good comprehension on English sounds system.
b) The Language teaching method and the role of the teacher must
not be focused on grammar classes. One of the most important
skill in any language is speaking and it is a tool of communication.
61
For this reason, Pronunciation must be established in a
communicative context in class. Teacher needs to teach English
sounds to help students accomplish a good proficiency in
pronunciation.
c) The educational institution should integrated technology in
classrooms. By using technology in English classes, the teacher
and students can develop a successful achievement.
d) Carry out this project with the help of the teacher and implement
better strategies using this educational booklet based on phonetic
exercises to develop their pronunciation.
62
CHAPTER IV
THE PROPOSAL
TITLE
Design of a booklet based on phonetics exercises to improve English
pronunciation
JUSTIFICATION
Through the observation of students of 8th grade from “Francisco
Huerta Rendón” school, it was distinguished that students have poor English
pronunciation. This incidence is a worrying situation because it makes the
effective communication a difficult process. Factors were noticed as the
origin are: First, English lessons based on teaching grammar. Second,
students are not interesting in correct this issue. Finally, the influence of the
mother tongue on English is evident and this it manifests in the incorrect
pronunciation.
As a result, it is necessary to design a didactic material of phonetic and
phonology activities. A booklet based on pronunciation exercises designed to
help elementary students level will improve their English pronunciation. This
material is focused on vowels and their sounds in English since it is in 8th
grade that they get the basics of the language. Additionally, this proposal
provides vocabulary in each lesson increasing the knowledge of students.
The role of the teacher will be essential as he becomes the guide in this type
of explicit pronunciation tasks. Therefore, this proposal is justified because
with the application of this material students will be motivated to learn a new
language, make meaningful positive changes in their communicative
competences. The social effect will be as an educational initiative that
supports the process of learning English in classrooms.
63
OBJECTIVES
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
To improve pronunciation through an educational booklet applying the
phonetic sounds.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
To develop awareness in students’ knowledge of pronunciation.
To identify the sounds of vowel in English language.
To infer the sounds of the vowels of English language by pronunciation
exercises
THEORETICAL ASPECTS
PEDAGOGYCAL FOUNDATION
The main purpose of teaching any language is communication. Thus, using
language to communicate should be relevant in classrooms. The
Communicative Language Teaching goal is to enable students to
communicate in the target language. It is based on the theory that the primary
goal is for learners to develop communicative competences (Hymes 1971).
The CLT approach establishes that learning language successfully derives
through having to communicate real meaning. If the activities in class involve
real communication, learning will be more natural and meaningful.
Wesche and Skehan (2002) conclude the CLT methodology as:
Activities that require frequent interaction among learners or with other
interlocutors to exchange information and solve problems.
64
Use of authentic (non-pedagogic) text and communication activities
linked to ”real- world” contexts, often emphasizing links across written
and spoken modes and channels.
Approaches that are learners centered in that they take into account
learners’ background, language needs, and goals and generally allow
learners some creativity and role in instructional decisions (p. 208).
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING AND TASK
BASED INSTRUCTION
Doughty and Long (2003) define the following methodological
principles:
1. USE TASKS AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL PRINCIPLE: The
CLT has changed the traditional methodology. The
communicative skills have been developed and placed at the
lead. The matter is how to organize the syllabus? Some authors
as Nunan (1989) suggest using tasks as central units that form
the basis of daily and long- term lesson plans. He makes
specific reference to the classroom environment and points out
the task-based learning should engage student in a variety of
tasks to promote acquisition.
2. PROMOTE LEARNING BY DOING: This principle is not new to
communicative language teaching methodologies, but many
educators has recognized and promoted this theory as
fundamental through history. Doughty and Long (2003) state
“new knowledge is better integrated into long-term memory and
easier retrieved, if tied to real-world events and activities” (p.
65
58). Only ”learning by doing” learners will try new rules and
modify them. Opportunities should have a wide range of
context. This approach allows students have experiential and
co-operative learning.
3. INPUT NEEDS TO BE RICH
Input refers to every piece of information students receive in the
target language through listening to someone speaking the
language, listen to the radio, watching a movie or reading a
book or newspaper. Doughty and Long (2003) establish that rich
input requires “realistic samples of discourse use surrounding
native speaker and non -native speaker accomplishments of
targeted tasks”(p.61).
Materials need to be authentic to reflect real-life
situations and demands. A strategy promoted by CLT is
the integration of authentic materials in the curriculum.
Kilickaya (2004) defines authentic material as “exposure
to real language and use in its own community” This
material must contain appropriate content and relevant
background of knowledge.
A rich exposure to target language allows learners
store language in their brain. Teachers need to
maximize the use of target language. There are a
number of reasons why teachers should use target
language in classrooms. The maximum exposure
hypothesis (Cummins, 1996) assumes that if children
come to school lacking proficiency in English, they
66
require maximum exposure to English in school in order
to learn it.
PSICOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
The Affective Filter Factor is a Krashen’s theory of second language
acquisition that refers to non-linguistic variables such as motivation, self-
confidence and anxiety. It explains the role of affective or emotional factors in
the process of acquisition of a language; as well as, teachers of second
language must strategically organize their lessons and the environment in
classroom in order to low stress and anxiety in learners.
Students feel pronunciation as the hardest part of learning a new
language, specially for students who do not have choice that study English.
As a result, students get nervous, desmotivated and explore some anxiety
effects. Consequently, teachers should apply motivational strategies witch
can be utilized to motivate students to learn English, one of these strategies
is to use relevant and interesting material to help them to increase the
learners’ linguistic self-confidence. To sum up, Krashen maintaints that
humans have an innate ability to learn language (Krashen,1982).
SOCIOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
Bandura maintains that “most human behaviour is learned
observationally through modelling: from observing others one forms an idea
of how new behaviours are performed, and on later occasions this coded
information serves as a guide for action” (2007,p.69) . According to Bandura
people learn from another one trough observation, imitation and modeling.
Observational learning the nature of children to learn behaviors by watching
the behavior of the people around them and eventually imitating them.
67
Bandura determined 3 basic models of observational learning, which
include:
a) A Live Model, which includes an actual personperforming a behavior.
b) A Verbal Instructional Model, which involves telling of details and
descriptions of a behavior.
c) A Symbolic Model, which includes either a real or fictional character
demonstrating the behavior via movies, books, television, radio, online
media and other media sources.
LEGAL FOUNDATION
The Political Constitution of Ecuador in the Article 27 mentions:
“ Education will focus on the human being and guarantee its holistic
development, within the framework of respect for human rights, the
sustainable environment and democracy; Will be participatory,
obligatory, intercultural, democratic, inclusive and diverse, of quality
and warmth, will promote gender equity, justice, solidarity and peace;
Stimulate critical thinking, art and physical culture, individual and
community initiative, and the development of skills and abilities to
create and work.”
Interlingual and intercultural processes play a very important role in the
teaching and learning of a foreign language. The task as a student involves
much more than the teaching of content, so teachers have the responsibility
to incorporate in their practice, integrative teaching strategies. The teaching
methods proposed by the communicative approach respond to the academic,
social and motivational needs of the students by allowing them an
educational space in which students develop with greater skill the four
functions of the language (Listening, speaking, reading And writing, this
68
approach also gives much importance to the experiences brought by the
students, as well as daily and academic this allows all the knowledge
acquired by students to merge in an integral and more valid.
FEASSIBILITY:
This proposal counts with Human Resources, Financial, and Technical
feasibilities that will be described in the following paragraphs:
Human Resources: This proposal is possible due to the support of the
educative authority, teachers and the family community.
Financial: This proposal has the financial feasibility of the author of this
educative work because the design of the present booklet not require an
oversized economic and that is why this proposal is economically justified.
Technical: The present proposal counts with the technology requirements
needed in excellent condition.
DESCRIPTION
Students need to learn pronunciation, there is not a clear idea how to
do that. This booklet is a guideline to integrate pronunciation into classroom
in a simple and enjoyable way for students. Pronunciation as a part of oral
communication should be included in speaking or listening lessons.
The proposal presented here consists of 6 units each one of them will
be worked during the present school year. The first three units contains the
long vowel sounds and the last three units the short vowel sounds and their
objective is to help the 8th grade students with the learning of sounds of the
vowels in English language.
69
These activities are aimed at students of the Francisco Huerta Rendón
School and its purpose is to assist the student to achieve the objectives
established in this research. The exercises must be carried out individually
for the best consolidation of knowledge.
This booklet shows the following characteristics:
The Phonetic symbol of English vowels to show the physical
illustration of the sound at the top of each lesson to denote
pronunciation of English vowels. The role of the teacher is to model
sounds and encourage students to imitate them.
Example words to represent the sound that corresponds to English
vowel system guiding students to pronounce English vowels correctly.
Practice exercises of long and short vowel sounds such as:
completing sentences, drawing, circle and tongue twister.
CONCLUSION
Teaching English pronunciation in 8th course of Basic Education must
involve aspects such as phonetics and phonology like a solution for
pronunciation problems. Language learning strategies can help students to
improve their language competence. A comprehensible pronunciation may
make the communication easier, more comfortable and more valuable.
Gilbert stated that Pronunciation has been something of an orphan in
English programs around the world. Why has pronunciation been a poor
relation? He thinks it is because has been drilled to death, with too few results
from too much effort (1994, p. 38). Pronunciation is not just a cognitive
70
“knowing that”, it is also a physical “knowing how” therefore, this proposal
present the vowel sounds through comprehensible activities adapted to
students’ need to guide them in a different approach to learn how sounds are
produced.
71
REFERENCES
Ashby, M. (n.d.). Roach, P.J. `Phonetics in pronunciation teaching', Audio-
Visual Language Journal, 10.1, pp. 34-40. (1971). Retrieved from
https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/408.html
Baker , C. (2006). FOUNDATIONS OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION AND
BILINGUALISM. Clevedond: Multilingual matters LTD.
BENÍTEZ MENÉNDEZ, O. (2007). Las tareas comunicativas en el
aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras: una alternativa para el desarrollo de
habilidades comunicativas. Revista Ibero-Americano de Educación, 42.
http://www.rieoei.org/experiencias150.htm.
Briones , G. (1995). Metodología de la investigación cuantitativa en ciencias
sociales. Bogotá: INSTITUTO COLOMBIANO PARA EL FOMENTO
DE LA EDUCACION SUPERIOR, ICFES.
Brinton, D. M., Goodwin, J. M., & Celce Murcia , M. (2010). Teaching
Pronunciation: A course book and reference guide (2nd ed).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Celce Murcia, M. (2001). Language teaching approaches: An overview.
Boston: Celce-Murcia.
72
Chomsky , N., & Morris , H. (1991). The sound pattern of English. London:
The Mit Press.
Conti , G. (n.d.). THE Language Gym. Retrieved from
https://gianfrancoconti.wordpress.com/
Crystal, David. 1985.A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics. 2nd edition.
New York: Basil Blackwell.
Derwing, & Munro. (2005).
Doughty , C. J., & Long, M. H. (2003). The Handbook of Second Language
Acquisition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Flores, C. (2001). Pronunciation and language learning: An integrative
approach . IRAL.
Gilbert, J. B. (2010). Pronunciation as an orphan. Retrieved from
http://www.cambridge.org/other_files/downloads/esl/clearspeech/orpha
n.pdf
Hallinan, M. T. (2000). Handbook of the Sociology of Education . New York:
Publisher Springer.
73
Hamer, J. (2001). THE PRACTICE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING.
GESSEX: LONGMAN.
Harmer. (2001). The Practice of English Teaching . New York : Longman.
Hismanoglu, M. (2006). CURRENT PERSPECTIVE ON PRONUNCIATION
LEARNING AND TEACHING. JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND
LINGUISTIC STUDIES.
Hismanoglu, M., & Hismanoglu, S. (2010). Language teachers’ preferences of
pronunciation teaching techniques: Traditional or modern. Procedia.
IPA. (1999). Handbook of the InternationalPhonetic Association . Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Kelly, G. (1969). 25 centuries of language teaching . Rowley: Newbury
House.
Kelly, G. (2000). How to teach Pronunciation. Malaysia: Pearson Education
Limited.
Kilickaya, F. (2004, julio). Authentic materials and cultural content in EFL
classrooms. Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Kilickaya-
AutenticMaterial.html
Koet. (1990). of Edagogic transcription and the acquisition of the
pronunciation of English. Amsterdan: The Netherlands.
Krashen. (1973).
Lane, L. (2012). TIPS FOR TEACHING PRONUNCIATION. H. DOUGLAS
BROWN.
Lee, S. T. (2008). Teaching pronunciation of English using computer assisted
learning software. Taiwan.
74
Lee, S. T. (2008). Teaching pronunciation of English using computer assisted
learning software: An action research study in an institute of. Taiwan.
MANNELL, R. (2008). PHONEME AND ALLOPHONE INTRODUCTION.
Retrieved from DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS:
http://clas.mq.edu.au/speech/phonetics/phonology/phoneme/
Martin, K. E. (2013). Goals and Priorities for English Pronunciation
Instruction. Austin.
McMahon, A. (2002). AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH PHONOLOGY .
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Mehler. (1996).
Mompean, J. A. (2015). PHONETIC NOTATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING: POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES AND
LEARNERS’ VIEWS. Murcia.
Mourley , J 1994 . Pronunciation pedagogy and theory. New views, new
directions . Alexandria, VA: TESOL
Piaget, J. (1958). The growth of logical thinking from childhood to
adolescence. AMC, 10, 12.
Pourhosein Gilakjani, A. (2016, November 18). International Journal of
Research in English Education. Retrieved from
https://ijreeonline.com/article-1-21-en.pdf
Przedlacka, J., Maidment, J., & Ashby, M. (2013). Proceedings of the
Phonetics Teaching and Learning Conference. London: Chandler
House.
Rice, G. H. (1990). Personality types and bussiness success of small
retailers. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
75
Richards , J. C., & Rogers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in
language teaching. (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Saville Troike, M. (2006). INTRODUCING SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION. ARIZONA: CAMBRDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
Tamayo y Tamayo (2003). El proceso de investigación científica. México:
Editorial Limusa
Taylor , D. S. (1990). The place of phonetics, phonology and transcription in
language teaching. Hong Kong : Bickley.
Widdison, Kirk A. 1996. Physical constraints on sibilant-voicing patterns in
Spanish phonology. Proceedings of the 1995 Desert Language and
Linguistics Symposium, ed. by Jeffrey Turley, 37-42. Provo, Utah: BYU
Linguistics Department.
Yates,L. 2002. "Fact sheet - what is pronunciation". Macquarie University:
AMEP Research Centre
Yoshida, H. and Smith, L. B. (2003), Correlation, concepts and cross-linguistic
differences. Developmental Science, 6: 30–34. doi:10.1111/1467-7687.00249
.
76
BIBLIOGRPHY
ANDERSON, S. R. (1985). PHONOLOGY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.
LONDON
Ashby, M. (n.d.). Roach, P.J. `Phonetics in pronunciation teaching', Audio-
Visual Language Journal, 10.1, pp. 34-40. (1971). Retrieved from
https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/408.html
Baker , C. (2006). FOUNDATIONS OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION AND
BILINGUALISM. Clevedond: Multilingual matters LTD.
BENÍTEZ MENÉNDEZ, O. (2007). Las tareas comunicativas en el
aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras: una alternativa para el desarrollo de
habilidades comunicativas. Revista Ibero-Americano de Educación, 42.
http://www.rieoei.org/experiencias150.htm
Brinton, D. M., Goodwin, J. M., & Celce Murcia , M. (2010). Teaching
Pronunciation: A course book and reference guide (2nd ed).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Celce Murcia, M. (2001). Language teaching approaches: An overview.
Boston: Celce-Murcia.
Conti , G. (n.d.). THE Language Gym. Retrieved from
https://gianfrancoconti.wordpress.com/
Crystal, David. 1985.A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics. 2nd edition.
New York: Basil Blackwell.
Derwing, & Munro. (2005).
77
Flores, C. (2001). Pronunciation and language learning: An integrative
approach . IRAL.
Gilbert, J. B. (2010). Pronunciation as an orphan. Retrieved from
http://www.cambridge.org/other_files/downloads/esl/clearspeech/orpha
n.pdf
Hamer, J. (2001). THE PRACTICE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING.
ESSEX: LONGMAN.
Harmer. (2001). The Practice of English Teaching . New York : Longman.
Hismanoglu, M. (2006). CURRENT PERSPECTIVE ON PRONUNCIATION
LEARNING AND TEACHING. JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND
LINGUISTIC STUDIES.
Hismanoglu, M., & Hismanoglu, S. (2010). Language teachers’ preferences of
pronunciation teaching techniques: Traditional or modern. Procedia.
IPA. (1999). Handbook of the InternationalPhonetic Association . Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Kelly, G. (1969). 25 centuries of language teaching . Rowley: Newbury
House.
Kelly, G. (2000). How to teach Pronunciation. Malaysia: Pearson Education
Limited.
Koet. (1990). of Edagogic transcription and the acquisition of the
pronunciation of English. Amsterdan: The Netherlands.
KRASHEN, S. (1985). The input hypothesis: Issues and implications. London: Longman. LYON, G. (1999). Language and perceptual experience. Philosophy, 74(290), 515-534.
78
Lane, L. (2012). TIPS FOR TEACHING PRONUNCIATION. H. DOUGLAS
BROWN.
Lee, S. T. (2008). Teaching pronunciation of English using computer assisted
learning software. Taiwan.
Lee, S. T. (2008). Teaching pronunciation of English using computer assisted
learning software: An action research study in an institute of. Taiwan.
MANNELL, R. (2008). PHONEME AND ALLOPHONE INTRODUCTION.
Retrieved from DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS:
http://clas.mq.edu.au/speech/phonetics/phonology/phoneme/
Martin, K. E. (2013). Goals and Priorities for English Pronunciation
Instruction. Austin.
McMahon, A. (2002). AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH PHONOLOGY .
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Mehler. (1996).
Mompean, J. A. (2015). PHONETIC NOTATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING: POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES AND
LEARNERS’ VIEWS. Murcia.
NUNAN, D. (1989). Designing tasks for the communicative
classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pourhosein Gilakjani, A. (2016, November 18). International Journal of
Research in English Education. Retrieved from
https://ijreeonline.com/article-1-21-en.pdf
Richards , J. C., & Rogers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in
language teaching. (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
79
Roach, P. (2009). English Phonetics and Phonology . Cambridge: Cambridge
Universal Press.
Saville Troike, M. (2006). INTRODUCING SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION. ARIZONA: CAMBRDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
Taylor , D. S. (1990). The place of phonetics, phonology and transcription in
language teaching. Hong Kong : Bickley.
Widdison, Kirk A. 1996. Physical constraints on sibilant-voicing patterns in
Spanish phonology. Proceedings of the 1995 Desert Language and
Linguistics Symposium, ed. by Jeffrey Turley, 37-42. Provo, Utah: BYU
Linguistics Department.
http://americanpronunciationcoach.com/5-principles-pronunciation/
https://sites.google.com/a/xtec.cat/clil-principles/pronunciation
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9d2b/46360fc0fa1e9c83d2062f86e9dfd0522
5fc.pdf
https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/557711/Kiss
ling_georgetown_0076D_11567.pdf?sequence=1
http://iew.com/sites/default/files/paperbasedcourse/fileattachment/PAL-
RG_Sample.pdf
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20196896?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
80
http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-
9780199772810/obo-9780199772810-0082.xml
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/phonetics
http://youreng.narod.ru/teorph.html
81
APPENDIX I
82
83
84
85
APPENDIX II
86
URKUM
87
UNIVERSIDAD DE GUAYAQUIL FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA, LETRAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACION
CARRERA: LENGUAS Y LINGÜÍSTICA CERTIFICADO PORCENTAJE DE SIMILITUD
Habiendo sido nombrado MSc. Galo Donoso Noboa, tutor del trabajo de titulación certifico que el presente trabajo de titulación, ha sido elaborado por Claudina del Carmen Castillo Sornoza C.I.: 0923650592 con mi respectiva supervisión como requerimiento parcial de la obtención del título de Licenciado en lenguas y lingüística.
Se informa que el trabajo de titulación:
TOPIC:
HOW PHONETICS INFLUENCE IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF PRONUNCIATION.
PROPOSAL:
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A BOOKLET WITH VARIED PHONETICS EXERCISES
Ha sido orientado durante todo el periodo de ejecución en el programa Anti plagio URKUM quedando el 4% de coincidencia.
88
APPENDIX III
89
PHOTOS
WITH THE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM
90
INTERVIEW WITH THE ENGLISH TEACHER
CHECKING THE THESIS PROCESS WITH MSc. GALO DONOSO.
91
SURVEYS AND
INTERVEWS
92
INTERVIEW TO THE DIRECTOR
1. Do you consider indispensable English language teaching?
Si, La enseñanza del Idioma Inglés es fundamental para un desarrollo
competitivo en los estudiantes actualmente.
2. What do you think about the level of English in your institution?
La pronunciación del idioma Inglés debe ser mejorada en esta institución.
3. In your own words, why is important a self-evaluation in
teachers?
Es muy necesario porque los docentes deben reconocer sus
fortalezas como también sus debilidades con el fin de mejorar su
desarrollo profesional.
4. What is your opinion about the development of educative projects
from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Guayaquil in
private educative institutions?
Los proyectos educativos de la Facultad de Filosofía de la
Universidad de Guayaquil son muy beneficiosos porque encaminan al
empoderamiento tanto del docente como los estudiantes
desarrollando un proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje significativo.
5. How do you contribute to English language learning in this
educational institution?
Colaborando y apoyando a los profesores del idioma extranjero en sus
proyectos en lo que pueda.
6. Do you believe that school facilities are appropriate for learning?
Realmente no. En este momento contamos con suficientes bancas
pero aún hay otras necesidades que se deben solucionar.
93
7. Does the institution have the adequate technology for the process
of teaching-learning?
Si existe la tecnología necesaria pero la mayoría de las computadoras
y proyectores están defectuosos.
8. Are there educational activities to promote English learning in
your institution?
Si, las actividades formativas buscan desarrollar en los estudiantes
habilidades y destrezas preparándolos para su futuro.
9. How important is implement new methods of teaching?
Los salones de clase se han incrementado no tan solo en número de
estudiantes también en diversidad es por eso que hay que
implementar modernos métodos de acuerdo a la necesidad del
estudiantado.
10. What has been the most valuable aspect of education in your
current position?
La colaboración a mis compañeros docentes en sus iniciativas, todos
en busca del mejoramiento de la educación.
94
INTERVIEW TO THE TEACHER
1- What level of pronunciation have students acquired during their
academic life until now?
Students have acquired elementary pronunciation.
2- What do you think is the most difficult skill to develop in
students?
The most difficult skill to develop in students is speaking.
3- What do you do to develop that skill?
I use a play recorder to provide listening in English class.
4- Do you want to improve the English level on pronunciation in
your students?
Yes, I do. I usually correct pronunciation and ask students to repeat in
the interest of they learn how a word sounds.
5- What material resources does the teacher use to improve and
reinforce pronunciation?
The play recorder is the tool used in class to improve pronunciation.
There is not English Laboratory.
6- Is the English didactic material delivered by the government
sufficient?
Yes, it is.
7- Do you consider that phonetics and phonology help improve the
teaching process of a second language?
95
Yes, they do. But there is not enough material to work in class and
training for teachers to know how to work these subjects with students.
8- Does your school have booklets with English phonetics exercises
for the students?
No, it does not.
9- Do you consider that technology is indispensable for English
teaching language?
Of course, technology in classrooms provides a better comprehension
of topics for students.
10- Does the institution have the adequate technology for the process
of teaching-learning English language?
No, there is not adequate technology in this institution. This school
does not count with English lab and the most of computers do not
work.
96
Universidad de Guayaquil
Facultad de filosofía, letras y ciencias de la Educación
Escuela de lenguas y lingüística
SURVEY TO STUDENTS
Grade: 8th EGB Sample: 33 students Cross out (x) the appropriate option
Questions
To
tally
Ag
ree
Ag
ree
Ind
iffer
en
t
Dis
ag
r
ee
To
tally
Dis
ag
r
1 I like English.
2 I like English classes.
3 I feel comfortable when I speak English.
4 I like to participate in class.
5 Learning English is important for me.
6 I cannot hear the difference between some of English language sounds and my first language sounds.
7 There is not enough training or practice on pronunciation when I learn the language.
8 It is important for me have a good pronunciation.
9 I do not know where my pronunciation problems lie. I do not notice them.
10 Pronunciation is easy to learn.
11 I am motivated to learn pronunciation.
12 The implementation of a phonetic booklet will improve my pronunciation.
13 I would like to learn English sounds.
14 I would like to learn new words.
15 There are material pronunciation.
resources in class for learning
SOURCE: FRANCISCO HUERTA RENDON RESEARCHER: CLAUDINA CASTILLO
97
INTERVIEW TO THE DIRECTOR
1. Do you consider indispensable English language teaching?
Si, La enseñanza del Idioma Inglés es fundamental para un desarrollo
competitivo en los estudiantes actualmente.
2. What do you think about the level of English in your institution?
La pronunciación del idioma Inglés debe ser mejorada en esta
institución.
3. In your own words, why is important a self-evaluation in
teachers?
Es muy necesario porque los docentes deben reconocer sus
fortalezas como también sus debilidades con el fin de mejorar su
desarrollo profesional.
4. What is your opinion about the development of educative projects
from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Guayaquil in
private educative institutions?
Los proyectos educativos de la Facultad de Filosofía de la
Universidad de Guayaquil son muy beneficiosos porque encaminan al
empoderamiento tanto del docente como los estudiantes
desarrollando un proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje significativo.
5. How do you contribute to English language learning in this
educational institution?
Colaborando y apoyando a los profesores del idioma etranjero en sus
proyectos en lo que pueda.
6. Do you believe that school facilities are appropriate for learning?
98
Realmente no. En este momento contamos con suficientes bancas
pero aún hay otras necesidades que se deben solucionar.
7. Does the institution have the adequate technology for the process
of teaching-learning?
Si existe la tecnología necesaria pero la mayoría de las computadoras
y proyectores están defectuosos.
8. Are there educational activities to promote English learning in
your institution?
Si, las actividades formativas buscan desarrollar en los estudiantes
habilidades y destrezas preparándolos para su futuro.
9. How important is implement new methods of teaching?
Los salones de clase se han incrementado no tan solo en número de
estudiantes también en diversidad es por eso que hay que
implementar modernos métodos de acuerdo a la necesidad del
estudiantado.
10. What has been the most valuable aspect of education in your
current position?
La colaboración a mis compañeros docentes en sus iniciativas, todos
en busca del mejoramiento de la educación.
99
INTERVIEW TO THE TEACHER
1- What level of pronunciation have students acquired during their
academic life until now?
Students have acquired elementary pronunciation.
2- What do you think is the most difficult skill to develop in
students?
The most difficult skill to develop in students is speaking.
3- What do you do to develop that skill?
I use a play recorder to provide listening in English class.
4- Do you want to improve the English level on pronunciation in
your students?
Yes, I do. I usually correct pronunciation and ask students to repeat in
the interest of they learn how a word sounds.
5- What material resources does the teacher use to improve and
reinforce pronunciation?
The play recorder is the tool used in class to improve pronunciation.
There is not English Laboratory.
6- Is the English didactic material delivered by the government
sufficient?
Yes, it is.
7- Do you consider that phonetics and phonology help improve the
teaching process of a second language?
100
Yes, they do. But there is not enough material to work in class and
training for teachers to know how to work these subjects with students.
8- Does your school have booklets with English phonetics exercises
for the students?
No, it does not.
9- Do you consider that technology is indispensable for English
teaching language?
Of course, technology in classrooms provides a better comprehension
of topics for students.
10- Does the institution have the adequate technology for the process
of teaching-learning English language?
No, there is not adequate technology in this institution. This school
does not count with English lab and the most of computers do not
work.
APPENDIX
IV
FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA, LETRAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACION
PRONUNCIATION TASK
BOOKLET BASED ON PHONETIC EXERCISES
Castillo Sornoza Claudina
2017
1
TABLE OF CONTENT
UNIT 1 ........................................................................................................................... 3
MAKING VOWEL SOUNDS ........................................................................................ 3
ENGLISH LONG VOWEL SOUNDS CHART ............................................................... 4
FOUR WAYS TO FORM VOWEL SOUNDS ................................................................. 4
LONG VOWEL SOUNDS ............................................................................................ 5
UNIT 2 ........................................................................................................................... 6
LONG VOWEL A (a, ai, ay) ........................................................................................ 6
LONG “A” GROUPS ................................................................................................... 7
LONG VOWEL e (ee, ea, ey, e) ................................................................................. 8
LONG “E” GROUPS ................................................................................................... 8
LONG VOWEL I ( i, ie) ................................................................................................ 9
LONG “I” GROUPS ............................................................................................. 11
UNIT 3 ........................................................................................................................ 11
LONG VOWEL o (o, oe, oa) .................................................................................... 12
LONG “O” GROUPS ................................................................................................ 13
LONG VOWEL u (u, ue, ui) ..................................................................................... 14
LONG “U” GROUPS ................................................................................................ 15
UNIT 4 ........................................................................................................................ 16
ENGLISH SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS CHART.......................................................... 16
SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS ....................................................................................... 17
SHORT VOWlEL”A” ................................................................................................. 18
FIND THE SHORT A ............................................................................................ 19
UNIT 5 ........................................................................................................................ 21
SHORT VOWEL “E” ................................................................................................. 21
FIND THE SHORT E! ........................................................................................... 22
SHORT VOWEL “I” .................................................................................................. 24
FIND THE SHORT I! ............................................................................................ 25
2
UNIT 6 ........................................................................................................................ 27
SHORT VOWEL “O” .................................................................................................... 27
FIND THE SHORT O ........................................................................................... 28
SHORT VOWEL “U” ............................................................................................... 30
FIND THE SHORT U!........................................................................................... 31
3
UNIT 1
MAKING VOWEL SOUNDS
1. LENGTH :The colon (:) following the phonemic symbol signals that the vowel is long.
2. TONGUE POSITION
Horizontal: How far forward or back. Vertical: How high or low in mouth.
FORWARD BACK
/i:/ (as in see) /u:/ (as in blue)
/i:/ /u:/
/e/ (as in pen)
/ɔ:/ (as in four)
/e/
/ɔ:/
/æ/ (as in man)
/ɒ/ (as in hot)
/æ/ /ɒ/
HIGH LOW
/i:/ (as in see)
/æ/ (as in man )
/i:/
/æ/
/ɪ/ (as in bin)
/ʌ/ (as in fun )
/ ɪ / / ʌ /
/u:/ (as in blue)
/ɒ/ (as in hot)
/u:/ /ɒ/
3. LIP SHAPE
SPREAD LIPS ROUNDED LIPS
/i:/ (as in see)
/u:/ (as in blue )
/i:/
/ u: /
/e/ (as in pen)
/ʌ/ (as in four )
/ e / / ɔ: /
/i:/ (as in see)
/ɒ/ (as in hot)
/i:/ /ɒ/
/e/ (as in pen)
/u:/ (as in look)
/e:/ /u:/
4
ENGLISH LONG VOWEL SOUNDS CHART
FOUR WAYS TO FORM VOWEL SOUNDS
1. A vowel at the end of a syllable can be long.
HERO HI
2. Silent E can make the previous vowel long.
TAPE SHINE CODE
3. Vowel teams can make long vowel sounds.
MAIL SHEEP SOAP
4. I or O can be long when they come before two consonants.
KIND GOLD CHILD
5
LONG VOWEL SOUNDS
Long vowels sound like the names of the letters that represent them.
Long “a” cake Long “e” keep
Long “i” bike Long “o” home Long “u” cute
In English, long vowel sounds are usually the easiest vowel sounds to learn.
VOWEL CHEER
Give me an "A"
Give me an "E"
Give me an "I"
Give me an "O"
Give me a "U"
What do you have?
VOWELS!!
/a:/ /e:/ /i:/ /o:/ /u:/
6
UNIT 2
LONG VOWEL A (a, ai, ay)
The long A sound is symbolized this way /a:/
1. COMPLETE
Across
1. special boot to move on ice. 4. small, round, purple or green fruit, you can eat or make wine. 6. to cook inside an oven 7. drops of water from clouds. 8. a very large sea mammal that breathes air through a hole at the top of its head.
Down
2. a railway engine connected to carriages for carrying people. 3. sweet food made with a mixture of flour, eggs, fat and sugar. 5. small creature with a soft, wet body and a round shell.
7
ai
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WORD LIST vase play
snail May rain wait day day date
a
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LONG “A” GROUPS
2. There is “a” long a sound under each of the pictures below. Write the words from the Word List under the picture that contains this long vowel sound.
3. CIRCLE THE WORD THAT YOU THINK IS PRONUNCED
DIFFERENTLY FROM OTHERS.
1) was baking take day
2) cakes fancy stay tape
3) pain play shape after
4) had safe pay late
4. PRACTICE THIS FUNNY TONGUE
TWISTER
Dave is going to bake a cake, Don’t be late, Dave is going to make a cake, for your birthday.
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ay
8
LONG VOWEL e (ee, ea, ey, e)
The long E sound is symbolized this way: /e:/
1. COLOR THE NAME OF THE PICTURE
Eafl
feal
Leaf
Key
yek
Eyk
Peesh
sheep
Peshe
Zebra
breza
Breza
Reet
teer
Tree
Lequa
equal
Quale
Chabe
beach
Bache
Taes
seat
Saet
Seal
laes
Sale
9
meat
WORD LIST see pee cheap spear monkey me bee he she
sea keyboard
ea
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E -----------
LONG “E” GROUPS
2. There's a long “e” sound under each of the pictures below. Write the words from the Word List under the picture that contains this long vowel sound.
3. MAKE A RHYME
WRITE A WORD FROM THE BOX TO MAKE A RHYME WITH EACH SENTENCE
The bee is in the Can I keep the ? Did she eat the ? Do you need this ? Is this a real ? The sheep went to
4. PRACTICE THE RHYME
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seed
seal
jeep
sleep
tree
ey
Ee
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10
LONG VOWEL I ( i, ie)
The long “I” sound is symbolized this way /i:/
1. DRAW AN OVAL AROUND THE WORD THAT DOES NOT
HAVE THE SAME “I” SOUND
tie key lie
bite
bit
white
bye
type
pay
knife
wife
wild
smile
win
wine
fly
pin
why
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WORD LIST
Mike buy tried tire fly hide
lie die try
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ie
LONG “I” GROUPS
2. There's a long “i” sound under each of the pictures
below. Write the words from the Word List under the picture that contains this long vowel sound.
3. READ EACH SENTENCE. FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH A WORD FROM THE BOX
flies fries lie tie fly
You should never do this.
Chickens can do this.
Some men put me on to go to work.
They fly around and buzz.
4. NOW PRACTICE THESE FUNNY TONGUE TWISTERS
a. Five fruit fly flew through three fields. b. I will try my best.
----------- ----------- ----------- y
----------- ----------- ----------- I
12
UNIT 3
LONG VOWEL o (o, oe, oa)
The long “0” sound is symbolized this way /o:/
1. Complete each sentence
1. I forgot my coat at .
2. I told a very funny .
3. I call my grandma every Sunday on the _.
4. A toad is very similar to a .
5. I made an angel in the .
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GHOST HOME NOTE
PILLOW GOLD HOPE
LOW NOSE ROPE
SLOW TOLD LOAD
KNOW JOKE ROAD
LONG “O” GROUPS
2. There's a long “o” sound under each of the pictures
below. Write the words from the Word List under the picture that contains this long vowel sound.
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oe
3. LOOK FOR AND CIRCLE
THE LONG “O” WORDS HIDDEN IN THE PUZZLE
4. NOW PRACTICE THIS SENTENCE
I HOPE THE BOAT WILL FLOAT.
Oa
nose ghost
coat zone goat
WORD LIST
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O
14
LONG VOWEL u (u, ue, ui)
The long “U” sound is symbolized this way /u:/
1. Complete each word:
nicorn niform
m n z _ _
fl g l __
15
LONG “U” GROUPS
2. There is a long “u” sound under each of the
pictures below. Write the words from the Word List under the picture that contains this long vowel sound.
3. IN THE SENTENCES BELOW, UNDERLINE THE LONG “U” SOUND WORDS.
The sun will soon rise.
I use my cup for drinking milk. Luke spilled juice on the rug.
I see a blue bus.
4. NOW PRACTICE THIS FUNNY TONGUE TWISTER:
true cute room soon
blue spoon university clue use
WORD LIST
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ue
Oo
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u
16
UNIT 4
ENGLISH SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS CHART
17
SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS
The term short vowel is used to refer to the sounds that most often
correspond to the letters 'a,' 'e,' 'i,' 'o,' and 'u' when the vowel
occurs individually between consonants (Consonant-Vowel-
Consonant, or CVC pattern).
Short “a” /æ/ cat
Short “e” /ɛ/ bed
Short “i” sit
Short “o” top
Short “u” sun
It is important to note that the term short is not referring to the
length of time the vowel sound is pronounced.
18
SHORT VOWlEL”A”
The short “A” sound is symbolized this way /æ/
1. LOOK AT THE PICTURE, COLOR THE WORD AND
WRITE
PICTURE
COLOR
WRITE
C
P
A
U
P
T
P
L
A
E
N
M
N
P
P
F
A
U
N
P
J
H
E
A
P
T
J
H
A
E
N
M
D
T
T
P
L
T
N
A
T
N
T
N
19
FIND THE SHORT A
2. LOOK AT THE PICTURES. SAY EACH WORD THEN CIRCLE THE WORD WITH THE SHORT A SOUND.
1.-
2.-
3.-
4.-
5.-
20
g
3. SHORT OR LONG VOWEL SORT
SHORT A LONG A
Man Cake Fan Sad
Save Rat Vase Late
Dad Maze Ape Rat
4. NOW PRACTICE THESE FUNNY TONGUE TWISTERS (SHORT “A” SOUND IS BOLD)
1. The fat cat is chasing after the rat.
2. Harry has a happy hamster.
3. The last hat I have left is black.
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UNIT 5
SHORT VOWEL “E”
/ɛ/
1. COMPLETE EACH WORD:
p n w b
n st b ll
l tter __ lf
22
FIND THE SHORT E!
2. LOOK AT THE PICTURES. SAY EACH WORD. CIRCLE
THE WORD WITH THE SHORT E SOUND.
1.-
. 2.-
3.-
4.-
5.-
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3. IDENTIFYING VOWEL SOUNDS Color the clouds that have the short “e” sound.
4. NOW SAY THESE SENTENCES OUT ALOUD (SHORT
“A” SOUND IS BOLD)
1. Meg met Ted, Ted met Meg.
2. Jen said, “I see your pet”.
3. She sells seashell by the seashore.
met
net
bed
equal
weasel
eel
bet eat
Get
pet
eagle
need
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SHORT VOWEL “I”
1. The short “I” sound is symbolized this way /I/ COMPLETE EACH WORD AND SAY
K ds k ss
P g p lls
W n ll
25
FIND THE SHORT I!
2. LOOK AT THE PICTURES. SAY EACH WORD. CIRCLE
THE WORD WITH THE SHORT I SOUND.
1.-
. 2.-
3.-
4.-
5.-
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3. READ EACH WORD. WHICH WORD HAS THE SHORT
VOWEL SOUND! COLOR IN THE BUBBLE NEXT TO THE
CORRECT ANSWER.
a) Kitchen
meat
read
Meet
b) Sheep
Man
Fish
Pet
c) Milk
beat
Bit
kid
d) seat
king
sit
chair
4. NOW SAY THESE SENTENCES OUT ALOUD (SHORT “I” SOUND IS BOLD)
1. This is a big pig
.
2. Six sick sheep sit on a seat.
3. I can think of six thin things, but, I can think of six thick
things, too.
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UNIT 6
SHORT VOWEL “O”
The short “O” sound is symbolized this way /O/
1. COMPLETE EACH WORD AND SAY.
m m b x
f x d_g
h_t d_ll
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FIND THE SHORT O
2. LOOK AT THE PICTURES. SAY EACH WORD.
CIRCLE THE WORD WITH THE SHORT “I” SOUND.
.
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3. READ THE WORDS AND DRAW THE PICTURES
SOCK BOX FOX BOAT
OCTOPUS FROG ROPE STOP
HOP CLOCK POT GHOST
4. NOW SAY THESE SENTENCES OUT ALOUD (SHORT “O” SOUND IS BOLD)
1. A dog is on a pot.
2. A fox is on a log.
3. Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.
30
SHORT VOWEL “U”
The short “U” sound is symbolized this way /U/
1. COMPLETE EACH WORD AND SAY.
gg
r n gly
s n mbrella
nder p ppy
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FIND THE SHORT U!
2. DIRECTIONS: LOOK AT THE PICTURES. SAY
EACH WORD. CIRCLE THE WORD WITH THE
SHORT U SOUND
1.-
. 2.-
3.-
4.-
5.-
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3. LOOK AT THESE WORDS. CIRCLE THE WORDS IN THE PUZZLE.
T I J D V V Z M D S P H U D I
M R N O G U C Q U H L Z P V X
I Q U U U Y W F C N O F T Y R
J Z B C D J H I K W M U U P D
Y U N R K O N U S G K N H U H
N K U J C R O G U Y W C Z E F
L M E I W K P H L I E W G Z D
V X H I Y Q U X G R D X U R R
N R S T B Z X T B U S P R L A
U M B R E L L A R C R N U Q F
S K Z W D G H O D J U D R C E
L N X P V R O S U T U I R M J
X H Q B T D U F D F Y P X J E
W K E W O I T N N Q A X N S C
B K L W E Z G J H Z G K Z P P
4. NOW PRACTICE THESE FUNNY TONGUE TWISTERS (Short “U” sound is bold)
1. The ugly duckling put up her umbrella.
2. If you understand, say understand.
If you don’t understand, say don’t understand.
But, if you understand and don’t say understand.
How do I understand that you understand?
up sun cup drum rug bug bus duck drum run fun nut umbrella truck
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pay
ANSWER KEY
UNIT 2 “LONG VOWEL A” COMPLETE:
ACROSS: 1) skate, 4) grapes, 5) bake, 7) rain, 8) whale.
DOWN: 2) train, 3) cake, 5) snail.
UNIT 3 “LONG VOWEL E”
COLOR THE NAME OF THE PICTURE: leaf, key, sheep, zebra, tree, equal,
beach, seat, seal.
MAKE A RHYME
The bee is in the tree. Can I keep the jeep? Did she eat the meat? Do you need this seed? Is this a real seal? The sheep went to sleep.
“LONG VOWEL I”
DRAW AN OVAL AROUND THE WORD THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE
SAME “I” SOUND
LONG VOWEL “O” PUZZLE
LONG VOWEL “U” IN THE SENTENCES BELOW, UNDERLINE THE LONG “U” SOUND WORDS. The sun will soon rise. I use my cup for drinking milk. Luke spilled juice on the rug. I see a blue bus.
pin
bit
win
key
wild
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UNIT 4
1. LOOK AT THE PICTURE, COLOR THE WORD AND WRITE
Answer: cat, lamp, fan, hat, plant
3. SHORT OR LONG VOWEL SORT
SHORT A LONG A Man Save dad Cake rat Maze fan Vase sad Ape
rat Late
UNIT 5 SHORT VOWEL”E”
Color the clouds that have the short “e” sound. Met, bet, net, get, pet, bed
SHORT VOWEL “I”
a) kitchen b) fish c) milk, bit d) king, sit
UNIT 6 SHORT VOWEL “O”
1 READ THE WORDS AND DRAW THE PICTURES
SOCK
BOX
FOX
BOAT
OCTOPUS
FROG
ROPE
STOP
gHOP
CLOCK
POT
GHOST
SHORT VOWEL U
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LOOK AT THESE WORDS. CIRCLE THE WORDS IN THE PUZZLE.
T I J D V V Z M D S P H U D I
M R N O G U C Q U H L Z P V X
I Q U U U Y W F C N O F T Y R
J Z B C D J H I K W M U U P D
Y U N R K O N U S G K N H U H
N K U J C R O G U Y W C Z E F
L M E I W K P H L I E W G Z D
V X H I Y Q U X G R D X U R R
N R S T B Z X T B U S P R L A
U M B R E L L A R C R N U Q F
S K Z W D G H O D J U D R C E
L N X P V R O S U T U I R M J
X H Q B T D U F D F Y P X J E
W K E W O I T N N Q A X N S C
B K L W E Z G J H Z G K Z P P
up sun cup drum rug bug bus duck run fun nut umbrella truck