Comments on: How not to teach pronunciation http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teach-abroad/asia/japan/how-not-to-teach-pronunciation/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:48:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anne http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teach-abroad/asia/japan/how-not-to-teach-pronunciation/comment-page-1/#comment-5819 Anne Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:01:13 +0000 http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/?p=3132#comment-5819 This is great. Jumping right into the ring. OK, three year olds won't do anything sometimes, let alone sing a little English song - unless they're raised in a bilingual household (like me). It actually makes you think more about how authetic foreign lessons are in each age group, and how teaching anything that isn't really related to experience and has potential for a person that age is crap. Re tongues and gums and such: I had a terrible experience with an Argentine student who couldn't distinguish between g and w in would and good, though he could say world and girl. I tried all sorts of tricks, including gargling water with him, to no avail. He's moved, sadly, otherwise I'd love to try this weird "motherese" on him, which is supposed to work. But can a real live teacher pull it off? I'd be laughing all over the place. This is great. Jumping right into the ring. OK, three year olds won’t do anything sometimes, let alone sing a little English song – unless they’re raised in a bilingual household (like me). It actually makes you think more about how authetic foreign lessons are in each age group, and how teaching anything that isn’t really related to experience and has potential for a person that age is crap.

Re tongues and gums and such: I had a terrible experience with an Argentine student who couldn’t distinguish between g and w in would and good, though he could say world and girl. I tried all sorts of tricks, including gargling water with him, to no avail. He’s moved, sadly, otherwise I’d love to try this weird “motherese” on him, which is supposed to work. But can a real live teacher pull it off? I’d be laughing all over the place.

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