Incorporate activities that focus on word and sentence boundaries from "summary" of Teaching American English Pronunciation - Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers by Susan Ehrlich,Peter Avery
When teaching American English pronunciation, it is essential to include activities that draw attention to word and sentence boundaries. By incorporating these activities, students can develop a better understanding of how words are formed and connected in spoken language. One effective way to focus on word boundaries is through exercises that involve word stress patterns. For example, students can practice identifying which syllables in a word are stressed and unstressed, which can help them differentiate between individual words in a sentence. Similarly, activities that highlight sentence boundaries can also be beneficial for improving pronunciation. By practicing sentence stress and intonation patterns, students can learn how to group words together in a coherent and natural way. This can help them convey meaning more effectively in their spoken English. For instance, students can engage in activities where they listen to sentences and identify the stressed words or practice reading sentences with the appropriate intonation. Furthermore, incorporating activities that involve linking and blending sounds can help students understand how words are connected in natural speech. By practicing linking sounds between words and blending sounds within words, students can improve their fluency and overall pronunciation. For example, students can practice reading sentences aloud and focusing on smoothly connecting words together to create a flowing speech rhythm.- Integrating activities that focus on word and sentence boundaries is essential for teaching American English pronunciation effectively. By engaging in these activities, students can develop a better understanding of how words and sentences are structured in spoken language. This can lead to improved pronunciation, fluency, and overall communication skills in English.
