Many students are self-conscious when it comes to pronunciation, making it a difficult skill to teach. Even the most proficient learner might stumble when it comes to communication tasks, due to nerves or a strong accent. Without regular practice this isn’t likely to improve.
So what should you be teaching learners? How can you help your learners gain confidence with their pronunciation? In this webinar recording, Chris Redston, author of face2face, provides useful insights into what should be being taught, such as problematic sounds (which might not exist in students’ native language) and how the mouth and tongue should work together when saying individual sounds. He also expands on how to build students’ confidence using the following activities:
Drilling
Correcting mistakes
Practising at home
Why not join in the conversation by answering these three questions:
1. How much do your students worry about their pronunciation?
2. How do your students feel about their accent?
3. Which three sounds in English are the most problematic for your students?