- Auditory learning (learning through listening):
Listening to a model provided by the teacher or a
recording. - Visual learning (learning through seeing):^
Watching how the teacher or someone on a video
produces sounds, using mirrors so students can see how
their own mouths move, looking at sagittal section
diagrams or a dental model to see how sounds are
produced, or using phonemic symbols as a visual
representation of sounds. - Kinesthetic learning (learning through doing):^
Using gestures and movements to represent sounds, using
feathers, straws, rubber bands, or other gadgets to help
students understand how sounds are produced or to guide
their own pronunciation.
Your pronunciation toolbox
To help you teach using all three learning modalities, you’ll
need to have the right tools. Explanations alone aren’t
enough to help students achieve good pronunciation; merely
pointing out what they should do is sometimes meaningless.
Tools and gadgets that students can see and touch help them
understand pronunciation better. Some of the most useful
tools for teaching pronunciation are described here. See box
7.1 for pictures.
Before you start using any of these tools and gadgets, think
carefully about whether they’re appropriate for your group of
students. Ask yourself: Is this tool safe for my students, given
their age and maturity level? Will it hurt them, or will they
hurt it? Is there any possible way my students can use this
tool to get into mischief or cause distractions? Will it make a
mess in the classroom? Will my students understand the
purpose of using this tool? Most importantly, will it help the
class achieve a learning goal?Mirrors are absolutely necessary in teaching pronunciation.
It’s not always easy for students to feel whether their lips are
rounded or whether their tongue is touching their teeth, but
with a mirror they can see what’s happening. If you can’t !nd
enough small mirrors, try using blank CDs. They don’t re$ect
as well as real mirrors, but they’re cheap, easy to get, and not
easily breakable.A dental model (the kind dentists use to teach children how
to brush their teeth) is a good way to show students what’s
happening inside their mouths. Use your hand as a “tongue”
to show the articulation of sounds. You can make a “tongue
puppet” out of red or pink felt or other fabric to cover your
hand to make a more realistic “tongue,” or put a sock over
your hand. It’s much easier to see what’s inside the mouth
with the dental model than by trying to look inside the
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