that works best with the melody and rhythm of the song. In
particular, songs are not good for teaching intonation. Songs
have their own melody, and it seldom matches the intonation
of English or any other language. Songs are great for
practicing linking, individual sounds, word stress, and
sometimes rhythm, but not for intonation.
Pronunciation software and the Internet
There are many good software programs, websites, and even
series of YouTube videos for learning about and practicing
pronunciation, but be careful! Not all of these are of good
quality. Some are amateurish and give inaccurate or
misleading information. Some are disguised advertisements
that try to get you to buy a more expensive product later.
Check and judge materials carefully before you have students
use them. If you’re not sure a website is good, use something
else.
Websites for recording pronunciation practice
Computers come with simple programs that allow users to
record sound—the details depend on the type of computer.
Students can use these to record their pronunciation practice.
If you want, they can also submit it to you for comments by
email or other means. Check your computer’s owner’s manual
(if it has one) or the manufacturer’s website for instructions
on recording sound.
In addition, some websites provide a more organized way for
students to record and listen to their voices and for teachers
to leave recorded comments about the practice recordings.
Here are two good ones that I’ve used. Both have free
versions.Voxopop (http://voxopop.com) is a website where people
can record their voices in a series of related messages. You
can use it to:- Have students record themselves reading a passage for
homework practice. This can be a class pronunciation
practice page where all the students can leave recordings
for you to check and respond to with your own recorded
comments and suggestions. - Create a recorded discussion on a topic related to your
class or your students’ interests. Students can record their
comments and responses to other students’ messages.
Voicethread (http://voicethread.com) also allows students
to record their voices. Choose a picture that you’d like
students to respond to, upload it to your page, and it will
appear in the middle of the screen. Students record or type
comments about the picture, and icons appear around the
central picture representing all the comments. Users can click
the icons to hear or read the comments of others. The teacher181