Teaching Tips

Peer-Tutoring Pronunciation Contrasts: A Fun, Effective Classroom Procedure

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Abstract

Teachers with heterolinguistic ESL classes are sometimes reluctant to teach pronunciation because their students come from a variety of L1 backgrounds and have different pronunciation problems. Even when all students in a foreign language class speak the same L1, whole-class instruction is difficult because students are seldom equal in their ability to discriminate and/or produce contrasting English segmentals or suprasegmentals. This Teaching Tip report describes a peer-tutoring procedure that not only overcomes these challenges but actually thrives on them. In addition, it provides links to YouTube® videos that were shown in the PSLLT Teaching Tips session. Experience has shown that this procedure has many advantages: a game-like format that enlivens the classroom atmosphere, immediate feedback, individualization, automatic random sequencing, contextualization, and variation in student roles. Additionally, it provides students with persuasive evidence that correct pronunciation is important to meaningful communication.

How to Cite:

Henrichsen, L., (2015) “Peer-Tutoring Pronunciation Contrasts: A Fun, Effective Classroom Procedure”, Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Proceedings 7(1).