PRONOUNCIATION GAMES

 

1)Simple sound maze

 

Point:individual sound /i:/ (puzzle 1); individual sound /j:/ (puzzle 2)

Minimum level:elemantary

Game type:a path-finding puzzle for students working individually

Approximate time:15 minutes

 

Preparation

Make a copy of the maze for each mamber of the class.

 

Conducting the game

1)Give each student a maze. (The game could also be played in pairs.)

2)Explain that the object of the game is to find a path from the entrance in the top left side of the maze to the exit in the bottom right.

3)Point out the phonetic symbol and example wprd above the maze and explain that in the game,you can only cross a square if it contains a word with that sound.

4) You can move from one square to the next horizontally or vertically,but not diagonally.

5)When students have fimished,check the route together.

6)If your students are familiar with phonetic script,ask them to transcribe the words in the correct path,perhaps for homework.

 

Key Puzzle 1

The correct path is:

tea-these-meat-meet-complete-need-eat-sheep-scene-TV-feel-seat-read-please-street-me-sea-cheap-feet-bean-teach-tree-east-meal

 

Making your own versions

You can make other versions of the maze,concentraring on other sounds or on vocabulary from your course.Make a list of about 25 words with one particular sound and write them in the grid so that they form a continuous path from entry to exit.Then make another list ofwords that do not contain the sound but look as if they could.write these in the remaining squares.

 

Key puzzle 2

The correct path is:

young-uniform-new-argue-union-unit-futile-vvview-use-confuse-duty-usual-year-future-utopia-tutor-revenue-universe-youth

 

The following words also contain the sound /j/:

you-yet-few-yes-tune

 

 

 

 

2)Find the rule

 

Point:awareness of the sounds

Minimum level:elementary

Game type:a guessing game for the whole class

Approximate time:10 minutes

 

Preparation

1)In this game you will need to decide on a rule for accepting or rejecting words suggested by students;they will then try to discover what this rule is.

2)Choose arule and make a list of words that exemplify this rule...Make sure that your word are from the same grammatical category,eg nouns,and decide upon a model sentence into which your examples will fit,eg I'm going to buy a...

3)Here are some possible 'rules' and words that exemplify them:

_The word must contain two consonant sounds,eg hat,lock,apple,coat

_The word must contain only one vowel sound,eg light,car,house,pea.

_The word must contain three syllables,eg

telephone,magazine,cigarette,elephant.

_The word must end with a consonant sound,eg

light,magazine,lock,house.

 

Conducting the game

1)Get the class to sit in more or less a circle

2)Say your model sentence with an example word in the space.Indicate that the person next to you should repeat the model sentence ,changing the word at the end,and so on around the circle.Take part in the game and say a word when it is your turn.

3)After each contribution,say whether or not you accept the word given at the end,but do not say why,students should try tto guess this.If your rule is,for example,that the word must contain two consonant sounds,accept any contribution that contains two consonant sounds and do not accept any other.

4)When students catch on to what the rule is,they should not say the rule.Instead,they should simply supply a correct contribution when it is their turn.

5)When most students appear to have caught on,ask sonmeone to explain what the rule is.

6)If nobody seems to be catching on,give a few hints such as Think about consonant sounds!

The first time you use this game,more hints will probably be necessary.