The Echo Game Put Poster 2 on the blackboard.
Divide the class into two groups. Say that group 1 participants will be
Speakers and group 2 participants will be Echo. Both ‘Speaker’ and ‘Echo’ should raise hands while pronouncing a stressed syllable.
Read the first line together: Speakers say ‘software’, Echo says: ‘everywhere’
Point to the second line and prompt
Check they know who are ‘Speaker’ and who are ‘Echo’ and play the game.
Poster 2 Sentence and word stress: The Echo Game
Speaker Echo SOFTware EVERYwhere
SOFTware He must be SOMEwhere
SOFTware He’s Nowhere!
globaliSAtion We need appliCAtion.
globaliSAtion We went to vaCAtion.
globaliSAtion We see vegeTAtion.
When they finish ask the two groups change their roles
Sentence stress
Say that now you will demonstrate an activity for practising sentence stress.
Put up Poster 3. Say that now they will work with sentence stress.
Ask participants to clap their hands when they pronounce the words in
capital letters.
Poster 3 Sentence Stress
TIGERS CHASE DEER.
The TIGERS have CHASED DEER.
The TIGERS will CHASE the DEER
The TIGERS have been CHASEing the DEER.
The TIGERS could have been CHASEing the DEER.
Ask participants to look at five sentences and ask the following questions:
o How many stress words are in each sentence?
o What are they?
Answer Key:
Three stress words in each sentence. The stressed words: TIGERS, CHASE, DEER.
First do the activity together with the whole class.
Then ask the first row to clap their hands and read the sentences in chorus.
After the first row ask the second row etc.
Ask teachers to think of the activities they have done and answer the following questions:
o Do you think you can use such activities with your pupils? Why? Why not?
o Are they useful for your pupils? Why? Why not?
Why do you think teaching word and sentence stress is important?
Elicit some responses. Establish that teaching word and sentence stress can improve stress and rhythm in speaking English. It also helps learners to increase self confidence in speaking and listening.
Sum up the session. Ask participants to look at the poster you have done together at the beginning of the session. Ask them whether they have now more ideas how to overcome problems in teaching pronunciation. Elicit some ideas.
Handout 1
Give an example or a situation.
1. Where’s the stress in this word?
2. How many syllables in this word?
3. Is this rising or falling?
4. What’s this sound?
5. Listen and repeat!
6. Repeat after me.
7. How many words do you hear?
8. What happens to this sound?
9. Are these sounds the same or different?
10. How many vowels in this word?
11. Is there a vowel between the letter ‘d’ and ‘s’?