This site is managed by Cristina, an English teacher in Spain. She compiles a considerable number of resources related to the use of technology in English language teaching. Her topics include the standard listening, reading, writing, speaking, pronunciation, and grammar, but also include quizzes, lesson plans, tech tips and how to teach with songs. Her section on functional language provides tips on how to apologize, express an opinion, and indicate a preference.
This valuable resource from the University of British Columbia's Linguistics Dept. provides a very viewer-friendly overview of the IPA. It includes three introductory videos on articulatory phonetics; an explanation of the IPA; an introduction to the sounds of the world's languages; as well as a "Pronunciation Station". The use of ultrasound technology allows you to view what is happening with throat, lips, tongue etc. while specific phonemes are being produced by native speakers of various target languages.
A language learning website that uses gaming to keep learners motivated. Easy to navigate lessons are personalized, immediate feedback is provided, "rewards" are handed out as levels are mastered. Can be used for independent practice, or in a lab setting. The learning program is based on language-acquisition research and makes the claim: "34 hours of Duolingo are equal to 1 university semester of language courses".
This site may also be of interest to teachers interested in acquiring another language. There are 33 languages to choose from, including Klingon - not kidding!
This website is a great resource for teachers and students alike to understand phonemic differences within different dialects of English. The clickable accent chart allows you to hear a multitude of words pronounced by English speakers in various regions of Canada, the U.S., England, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and Ireland, as well as by speakers of world Englishes from countries such as India, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Trinidad and more. The clickable accent map will open links to ultrasound video recordings of speech samples from various regions around the world.
ELSA is an award-winning app that that uses artificial intelligence to discern pronunciation mistakes made by English language learners. It consists of dialogues and games that allow for practicing all English phonemes, and provides immediate feedback. (I am a native speaker of English, and I tried the activities and was rated as 'native-speaker like' with scores ranging from 86-100%). The designers have created an information page within their site containing resources and ideas on using ELSA in the ESL classroom . There is a free downloadable app on Google Play and the App Store, but monthly/quarterly/annual rates provide upgrades that include a considerable number of additional features.
This simple website is designed for those who are having difficulty understanding numbers. The lessons contain practice with two figure numbers to nine figure numbers, as well as practice with telephone numbers, months and dates, decimals and percentages and more.
eNunciate is a project created by Department of Linguistics at the University of British Columbia. The site will be useful for teachers interested in a review of the International Phonetic Alphabet. The Pronunciation Station will allow allow them to see videos using ultrasound to demonstrate both consonant and vowel production. The site also consists of self-directed modules for learning articulatory phonetics of Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, German, French and Spanish; as well as a collection of research and case studies on ultrasound based pronunciation instruction.
This YouTube quiz plays 22 different audio clips of native speakers of regional varieties of Englishes (British, New Zealand, Australian, Canadian, Singaporean, Jamaican, Welsh, Indian, South African, Irish etc). It is a really effective way to demonstrate to students that native speakers of English can sound very different from one another, and that there are many unique varieties of English spoken around the world, (even within different regions of the same country). Have your students take the quiz for fun, or better yet, have them watch you take the quiz!
Video on how to pronounce words.
The TESL Journal Archives contain a treasure trove of links to a wide variety of resources. The links are separated into groups for students and teachers. You'll find games, podcasts, quizzes, pronunciation guides, speaking, spelling, and professional development materials. (Be aware that there are several broken links.)
Free access:
Making It Clear presents concise guidelines for teaching pronunciation to CLB levels. (No activities provided.) It contains a list of recommended resources.
This pronunciation course is for TESL Ontario accredited instructors. The course will cover several topics, including linguistic systems, phonetic alphabets, vowels and consonants, rhythm, intonation and linking. The course will also cover unique features of Canadian accents, pronunciation problems common to particular language groups, planning with CLB documents and integrating pronunciation with other language skills.
Assessments include quizzes, reflective journal entries and a lesson planning assignment.
Participants may start at any time but must complete the course within a 6-month timeframe.
Blended delivery: 20 hours online, 5 hours in class. Skype option for participants 100 km from Mississauga.
Self-paced – completion in 6 months
$350
All PCTC courses are listed under Post TESL Certificate Training.
For more information:
https://canadiancollegeofeducators.ca/canadian-tesol-certificate-program-with-practicum-125-hrs/
Vocaroo is a simple voice-recording app that can be used in a computer lab or by individual students. It can be used for pronunciation practice. Messages can be played on a variety of devices, but recording is not currently available on smartphones or other devices. Recorded messages are not permanent. The site requires Adobe Flash download.
Free access:
http://vocaroo.com/
