這個星期，我們在MOOC平臺上學習的「中學英語課堂教學活動設計」的課程中，第一個部分的學習內容是語音教學活動設計（Designing pronounciation activities）。
對於語音教學，我們都已知道其重要性，也學習了設計語音教學的原則和展示具體如何在課堂實施的sample lesson。
接下來，我們將再進一步探討一下如何在課堂中教授語音，尤其是英語元音（English vowels）（AEIOU).
Vowels have a lot to do with how we understand a language.
Once students are confident in their vowel use, they will also be much less shy about speaking.
Read on for some fun techniques to jumpstart the new vowel learners』 voyage.
The goal of minimal pairs：
To isolate the vowel while providing two different words with an otherwise identical sound.
For example: ten/tin, read/red, mad/mid, etc.
Purposes: It helps students differentiate vowels well, learn new words, and practice speaking.
There are a few ways your pupils can practice minimal pair use, such as:
（1）Simply doing drills
Do a minimal pair worksheet that incorporates many vowel pairings. Probably the best way to do this is incrementally, so as not to overwhelm students.
For example,
for one week you can practice the short 「e」 vs. short 「i」 sound (minimal pairs such as ten/tin). The next week you can keep drilling the same thing and add the short 「e」 vs. short 「a」 sound (such as ten/tan), and so forth. This way, your English learners will gradually refine their vowel sounds.
Remember to also focus on contrasting long and short vowel sounds within a single letter.
For example,
the 「a」 in mat vs. the 「a」 in mate. These are technically not minimal pairs, but are good to drill to emphasize how the long vowels sound different than the short vowels of a word.
（2）Constructing memorable sentences
When teachers with students on minimal pairs, have them construct their own sentence or sentences for memory purposes.
For example,
if we were practicing short 「i」 vs. short 「e」 sounds, they could write:
「I gave ten tuna tins to the cat.」
If your learners are advanced enough to create their own sentences, this is great because it will be easier to remember something that they actively composed themselves.
(3) Using fun phrases
If your students are beginners learning pronunciation, you can either write sentences with minimal pairs yourself or use a worksheet.
Of course, you have the option of picking and choosing, or using all of the above exercises at the same time.
Shadow exercises are an extension of the minimal pairs exercise.
Their beauty of shadow exercises is in their minimalism:
Learners listen to a short monologue passage several times, speak along with the video, trying to sync up exactly with its timing, and as a last step, say the passage on their own.
When applied to vowel practice, you can adapt the shadow exercise to your pupils' needs. Look for audio material that is to their level or a little bit more difficult and incorporates the vowels you have been working on in class.
Tell Students: 「Put Your Vowels Where Your Mouth Is」
Feeling how words sound in your mouth really does help speaking skills.
First, just isolate the vowel and demonstrate how to pronounce it physically. Does the long 「o」 have a more round shape on the lips or more open? What does it look like? Show those details. This is also a good time to contrast short and long vowels.
Also, give your students mirrors to observe how the vowels look when they are pronouncing them.
When they’re ready, incorporate single words into the practice. For example, practice the long vs. short 「e」 sound: read/red.
When students both develop muscle memory around their speaking and can check it physically, this will develop healthy speaking habits. When they learn new vocabulary, they won’t just think about what it means; they』ll also consider its phonetics and how to reproduce the sound accurately.
你還有什麼有趣的、實用的語音活動，歡迎評論區裡與大家分享！