There was a Pronunciation Symposium before the conference which I attended. There also seemed to be a high degree of sessions on pronunciation during the conference as well so it was great - hearing the issues (it was quite academic) and strategies. I have implemented a few of the ideas over the last 2 weeks that I came across.
I have devised an activity that the conference sparked and started to implement it:
- last week we went to the library and students borrowed a novel (reader) with a CD (to help them with their reading in English as well as pronunciation).
- this week I showed students how to use the Microsoft recorder and they recorded themselves reading the first chapter.
- then students uploaded their recording onto our blackboard discussion
- next week students will listen to another student's recording and write down what they hear (dictation - great for listening practice and being aware of what they sound like to other people)
We will then discuss the experience and things/words they found difficult to understand/pronounce. So far students are enjoying the activity.
Students have written introductions that they are going to put up on our wiki and I am going to get them to record their introductions and upload them onto our wiki as well.
Good example Mary of applying your learning contextually for your students and then cocreating content and using the skills, abilities of the group to engage, navigate them through, generate meaning and apply it to a real world context. Using at least four of the steps in the ENGAGE model that we have talked about. Great to see this digital content design blending so wonderfully in your practice. Plus knowing that what you are learning can be applied so quickly a great model for others, well done! Colleen
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