ELI Lesson Plan

Week 5, Session 1

Teachers: Kaitlin Griswold

Level: Pronunciation and Accent Reduction
Date/Time: December 5, 2016, 6:30 – 8:30 PM

Goal: To introduce linking, thought groups, and diphthongs; to review stress and vowels. To begin
writing script for final class performance.

Objectives (SWBAT):
Students Will Be Able To…
1. Say/answer each other’s general questions regarding pronunciation during Questions Corner.
2. Review Limetown by listening to a clip in class and discussing how it relates to episode 4.
3. Understand and be able to hear and annotate linking/connected speech through Classically Trained
activity and Mad Gabs.
4. Listen for and annotate thought groups through script and text annotations and delivery.
5. Understand and identify diphthongs through WC word list and sentence creation activity.
6. Demonstrate/use segmental and suprasegmentel aspects of pronunciation through
writing/annotating a partner/group dialogue.

Theme:

Aim/Skill/Microskill Activity/Procedure/Stage Interaction Time

Warm-Up WC will share questions regarding pronunciation of WC 5-15

Questions Corner specific words. T and other Ss will answer questions that min
the Ss have. This will become a recurring introduction for
class.

Limetown Review WC will review Limetown Episode 4. WC will listen to the WC 5 min
911 call together. We will discuss how it relates to episode
4 and what happened in it. Also, we will discuss why the
creators decided to release this 911 call before they
released episode 4.

Activity 1: 1.1 Pre-Stage: T will introduce linking/connected speech T-WC 10-15

Linking with information from EnglishClub. WC will review rules min
for connecting consonants-vowels and vowels-vowels.

T will ask Ss to come up with examples of where they T-WC 5-10

think connected speech would occur between vowels to min
practice the “Y” and “W” insertion.

T will also show Ss “Y” and “W” insertion in words T-WC 5 min
 themselves from examples from Elemental English.

1.2. During Stage: Ss will work individually to predict S 10 min

linking and Y/W insertion in sentences from Classically
Trained.

Ss will share predictions with partners by “acting out” the S-S 5 min
sentences.

WC will review. WC 2 min

1.3 Post-Stage: T will answer any lingering Qs the Ss have T-WC 5-10
regarding linking and connected speech, both within and min
between words.

End the activity with Ss playing Mad Gabs. T will explain T 5 min
that Mad Gabs is a game where we try to guess the real
phrase by listening to others read strange phrases – the
strange phrases sound like other phrases.

Ss will first practice reading Mad Gab-like sentences from WC 10-15

ESL Amber. Then Ss will read phrases from Mad Gabs, min
and the other Ss will try to guess what the phrase is
supposed to sound like. WC will play together. This
activity will show how English speakers connect sounds
Transition to #2: versus connecting words.
Great work with
linking! We will Ss will annotate how the sounds are connected on the Mad S 5-10
review more next Gab cards. WC min
class. Let’s now move
on to Thought Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer feedback:
Groups. Written predictions of linking; acting out connected speech

Activity 2: 2.1 Pre-Stage: Ss will discuss unusual competitions or WC 2-5 min

Thought Groups sports from around the world.

Ss will watch clip from interview with Joey Chestnut, WC 3-5 min
currently ranked #1 for Big League Eater. He was
interviewed after winning the hot dog eating contest at
Coney Island one year. Ss will listen and answer the
following questions:
1. How long has this contest been around?
2. How many hot dogs did Joey Chestnut eat?
3. In how many minutes did he eat them?
4. When did he know he would win the contest?
 5. Why did Sonya struggle during the contest?

Ss will then discuss their opinions on this kind of WC 3-5 min

competition. Is it safe? Is it healthy? Would they compete
in one? How do you think someone trains for this?

2.2. During Stage: Ss will be given a transcript of the S 2-5 min

video without punctuation. They will predict where the
natural pauses take place.

Ss will watch video again, and see if their predictions were WC 3-5 min
accurate.

Extension: Activity can be repeated multiple times to WC 3-5 min

ensure that the Ss understand the concept.

2.3 Post-Stage: Ss will be given short texts to predict S 5 min

where natural pauses occur. Each S will have a different
text to read.

Ss will read text to partners, and partners will provide S-S 5 min
feedback on whether the pauses made the reading of the
Transition to #3: text clear, natural, and comfortable.
Great work with
Thought Groups! Now Possible extension: Ss will continue to practice predicting S 10 min
we are going to look thought groups with “How Free is the Freedom of our WC
at diphthongs, the Press” transcript.
final phonemes we
will be covering in Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer feedback:
this class. Annotated transcript from video clip; annotated texts

Activity 3: 3.1 Pre-Stage: T will introduce diphthongs through a chart T- Ss 10-15

Diphthongs and place of articulation diagram. Ss will practice Ss- T min
mimicking the sounds, and they will be given an
opportunity to ask about them.

Ss will write articulation chart in their notes to emphasize S 2-5 min

the movement of diphthongs.

3.2. During Stage: WC will brainstorm words for a word WC 10-15

list. WC will create sentences with 2 diphthongs (either the S-S min
same or a different one), and Ss will practice these
Transition to #4: sentences in pairs.
We have finally made
it through the vowels! 3.3 Post-Stage: WC will come up with spelling guidelines WC 5-10
Let’s move on to our for identifying diphthongs. min
last presentation for
the class – writing a Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer feedback:
pair script. Diphthong word list; WC sentences

Activity 4: 4.1 Pre-Stage: Ss will be given a new partner and a script WC

Pair Script Writing from a scene in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You.

WC will perform the script – Ss will volunteer to read the Ss-WC 15-20
dialogue, T will read the information on the scene. While T-WC min
it is being performed, Ss listening will annotate the
following: stress, linking, pauses/thought groups.

Ss will use this script as an example for the script they will
write with their partner/group.

Extension: Script can be read by multiple pairs. First listen:

annotate for stress; second listen: linking. Third listen:
pauses/thought groups.

4.2. During Stage: Ss will work with partner to write S-S 15-20
preliminary script following these guidelines: min
 At least 10 lines for each person in the group
 Must include the following phonemes: “sh”, “ch”,
“th” – annotated
 Must include at least 3 diphthongs and 7 vowels –
Transition to Wrap- annotated
up:
Great work today, 4.3 Post-Stage: Ss will begin to annotate their script like S-S 5-10
everyone! Now let’s they did for the 10 Things I Hate About You script min
listen to the rest of the
mini-lectures of those Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer feedback:
who missed last Annotated 10 Things I Hate About You script; pair/group
Wednesday. script

Wrap-up Ss will present mini-lectures to class. Ss will ask the WC 15-30

Mini-Lecture presenters at least 2 questions after each presentation. T min
Presentation will record audio for the Ss to analyze.

HW: Annotation of mini-lecture. Starting to add

assignments to class portfolio.

**Let Ss know that I will be emailing them about missing

assignments so that they can make them up before the end
 of the class**

Potentially end class with reading of “Christmas Time in WC 5 min

New York” poem.

Materials: EnglishClub website, Elemental English website, activities from Classically Trained, Mad Gab
practice phrases, Mad Gab cards, Joey Chestnut interview clip, transcript of interview, texts for predicting
thought groups, diphthongs chart and place of articulation chart, 10 Things I Hate About You script, paper
for students’ scripts, “Christmas Time in New York” poem

Anticipated Problems & Suggested Solutions: We might not be able to get to the pair script writing
activity, so we will need to have more time dedicated to it for the next class because it is the final project
for the class.

Contingency Plans (what you will do if you finish early, etc.): If we finish early, the Ss will spend more
time working on their scripts.

Post-Lesson Reflections: