Activity: English Sounds

Section 10 includes two charts that list the sounds of English (vowels, diphthongs, consonants). The phonetic symbol is given for each sound of English. For each distinctive sound, some sample key words are given. The tutor can have the learner practise these and other key words in order that they improve in making the sounds of English.

Activity: Pronunciation Bingo

The first step in this activity is to choose a large list of words that sound similar. Examples are: bass, bat, back, put, pat, pit, cop, cup, cap, and so on. Each word can be written on a card, until you have a large stack. The “Flashcard Blanks” sheet in Section 10 can be used to make these cards.

The next step is to fill in blank bingo cards with 24 words each from the large list. A blank bingo page is provided in Section 10. A few different cards (5-6) will be enough to play this game with several players.

From the stack of word cards, a word will be read aloud. If the correct word appears on the learner’s card, she will cover the word with a token, such as a penny. The middle space is a free space. When a learner makes a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line, he can call out “Bingo!” and win.

More advanced learners can read out the words for the game.