Description

Isn’t it a losing battle to try changing students’ fossilized pronunciation? Wouldn’t students make more progress if they just practiced more? Don’t you need to be a native speaker to teach pronunciation? Isn’t the best way to teach pronunciation having students listen and repeat? The field of pronunciation teaching abounds with myths that derive from lay beliefs about acquiring the sound system of a second language. Unfortunately, without adequate teacher preparation, teachers often buy into these myths and remain hesitant to teach pronunciation. In this webinar, Donna Brinton presents an overview of recent research in practical phonetics that helps to dispel some of the most popularly-held misconceptions about teaching pronunciation. Based on the research findings, she proposes best practices for ESL/EFL pronunciation teaching. 

Presenter

Donna M. Brinton is an author and educational consultant in the field of Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. She has worked as a teacher educator in over 40 countries and is the co-author and co-editor of numerous professional volumes, including Teaching Pronunciation (Cambridge University Press). She is currently serving as the CATESOL TOP-IG Assistant Coordinator. 

Hosts

Teaching of Pronunciation Interest Group (TOP-IG)
Marsha Chan and Patryk Mrozek. Co-coordinators
Donna Brinton, Assistant Coordinator

Moderator

Marsha Chan

Date and Time

Description

Pronunciation is a key pillar of second language acquisition, yet literature on teaching this skill to young learners is sorely lacking. This lack of a solid teaching approach is a challenge to both teachers and learners alike. We do know that optimal teaching environments for these learners involve highly interactive, visually appealing, multisensory activities. While many learners thrive under these conditions, others continue to struggle—often due to unaddressed learning differences. Indeed, traditional pronunciation-teaching methods have often failed to include learners who process language differently, including those with ADHD, dyslexia, or autism.

This webinar will draw on the speaker’s Emopron approach, which is an inclusive, multisensory, story-based method that builds phonological awareness through narrative, movement, visual support, and emotion. Participants will:

• Reflect on the challenges of teaching pronunciation and literacy to young learners.
• Explore sensory-rich activities that foster phonological awareness.
• Experience pronunciation instruction for all young learners (including those who are neurodiverse) through Emopron stories.
• Discover low-prep strategies to integrate pronunciation, speech, and literacy into playful, accessible English language lessons.   

Presenter

Prof. & Lic. Stella Palavecino, Master in TEFL, is a graduate teacher, teacher trainer, materials writer, and author based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She holds postgraduate degrees in Phonetics and Phonology, Higher Education, and Information and Communications Technology. She has published extensively and presented at international conferences on topics including phonology, pronunciation, phonics, tools for pronunciation teaching, language laboratories, and phonetics pedagogy. Prof. Palavecino runs EmoPron Stories, a teacher training and resource hub where she shares her approach to teaching pronunciation to young learners through phonics storybooks. https://emopronstories.com.ar/ 

Hosts

Teaching of Pronunciation Interest Group (TOP-IG)
Marsha Chan and Patryk Mrozek. Co-coordinators
Donna Brinton, Assistant Coordinator

Moderator

Marsha Chan

Date and Time