Pronunciation Sounds Fun!

Robin Walker emphasizes that young learners have advantages in language learning. They are aware that English sounds different than their native language and often comfortable speaking "like English people". This makes pronunciation practice more natural and productive. The courage and flexibility of young students in imitating the language facilitates my work as a teacher. The fact that they are not afraid of making mistakes in pronunciation makes activities much more comfortable. When this natural curiosity and enthusiasm is channeled correctly, good results can be achieved. 

Robin Walker notes the importance of teachers focusing on pronunciation differences between students' native language and English. These differences provide guidance on which sounds to focus on teaching. For example, to demonstrate the aspiration of the sounds /p/, /t/, and /k/, teachers can hold a piece of paper in front of their lips to visually demonstrate how these sounds are produced. This reminded me that pronunciation is a skill that not only appealing to the ear, but also to the eye. Small but effective demonstrations like these with visual cues make it easier for students to learn the sounds.

Referring to Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory, Robin Walker emphasizes the importance of activities that appeal to different learning styles in teaching pronunciation. In this section, I asked myself "Am I really addressing all my students in my class?". Since the each student's learning style is different, relying solely on the listening and repeating method may be insufficient.

Robin Walker points out that young learners may still be learning to read in their native language, and the complexities of English spelling-pronunciation correspondences can be confusing. It is therefore important for teachers to tailor pronunciation work to students' levels. 

Robin Walker reminded me that as a teacher, teaching pronunciation is not just about repetition, but also strategic planning and variation.