Pronunciation
and Vocabulary Teaching
Research is underway for the
combined teaching of pronunciation and vocabulary to foreign learners
of English. Work focuses on the provision of a theoretical framework
and a new methodological approach for the combined teaching of these
aspects of language. A collection of activities have been designed and
application of the approach to primary school pupils learning English
as a foreign language is currently planned in order to evaluate the
potential benefits it may bring to language teaching.
Pronunciation Seminars
Courses in the teaching of English pronunciation to foreign learners of
English are regularly offered to EFL teachers during the Teacher
Training Courses organized in the department (http://www.enl.auth.gr/ttc).
Courses focus on the teaching of the segmental and suprasegmental
aspects of the language and provide both a theoretical and an
applied/practical component. They aim to improve teachers’ own
pronunciation skills, raise teachers’ awareness on the benefits of the
inclusion of pronunciation teaching in the curriculum, and discuss
specific pronunciation problems foreign (in particular Greek) learners
of English usually encounter. Teachers are exposed to current
methodology for the teaching of pronunciation, principles for the
selection and design of materials, and methods for pronunciation
testing and assessment.
Courses on the International
Phonetic Alphabet and the phonetics/phonology of Greek are also on
offer upon request for Greek speech and language therapists. The
courses offer relevant theoretical background and practical work
including transcription of normal and disordered speech.
Design of Pronunciation Materials
As part of the undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the teaching of pronunciation, students are required to produce materials for the teaching of segmental and suprasegmental aspects of English and Greek. A rich collection of such activities is available in the lab.