Mastering /p/ and /b/ Sounds in English: A Phonics Lesson Plan
Phonics: Mastering /p/ and /b/ Sounds
This essay addresses the pronunciation of sounds, the most universal and natural medium for language transmission. Gimson defines the phoneme as the “smallest contrastive linguistic unit which may bring about a change of meaning.” First, I will discuss the importance of pronunciation in the English language. Second, I will relate this issue to the framework. After that, I will analyze different activities related to the pronunciation of /p/
and /b/
sounds. Finally, I will review the importance of acquiring a good level of spoken English.
Legal Framework and Communicative Competence
The Organic Law 2/2006 of Education, 3rd May, the Organic Law 8/2013, 9th December for the Improvement in Educational Quality, the Royal Decree 126/2014, 28th February, and in Castilla y León the Order EDU/519/2014, 17th of June, establish the framework for acquiring communicative competence. Students can achieve this by practicing pronunciation and recognizing sounds included in the teaching-learning process of a foreign language. In Primary Education, children will encounter some consonant and vowel sounds that are not present in their mother tongue, so teachers must be especially careful when teaching them. This is why some foreign language teachers often lack confidence in including phonics in their methodology.
Motivation and Modeling in Pronunciation
Motivation is a crucial factor in language learning, making the process more effective. Pronunciation teaching should not be explicitly taught, as students may feel unmotivated and bored. However, it is vital that teachers give students time to practice pronunciation with engaging activities like songs and rhymes. Another important aspect is providing children with a good model of English pronunciation, namely the teacher’s pronunciation. If the teacher’s pronunciation is poor, the children will imitate it, making it difficult for students to achieve a high level of spoken English. It is also significant to provide various models and build children’s confidence through appropriate pronunciation. This allows them to acquire good habits naturally. Additionally, teachers must be aware of difficult features that can hinder speech comprehension. One such problem is distinguishing between consonants, such as /p/
and /b/.
Synthetic Phonics Methodology
In my lessons, I will use the Synthetic Phonics methodology, which teaches phonemes—the sounds associated with graphemes (letters). Sounds are taught in isolation and then blended together. For example, if children learn a short vowel /a/ and consonant sounds like /s/, /t/, and /p/, they are taught words like “sat,” “pat,” “tap,” and “at.” Then, children learn to pronounce each phoneme in a word and blend them to form the word, such as /s/ /a/ /t/ – “sat.”
Activities for /p/ and /b/ Sounds
Considering that the students are in the third grade of Primary Education, I will focus the session on teaching the difference between /p/ and /b/ using synthetic phonics through the following activities:
- Students listen to pairs of words that differ only in one sound and identify the word they heard.
- The teacher introduces the sounds /p/
and /b/
by saying them and having students repeat. It is crucial to say the sound, not the letter name.
The teacher can present flashcards with words containing these sounds, showing the correct mouth position (open or closed, lips rounded or spread). Using photographs, children pronounce each word correctly, discriminating minimal pairs and building confidence. An “Odd One Out” task can be used, where students identify the different sound in a series (e.g., —-). Dictations are a good method to discriminate sounds. The teacher dictates words containing /p/
and /b/
phonemes, and children identify the sound.
A tongue twister with both phonemes can be learned for a motivating pronunciation practice. Students can practice the sounds in dialogues, simulating scenarios like a restaurant or supermarket, using words like —-. Finally, a dictation will be done where the teacher dictates sound by sound, and students build the word on their whiteboards. Then, the class says the word aloud (e.g., /s/ /n/ /ai/ /l/ – “snail”).Assessment and Roles
Assessment will be through direct observation of students’ acquisition of /p/
and /b/
sounds while segmenting words and checking their whiteboards. The teacher’s role is to guide students towards communicative competence, while students are the center of the teaching-learning process.
Conclusion
This is an example of a different teaching approach, from discriminating /p/
and /b/
sounds to producing them. Teaching the English phonological system, including stress, intonation, and rhythm, is crucial for a good level of spoken English and communicative competence.
Bibliography
- BREWSTER, J., ELLIS, G., and GIRARD, D. (2002). *The Primary English Teacher’s Guide*, New Edition. Pearson Education Limited, Essex, U.K.
- COUNCIL OF EUROPE. (2003). *Common European Framework of Reference for Languages*. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
- EMMER, E.T. & GERWELS, M.C. (2002). Cooperative Learning in elementary classrooms: Teaching practices and lesson characteristics. *The Elementary School Journal*.
- GARDNER, H. (2001): Reformulated Intelligence. *Multiple Intelligences in XXI Century*. Buenos Aires: Paidós.
- HARMER, J. *The Practice of English Language Teaching*. London: Longman, 2008 (4th ed.)
- NUNAN, D. (2010): *Language Teaching Methodology*. University Press.
- RICHARDS, J. (2010). *Dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics*. Great Britain, UK: Longman.
Web Resources
- http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/english.htm
- http://www.firstschoolyears.com/
- http://www.english4kids.com/
- http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/
- http://www.childrenstory.com/tales/
- http://bbc.co.uk/cbeebies