English Pronunciation: The "th" sound

Details

Activity Description

In this activity, students learn and practice the "th" sound. This activity includes a combination of online and in-class activities that incorporate minimal pairs, dictations, and tongue twisters.

Preparation

1. Print out and make copies of the Unit One pronunciation materials (pdf) for your students.
2. Be sure your computer(s) have the Quicktime and Shockwave players they need to play the audio and video files.
3. Decide on a way to distribute the necessary links to students. You can post them on your Web page, place them in a Word document on the computer desktop or e-mail it to your students, or bookmark them on each computer.

How-To

1. Write the following words on the board: "think, bathroom, teeth." Ask the students to look at these words. What do they have in common? (They all contain the letters "th")
2. Tell students they will be learning how to correctly pronounce the "th" sound.
3. Show this very short pronunciation video to the class using the projector. It may take a minute to load, so be patient. Have students practice making the "th" sound.
4. Distribute the Unit One materials to your students and direct them to listen to this audio file . Have them listen to the 8-minute audio and complete Exercises 1-6 independently. (We will do the last activity-- Unit 1 Tongue Twisters --together as a class.)
5. Read the Unit 1 Tongue Twisters aloud and have the students repeat.
6. Have students do the Minimal Pair Exercises for Student Pairs with a partner.
7. Direct students to this dictation activity Unit One Pair Dictation to do with a partner.
8. Have students do the Unit One Information Gap Exercise with a partner.
9. Have students do the Unit One Dialogue with a partner.
10. If you have access to microphones, have your students listen, practice, and record their voices to have a conversation with a native speaker and practice these tongue twisters to improve their pronunciation of "th".

Teacher Tips

• Show students how to pause and rewind the audio as it moves VERY fast.
• If you do the recording exercise, you will need to tell the computer where you want to store the recorded sound files. (You may also need permission to install the Shockwave update if it is not already updated on your computer.) Students may need help determining where to store them. Be prepared to assist with this.

More Ways

• This site features 12 additional pronunciation units with similar activities. Incorporate the lessons and activities that are appropriate for your particular students.

Program Areas

• ESL: English as a Second Language

Levels

• Intermediate High
• Advanced

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