Seeking Prosody
Stress, Rhythm, and Intonation in the Multilingual Classroom
“It really works!” was a response from my Venezuelan student. She and my other students asked me to teach them pronunciation. The classroom book that was assigned to my level lacked content surrounding this topic. I have numerous references that I cite frequently. Clear Speech, Color Vowel Chart, Rachael’s English... I would call my current pronunciation instruction a mismatch between phonics and phonemic awareness. I knew I could do better, and my advanced students were asking for help. I explicitly teach English’s seven-syllable types and was searching for materials that align with the patterns and music of English that I often quip.
I hit the motherload in my endless and yes, sometimes mindless internet searches, looking for fresh ideas. It is, drumroll please, the Mississippi Department of Education Advanced Word Study, Accelerated Learning of Multisyllabic Word Reading and Morphology. I know you are probably wondering what the heck this advanced word study has to do with pronunciation. Well, guess what the first seven sections of this document with over three hundred pages of morphology are all about? You got it—the seven-syllable patterns, including pronunciation speed drills. I gasped at my discovery! It was perfect. I found the next progression, word stress, to build upon my previous instruction.
I admit that my pronunciation pedagogy needed a little bit of my tender, loving care. The iterative process was at work! Using the material from Mississippi’s Advanced Word Study content, I created a goal to teach one of the seven-syllable types for seven weeks until I completed all seven. The speed drill that I am alluding to includes a hundred two-syllable words that emphasize the syllable type in question. The first step was to measure their fluency as a pre-test. I instructed my students to count the number of two-syllable words they could say in a minute. The challenge was that I could model the correct pronunciation in class, but not when they practiced at home. I wanted my students to hear the stress, discuss the vowel sound, and practice the stress of these two-syllable words. However, I didn’t want them to learn the incorrect pronunciation when they left our classroom and practiced on their own.
As I was preparing the materials, I thought to myself, Be careful what you wish for, as I was recording the hundred words for each of the syllable types. I realized it'd be a total of seven hundred words. I have completed three hundred so far. If you have ever recorded your voice, it’s not a one-and-done; this was true for me. I was motivated to stay in front of planning each week because of the positive feedback that fuels my fire. My passion for creating kept me going, but my dogs sure did want their evening walk.
With each syllable pattern speed drill handout, I provided an audio recording of moi, a native Californian English speaker. I asked my students to slow down and compare and contrast their pronunciation with mine. I instructed, "Make small adjustments until you feel and hear improvements." When you notice improvement, measure your fluency progress, i.e., another timed fluency test. I added that, with progress, you can increase your speed.
I felt like I was onto something, and the anecdotal feedback fueled my late nights. Lidia shared that she started to relax and not feel her usual facial muscle fatigue. She said, “I knew I was improving when this happened!” Another student said, “I listen to your audio recording in the car when I am driving because I can get fifteen minutes of uninterrupted practice.” I gulped, thinking of my voice playing in her car, but felt happy that she was practicing beyond our classroom.
I know this is just the beginning of teaching pronunciation with a focus on intonation, stress, and rhythm. After my word stress unit, I will move to phrases and clauses. For right now, I am still recording two-syllable words. I have four hundred more to go. It’s hard to think too far ahead, and I am thankful for a teacher’s calendar. I have two weeks off this winter break, and boy-oh-boy, I am looking forward to it!
