An Intensive Course in Teaching Pronunciation

Manchester in summer is not always something to write home about, but this summer was different. Norwich Institute of Language Education (NILE) offered their first ever pronunciation teaching course, and I was the tutor and course designer. It took place as part of NILE’s summer programme at their Manchester site.

The course lasted 2 weeks, and each day was divided in two, with the first part being theoretical input about English pronunciation and the second part being about how to teach it. The course also evolved over the 2-week period, with the earlier days covering more concrete, uncontroversial issues and the later days moving into more complex and challenging areas.

The course culminated in the participants delivering ‘live lessons’ to some volunteer students. These live lessons involved the participants giving observed pronunciation classes on a topic of their own choosing, using materials of their own creation.

It was wonderful to see the transformation of the course participants during the two-week period. They came to the course feeling insecure about their grasp of pronunciation and the best ways of teaching it. By the end, they seemed much more confident and autonomous in their own abilities and judgement. A rewarding experience for both them and me.