Unit04 Consonants：Nasals, Approximants & Literal(s

Unit4LessonPlan(WithNotesforTeachers)Nasals,Approximants&Lateral(s)Date:Oct.8-11Class:Classes1,2&3,Grade2002Subject:EnglishPronunciationforCommunicationPurpose:Thestudentswilllearntheconsonants:nasals,approximants&lateral(s)inEnglish.Objectives:Studentswillbeableto:1.Define-intheirownwordsadefinitionforNasals,Approximants&Lateral(s);2.Compare–basedontheunderstandingofthebasicconcept,comparethemwithotherconsonants;3.Practice–imitatethesoundsanddopractice.Resources/Materials:1.Textbook:Wang,Guizhen,AnEnglishPronunciationCourse,HigherEducationPress,Beijing,2000;2.Handouts:illustrationofthephonemesinfocus;3.RecordingsofnativespeakersActivitiesandProcedures:1.Stimulating:Beginbyaskingtheclasstofindouthowmuchthestudentsknowaboutwhattheyarerequiredtolearn.Makesurethatitservesthepurposeofstimulatingthestudentstothinkabouttheissueandhavethedesiretofindouttheanswersthemselves.2.DisplayexamplesbyplayingtherecordingofthenativespeakersshowingthetypicalpronunciationinEnglish.3.Askthestudentstolistentothetapestomakeagooddiscriminationofthesoundsinfocus.4.Havethestudentsimitatethesoundinfocus.5.Havethestudentssharewhattheyhavelearnedbyreadingoutthepracticematerialsinpairs.6.HavethestudentslistentotheconversationsrecordedbynativespeakersofEnglishandtrytogetthesoundsinfocuscorrectintheirpronunciation.7.Havethestudentspracticetheguidedconversation.Askthemtopayspecialattentiontothesoundsinfocusinspeech.8.Highlightthelanguagefunctionintheconversationinthepractice.9.Haveseveralpairsofthestudentspresenttheirconversationintheclass.10.Commentonthestudents’performancebyhighlightingtheachievementofthestudentsandtheeffortstheyneedfortheimprovement.11.Askthestudentstodomorepracticeafterclassandgetreadyforpresentationduringthenextsession.NotesforTeachersNasals,Approximants&Lateral(s)Inthisunit,wewilllearnNasals,approximantsandlateral(s)inEnglish.Likethestops,thenasalsareallmadebyclosingthevocaltractatsomepointinthemouth.Unlikethestopsoranyothersoundsinthelanguage,thereisanopeningintothenasalcavityinthepronunciationsothatthesoundcanberesonatedthroughthenose.Thenasalconsonantsare/m/,/n/,and//./w/,/r/,and/j/arecalledapproximantsbecauseitisanarticulationinwhichthearticulatorsapproacheachotherbutdonotgetsufficientlyclosetoeachothertoproduceacompleteconsonantsuchasastop,nasalorfricative./l/iscalledalateralbecauseduringitspronunciation,thepassageofairthroughthemouthdoesnotgointheusualwayalongthecentreofthetongue./m/,/n/&///m/and/n/aresimple,straight-forwardconsonants:the/m/occursatthefrontofthemouthandisgroupedwiththelabials,the/n/isproducedontheuppergumridgeandisalveolar.Theplaceofarticulationof//isthesameasthatof/k/and//.Itismadewiththebackofthetonguetouchingthesoftpalate.Ifwecomparenasalswithstops,fricativesandaffricates,wewillfindthatthenasalspresentquiteadifferentpictureinthattheyhavesomevowel-likequalities:theycanbesyllabic.Both/m/and/n/canoccurininitial,medial,andfinalpositioninwords.//,however,neveroccursinword-initialposition.MostChineseEFLlearnershavenoproblemswith/m/and//.For/n/,however,itisnecessarytocheckfora/l/substitutionbecauseinsomeChinesedialects,[n]and[l]serveasfreevariants.Allophonicvariationsof/m/:Syllabic:somethingLengthened,whenanarresting/m/isfollowedbyareleasing/m/:somemoreThelabiodnetalnasal,whenfollowedby/f/:comfortAllophonicvariationsof/n/:Dentalizedbeforealabiodental/f/or/v/:inviteVelarizedbefore/k/or//:thinkSyllabic:buttonLengthening,when/n/arrestsandreleasesadjoiningsyllables:tennamesAllophonicvariationsof//:Thealveolar[n],whenfollowedbyanalveolar:takingtenSyllabic:lockandkey/w/and/j//w/and/j/aresimilarinseveralways.First,theyarecloselyrelatedtoavowelsound:/j/issimilartothevowel/i:/and/w/isverymuchlikethevowel/u:/.Becauseofthis,theyarealsocalledsemivowels.Secondly,neither/j/or/w/willeveroccurinword-finalpositioninEnglish.Thirdly,theyarebothvoicedconsonants.Inpronunciation,for/j/thelipsarerelaxedandthetongueisinthehighfrontspace;for/w/thelipsareroundedandthetongueisinthehighbackspace.Thenthereisamovementawayfromthesepositionstowhateversoundwhichfollows.Themoremoderntermfor/j/and/w/isapproximant,whichisanarticulationinwhichthearticulatorsapproacheachotherbutdonotgetsufficientlyclosetoeachothertoproduceacompleteconsonantsuchasaplosive,nasalorfricative./j/and/w/arenotproblemsoundsformostChineseEFLlearnersexceptitisnecessarytoemphasizethefactthatthepronunciationof/w/requiresconsiderableliprounding./r//r/istheotherapproximantbesides/j/and/w/inEnglish.Theimportantthingaboutthearticulationof/r/isthatthetipofthetongueapproachesthealveolarareainapproximatelythewayitwouldfora/t/or/d/,butneveractuallymakescontactwithanypartoftheroofofthemouth.Duringthepronunciation,thetongueisinfactusuallyslightlycurledbackwardswiththetipraised./r/isadifficultsoundformanyChineseEFLlearners.Thedifficultiesmainlycomeintwoways.Someusethe(r)soundinChinesePutonghua,suchas(rì)日,asasubstitution,whichsoundsmorelikeafricativethananapproximant.Thesubstitutionofaflap-r,whichsoundsmorelikea/l/than/r/,isalsocommonamongthelearners.Experienceshowth