Stage 3 guidelines for listening: Phonology

Here are some phonology objectives for Stage 3 for listening:

To understand all distinctive sounds in standard speech, delivered at a normal rate of speed and with normal clarity by native speakers

• To understand nuances of affective meaning carried by intonation, stress and subtle variations of the voice

Here are some phonology strategies for Stage 3 guidelines for listening:

• Practice

  Be sure to get lots of exposure to comprehensible input. Listening to mother-tongue speakers talking to each other live or via media will help you learn to process language at normal speed. Listen to short clips (of normal speed) or to slowed down speech (if necessary) until you are able to handle long segments at normal speed.

• Selective attention

  When listening to your Audio Archive, radio, or TV, or when you overhear two native speakers talking to each other, pay attention to the intonation, rhythm, and other features of the texts.

• Inference

  Use cues from the story line of a film or TV program to help you understand the nuances of feelings shown by suprasegmental features.

• Inquiry

  Talk to a local friend about meanings of speech and nonverbal communication of which you are unclear.

Here are some phonology techniques for Stage 3 guidelines for listening:

• The Stress Pattern Drill technique
• The Tone Pattern Drill technique
• The Intonation Drill technique
• The Audio Archive technique

Here are some phonology activities for Stage 3 guidelines for listening:

• The Social Visiting activity
• You can really benefit from spending time in situations such as choirs, associations, clubs, festivities, and celebrations where you can sit and listen to people. Involve yourself in social visiting, town meetings, and other opportunities to hear normal speech and interaction.
• You can also benefit a lot from watching television or films and listening to the radio at this stage.

• Generic module: Stage 3 guidelines for listening: Phonology
• In overview module: Stage 3: Listening modules
• In modular book: Guidelines for a Language and Culture Learning Program, by Carol J. Orwig
• In document collection: Other Resources
• In bookshelf: Language Learning

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 3.5, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 8 December 1998

© 1999 SIL International