Racing to English

Pronunciation - `t' or `th'

TEACHERS NOTES

AIMS

To help learners to distinguish between particular sounds and to pronounce them clearly.

CONTENTS

Two sets of minimal pair cards which focus on the pronunciation of `t' and `th'. These sounds can be quite difficult for some pupils/students to distinguish.

There are two different pronunciations of `th':

• voiced as in than, this, that and those - see set 1;

• unvoiced as in thank, thin, thug and thought - see set 2.

Note: minimal pairs are pairs of words that differ only in one sound - for example thick/tick.

ACTIVITY 1 - Collect a set (for use with a small group of pupils/students)

This activity focuses on listening to the sounds and distinguishing between them.

Preparation - Print out enough of one of the sets of cards so that each learner can have a complete set.

1. The idea of this activity is for the learners to collect the complete set of cards.

2. Shuffle all the cards; take a card, read it to the first learner (do NOT let them see it). Ask `Do you want XXX?'

3. Continue with other learners.

4. In the first round all the learners will say `yes please' and be given the card.

5. In subsequent rounds, if a learner has NOT got that word s/he must say `Yes please', if they already have it they must say `No thank you'.

6. If a learner has already got that word and then says `Yes please' take away the word card s/he has already collected!!!

7. The first learner to collect the complete set of cards is the winner.

ACTIVITY 2 - Point to the word (for one or two learners)

This activity focuses first on hearing distinctions then on producing them.

1. Choose one pair of cards; place them apart where they can be clearly seen.

2. Say `Point to XXX'; learner(s) point to the correct card.

3. Be careful to say the words in random order, for example:
   Point to `Thank'. Point to `Thank'. Point to `Tank'. Point to `Thank'. Point to `Tank'. Point to `Tank'. Point to `Tank'. Point to `Thank'. Point to `Thank'.

4. When the learner(s) are competent at pointing to the correct sound, ask them to take it in turn to say the words and you point. This is sometimes very salutary for pupils/students who think they are making the correct distinctions but actually are still confusing them.

Set 1 - T or TH (voiced)

ten	then
tan	than
toes	those
teas	these

Set 2 - T or TH (unvoiced)

tin	thin
tick	thick
tug	thug
tank	thank

Racing to English

© Gordon Ward 2010. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution. Pronunciation, spelling etc: `t' or `th'

---