Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g0P1nwn16609; Thu, 24 Jan 2002 20:49:58 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 20:49:58 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <004a01c1a542$5c3227e0$09150785@fedu.fukuiu.ac.jp> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Charles Jannuzi" <jannuzi@edu00.f-edu.fukui-u.ac.jp> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:7023] Re: voiced/unvoiced -th- minimal pair X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 2746 Lines: 81 I'll have to remember the one about 'can you spell the word _____________' then I can make a minimal pair sentence out of any minimal pair. And language that talks about language like that is VERY useful (here in Japan, students are used to always using Japanese whenever they have any question or misunderstanding at all, and lose the benefits of negotiating meaning in English). To most in language teaching, a minimal pair is a pair of almost sound alike words which contrast one sound (or possibly one feature). Examples lip/rip bass/bath bash/bass feet/heat tip/chip bat/batch bail/veil (its nice when the spelling shows only a single contrast, but, sigh, English vowels as written don't cooperate). Peter raises the idea that minimal pair sentences are more useful, and they are. They put the sounds and words into at least a pseudo-context and , if said rapidly, produce a lot of the sound changes and alternation we've been discussing. However, they are difficult to construct for a lot of sounds we might want to contrast. The th/the conundrum shows that, even if they are contrasting phonemes, the contrast doesn't carry much 'load'. I've got a few for typical problem sounds: The teacher 'corrected' the tests. The teacher 'collected' the tests. She 'tipped' the glass. She 'chipped' the glass. He 'sowed' the seeds. He 'showed' the seeds. He 'sees' his crops. He 'seeds' his crops. (Many students have a hard time making a difference between the [z] and [dz] at the end of the words, but this contrast can be an important part of English grammar--like plurals). Problems: with beginning students (like Japenese EFL learners) who have a lot of problems sounds, it's hard to make a sentence that both contrasts the target sounds or features but that doesn't also include a lot of other problem sounds. So for beginners they can be an 'acoustic' blur because they contain so many other possible problem sounds. So these typically are for more advanced students. Another thing to think about: How should students respond to show they hear the contrast? You might have them say a synonym, but these then limit your choices still further (and would be difficult for beginners). Or students could respond with a translation (but you'd have to know their L1). For example: The teacher corrected the tests. Marked. The teacher collected the tests. Gathered. (I would say, there, though the medial [l] and medial [r] create more than a one-sound contrast in many accents, since the vowels preceding them might interact with the [l] or [r] in different ways.) So in phonemic linguistics, minimal pairs are always two words, but in language teaching it might be better to try for minimal sentences if possible. Charles J
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