The importance of training second language learners in the patterns of occurrence of certain phonemes is discussed, focusing on the use of spelling as a primary predictor of pronunciation. Four different pronunciations of "ng" in English (as in "engaging, singer, changing, dangle") are used to illustrate this principle. A review of pronunciation…

This study explores the belief that if students of Spanish do not write a word correctly, they can not pronounce it correctly. Particular attention focuses on the interrelation between using accent marks in orthography and pronunciation. It is demonstrated that: (1) accent marks may not always be relevant for second-language (L2) speakers,…

Designed as a 13-week self-help course to meet the speech and language needs of college students in the areas of articulation, voice control, standard American usage, and fluency, this combination syllabus and workbook offers a rationale for the course, describes course objectives and content, and provides worksheets and evaluation forms for the…

The development of a course in music diction at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is described. The course was established by the department of French and Italian at the request of the department of music. (RM)

The transcript of and guide to a two-cassette course designed to assist Russian immigrants in erasure of their foreign accent can be used for either individual or group study. Narrative and taped demonstrations of American English that pinpoint typical phonological barriers and pronunciation difficulties are outlined. The author's own system of…

The use of proverbs and other sayings in English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction is discussed. The proverb is defined and its distinguishing characteristics are examined. The methods and reasons for using these characteristics today are discussed, and examples are given. The specific use of proverbs in teaching oral communication,…

A study investigated the hypothesis that children learning Spanish as a first language learn rules for assigning stress, as opposed to simply memorizing stress for individual words. The subjects were 50 Spanish-speaking preschool children. In one portion of the experiment, they imitated sets of 2, 3, or 4 Spanish nonsense words that were…

This is a primary-level reader to be used in connection with a bilingual education program. The story is preceded by a pronunciation guide, which lists Cheyenne and Arapaho sound symbols and their approximate English equivalents. Each illustrated page contains a Cheyenne and an Arapaho caption with an English translation. (AM)

As an introduction to Armenian refugees in the United States, this report discusses various aspects of Armenian life both in the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The general introduction includes a review of migration patterns, religion, arts, names, and social structure. Within the discussion of Armenian cultural background, Armenian history,…

This dictionary contains lists of nouns in the Holikachuk Athabaskan language as spoken by about twenty people, most of whom live in the village of Grayling, Alaska. The Holikachuk alphabet and sound system are presented. The nouns with English equivalents are listed according to the following categories: animals, fish, insects, birds, plants,…

To determine whether black children who speak a nonstandard dialect have difficulty in spelling because of the dialect features of their vocabulary, spelling tests were administered to 66 black English-speaking children in the first, second, and third grades. The results indicated that children who spoke black dialect exhibited spelling…

A NEED TO DETERMINE THE VALUE OF PRELIMINARY DISCRIMINATION TRAINING IN INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LANGUAGE LABORATORY PRACTICE ON THE PRONUNCIATION OF FRENCH SOUNDS HAS RESULTED IN THIS STUDY. DESCRIBED IN CHAPTER 2 ARE ELEVEN PILOT STUDIES, INVOLVING MORE THAN 1,000 STUDENTS, THAT PERMITTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATERIALS, TRAINING PROCEDURES,…

This book of Spanish-English phrases intended for Spanish-speaking immigrants is divided into two main sections. Part One contains the grammatical section, a pronunciation guide, and basic words and phrases a newly arrived Spanish-speaking person would need to get along in an English speaking environment. Grammatical notes in Part One indicate…

This English-Cantonese phrase book is designed for the English speaking person learning Cantonese. The useful phrases and vocabulary words are divided into eleven sections: basic needs and safety; greetings and amenities; getting acquainted; directions and classroom articles; calendar, numbers, and time; subjects; shapes, sizes, and colors; body…

This unit on Spanish proverbs for second year students includes five main lessons, each dealing with a different way of using proverbs to teach or reinforce certain grammatical points and vocabulary. Each exercise and suggested vocabulary list also has a corresponding transparency. Lesson one contains 18 Spanish proverbs which have a common…