Level: B2| IIEL – International Institute of Language Education
Topic: Pronunciation — Listening and Sound Discrimination
VOCABULARY
· Listening = /ˈlɪs.ən.ɪŋ/ (ouvir)
· Discrimination = /dɪˌskrɪm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ (discriminação/diferenciação)
· Sound = /saʊnd/ (som)
· Difference = /ˈdɪf.ər.əns/ (diferença)
· To identify = /tuː aɪˈden.tɪ.faɪ/ (identificar)
· Ear = /ɪə/ (ouvido)
· To notice = /tuː ˈnəʊ.tɪs/ (notar)
· Attention = /əˈten.ʃən/ (atenção)
STEP 1: IMAGE READING
Look at the image. Answer the questions:
1. What do you see in this image?
2. What symbols can you see?
3. Do you see an ear or a person listening?
4. What colours can you see?
5. Do you see sound waves or music notes?
6. What do you think this image represents?
7. Is this image about reading, writing, or listening?
8. Do you see any words or letters?
9. How do you feel when you look at this image?
10. Why is listening important for pronunciation?
Information:
This image shows listening and sound discrimination. You can see an ear with sound waves coming in. Listening is the first step to good pronunciation. If you cannot hear the difference between two sounds, you cannot say the difference. In this lesson, we practice listening carefully and identifying sounds.
· Ear = /ɪə/ (ouvido)
· Sound wave = /saʊnd weɪv/ (onda sonora)
· To hear = /tuː hɪə/ (ouvir)
· Carefully = /ˈkeə.fəl.i/ (com atenção)
STEP 2: DESCRIPTION OF THE IMAGE
Write a description of the image. Use this model:
In the image, I see ______. The person is ______. This shows ______.
Example:
In the image, I see an ear. The person is listening carefully. This shows that listening is an important part of pronunciation.
STEP 3: BEFORE READING
Answer the questions:
1. Do you listen to English every day?
2. Is listening easy or difficult for you?
3. Can you hear the difference between "ship" and "sheep"?
4. What sounds are difficult for you to hear?
5. Why is listening important for pronunciation?
· Easy = /ˈiː.zi/ (fácil)
· Difficult = /ˈdɪf.ɪ.kəlt/ (difícil)
· To hear the difference = /tuː hɪə ðə ˈdɪf.ər.əns/ (ouvir a diferença)
STEP 4: READING TEXT
ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION: LISTENING AND SOUND DISCRIMINATION
Why is listening important?
Listening is the first step to good pronunciation. Before you can say a sound, you must hear it. Before you can hear it, you must notice it. Many students cannot pronounce a sound because they cannot hear the difference between two sounds.
Example:
· If you cannot hear the difference between ship /ʃɪp/ and sheep /ʃiːp/, you cannot say the difference.
· If you cannot hear the difference between think /θɪŋk/ and sink /sɪŋk/, you cannot say the difference.
So, we must train our ears first.
What is sound discrimination?
Sound discrimination is the ability to hear the difference between similar sounds. It is a skill. Like any skill, it improves with practice.
Examples of sounds that are difficult to discriminate:
· /ɪ/ vs /iː/ — ship vs sheep
· /θ/ vs /s/ — think vs sink
· /ð/ vs /d/ — this vs dis
· /æ/ vs /e/ — bad vs bed
· /v/ vs /b/ — vote vs boat
· /ʃ/ vs /tʃ/ — ship vs chip
· /dʒ/ vs /j/ — joke vs yoke
· /l/ vs /r/ — light vs right
· /n/ vs /ŋ/ — sin vs sing
Why do we confuse sounds?
We confuse sounds for many reasons:
1. Our first language — Some sounds do not exist in our first language. For example, /θ/ and /ð/ do not exist in Portuguese. So, Portuguese speakers often say /t/ or /s/ instead.
2. Similar sounds — Some sounds are very similar. For example, /ɪ/ and /iː/ are both vowels, but one is short and one is long.
3. Fast speech — When people speak fast, sounds blend together. This makes it harder to hear the difference.
4. Lack of practice — If we do not practice listening, we do not improve.
How to improve sound discrimination
1. Listen every day: Listen to English every day. Listen to music, films, podcasts, news. The more you listen, the more you notice.
2. Use minimal pairs: Minimal pairs are two words that differ by one sound. Practice listening to minimal pairs. For example: ship/sheep, think/sink, bad/bed.
3. Do listening exercises: Do exercises where you must identify the sound you hear. For example: "Did you hear ship or sheep?"
4. Record yourself: Record yourself saying words. Listen to your recording. Compare it to a native speaker. Notice the differences.
5. Use a dictionary: Use a dictionary with audio. Listen to the pronunciation of new words. Repeat them.
6. Focus on the difference: When you listen to two similar sounds, focus on the difference, not the similarity. What makes them different? Is it the length? The position of the tongue? The lips?
7. Be patient: Sound discrimination takes time. Do not worry if you do not hear the difference immediately. Keep practicing.
Listening exercises
Exercise 1 — Same or Different?
Listen to the teacher say two words. Are they the same or different?
1. ship — sheep (different)
2. ship — ship (same)
3. think — sink (different)
4. bad — bed (different)
5. cat — cat (same)
6. vote — boat (different)
Exercise 2 — Which word do you hear?
Listen to the teacher. Which word did you hear?
1. ship / sheep → (teacher says: sheep)
2. sit / seat → (teacher says: sit)
3. think / sink → (teacher says: think)
4. bad / bed → (teacher says: bed)
5. live / leave → (teacher says: leave)
6. full / fool → (teacher says: full)
Exercise 3 — Count the sounds
Listen to the teacher say a sentence. How many times do you hear the sound /ɪ/?
Example: "I sit in the ship with a big fish." → /ɪ/ in sit, in, ship, big, fish (5 times)
Exercise 4 — Dictation
Listen to the teacher say a sentence. Write it down.
1. The sheep is on the ship. (teacher says)
2. I think I can sink. (teacher says)
3. The bed is bad. (teacher says)
4. I live to leave. (teacher says)
5. The full fool is funny. (teacher says)
STEP 5: WHILE READING
A. True or False?
1. Listening is the first step to good pronunciation. (___)
2. If you cannot hear a sound, you can still say it correctly. (___)
3. Sound discrimination is a skill that improves with practice. (___)
4. /θ/ and /ð/ exist in Portuguese. (___)
5. Fast speech makes it harder to hear the difference. (___)
6. Minimal pairs are two words that differ by one sound. (___)
7. Sound discrimination takes time and patience. (___)
B. Answer the questions:
1. Why is listening important for pronunciation?
2. What is sound discrimination?
3. Give three examples of sounds that are difficult to discriminate.
4. Why do we confuse sounds?
5. How can you improve sound discrimination? Give three ways.
6. What are minimal pairs?
7. How can recording yourself help?
STEP 6: AFTER READING
Interpretation Questions:
1. Do you think listening is easy or difficult? Why?
2. What sounds are most difficult for you to hear?
3. How can you practice listening every day?
4. Do you use subtitles when you watch films? Why?
5. How can listening help you in your job or studies?
6. How do you feel about your listening skills?
STEP 7: VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Match the words with their meanings:
1. Listening (___) → a. The ability to hear the difference between sounds
2. Sound discrimination (___) → b. A sound
3. Sound (___) → c. To see or hear something and know what it is
4. Difference (___) → d. The act of hearing carefully
5. To identify (___) → e. The state of being different
6. To notice (___) → f. To pay attention and see or hear something
7. Attention (___) → g. The act of focusing on something
STEP 8: GRAMMAR FOCUS — ARTICLES IN LISTENING EXERCISES
Look at these examples:
· a sound — an ear — the difference
· a ship — a sheep — the ship
· an exercise — the exercise
· a word — the word
Remember:
We use a/an for first mention. We use the for second mention or specific. We use Ø for general ideas.
Complete the sentences:
1. I hear ______ sound. (a/an/the/Ø)
2. Can you hear ______ difference? (a/an/the/Ø)
3. ______ listening is important. (A/An/The/Ø)
4. I hear ______ ship. (a/an/the/Ø)
5. ______ ship is on the sea. (A/An/The/Ø)
6. I have ______ ear for sounds. (a/an/the/Ø)
STEP 9: PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE
A. Same or Different? — Listen to the teacher:
1. ship — sheep (different)
2. ship — ship (same)
3. think — sink (different)
4. bad — bed (different)
5. cat — cat (same)
6. vote — boat (different)
7. live — leave (different)
8. full — fool (different)
B. Which Word Do You Hear? — Circle the word:
1. ship / sheep (teacher says: sheep)
2. sit / seat (teacher says: sit)
3. think / sink (teacher says: think)
4. bad / bed (teacher says: bed)
5. live / leave (teacher says: leave)
6. full / fool (teacher says: full)
7. chip / ship (teacher says: chip)
8. joke / yoke (teacher says: joke)
C. Count the Sounds — How many times do you hear /ɪ/?
1. I sit in the ship with a big fish. (5 times)
2. This is a big city. (3 times)
3. Six sisters sing a song. (4 times)
4. The film is interesting. (3 times)
D. Dictation — Listen and write:
1. The sheep is on the ship.
2. I think I can sink.
3. The bed is bad.
4. I live to leave.
5. The full fool is funny.
E. Minimal Pairs — Listen and repeat:
1. ship /ʃɪp/ — sheep /ʃiːp/
2. sit /sɪt/ — seat /siːt/
3. think /θɪŋk/ — sink /sɪŋk/
4. bad /bæd/ — bed /bed/
5. vote /vəʊt/ — boat /bəʊt/
6. live /lɪv/ — leave /liːv/
7. full /fʊl/ — fool /fuːl/
8. chip /tʃɪp/ — ship /ʃɪp/
9. joke /dʒəʊk/ — yoke /jəʊk/
10. light /laɪt/ — right /raɪt/
STEP 10: DISCUSSION
Talk with your classmates:
1. What sounds are most difficult for you to hear?
2. How do you practice listening?
3. Do you listen to English music? Does it help?
4. Do you watch films with subtitles? Why?
5. How can listening help you understand native speakers?
6. How can you practice sound discrimination every day?
STEP 11: WRITING
Write a short paragraph (50–80 words):
Topic: Why is listening important for pronunciation?
Use these words: listening, sounds, difference, practice, improve
Example beginning: Listening is important because...
HOMEWORK
Write a paragraph (50–80 words):
What sounds are difficult for me to hear? How can I improve?
Use these words: sounds, listen, practice, difference, improve
ANSWERS
A. True or False:
1. True
2. False (you must hear it first)
3. True
4. False (they do not exist in Portuguese)
5. True
6. True
7. True
B. Answer the questions:
1. Because you must hear a sound before you can say it
2. The ability to hear the difference between similar sounds
3. /ɪ/ vs /iː/, /θ/ vs /s/, /æ/ vs /e/, /v/ vs /b/, /ʃ/ vs /tʃ/
4. First language, similar sounds, fast speech, lack of practice
5. Listen every day, use minimal pairs, do listening exercises, record yourself, use a dictionary, focus on the difference, be patient
6. Two words that differ by one sound
7. It helps you notice your mistakes and compare with native speakers
Vocabulary Match:
1-d, 2-a, 3-b, 4-e, 5-c, 6-f, 7-g
Grammar:
1. a
2. the
3. Ø
4. a
5. The
6. an
Pronunciation Practice:
A. Same or Different?
1. different
2. same
3. different
4. different
5. same
6. different
7. different
8. different
B. Which Word?
1. sheep
2. sit
3. think
4. bed
5. leave
6. full
7. chip
8. joke
C. Count the Sounds:
1. 5 times
2. 3 times
3. 4 times
4. 3 times
D. Dictation:
1. The sheep is on the ship.
2. I think I can sink.
3. The bed is bad.
4. I live to leave.
5. The full fool is funny.
E. Minimal Pairs: Practice with teacher.
IIEL- INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE EDUCATION