Tongue Twisters

When I saw a YouTube video made by Alex( engVid.com), I decide to use tongue twister in my classroom. It is a great warm up and it helps me to break the ice. It helps me to create fun, even with adult students. Alex gave following benefits of tongue twister on his page engVid.com

Tongue twisters are a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. They can also help to improve accents by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. They’re not just for kids, but are also used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking.

I agreed these fun phrases can trip up even the most fluent speakers with alliteration and confusing combinations of words. Students of all ages love learning with these phrases, and they can add a whole new level of learning in your class.

I found 28 tongue twister that will improve your students, ESL pronunciation on http://www.fluentu.com/ . Their explanation is outstanding to convince ESL teachers to use tongue twisters in ESL classrooms. Their explanation on their page was  

Common Troubles with ESL Pronunciation

The first language a student speaks is the one that will set the tone for their English pronunciation. So you’ll want to watch for languages that don’t have all the same sounds as in English. For example, in Spanish, “b” and “v” sound the same, though both letters technically exist. Likewise, Koreans and Chinese tend to have difficulty with “l” and “r.” Understanding your students’ native language will help you select the areas they need to work on. The trick is to identify the problems caused by the first language, and then you can choose the best tongue twisters to work with.

Some of the most common issues for English students include:

Aspiration: In English, we use a small expulsion of air to enunciate some letters. Try saying “P” or “Ch” or “K” to test this. You’ll notice a puff of air leaves your lips.

Mouth Shape and Tongue Position: Many foreign languages require very different mouth shapes for words. This results in difficulties for those learning English. Make sure your students know where their tongue needs to be and how to shape their mouth.

Throat Vibrations: In English, certain sounds make the throat vibrate. Try saying “g” to feel this for yourself. Now try saying “k.” While your mouth is exactly the same for each of these, they sound different. This can be difficult for students to differentiate.

I found tongue twisters are great in ESL classrooms when I tried it. I believe all ESL teachers will have the same opinion on tongue twister.

By; Aayesha Qureshi