Pronunciation Matters: Communicative, Story-Based Activities for Mastering the Sounds of North American English

Pronunciation problems can be a major obstacle for new learners of English. Pronunciation Matters has been written for the many who are engaged in this struggle.
Using a story-based approach, Pronunciation Matters provides ESL/EFL learners with nearly two hundred communicative and motivating practices leading to mastery of a variety of sound contrasts in North American English that are problematic for speakers of other languages. Units address the many areas that experienced ESL/EFL teachers have noted as troublesome for learners of English--not only vowels and consonants but also stress and intonation, for example. Contexts have been carefully engineered to focus on important sound contrasts in North American English. Chalkboard-style pictures illustrate each context and make practice more meaningful and interesting. Learners work with these units after identifying their individual pronunciation difficulties with diagnostic materials provided. Some instructional activities in Pronunciation Matters capitalize on having mixed language groups and allow students with different pronunciation problems to help each other.
Also available are peer-tutoring practice card masters and an index of common pronunciation problems for different native languages.