Trend – teaching pronunciation from TV

All language teachers are aware of the fact that pronunciation is extremely important while learning a new language. However, many of them do not teach it because they consider vocabulary and grammar more important. On the one hand, it is assumed that if a learner knows basic grammar and vocabulary, they still can communicate without problems, even with a poor pronunciation. On the other hand, ignoring the basic rules of pronunciation can cause many problems. Especially in English language it is very easy to confuse two words and articulate them in the wrong way, which may result in an unintentional offence even. It proves that pronunciation does matter. So how to do it? How to grab students attention ? The best way is to link learning with their interests.

Currently, there is a worldwide trend of watching TV series. Everybody is doing it! There is an extensive variety of TV series to choose from. There are series with perfect British English pronunciation as well as American English. This successful method of teaching and learning pronunciation works both for teenagers and adults.

What to do with TV series in the classroom

In the beginning, we should introduce the phonemic alphabet and some basics of English pronunciation, and practise on the vocabulary known to students.

To sum up, using TV series while teaching pronunciation can be very beneficial as students not only learn vocabulary but also the rhythm and intonation of the real spoken English. Apart from that, using TV series makes lessons more engaging and we can get our student’s interest and respect.