Aural Discrimination the /iə/ sound and the /ɛð/ sound

Subject : English Grammar

Class : Primary 4

Term : Second Term

Week : Week 3

Topic :

Aural Discrimination the /iə/ sound and the /ɛð/ sound 

Learning Objectives : By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to

• Distinguish between the Aural Discrimination the /iə/ sound and the /ɛð/ sound
• Recognize the sounds in words
• Draw the contrast between sounds when they are used in words
• Identify the words in short passages

Learning Activities :

• Pupils, as a class distinguish between the two sounds by giving examples
• Pupils in small group, list words the sound can be articulated
• Pupils in pairs, draw several examples of contrast of the two sounds
• Pupils, as individuals, identify the two sounds in a short passage.

Embedded Core Skills :

• Communication and Collaboration
• Creativity and Imagination
• Critical thinking and problem solving

Materials:

• Charts on Diphthongs
• Video clips of the sound pronounced

Content :

Aural Discrimination the /iə/ sound and the /ɛð/ sound 

Aural discrimination is the ability to distinguish between different sounds in language, such as differentiating between “fear” and “fare.” In the case of “fear” and “fare,” the sounds that are different are the initial consonants. “Fear” begins with the “f” sound, which is a voiceless labiodental fricative, while “fare” begins with the “f” sound as well, but it is followed by a voiced alveolar approximant “r” sound.

Aural discrimination is an important skill in language learning and communication. It allows individuals to distinguish between different sounds and words, and to understand and produce spoken language accurately. Developing aural discrimination skills can be aided through listening exercises and practice in distinguishing between similar sounds, such as “fear” and “fare.”

The phonetic transcriptions for “fear” and “fare” using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA):

• “Fear”: /fɪər/ (transcription includes the vowel shift that occurs in some dialects of English, such as British English)
• “Fare”: /fɛr/ (transcription includes the unrounded, lax vowel used in the second syllable in most dialects of English)

In IPA, the symbol /f/ represents the “f” sound, the symbol /ɪ/ represents the “ih” sound, the symbol /ə/ represents the “uh” sound, and the symbol /ɛ/ represents the “eh” sound. The symbol /r/ represents the “r” sound, which can be either a voiced alveolar approximant or a voiced alveolar trill, depending on the dialect.

The IPA symbols /i/ and /e/ represent different vowel sounds.

The symbol /i/ represents the close front unrounded vowel, which is a high vowel produced with the tongue positioned close to the front of the mouth and the lips unrounded. This vowel sound is found in words like “beat,” “seat,” and “heat” in English.

The symbol /e/ represents the close-mid front unrounded vowel, which is a mid-high vowel produced with the tongue positioned close to the front of the mouth and the lips unrounded. This vowel sound is found in words like “bet,” “set,” and “pet” in English.

While these two vowel sounds are similar in that they are both front vowels, they differ in terms of their height and degree of openness. /i/ is a high vowel, while /e/ is a mid-high vowel. This means that the tongue is raised higher in the mouth for the sound /i/ compared to /e/. Additionally, /i/ is a closer vowel, meaning that the tongue is positioned closer to the roof of the mouth, while /e/ is a more open vowel.

In this focus lesson on aural discrimination, we will be distinguishing between the vowel sounds /iə/ and /ɛð/ in the words “here” and “hair,” “ear” and “air,” “beer” and “bare,” and “deer” and “dare.”

The vowel sound /iə/ is a diphthong, meaning that it is made up of two vowel sounds blended together. The first part of the sound is the close front unrounded vowel /i/, and the second part is the mid-central unrounded vowel /ə/. The /i/ sound is produced with the tongue positioned close to the roof of the mouth, while the /ə/ sound is produced with the tongue in a more central position

The vowel sound /ɛð/ is a combination of the open-mid front unrounded vowel /ɛ/ and the voiced dental fricative /ð/. The /ɛ/ sound is produced with the tongue positioned in the front of the mouth, while the /ð/ sound is produced with the tongue tip between the upper and lower teeth.

Now, let’s look at the word pairs and how they differ in terms of vowel sounds:

• “Here” and “hair”: The first word contains the sound /iə/ while the second word contains the sound /ɛð/. The difference between the two is the first sound of each word. The sound /i/ in “here” is more closed and fronted, while the sound /ɛ/ in “hair” is more open and central.
• “Ear” and “air”: The first word contains the sound /iə/ while the second word contains the sound /ɛð/. Again, the difference between the two is in the first sound of each word. The sound /i/ in “ear” is more closed and fronted, while the sound /ɛ/ in “air” is more open and central.
• “Beer” and “bare” and “hair”: The first word contains the sound /iə/ while the second word contains the sound /ɛð/. However, the third word, “hair,” contains the sound /ɛə/, which is a similar but distinct vowel sound from /iə/. The difference between /iə/ and /ɛə/ is that the first sound in /iə/ is higher and more fronted than the first sound in /ɛə/.
• “Deer” and “dare”: The first word contains the sound /iə/ while the second word contains the sound /ɛð/. The difference between the two is again in the first sound of each word. The sound /i/ in “deer” is more closed and fronted, while the sound /ɛ/ in “dare” is more open and central.

To improve aural discrimination between these vowel sounds, it can be helpful to practice saying the words aloud and paying close attention to the differences in sound. Listening to and repeating examples of each sound can also be helpful, as well as engaging in listening exercises where the sounds are presented in a random order to help train the ear to differentiate between them.

Evaluation

1. Which vowel sound is in the word “heat”? a) /i/ b) /e/ c) /a/ d) /o/
2. Which consonant sound is at the beginning of the word “boat”? a) /b/ b) /p/ c) /d/ d) /t/
3. Which vowel sound is in the word “seat”? a) /i/ b) /e/ c) /u/ d) /o/
4. Which consonant sound is at the beginning of the word “tree”? a) /t/ b) /d/ c) /p/ d) /k/
5. Which vowel sound is in the word “foot”? a) /i/ b) /e/ c) /u/ d) /o/
6. Which consonant sound is at the beginning of the word “shoe”? a) /s/ b) /k/ c) /t/ d) /p/
7. Which vowel sound is in the word “goose”? a) /i/ b) /e/ c) /u/ d) /o/
8. Which consonant sound is at the beginning of the word “jump”? a) /j/ b) /b/ c) /m/ d) /p/
9. Which vowel sound is in the word “bird”? a) /i/ b) /e/ c) /a/ d) /u/
10. Which consonant sound is at the beginning of the word “great”? a) /g/ b) /b/ c) /t/ d) /p/

Words with the /iə/ sound:

• Near
• Clear
• Peer
• Hereafter
• Cheered
• Gear
• Pier
• Weird
• Tearful
• Nearer

Words with the /ɛð/ sound:

• Breath
• Death
• Health
• Breadth
• Wealth
• Stealth
• Wreath
• Depth
• Swept
• Beth

Lesson Presentation

Procedure:

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greet the class and explain the objective of the lesson
• Provide a brief overview of aural discrimination and its importance in language learning and communication

2. Examples of Sounds (10 minutes)

• Write on the board the sounds that will be focused on in the lesson (e.g. /i/, /e/, /f/, /th/)
• Play audio clips of words with the sounds and have students repeat the words aloud
• Encourage students to pay close attention to the sounds and their differences

3. Aural Discrimination Exercises (20 minutes)

• Provide examples of words with similar sounds (e.g. “fear” and “fare”) and have students distinguish between them through listening exercises
• Play audio clips of words with different sounds and have students identify which sounds they hear
• Have students practice articulating the sounds through repetition and drilling exercises

4. Application (10 minutes)

• Provide handouts with word lists containing the sounds covered in the lesson for additional practice
• Assign students to practice aural discrimination with a partner and provide feedback to each other

5. Summary and Evaluation (5 minutes)

• Review the sounds covered in the lesson and their differences
• Ask students to share their experiences with aural discrimination exercises and what they learned
• Provide an opportunity for students to ask questions or seek clarification

Assessment:

• Observe students during the aural discrimination exercises and provide feedback on their performance
• Evaluate students’ ability to correctly identify and articulate the sounds covered in the lesson on the handout exercises

Weekly Assessment /Test

1. The vowel sound in the word “beat” is ___________.
2. The consonant sound at the beginning of the word “four” is ___________.
3. The vowel sound in the word “pet” is ___________.
4. The consonant sound at the beginning of the word “shark” is ___________.
5. The vowel sound in the word “moon” is ___________.
6. The consonant sound at the beginning of the word “van” is ___________.
7. The vowel sound in the word “food” is ___________.
8. The consonant sound at the beginning of the word “gum” is ___________.
9. The vowel sound in the word “red” is ___________.
10. The consonant sound at the beginning of the word “queen” is ___________