English Diphthongs and Words Diction Primary 5 Second Term Lesson Notes Week 5

• Subject: English
• Class: Primary 5
• Term: Second Term
• Week: 5
• Topic: Diction
• Duration: 1 hour
• Entry Behaviour: Students are expected to have basic knowledge of vocabulary and pronunciation.
• Key Words: Diction, pronunciation, enunciation, articulation, vowels, consonants.
• Behavioural Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
  • Define diction and understand its importance.
  • Identify examples of good and poor diction.
  • Practice exercises to improve their diction.
• Embedded Core Skills: Speaking, listening, vocabulary development.
• Learning Materials: Whiteboard, markers, audio clips, worksheets.
• Content:

Diphthongs are special vowel sounds where our mouth glides or moves from one vowel sound to another within the same syllable. We’re going to group words based on how they sound when we say them.

1. /ɪə/ sound:
   • When we say words like “here,” “hear,” “beer,” “fear,” “near,” “where,” “there,” and “rear,” our mouth moves from the sound “ee” to the sound “uh” quickly.
2. /ʊə/ sound:
   • Words like “boor,” “poor,” “sure,” “Curious,” and “fury” have a different glide in their sounds, moving from “oo” to “uh.”
3. /eɪ/ sound:
   • Now, when we say “Sarah,” “Square,” “Care,” “Mary,” “idea,” “peer,” and “pair,” we notice our mouth glides from “eh” to “ee” smoothly.

So, each set of words has its own unique way of moving from one sound to another, and that’s what makes them diphthongs!

Please note that the IPA symbols may vary slightly depending on the dialect or accent.

Here are some sentences using the words provided:

1. /ɪə/ sound:
   • I am standing here waiting for you.
   • I can hear the birds singing outside.
   • My dad likes to drink beer on weekends.
   • Don’t fear, I’ll protect you from the dark.
   • The store is near our house, let’s walk there.
   • Where did you put your backpack?
   • The car’s rear window got cracked in the accident.
2. /ʊə/ sound:
   • The boor slammed the door behind him.
   • We saw a poor stray cat on the street.
   • I am sure I left my book on the table.
   • The Curious cat explored every corner of the room.
   • The lion roared with fury when it saw the intruder.
3. /eɪ/ sound:
   • Sarah loves to read books in her free time.
   • We played games in the Square during the festival.
   • Take good care of your little sister.
   • Mary baked cookies for her friends.
   • I have an idea for our science project.
   • The two friends are peers in school.
   • I picked a pair of socks to wear today.

These sentences use the words provided in a simple and easy-to-understand way for grade 5 pupils.

Evaluation

1. I can __________ the birds singing outside. a) hear b) near c) fear d) rear
2. My dad likes to drink __________ on weekends. a) beer b) boor c) peer d) care
3. The store is __________ our house, let’s walk there. a) here b) fear c) near d) rear
4. Don’t __________, I’ll protect you from the dark. a) rear b) beer c) fear d) hear
5. Where did you put your __________? a) beer b) peer c) rear d) hear
6. The __________ slammed the door behind him. a) boor b) beer c) hear d) near
7. We saw a __________ stray cat on the street. a) hear b) rear c) poor d) fear
8. I am __________ I left my book on the table. a) sure b) beer c) hear d) near
9. The __________ cat explored every corner of the room. a) beer b) Curious c) peer d) care
10. The lion roared with __________ when it saw the intruder. a) peer b) beer c) rear d) fury
11. Sarah loves to read books in her free __________. a) fear b) Square c) hear d) beer
12. We played games in the __________ during the festival. a) Square b) beer c) hear d) rear
13. Take good __________ of your little sister. a) Square b) rear c) care d) near
14. Mary baked cookies for her __________. a) idea b) peer c) friends d) fear
15. I have an __________ for our science project. a) beer b) idea c) Square d) fear

Presentation

• • Step 1: Revision (5 minutes): The teacher revises the previous topic by asking students questions about vocabulary and pronunciation.
  • Step 2: Introduction to Diction (10 minutes): The teacher introduces the new topic, diction, explaining it as the way we pronounce words and how clear and distinct our speech is.
  • Step 3: Teacher’s Activities (15 minutes):
    • The teacher demonstrates examples of good and poor diction using simple words.
    • The teacher plays audio clips or reads sentences aloud for students to identify good and poor diction.
  • Learners activities (15 minutes):
    • Students practice pronouncing words with different vowel and consonant sounds.
    • Students listen to audio recordings and identify words with clear and unclear diction.
  • Assessment (10 minutes): The teacher assesses students’ understanding through individual pronunciation exercises and group discussions.
  • Evaluation:
    1. What is diction?
    2. Why is diction important in communication?
    3. Can you give an example of good diction?
    4. How does poor diction affect communication?
    5. What are vowels?
    6. What are consonants?
    7. How can you improve your diction?
    8. Why is it important to speak clearly?
    9. Describe a situation where good diction is necessary.
    10. What are some exercises you can do to improve your diction?
• Conclusion: The teacher goes round to mark students’ pronunciation and provides feedback on their diction. Encourage students to practice speaking clearly in everyday conversations.

This lesson plan is designed to engage students in activities that enhance their understanding and application of diction in spoken language.