Vowel Contrasts in English (/ɒ/, /ɔː/, /æ/, /ɑː/) Speech Work English JSS 1 Second Term Lesson Notes Week 8

Lesson Note: Speech Work (English Grammar) – JSS 2, Second Term, Week 8

Captivating Title

Mastering Vowel Contrasts: Differentiating /ɒ/, /ɔː/, /æ/, and /ɑː/

Focus Keyphrase

Vowel Contrasts in English (/ɒ/, /ɔː/, /æ/, /ɑː/)

SEO Title

Speech Work: Understanding Vowel Contrasts in English (JSS 2 Second Term)

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vowel-contrasts-jss2

Meta Description

Learn how to differentiate vowel sounds /ɒ/, /ɔː/, /æ/, and /ɑː/ with practical examples and activities in this JSS 2 Speech Work lesson.

Lesson Plan

Subject: English Language
Class: Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS 2)
Term: Second Term
Week: 8
Age: 11–13 years
Topic: Speech Work
Sub-Topic: Introduction to Vowel Contrasts (/ɒ/ vs /ɔː/ and /æ/ vs /ɑː/)
Duration: 40 minutes

Behavioral Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Recognize and articulate the vowel sounds /ɒ/, /ɔː/, /æ/, and /ɑː/.
2. Differentiate between words that contain the contrasted sounds.
3. Use the vowel contrasts accurately in sentences.
4. Improve their pronunciation by practicing the distinctions.

Keywords

• Vowel contrasts
• /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/
• /æ/ vs /ɑː/
• Pronunciation

Set Induction

The teacher will write the words hot and port on the board, ask students to pronounce them, and highlight the difference in vowel sounds.

Entry Behavior

Students are familiar with basic vowel sounds and have practiced specific sounds such as /ɒ/, /ɔː/, /æ/, and /ɑː/ in isolation.

Learning Resources and Materials

1. Flashcards with example words for each sound.
2. Phonetic chart for vowel sounds.
3. Audio recordings for practice.

Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge

The teacher will remind students of the vowel sounds discussed in previous lessons and explain that today’s lesson focuses on contrasting specific vowels in words.

Embedded Core Skills

• Listening
• Speaking
• Pronunciation

Content

Vowel Contrasts: /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/ and /æ/ vs /ɑː/

1. Understanding /ɒ/ and /ɔː/
   • /ɒ/ is a short vowel sound, pronounced with the tongue slightly back and the mouth slightly open.
   • /ɔː/ is a long vowel sound, pronounced with the tongue further back and the mouth more open.
   • Examples:
     • /ɒ/: hot, pot, cot
     • /ɔː/: port, caught, taught
2. Understanding /æ/ and /ɑː/
   • /æ/ is a short vowel sound, pronounced with the mouth wide open and the tongue forward.
   • /ɑː/ is a long vowel sound, pronounced with the tongue further back and the mouth open.
   • Examples:
     • /æ/: bag, cat, hat
     • /ɑː/: part, cart, heart
3. Common Confusions
   • cot (/ɒ/) vs. caught (/ɔː/).
   • cat (/æ/) vs. cart (/ɑː/).
4. Practicing Contrasts
   • Listen to pairs like hot and port, bag and part, and practice pronouncing them.

15 Fill-in-the-Blank Questions (Evaluation)

1. The vowel sound in hot is ___.
   a) /ɔː/ b) /ɒ/ c) /æ/ d) /ɑː/
   (Answer: b)
2. The vowel sound in port is ___.
   a) /ɒ/ b) /ɔː/ c) /æ/ d) /ɑː/
   (Answer: b)
3. Which word contains the sound /æ/?
   a) Part b) Cat c) Caught d) Hot
   (Answer: b)
4. The word heart contains the ___ sound.
   a) /æ/ b) /ɑː/ c) /ɒ/ d) /ɔː/
   (Answer: b)
5. The vowel sound in cart is ___.
   a) /æ/ b) /ɑː/ c) /ɔː/ d) /ɒ/
   (Answer: b)
6. The word cot contains the ___ sound.
   a) /ɔː/ b) /ɒ/ c) /æ/ d) /ɑː/
   (Answer: b)
7. The word caught contains the ___ sound.
   a) /æ/ b) /ɔː/ c) /ɒ/ d) /ɑː/
   (Answer: b)
8. Which vowel sound is in bag?
   a) /ɑː/ b) /æ/ c) /ɒ/ d) /ɔː/
   (Answer: b)
9. The sound in part is ___.
   a) /æ/ b) /ɑː/ c) /ɒ/ d) /ɔː/
   (Answer: b)
10. The sound in cot differs from caught by ___.
    a) duration b) stress c) pitch d) none of the above
    (Answer: a)

15 FAQs with Answers (Class Activity Discussion)

1. What are vowel contrasts?
   Differences between similar vowel sounds in English.
2. What is the vowel sound in hot?
   The short vowel /ɒ/.
3. What is the vowel sound in port?
   The long vowel /ɔː/.
4. How do you pronounce /ɒ/?
   With the tongue back and the mouth slightly open.
5. How do you pronounce /ɔː/?
   With the tongue further back and the mouth open.
6. What is the vowel sound in bag?
   The short vowel /æ/.
7. What is the vowel sound in part?
   The long vowel /ɑː/.
8. Why are vowel contrasts important?
   They improve pronunciation and clarity in English.
9. How is /æ/ pronounced?
   With the mouth wide open and the tongue forward.
10. How is /ɑː/ pronounced?
    With the tongue further back and the mouth open.
11. Give an example of a word with /ɒ/.
    Hot.
12. Give an example of a word with /ɔː/.
    Caught.
13. Which sound is longer, /æ/ or /ɑː/?
    /ɑː/.
14. Differentiate /ɒ/ and /ɔː/.
    /ɒ/ is short, while /ɔː/ is long.
15. What is the difference between cot and caught?
    Cot uses /ɒ/ while caught uses /ɔː/.

Presentation Steps

Step 1: Revision of Previous Topic

• Review the schwa /ə/ sound.

Step 2: Introduction of New Topic

• Introduce vowel contrasts using examples.

Step 3: Student Contributions and Corrections

• Students practice pronouncing words and identifying vowel contrasts.

Teacher’s Activities

1. Demonstrate the correct pronunciation of /ɒ/, /ɔː/, /æ/, and /ɑː/.
2. Provide examples and correct student errors.

Learners’ Activities

1. Listen to the teacher’s explanations and examples.
2. Practice pronouncing the vowel contrasts.
3. Identify the sounds in given words.

Assessment

Ask students to:

1. Differentiate between /ɒ/ and /ɔː/ in hot and port.
2. Differentiate between /æ/ and /ɑː/ in bag and part.

Conclusion

The teacher will summarize the importance of vowel contrasts and encourage students to practice identifying and pronouncing them in daily communication.