Delphi module

10.4.2.4
Sound-spelling relationship

Some words look identical but are pronounced differently; for example, in English, 'read' in the present tense and 'read' in the past tense. It is important, therefore, to make learners aware of the sound-spelling relationship of a new vocabulary item, by, for example, pointing out similar words, eg 'mane', 'name', 'mean'.

Activity 12

Look at the following two extracts of classroom discourse and consider which aspects of 'knowing how a word behaves' are being dealt with here.

Extract 1
'S: Very bored.
T: Very bored. Very bored. What about the other man, what do you think about him?
S: A little bored.
T: Look at those two. Are they bored?
S: No. Happy.
T: They are happy. For them life is exciting or boring?
S: Exciting.
T: Life is exciting. Certainly not boring for them.'

Extract 2
'T: What does 'supper' mean?
S: 'Super' is 'very good', 'super'.
T: Ah that's 'super', s, u, p, e, r.
S: Yes.
T: One 'p'. This is double 'p'. 'Supper'.
S: Double 'p'.
T: 'Supper', what's 'supper'?
S: Usually eating.
T: Yes it's a meal you have in the evening.'

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