Using pictures and worksheets in teaching vowel sounds English 10th

PART 1: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale for the study
English is one of the most popular languages in the world and an important subject at schools. Seeing its importance in international affiliations, the Vietnam ministry of Education and Training choose English one of the core subjects. It is not only the language for tourism, trade, aviation but is also used in exams.2019 is the fifth year that apply the new method in checking students’ understanding, skills and knowledge through a general exam for those who take it for graduating purpose and a specific exam for students who want to enter a certain university. English is still one main subject that students have to take in both exams. In this new kind of exam, students have to focus on a variety parts including pronunciation, grammatical points, use of vocabulary, types of mistakes, sentence combination and reading comprehension. Among a variety knowledge and skills students have to prepare for the above exams, pronunciation is one major part. Through classroom observations and real teaching context, it reveals that students often feel scared when doing pronunciation part. They find it difficult to learn English vowel and consonant sounds as it seems strange to them. Therefore, they often fail to do this kind of exercise. From this fact, as a teacher of English, I myself think it is essential to find something new to improve my students’ skill in solving this problem so that they can understand the rules, the cues to recognize the one that is different from the others effectively, I would like to analyze the topic “Using pictures and worksheets in teaching vowel sounds English 10th ” at Nong Cong I school. 
2. Purpose of the study and research questions
This study is aimed at gaining an insightful look into the application of worksheets and pictures with a view to improving students, pronunciation skill at Nong Cong 1 high school. 
 	The aims are specified in two research questions:
2.1. Does the use of worksheets and pictures help to develop the pronunciation skill for high school students?
2.2. If so, to what extent does the use of worksheets and pictures help students’ recognize vowel sounds ?
3. Scope of the study
This study was carried out with eighty 10th students from class called 10B4, 10 B7 at Nong Cong 1 high school. The research focuses on whether pictures and worksheets can improve and how it affects these students’ recognition of vowels in pronunciation lessons. 
4. Methods of the study
This study using quantitative research method aimed to determine whether pictures and worksheets are able to enhance students’ pronunciation skills or have a positive effect on the ability of students to make sense of what they learn. The author used data collection instrument to gather information about the students involved, monitor the progress of the students when they used pictures and worksheets throughout the research, and determine the effectiveness of the pictures and worksheets based on the pre-tests and post-tests. The pre-tests were necessary to assess the pronunciation skill the students possessed before the intervention of the strategy and used as a baseline score. The post-tests were used to determine the effectiveness of the strategy used by the students during the research process by comparing the pre-test scores to the ones taken at the end of the six practice pronunciation lessons.
PART 2: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.1 Vowel sounds
 A vowel is a syllabic speech sound pronounced without any stricture in the vocal tract[1]. Vowels are one of the two principal classes of speech sounds, the other being the consonant. Vowels vary in quality, in loudness and also in quantity (length). They are usually voiced, and are closely involved in prosodic variation such as tone, intonation and stress.
The word vowel comes from the Latin word vocalis, meaning "vocal" (i.e. relating to the voice).[2] In English, the word vowel is commonly used to refer both to vowel sounds and to the written symbols that represent them.[3]
The traditional view of vowel production, reflected for example in the terminology and presentation of the International Phonetic Alphabet, is one of articulatory features that determine a vowel's quality as distinguishing it from other vowels. Daniel Jonesdeveloped the cardinal vowel system to describe vowels in terms of the features of tongue height (vertical dimension), tongue backness (horizontal dimension) and roundedness (lip articulation). These three parameters are indicated in the schematic quadrilateral IPA vowel diagram on the right. There are additional features of vowel quality, such as the velum position (nasality), type of vocal fold vibration (phonation), and tongue root position.
This conception of vowel articulation has been known to be inaccurate since 1928. Peter Ladefoged has said that "early phoneticians... thought they were describing the highest point of the tongue, but they were not. They were actually describing formant frequencies."[9] (See below.) The IPA Handbook concedes that "the vowel quadrilateral must be regarded as an abstraction and not a direct mapping of tongue position."[10]
Nonetheless, the concept that vowel qualities are determined primarily by tongue position and lip rounding continues to be used in pedagogy, as it provides an intuitive explanation of how vowels are distinguished.
2.1.2. Pictures
Generally speaking, pictures, paintings, and other visuals constitute the most effective, most plentiful, and least expensive teaching medium.  It is also the medium that is least utilized.  There are good school-useful pictures in abundance, almost anywhere you look.  Yet, we as teachers are underutilizing this eminently useful resource.
The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words may or may not be true.  What is true, however, is that one appropriate picture can be a catalyst giving rise to the production of thousands of words and a multitude of creative and analytical thoughts.
 	Used appropriately and sequentially, pictures can not only illustrate a topic but also can provide the experience base children require in order to profit from reading and writing and from numerous other learning experiences, including those associated with vowel sounds. 
2.1.3. Worksheets: 
The taught lesson can immediately be put in use with the help of a worksheet. This will enhance the understanding and make it more apt for the students. After all we learn a language in order to use it. Worksheets would thus provide with an apt sense of meaning and so the learning will get consolidated.
An exposure to use the learnt things will work as a motivating factor. Exposure is a very important and crucial thing in Second Language Learning.
Working upon the worksheets functions as a brainstorm for both, learner and teacher. A learner gets to know whether she has understood the taught things properly. She is able to raise questions, seek solutions and thereby to be clearer about it. A teacher, on the other hand, comes to know whether whatever she has taught has been received in a desired way. If not, she could repeat or revise her own plan/way to teach the same.
Worksheets break the monotony of lecture mode. They involve students in an active way. So the interest level goes very high.This makes the atmosphere of the classroom more motivating, free of learner’s anxiety, and communicative, which are some very essential things for an SL classroom.
2.2CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY
2.1.1 Setting and Participants
	The participants were 40 students (who were divided into two smaller groups with twenty for each) of 11B4 class from every corner of Nong Cong district, by this I mean they are both from town and rural areas. Almost of them are females and they are 16 years old. Most these students are generally at elementary level. They learned English for at least five years at high school but this subject was not carefully taken into its consideration. In their opinion, learning English means learning grammar and structures with common lexical sources. Therefore, they’ re surprised and confused when they have to learn new vowels in class and then in the exams. Some students can easily adapt to the new ways of learning, but most of them face challenges.
2.12. Textbook andpronunciation materials:
The pronunciation lessons used in the study consisted of selected vowels and consonants from old English Textbook 10 published by Education Publishing House and Pearson. In the textbook, there are 16 units with diverse topics related to 6 themes: You and me, Education, Community, Nature and environment, Recreation, People and places. 5 sections were included in one unit namely: Reading, Speaking, Listening, Writing, Language focus. It is hoped that English teachers will have a better insight into pictures and worksheets and become confident to integrate these effective tools into their reading classroom practice. The study was conducted when the participants were in the first semester when they start to learn basic rules of vowel sounds in textbook of grade 10. Therefore, the author found that it matched with the objectives of the learning program and students’ levels of basis. 
2.3. Stages of the study
2.3.1 Instructional Procedure
At the beginning of the instruction, I taught my students basic vowel sounds and then familiarized the students with using pictures and worksheets how to use them effectively while learning these lessons. The students were also trained to use different worksheets and pictures for different types of vowels. The students learned a variety of existing pictures and worksheets. They used these pictures and worksheets at all the three levels – before instruction, during instruction and after instruction.
23.2. The Pre-test and Post-test Model
	Post-test is measurement of the outcome in both groups after the experimental groups have received the treatment while pre-tests measure the student performance prior to the experimental intervention. A pretest was administered to both experiment and control groups to as certain the standard of the students in learning vowels. The pre-test scores of both groups were recorded. The test material was designed based on the scope of the study. It was made up of different worksheets, which can be classified into 9 types of vowel questions – (1) making distinction between short /ɪ/ and long /i:/, (2) making distinction between /ʌ/ and/ɑː/ , (3) making distinction between /e/ and /æ/, (4) making distinction between. /ɒ/ and /ɔː/ , (5) making distinction between /ʊ/ and /uː/, (6) making distinction between /ə/ and /ɜː/, (7) making distinction among ‘/eɪ / ɑɪ / and / ɔɪ /, (8)making distinction between /ɑʊ/ and /əʊ/, (9)making distinction among /ɪə/, / eə / and / ʊə / and a summary exercise to check their recognition of the sounds they have learnt .
Before administering the pre-test, it was important for the researcher to examine whether the proficiency level of the students in both the experimental and controlled groups are the same or different. In the first session of the experiment, a pre-test was given to all the participants in the two groups. The result of the pre-test proved that the pronunciation skills of both the groups were on the same level
2.3.4. Types of worksheets and pictures employed in the study
During my teaching process, pictures and worksheets of each single vowel and dipthongs will be described. The value of these worksheets and pictures will be discussed and followed by their application in English vowel sounds lessons from Unit 1 to Unit 9 at upper secondary schools in Vietnam. 
2.4. Procedures:
2.4.1.Theories of English vowel sounds 
Unit 1 : vowel /I/ and /I:/
/I/ is a short vowel sound. 
Make your mouth a bit less wide than for /i:/.
Your tongue is a bit further back in your mouth than for /i:/.
It's pronounced /ɪ/.../ɪ/
Bin /bɪn/	Fish /fɪʃ/	Him /hɪm/
Gym /gɪm/	Six /sɪks/	Begin /bɪˈɡɪn/
Identify the vowels which are pronounced /ɪ/ 
1. “a” is pronounced /ɪ/ with 2- syllable words and ends in "age" 
Village/’vɪlɪdʒ/ 	cottage/’kɔtɪdʒ/ 	shortage/’ʃɔːtɪdʒ/
baggage/’bægɪdʒ/ 	courage/’kʌrɪdʒ/ 	damage/’dæmɪdʒ/
luggage/’lʌgɪdʒ/ 	message/’mesɪdʒ/ 	voyage/'vɔɪɪdʒ/
2. “e” is pronounced /ɪ/ in prefixes like “be”, “de” và “re”
begin/bɪ’gɪn/ 	become/bɪ’kʌm/ 	behave/bɪˈheɪv/	decide/dɪ’saɪd/ 
dethrone/dɪ’θroun/ 	renew/rɪ’njuː/	return/rɪˈtɜːrn/ 	remind/rɪˈmaɪnd/
3. “i” is pronounced /ɪ/ one syllable word and end in one or two consonants + I + consonant
win/wɪn/	 miss/mɪs/ 	ship/ʃɪp/ 	him/hɪm/
bit/bɪt/ 	 sit/sɪt/  	kit/kɪt/ 	twin/twɪn/
4. "ui" được phát âm là /ɪ/
build/bɪld/ 	guilt/gɪlt/ 	guinea/’gɪni/ 	guitar/gɪ'tɑːr/
quilt/kwɪlt/ 	quixotic/kwɪk’sɔtɪk/ equivalent/ɪˈkwɪvələnt/ colloquial/kə'ləʊkwɪəl/
/Iː/ is a long vowel sound.
Make your mouth wide, like a smile /iː/
Your tongue touches the sides of your teeth /iː/.
It's pronounced /iː/.../iː/
Sheep /ʃiːp /	See /siː/	Bean /biːn/	Eat /iːt/
Key /kiː/	Agree /əˈɡriː/	Complete /kəmˈpliːt/
Receive /rɪˈsiːv/	Believe /bɪˈliːv/	Vietnamese /vjetnəˈmiːz/
Identify the vowels which are pronounced /i:/ (Nhận biết các nguyên âm được phát âm là /i:/)
1. e is pronounced i: when it stands in front consonant ending + e and in words beginning with be, he, she, me
scene /siːn/	complete /kəm'pliːt/	cede /si:d/	secede /sɪ'si:d/
benzene /'benzi:n/	kerosene /'kerəsi:n/	Vietnamese /vjetnə'mi:z/
2. "ea" is [ronounced /i:/ with words ending in "ea"or "ea" + a consonant.
tea /ti:/	meal /mi:l/	easy /'i:zɪ/	cheap  /t∫i:p/	
meat  /mi:t/	dream/dri:m/ 	heat /hi:t/	neat /ni:t/	
breathe  /bri:ð/	creature  /'kri:t∫ə/	east /i:st/
3. "ee" is pronounced /i:/
three  /θri:/	see /si:/	free  /fri:/	heel  /hi:l/	
screen /skri:n/	cheese  /t∫i:z/	agree /ə'gri:/	guarantee /gærən'ti:/
Note: When"ee" stands before a word ending in "r" , we do not pronounce /i:/ but /iə/. For example beer /biə/, cheer /t∫iə/
4. "ei" is pronounced /i:/ in certain cases:
receive  /rɪ'si:v/	ceiling  /'si:lɪŋ/	receipt  /rɪ'si:t/	seize  /si:z/	
deceive /dɪ'si:v/	seignior /'si:njə/
Note: In some cáes "ei" is pronounced /ei/, /ai/, /eə/ or /e/
eight  /eɪt/	height /haɪt/	heir  /eə/	heifer /'hefə/
5. "ey" is pronounced /i:/ in certain cases
key /ki:/   
Note: "ey" is also pronounced /eɪ/ or  /i/ For instance: prey /preɪ/, obey /o'beɪ/,money /ˈmʌni/
6. "ie" is pronounced /i:/ when it is vowel in the middle of a word
grief /gri:f/	chief /t∫i:f/	believe /bi'li:v/	belief /bi'li:f/	
elieve  /ri'li:v/	elief  /ri'li:f/	grievance /'gri:vəns/grievous /'gri:vəs/
Exeptances:
friend /frend/	cience /'saiəns/
Unit 2: Vowel /ʌ/  and /a:/
/ʌ/  is a short, relaxed vowel sound.
Open your mouth wide.
Your tongue should rest in the middle of your mouth.
It's pronounced /ʌ/.../ʌ/
Cut /kʌt/	Hug /hʌg/	Gun /gʌn/	Some /sʌm/
Dove /dʌv/	Sunny /'sʌni/	Money /'mʌni/	Among /əˈmʌŋ/
Identify the vowels which are pronounced /ʌ/ 
1. "o" is pronounced /ʌ/ in one syllable word, and in stressed syllable.
come /kʌm/	some /sʌm/	done /dʌn/	love /lʌv/
does /dʌz/	dove /dʌv/	other /ˈʌð.ə/	among /əˈmʌŋ/
monkey /ˈmʌŋ.ki/	mother /ˈmʌðə/	brother /ˈbrʌðə/	honey /ˈhʌni/
2. "u" thường được phát âm là /ʌ/ đối với những từ có tận cùng bằng u + phụ âm
but /bʌt/	cup /kʌp/	cult /kʌlt/	dust /dʌst/
gun /gʌn/	skull /skʌl/	smug /smʌg/ 
In prefixes like un, um
uneasy /ʌnˈiːzɪ/	unhappy /ʌnˈhæpɪ/	unable /ʌnˈeɪbļ/	umbrella /ʌmˈbrelə/
umbrage /ˈʌmbrɪdʒ/	umbilicus /ʌm'bɪlɪkəs/ 
3."oo" thường được phát âm là /ʌ/ trong một số trường hợp như
blood /blʌd/	flood /flʌd/ 
4. "ou" thường được phát âm là /ʌ/ đối với những từ có nhóm "ou" với một hay hai phụ âm
country /ˈkʌntri/	couple /'kʌpl/	cousin /'kʌzn/	trouble /'trʌbl/
young /jʌŋ/	rough /rʌf/	touch /tʌtʃ/	tough /tʌf/	
nourish /ˈnʌrɪʃ/	flourish /ˈflʌrɪʃ/	southern /'sʌðən/	enough /ɪˈnʌf/	
/ɑː/ is a long vowel sound. 
Open your mouth wide.
Your tongue should rest in the bottom of your mouth. 
It's pronounced /ɑː/.../ɑː/ 
Card /kɑːrd/	Start /stɑːrt/	Bar /bɑːr/	Guard /gɑːrd/ 
Father /'fɑːðər/	Sharpen /'ʃɑːrpən/	Garden /'gɑːrdən/	Artist /'ɑːrtɪst/
Tomato /təˈmɑːtəʊ/	Aunt /ɑːnt 
Identify the vowels which are pronounced /ɑː/ 
"a" is pronounced /ɑː/ in certain cases
bar/bɑː/ 	father/ˈfɑːðə/ 	start/stɑːt/
 hard/hɑːd/ 	carp/kɑːp/ 	smart/smɑːt/
"ua" and "au" is also pronounced /ɑː/
guard/gɑːd/ 	heart/hɑːt/ 	hearken'hɑːkən/	 laugh/lɑːf/ 
draught/drɑːft/	 aunt/ɑːnt/ 	laurel/ˈlɔːrəl/
Unit 3: vowel /e/ and /æ/ 
/e/ is a short and relaxed sound, Open your mouth wide.
It's pronounced /e/.../e/.
Check /tʃek/	Head /hed/	Scent /sent/
Met /met/	Bell /bel/	Member /'membər/
Jealous /'dʒeləs/	Ready /'redi/	Many /'meni/
Identify the vowels which are pronounced /e/ 
1. "a" is pronounced /e/
many 	/'menɪ/	anyone /'enɪwʌn/
2. "e" is pronounced /e/ with one- syllable word that ends in one or more than one consonants (except for “r”) or in a stressed syllable.
send /send/	debt /det/	them /ðem/	met /met/	
get /get	/bed /bed/	bell /bel/	tell /tel/	
pen /pen/	scent /sent/	stretch /stretʃ/	member /'membə/	
tender /'tendə/	November /nəʊ'vembə/	eleven /ɪ'levən/	extend /isk'tend/
Exception
her /hɜː/	term /tɜːm/	interpret /ɪn'tɜːprɪt/
3. "ea" is pronounced /e/ in certain cases:
dead /ded/	head /hed/	bread /bred/	ready /'redi/
heavy/'hevɪ/	breath /breθ/	leather /'leðə/	breakfast /'brekfəst/
steady /'stedi/	jealous 'dʒeləs/	measure /'meʒə/pleasure /'pleʒə/
/æ/ is a short sound, Open your mouth wide.
It's pronounced /æ/....../æ/.
Cat /kæt/	Bag /bæg/	Black /blæk/
Hand /hænd/	Map /mæp/	Candle /ˈkændl/
Narrow /ˈnærəʊ/	Latter /ˈlætər/	Captain /ˈkæptɪn/
Identify the vowels which are pronounced /æ/ 
“a” được phát âm là /æ/ trong các trường hợp:
1.In a word with one syllable and ends in one ore more than one consonants.
hat /hæt/	sad /sæd/	fat /fæt/	bank /bæŋk/
map /mæp/	fan /fæn/	slang /slæŋ/	tan 	/tæn/
rank /ræŋk/	dam /dæm/	thanks /θæŋks/	thatch /θætʃ/
2. In a stressed syllable and stands before two consonants
candle 	/'kændl/	captain /'kæptɪn/	baptize /bæpˈtaɪz/
latter 	/'lætə(r)]/	mallet 	 /'mælɪt/	narrow /ˈnærəʊ/
manner 	/'mænə(r)]/	calculate /ˈkælkjʊleɪt/unhappy /ʌnˈhæpi/
Note: In some words, there are two ways of reading according to British English or American English:
ask /ɑːsk/ / /æsk/ 	can't kɑːnt/ //kænt/ commander/kə'mɑːndə/ //kə'mændə/ 
Unit 4: vowel /ɒ/  and //ɔː/ 
/ɒ/  is a short vowel sound.
To make this sound, round your lips a little.
The front of your tongue is low and towards the back of your mouth.
It's pronounced /ɒ/.../ɒ/.
Dog /dɒg/	Box /bɒks/	Job /dʒɒb/	Cost /kɒst/
Clock /klɒk/	Hobby /'hɒbi/	Coffee /'kɒfi/	Sorry /'sɒri/
Doctor /ˈdɒktə(r)/	Impossible /ɪmˈpɒsəbl/
Examples
shot /ʃɒt/	lock /lɒk/	cot /kɒt/	pot /pɒt/
shock /ʃɒk/	top /tɒp/	box /bɒks/	block /blɒk/
body /ˈbɒdi/	lot /lɒt/	odd /ɒd/	hop /hɒp/
comma /ˈkɒmə/	rob /rɒb/	robbery /ˈrɒbəri/	stop /stɒp/
Identify the vowels which are pronounced /ɒ/ (Nhận biết các nguyên âm được phát âm là /ɒ/)
 "o" thường được phát âm là /ɒ/ trong một số trường hợp
dog /dɒg/	stop /stɒp/	bottle /'bɒtl/	bother /ˈbɒðəʳ/ 
 Long vowel /ɔ:/ 
/ɔː/ is a long vowel sound.
Put the front of your tongue down
Round your lips.
It’s pronounced /ɔː/ .... /ɔː/
ball /bɔːl/	saw /sɔː/	talk /tɔːk/	short /ʃɔːrt/
door /dɔːr/	water /ˈwɔːtər/	daughter /ˈdɔːtər/	corner /ˈkɔːrnər/
before /bɪˈfɔːr/	autumn /ˈɔːtəm/
Examples
horse /hɔːs/	ball /bɔːl/	four /fɔː(r)/	caught /kɔːt/
cord /kɔːd/	port /pɔːt/	fork /fɔːk/	sport /spɔːt/
short /ʃɔːt/	gore /gɔː(r)/	pour /pɔː(r)/	awful /'ɔːfʊl/
court /kɔːt/	auction /'ɔːkʃn/	pause /pɔːz/	cortisone /ˈkɔːrtəsoʊn/ 
bought /bɔːt/	or /ɔː(r)/
Identify the vowels which are pronounced /ɔː/ (Nhận biết các nguyên âm được phát âm là /ɔː/)
1. "a" is pronounced /ɔː/ in one- syllable word ending in "ll"
tall /tɔːl/	call /kɔːl/	small /smɔːl/	fall /fɔːl/
ball /bɔːl/	hall /hɔːl/	wall /wɔːl/	tall /stɔːl/
Ngoại lệ:
shall /ʃæl