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Judy Gilbert

1) The document reviews a booklet by Judy Gilbert called "Teaching Pronunciation Using the Prosody Pyramid" which introduces the concept of prosody (rhythm and intonation) as vital components of effective communication. 2) Gilbert describes the Prosody Pyramid which progresses from general thought groups to more specific focuses on stress, word syllables, vowel length, and pitch changes. 3) The booklet provides practical guidance for teachers on implementing exercises and activities using the Prosody Pyramid framework at different proficiency levels to help students develop intelligible and listener-friendly speech.

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108 views2 pages

Judy Gilbert

1) The document reviews a booklet by Judy Gilbert called "Teaching Pronunciation Using the Prosody Pyramid" which introduces the concept of prosody (rhythm and intonation) as vital components of effective communication. 2) Gilbert describes the Prosody Pyramid which progresses from general thought groups to more specific focuses on stress, word syllables, vowel length, and pitch changes. 3) The booklet provides practical guidance for teachers on implementing exercises and activities using the Prosody Pyramid framework at different proficiency levels to help students develop intelligible and listener-friendly speech.

Uploaded by

Ruby Parra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Judy Gilbert (2008). Teaching Pronunciation Using the Prosody Pyramid.

Cambridge:
Cambridge UP. Available: http://www.cambridge.org/us/ESL/academicsupport.htm

Review by Colleen Meagher-Alkan, University of New Brunswick

Cambridge University Press has put together a research and methodology site that
offers booklets as downloadable PDF files. These methodology booklets have been pre-
pared by recognized names in the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
community and serve as resources for language teachers, teachers in training, administra-
tors, curriculum developers, and others interested and involved in the study of teaching. I
have chosen to review Judy Gilbert’s Teaching Pronunciation Using the Prosody Pyra-
mid.
This booklet is a resource to introduce the concept of prosody as a component of
effective communication. The introduction includes a description of the prosodic fea-
tures of the language combining rhythm and melody (intonation) as vital links in the
teaching of pronunciation. The reader is taken into the subject slowly as rhythm and
melody are first described as “road signs” that communicate the intentions of the speaker.
In her introduction, the author also puts a unique focus on the listener as a guide for the
speaker in the mastery of rhythmic and melodic signals essential to “listener friendly”
communication. Most communication breakdown occurs when the speaker does not fo-
cus on these essential signals. Furthermore, she states quite emphatically that these
rhythmic and melodic teachings are more important than any other effort in pronunciation
teaching, which fuels the suprasegmental versus segmental instruction debate. Gilbert
describes pronunciation as a deeply personal aspect of speaking, containing the elements
of self and community from the speech and rhythms of L1. Therefore, the objective of
this teaching is to learn core elements of spoken English so that one can be understood by
others, but not necessarily to sound like a “native speaker.”
Gilbert’s introduction helps to set the stage for someone with little or no experi-
ence in pronunciation teaching. Specific definitions and functions of melody and rhythm
follow, orienting the reader to the subject much as a learner orients him or herself to a
new speaker. The relationship between speaking and intelligibility is described as useful
for listening comprehension: “Prosodically-trained students have learned to understand
how rhythmic and melodic cues are used to organize information and guide the listener”
(p.6).
With the general concept presented, Chapter Two moves into the more technical
aspects of this type of pronunciation teaching. The Prosody Pyramid shows the progres-
sion from the general to the specific. It begins with a thought group, a focus word, stress,
and finally the peak. A detailed description with each portion of the pyramid helps the
reader become a little more familiar with each focus area. The author helps to tune the
reader into the process of identifying prosodic markers in thought groups (sentences or
moves on to more specific considerations regarding word syllables, vowel length, clarity,
and pitch changes. For the novice, this is where the conceptual understanding of content
becomes a little more complicated.
The third chapter is a more detailed description of the challenges of learning
vowel pronunciation. The author explains mechanics, interference from L1 sounds, and
phonemic awareness, as well as L1 rhythm. She explores issues with English spelling and
how decoding the alphabet for print objectives and spelling aloud assist in the pronuncia-
tion process. Reinforcing practice with these components is essential and practical. Gil-
bert continues with a more complex appreciation of vowels and gives pedagogical sug-
gestions for working with both low proficiency students and more advanced proficiency
level student. She concludes this chapter with a brief description of consonant sounds (an
area of less controversy) and grammar cues occurring at the end of words. Although I
appreciated the definition of alphabetic vowel sounds versus relative vowel sounds, she
was trying to cover a lot of territory in this chapter potentially making it somewhat con-
fusing and overwhelming for the novice pronunciation teacher.
Chapter Four introduces the concept of implementing the Prosody Pyramid into
curriculum. Gilbert notes that quality repetition is essential for success in this subject.
Included is a figure with references to several researchers who support the reasons for
repetition. Students are introduced to templates (reference thought groups) of production,
but it is suggested that the students receive the necessary time and practice to become
owners of the templates. Gilbert provides examples of exercises, ideas for different profi-
ciency levels, and some suggestions of physical resources one could use to accentuate the
focus word or syllable. In her words, to use as many visual, kinesthetic, and auditory
tools as you can to make ones interaction with the Prosody Pyramid more realistic.
Judy Gilbert has brought forward once again a resource that continues to support
pronunciation practice and teaching in the language learning curriculum. She focuses on
helping to make a student’s speech intelligible and “listener friendly” by breaking down
the teaching of rhythm and intonation into a focused prosody pyramid.

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