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How can teachers help learners distinguish between /p/ and /b/ sounds?

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If you teach English as a second or foreign language, you probably know that some sounds are harder to pronounce than others for your learners. One common challenge is the difference between /p/ and /b/, two sounds that are made with the same position of the lips and tongue, but with a different use of the voice. In this article, you will learn some tips on how to help your learners distinguish between these sounds and improve their pronunciation.

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Jennie Reed

Feel proud of your English communication whatever your accent. Create meaningful connections through English in any…

1 What are /p/ and /b/?

/p/ and /b/ are called bilabial plosives, which means they are produced by blocking and releasing the air flow with both lips. The main difference between them is that /p/ is voiceless and /b/ is voiced. Voicing is the vibration of the vocal cords that you can feel in your throat when you make a sound. You can check the voicing of a sound by putting your hand on your throat and feeling if it vibrates or not. For example, say /p/ and /b/ separately and notice the difference.

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2 Why are /p/ and /b/ difficult?

For some learners, especially those whose native language does not have a contrast between voiced and voiceless sounds, /p/ and /b/ can be hard to tell apart. They may not hear the difference, or they may not know how to produce it. For example, some learners may pronounce /p/ as /b/ or vice versa, or they may add extra sounds like /h/ or /?/ after /p/ or /b/. This can affect their communication and comprehension, as well as their confidence and fluency.

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3 How to teach /p/ and /b/?

Teaching /p/ and /b/ can be done in a few steps. To start, explain the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds and demonstrate the articulation of /p/ and /b/ using diagrams, videos, or a mirror. Then, practice the sounds in isolation with minimal pairs, such as /p?n/ and /b?n/, or /pe?/ and /be?/. Engage learners with flashcards, games, drills, or chants. After that, practice the sounds in context with sentences, dialogues, stories, or songs. Use tongue twisters, jokes, or riddles to challenge them. Finally, provide feedback and correction using positive reinforcement and error correction techniques. You can use gestures, facial expressions, peer feedback, self-monitoring, or recording devices to help your learners notice and improve their mistakes.

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Jennie Reed

Feel proud of your English communication whatever your accent. Create meaningful connections through English in any situation, through 1:1 & small group coaching | Fluency | Proficiency | English Pronunciation Coach
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One great way to differentiate between these two sounds is to get a piece of paper and hold it in front of your mouth as you practise these two sounds. The students will be able to see how much the paper moves. For the unvoiced /p/ the paper will move a lot more than for the /b/. If your students don't have a spare piece of paper, ask them to use their hands in front of their own mouths to feel how much air is coming out - the /p/ will be much stronger than the /b/.

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4 How to practice /p/ and /b/?

Incorporating /p/ and /b/ into your lessons is essential, but you can also encourage your learners to practice them on their own. They can listen to authentic materials, such as podcasts or videos, to identify and repeat the sounds. They can also read aloud texts that contain the sounds and mark stress or intonation. Speaking with native or proficient speakers can help them use the sounds in different situations. Additionally, they can play with sounds by making rhymes or puns that involve /p/ and /b/. This will help them create their own examples or share them with others.

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5 How to assess /p/ and /b/?

Finally, you can assess your learners' progress and performance on /p/ and /b/ with tests, tasks, and self-assessment. Tests such as dictation, multiple choice, or matching can measure their ability to recognize and produce /p/ and /b/. You can use rubrics, scales, or criteria to grade them. Tasks such as presentations, interviews, or role-plays require learners to use /p/ and /b/ in meaningful and communicative contexts. Checklists, feedback forms, or portfolios can be used to evaluate them. Self-assessment such as surveys, journals, or reflections allow learners to monitor and evaluate their own learning and improvement. Questions, prompts, or goals can be used to guide them.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Silvina Celli

Ayudo a profesionales a superar el miedo y hablar inglés con fluidez desde el primer día . Clases online, individuales y personalizadas, para que logres tus objetivos. ???? ?Seguime y activá la ??! ??
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For us, Spanish Speakers, English pronunciation is really tough I support the idea of teaching phonetics as from day one, but also understand it as one more process for the student to undertake, and this needs time Some sounds as these tow in particular are easy to learn just with practice

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How can teachers help learners distinguish between /p/ and /b/ sounds?

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1 What are /p/ and /b/?

2 Why are /p/ and /b/ difficult?

3 How to teach /p/ and /b/?

4 How to practice /p/ and /b/?

5 How to assess /p/ and /b/?

6 Here’s what else to consider

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