On the Existence of the Phonemic Chart in my Classroom

Practically speaking, you may not find it necessary to have the phonemic chart in your classroom. After all, you can always refer your students to one of those online dictionaries to hear the pronunciation of individual words and compare the pronunciation of similar-sounding words.

Practically speaking too, I find the chart a useful aid in my classroom. Sometimes differences in pronunciation can be difficult to grasp for the untrained ear and perhaps the only way to show learners there is a difference is to let them see the phonemic script. Consider a learner who produces these words without any distinction:

• pit /pɪt/ a hole – pet /pet/ an animal
• sit /sɪt/ opposite of stand – set /set/ put
• position /pəˈzɪʃən/ way of standing – possession /pəˈzeʃən/ having something

In terms of communication, mistakes in pronunciation can be tolerated and they often are, as are other mistakes that do not make mutual intelligibility difficult. Exam boards, however, often set a very high standard of performance for exam candidates and have almost zero-tolerance for indistinct pronunciation.

If you believe students do not need to learn about the phonemes as displayed on the phonemic chart (sometimes called the sound chart) and so prefer not to have a chart in your classroom lest students should start asking questions that can otherwise save valuable classroom time, you should know that learner questions are always a good sign that they are learning or at least in the process, which also means you are a successful teacher.

Enjoy!

Essam Abulkhaire

Freelance Teacher of English