Word Stress Bingo

 Improve comprehensibility and fluency through guided listening and speaking practice with a focus on segmental and suprasegmental features. . Objectives: (Students will be able to…)

 practice making the target sounds.  listen carefully to native and non-native speaker speech samples and identify target features.

Preparation:

1. Prepare and copy enough bingo cards for all your students. (If students are advanced enough have them draw their own bingo cards and put the words on the “Syllable and Stress” worksheet in any order they wish.

2. Cut the “Syllable and Stress” worksheet words into individual slips of paper to be used to randomly call out the appropriate words.

3. Make bingo markers by taking scrap paper and cutting it into 1”x1” squares.

Directions:

1. Inform students that segmental features are not the only features that impede comprehensibility.

2. Tell students stress is another factor.

3. Use the word kitab as an example. Stressing the first syllable, ask Arabic speaking students what ki-tab means. This will likely elicit blank stares as it does not mean anything in Arabic. Then ask them what ki-tab means, putting primary stress on the second syllable. In this way students should understand you are saying the word book in Arabic. Explain that the same thing happens in English; if students don’t use stress correctly they won’t be understood.

4. Distribute the “Syllable and Stress” Worksheet. a. Remind students that being able to determine syllable boundaries will help them be better equipped to pronounce words comprehensibly. b. Read the words on handout to students. c. Have students work independently to count the number of syllables in each word. Also have them mark which syllable is stressed. Tell them they can use their learner dictionaries if they need help. d. Have students compare answers. e. Then check as a class (see corresponding answer key for any discrepancies).

5. Now that students have reviewed how the way the words sound, they are ready to play word stress bingo. a. Distribute “Bingo” cards (or have students make their own). b. Explain the directions: i. You will randomly choose the words in the box (from the “Syllable and Stress” worksheet) ii. You will read the words to the students iii. If the word read matches the one of the words on their bingo card they should cover it with one of the paper makers provided iv. The goal is to get 5 words in a row covered horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. v. The first student to do so should yell bingo. vi. They will then have to read back the words they have covered using correct stress patterns to prove they have the correct words marked. vii. Repeat the process as time allows. 1. For an added twist, have the winning student be the next person to read the selected words. Name:______

Syllables and Stress

ex1. fifteen fif-teen ex2. fifty fif-ty 1. comedy 2. committee 3. printout 4. print out 5. blackboard 6. black board 7. thirteen 8. thirty 9. history 10. his story 11. nineteen 12. ninety 13. bluebird 14. blue bird 15. turnoff 16. turn off 17. handout 18. hand out 19. contrast (n.) 20. contrast (v.) 21. record (n.) 22. record (v.) 23. fourteen 24. forty 25. for tea

Syllables and Stress Answer Key ex1. fifteen fif-teen ex2. fifty fif-ty 26. comedy co-me-dy 27. committee co-mit-tee 28. printout print-out 29. print out print out 30. blackboard black-board 31. black board black board 32. thirteen thir-teen 33. thirty thir-ty 34. history his-tor-y 35. his story his stor-y 36. nineteen nine-teen 37. ninety nine-ty 38. bluebird blue-bird 39. blue bird blue bird 40. turnoff turn-off 41. turn off turn off 42. handout hand-out 43. hand out hand out 44. contrast (n.) con-trast 45. contrast (v.) con-trast 46. record (n.) re-cord 47. record (v.) re-cord 48. fourteen four-teen 49. forty for-ty 50. for tea for tea

Word Stress Bingo 1

record fifteen comedy printout blackboard turn off sixty nineteen fourteen thirteen

history thirty fifty ninety his story

seventeen blue bird print out sixteen seventy

black board committee bluebird turnoff forty

Word Stress Bingo 2

blackboard printout for tea fifteen comedy thirteen fourteen turn off sixty nineteen

his story ninety history thirty fifty

seventy sixteen seventeen blue bird print out

forty turnoff contrast committee bluebird