A substantial amount of varied material found in Say It Right allows the teacher to create interesting lessons, effectively developing all language skills. Below you will find some practical exercises to use with a group of students.
ask students to find words that rhyme
ask students to find words with a given spelling; e.g. for /ʌ/ (wedge) the instruction could be: “Find words in which the sound /ʌ/ is spelled <o>.” (love, money, company, other, oven, etc)
ask students to make their own verb-noun or adjective-noun phrases; remind them to follow correct grammar and add an article where appropriate; e.g. for the vowel /ɪ/ these could include: a primitive individual, a simple picnic, slim women, a thick-skinned diplomat, a timid beginner, a sophisticated listener, etc.
if the selection of words allows for it, you can ask students to create their own “funny”, “crazy”, or “nonsensical” phrases; remind them to follow correct grammar and add an article where appropriate; e.g. for the vowel /i:/ the phrases could include: an evil limousine, a prehistoric pizza, lethal self-esteem, a legal stampede, an obscene keyboard, indecent sneakers, etc.
ask students to create their own sentences using as many words from the list as possible
for vocabulary revision and expansion, turn off the translation feature and play selected words, asking students to translate them into their native language
for more vocabulary practice, ask students to translate words from the list into English, giving them equivalents in their native language (with stronger groups, you can tell students to keep their textbooks closed)
an optional activity of vowels /ɪ/, /e/, /æ/, /ʌ/ – have students analyze the list of words and answer the question: “In which position is the practiced sound not found?” (A: In the final position.)
ask students to think of a famous person’s surname to add to a first name of their choice
ask students to think of a famous person’s first name to add to a surname of their choice
pick a pair of students, then ask one of them to say a name or a surname with a foreign pronunciation they can hear on the radio or television in their own country, and the other one to correct it using the English pronunciation
pick a pair of students, then ask one of them to say one geographical name from the exercise in their native language, and the other student to give its English equivalent
you can use this exercise to help students expand their knowledge of geography by asking them to point to a given country, town, or state on a map
have students make their own sentences using the phrases
pick a pair of students, then ask a student to read one of the two phrases out loud, and their partner to translate it and read the contrasting phrase (monitor the correctness during the task)
play one word in a pair, then ask a student to spell it (students must keep their books closed and the screen must be turned off)
play a pair of homophones, then ask a student to repeat and spell both words (students must keep their books closed and the screen must be turned off)
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