Is reading aloud… allowed?

1. Is reading aloud… allowed? Alan Marsh

2. Acknowledgement: Jeremy Harmer

3. Reading an unseen text aloud • The hierarchical structure of the various psychiatric hospitals was such that those of greater professional status had the least to do with their patients (and pseudo-patients). The average daily contact of the pseudo-patients with psychiatrists, psychologists, and doctors was 6.8 minutes. In view of this general lack of careful observation by those in authority, it is not surprising that the pseudo-patients were not released very quickly. The actual length of hospitalization ranged from 7 to 52 days, with 19 days being the average. • The fact that all the pseudo-patients were released within a few weeks of admission may suggest that the psychiatric staff discovered that the pseudo-patients had been sane all the time. However, this was not the case. All the pseudo-patients were discharged with a diagnosis of ‘schizophrenia in remission’, indicating that the deception had not been detected.

4. Reading aloud – the case against Can be boring for the others Nerves, feeling uncomfortable Doesn’t help with understanding Usually done badly – no training Often dense texts – difficult even for experienced readers Not normal – we usually read silently

5. Reading aloud - the case in favour: Can help to make connections between written words and sounds, groups of words and stress and intonation Diagnostic tool –disconnect between sounds and spelling Can be very motivating if …. rehearsal time is factored in It is occasionally a real-life skill eg … Hey, listen to this and … Presentations

6. Health Warning! • Nothing should be attempted without preparation and, ideally, rehearsal. • Only after students have had a chance to understand the text they will read from. • And even then, as one teacher says: ‘I usually ask them if they want to read aloud. I explain that it is to work on their pronunciation, intonation, rhythm … and will help them build their confidence.’

7. The ‘listening brain’:DA-di-DA sentences Listen. Did you hear a or b? • 1 a. I can drive. b. I can’t ski. • 2 a. I don’t think so. b. I’m sorry I’m late. • 3 a. Are you coming? b. Who did you meet? • 4 a. I’ve been to Spain b. I haven’t been to Greece..

8. Shifting stress A Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo B Right, Sue caught the 9.15 ferry to Gozo. A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B I see. You caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B Got you! Sue missed the 9.30 ferry to Gozo A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B Right. Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Sicily. A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B OK! Sue caught the 9.30 plane to Gozo! A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B Well, you really shouldn’t mumble so much. Articulate!

9. Shifting stress A Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo B Right, ……….9.15 A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B I see. You ……………………. A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B Got you! ….missed A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B Right. ………………………………………………….Sicily. A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B OK! ……………plane A No! Sue caught the 9.30 ferry to Gozo! B Well, you really shouldn’t mumble so much. Articulate!

10. Two poems • Partner A: your poem is on Page5 of these worksheets • Partner B: your poem is on Page10 of these worksheets.

11. For Anne • With Annie gone, whose eyes to compare with the morning sun? Not that I did compare, But I do compare Now that she's gone. • Leonard Cohen

12. Cake • i wanted one life you wanted another we couldn't have our cake so we ate each other. • Roger McGough

13. Dysart: Do you dream often? • Alan: Do YOU? • Dysart: It’s my job to ask the questions. Yours to answer them. • Alan: Says who? • Dysart: Says me. Do you dream often? • Alan: Do you? • Dysart: Look - Alan • Alan: I’ll answer if you answer. • Dysart: Very well. Only we have to speak the truth. • Alan: (Mocking) Very well. • Dysart: So. Do you dream often? • Alan: Yes. Do you? • Dysart: Yes. Do you have a special dream? • Alan: No. Do you? • Dysart: Yes. What was your dream about last night? • Alan: Can’t remember. What’s yours about? • Dysart: I said the truth. • Alan: That is the truth. What’s yours about? The special one. • Dysart: Carving up children. My turn.

14. Reading along with the news A1: And here are the news headlines. Following severe droughts in Africa the President of the USA has announced that he is going to send food and provisions to the people of Somalia who have lost their homes and livelihood. A2: Robert Holmes Minister for the Environment has resigned the Prime Minister has ordered an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of a large sum of money a spokesman for the minister told us that he was out of the country and not available for comment.

15. A1: Schoolgirl Paula Gates has not been allowed back into school after the summer holidays because she has had her nose pierced according to headmistress Jean Bradley Pauline knew that piercing was against school rules the girl will be allowed back into school when she removes the offending ring. A2: And finally to end on a happier note wedding bells are ringing for 81-year-old Max Williams who won 16 million pounds in the lottery last month he’s going to marry 22-year-old dancer Sally Lister the happy couple posed for photographers outside the millionaire’s luxury home in Essex and Sally held out her hand to show off her 10000 pound engagement ring for the cameras. From: Inside Out Intermediate. • Listen again and whisper or mumble along with the recording. • Work with a partner. Student A is Announcer 1 and Student B is Announcer 2. Read the headlines (without the recording!) at an appropriate speed and rhythm. • Record your and your partner’s version!

16. TAPESCRIPT 1 • A Listen! … BA 516 to Geneva. That’s our flight. • B Did the announcement say Gate 4 or 14? • A I couldn’t hear. I think it said 4. • B Look! There it is on the departure board. It is gate 4 . • A OK. Come on! Let’s go. • From: New Headway Elementary

17. TAPECRIPT STUDY • A LISten! … BA 516 to GenEva. That’s our FLIGHT. •  B Did the anNOUNcement say Gate FOUR or fourTEEN? •  A I couldn’t HEAR. I think it said FOUR. •  B LOOK!THERE it is on the dePARture board. • It IS Gate 4 . •  A OK. Come ON! Let’s GO.

18. The music of English 1 Practice the listening skill as per normal 2 Work on the tapescript for pronunciation • Divide into chunks • Identify primary stress in each chunk 3 Students listen and whisper at the same time 4 Students rehearse 5 Students work in pairs, listen to each other and give each other feedback 6 They can then record their version and/or act it out in front of the class. For this they could use only the stressed syllables/words as memory prompts.

19. Listen to this! It says here …. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. The easier it is to do, the harder it is to change. Teamwork is twice the results for half the effort. Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can. Humour is always the shortest distance between two people. Anyone can make a mistake, but to really mess things up requires a computer. People always have two reasons for doing things: a good reason and a real reason. People who think they know it all are a pain in the neck to those of us who really do. An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until he knows everything about nothing. The human brain starts working the moment you are born and doesn’t stop until you stand up to speak in public.

20. Up and down: intonation We’re doing well in Europe, but not in the Middle East. Turnover is down, but productivity is up. And for the second year running. In Mexico we’re number one, in Argentina we’re number one, in Chile we’re number one, but in Brazil we’re nowhere.

21. The world’s second most popular drink • The world’s most popular drink is water. You probably knew that already. After all, it’s a basic requirement of life on earth. But did you know that the world’s second most popular drink is Coke? And that the human race drinks six hundred million Cokes a day? Now, let’s just put that into some kind of perspective. It means that every week of every year people drink enough Coke to fill the World Trade Center. In fact, if all the Coca-Cola ever consumed was poured over Niagara Falls instead of water it would take nearly two days to run dry. There’s almost nowhere on the planet, from Miami to Malawi, where the word Coke isn’t instantly recognized. The brand name alone is worth thirty billion dollars. And that’s what makes Coca-Cola a global marketing phenomenon.

22. Chunking and pausing The world’s most popular drink is water. You probably knew that already. After all, it’s a basic requirement of life on earth. But did you know that the world’s second most popular drink is Coke?

23. And that the human race drinks six hundred million Cokes a day? Now, let’s just put that into some kind of perspective. It means that every week of every year people drink enough Coke to fill the World Trade Center.

24. In fact, • if all the Coca-Cola ever consumed • was poured over Niagara Falls • instead of water • it would take nearly two days to run dry. • There’s almost nowhere on the planet, • from Miami • to Malawi,

25. where the word Coke • isn’t instantly recognized. • The brand name alone • is worth thirty billion dollars. • And that’s what makes Coca-Cola • a global marketing phenomenon.

26. Stress! • The world’s most popularDRINK • is WATER. • You probably knew that ALREADY. • After ALL, • it’s a basic requirement of lifeon EARTH. • But didyou KNOW • that the world’s SECOND most populardrink

27. is COKE? • And that the HUMAN RACE drinks • six hundred million Cokes a DAY? • Now, let’sjust put that into some kindof PERSPECTIVE. • It MEANS • that EVERY WEEK • of EVERY YEAR • people drinkenough COKE

28. to fill the World TRADECenter. In FACT, if all the Coca-Colaever CONSUMED was pouredover NIAGARA FALLS instead of WATER it would take nearly TWO DAYS to run DRY. There’s almost nowhere on the PLANET, from MIAMI to MALAWI, where the word COKE isn’t instantlyRECOGNIZED. The brandnameALONE is worth THIRTY BILLION DOLLARS. And THAT’S what makes COKE a GLOBAL MARKETING PHENOMENON.

29. Spaced out! • The world’s most popularDRINK • is WATER. • You probably knew that ALREADY. • After ALL, • it’s a basic requirement of life on EARTH. • But didyou KNOW • that the world’s SECOND most popular drink

30. is COKE? • And that the HUMAN RACE drinks • six hundred million Cokes a DAY? • Now, let’sjust put that into some kindof PERSPECTIVE. • It MEANS • that EVERY WEEK • of EVERY YEAR

31. people drinkenough COKE • to fill the World TRADE Center. • In FACT, • if all the Coca-Colaever CONSUMED • was pouredover NIAGARA FALLS • instead of WATER • it would takenearlyTWO DAYS to run DRY.

32. There’s almost nowhereon the PLANET, • from MIAMI • to MALAWI, • where the word COKE • isn’t instantlyRECOGNIZED. • The brandnameALONE • is worth THIRTY BILLION DOLLARS. • And THAT’S what makes COKE • a GLOBAL MARKETING PHENOMENON.

33. Reading aloud IS allowed! • But …… • Make sure meaning has been dealt with first • Give preparation time, including rehearsal • Use non-complex texts, including dialogues • Use ‘prepared’ reading aloud as training for the ‘listening brain’

34. Reading aloud can be genuinely useful, both for …. • learners’ own engagement with the text and for … • their ability to read aloud in a natural way.

35. And to conclude … • is a computer masculine or feminine?

36. Thanks! • If you would like these slides, email me at: • alanmarshinmalta@gmail.com • Feedback welcome!