Phonetic trainer for foreign teachers

Starting position/challenge

IQ recognition advice most frequently provides support to individuals on teaching occpations. In the IQ context, language training is also offered for this target group. Coherent pronunciation and a clear style of speaking are essential for teachers to convey learning content and competent interaction with learners, colleagues and with parents. Previously, no appropriate materials were available for training pronunciation in conjunction with the specialist vocabulary and specific vocational communica tion situations. In light of the mostly lengthy qualification pathways for this group of people en route to recognition, and given the lack of materials, the development of a teach-yourself manual by passage gGmbH‘s IQ Competence Centre for Work-Related German Language was a necessary step. The aim was to improve the situation for the target group itself, but also for the institutions which work with the target group.

Implementation of the “SCHOOL your pronunciation” tool

A range of different specialist expertise was involved when creating the “SCHOOL your pronunciation” (in German:  SCHULE deine Aussprache) tool. The purpose of the tool was to embed phonetic learning content into specific occupational vocabulary as well as to take into account the principles in the methodology of German as a second language, adult education and the practice of teaching phonetics. The authors, Olga Haber,  Katrin Hannappel-Schröder and Benno Peters developed a manual consisting of four parts: (1) test for self-assessment and external assessment, (2) prosody (e.g. exercises on word stress or intonation), (3) consonants and vowels of standard German and (4) use of everyday language.

The manual comprises 20 chapters with 215 audio files. Each chapter was trialled in a subject-observer setting. Improvement in pronunciation and increasing motivation was observed in the subjects even during the trial. Diagrams were produced to help visualise the sound articulation, a glossary containing simply explained terms was created, and an answer key for all tasks was prepared. The test developed for self and external assessment gives users the chance to identify their individual needs, to prepare the training plan and to gradually work on their pronunciation. In the individual chapters, learners find out about the pronunciation rules, get to grips with phonetic phenomena, and try out the pronunciation tips. The range of texts, fun elements and entertaining listening texts aim to provide motivation for practice. At the end of each chapter, learners reflect on what they have learned and record their successes.

Conclusion

The booklet is available as a print version. It can also be downloaded free of charge along with all the audio files and the answer key from the website www.deutsch-am-arbeitsplatz.de. The phonetic trainer is now being used across Germany, in particular in Network IQ subprojects. It is also being downloaded and used abroad.