Teaching of Diphthong at School Level

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TEACHING OF DIPHTHONGS AT SCHOOLS Diphthongs are sounds that begin as one vowel and end as another, while gliding between them. For this reason they are sometimes described as glide vowels. How many are there? Almost every modern authority says eight – but they do not all list the same eight. Simeon Potter, in Our Language (Potter, S, [1950] Chapter VI, Sounds and Spelling, London, Penguin) says there are nine –all of which I have found in the modern reference works. The one most usually omitted is /ɔə/ as in bored. Many speakers do not use this diphthong, but use the same vowel in poured as in fraud – but it is alive and well in the north of Britain. Potter notes that all English diphthongs are falling – that is the first element is stressed more than the second. Other languages have rising diphthongs, where the second element is stressed, as in Italian uomo (man) and uovo (egg). SYMBOLS aɪ - spice, pie ɛɪ - wait, fate ɔɪ - toy, joy əʊ - oats, note aʊ - clown, vow ɔə - bored, poured ɪə - deer, pier ɛə - hair, bear ʊə - cure, fuel HOW CAN WE TEACH DIPHTHONGS TO STUDENTS Diphthongs are higher level phonics skills that students often struggle with. You can teach diphthongs in a straightforward way by following these tips. • Diphthong Instruction First, make sure students have the correct understanding of diphthongs. At this point, your students should have heard of digraphs in their phonics lessons, and should remember that they are composed of two letters together that make one sound. Explain to them that some letters make a more complicated sound together, and that you have to move your mouth around to make the sound. Write the letters "oy" on the board. Pronounce the sound that they make, emphasizing how your mouth moves around to make the sound. Teach each diphthong individually or in pairs (e.g., "oy" and "oi"), leaving plenty of time for

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