Description

Pronunciation is a key pillar of second language acquisition, yet literature on teaching this skill to young learners is sorely lacking. This lack of a solid teaching approach is a challenge to both teachers and learners alike. We do know that optimal teaching environments for these learners involve highly interactive, visually appealing, multisensory activities. While many learners thrive under these conditions, others continue to struggle—often due to unaddressed learning differences. Indeed, traditional pronunciation-teaching methods have often failed to include learners who process language differently, including those with ADHD, dyslexia, or autism.

This webinar will draw on the speaker’s Emopron approach, which is an inclusive, multisensory, story-based method that builds phonological awareness through narrative, movement, visual support, and emotion. Participants will:

• Reflect on the challenges of teaching pronunciation and literacy to young learners.
• Explore sensory-rich activities that foster phonological awareness.
• Experience pronunciation instruction for all young learners (including those who are neurodiverse) through Emopron stories.
• Discover low-prep strategies to integrate pronunciation, speech, and literacy into playful, accessible English language lessons.   

Presenter

Prof. & Lic. Stella Palavecino, Master in TEFL, is a graduate teacher, teacher trainer, materials writer, and author based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She holds postgraduate degrees in Phonetics and Phonology, Higher Education, and Information and Communications Technology. She has published extensively and presented at international conferences on topics including phonology, pronunciation, phonics, tools for pronunciation teaching, language laboratories, and phonetics pedagogy. Prof. Palavecino runs EmoPron Stories, a teacher training and resource hub where she shares her approach to teaching pronunciation to young learners through phonics storybooks. https://emopronstories.com.ar/ 

Hosts

Teaching of Pronunciation Interest Group (TOP-IG)
Marsha Chan and Patryk Mrozek. Co-coordinators
Donna Brinton, Assistant Coordinator

Moderator

Marsha Chan

Date and Time