Pronunciation Corner
Joyce Mandell

Joyce Mandell

Using Warm-ups in the Pronunciation Class

Pronunciation of a new language challenges the learner on many levels.  A major area of change is the use of new muscles in the lips, the jaw, and the entire facial area.  I often say that when you change languages you also have to change the way your face is going to look – often stretching the lips and opening the mouth much more than is necessary for the students’ home languages.  An athlete, singer or dancer would never omit a warm-up session before going on stage or in the stadium for a game, and neither should a pronunciation class begin without the students engaging in warm-ups that get their vocal apparatus and muscles prepared for the physical demands of the class.  It also helps to relieve the anxiety level of students, as pronunciation classes demand a high level of risk-taking, participation, and self-exposure. 

I often begin my classes with classic warm-up exercises that are based on exercises that actors and singers do before any rehearsal or performance.  They are adapted from Edith Skinner’s famous Speak with Distinction, a standard textbook for stage actors who are looking to improve the clarity and beauty of their speech. 

1. Have everyone stand in a circle facing inward.  Tell everyone to inhale through the nose and out through the mouth, repeating several times.  Have them concentrate on the breath coming in and going out.
2. As the breath enters the body, tell them to relax their abdominal muscles. Repeat several times.  On the final exhale, have the students do a group “Ahhhhhhh” aloud. 
3. Neck rolls are next.  Roll the neck around slowly, first clockwise and then counterclockwise.  Have the students follow your directions, making sure to talk them through the exercise with a very relaxed voice and at a slow tempo.
4. Pull shoulders up to the ears and hold for five seconds, then release.  Repeat several times.  Remind students to perform the exercises slowly.
5. Finally, talk students through the following directions:

Squeeze your eyebrows tightly into a frown, hold, hold………and then release
Squeeze your nose tight, hold, hold…………………………… and then release
Make a big frown………………………………………………..and then release
Smile a big smile……………………………………………….. and then release
Relax your jaw, let it open and stick out your tongue…………..and then release

Students are often shy and reluctant at first, but they soon get used to it, as they would any stretching routine they might do in the gym. 

Joyce Mandell has been teaching speech and pronunciation skills to the non-native speaker for over 15 years, working in a variety of educational and business settings.  She is an adjunct at Baruch College in both Continuing and Professional Studies and the Communication Studies Department, where she teaches public speaking.  She also works individually with business professionals.

Feel free to contact her with questions or suggestions at dialogue@nystesol.org.