Many pronunciation teachers today face the dilemma of how to teach pronunciation in a way that allows students to get the repetitive practice they need without diminishing student motivation. The SIP approach aims to explore this question. SIP stands for simplicity, imagination and physicality. It is a pedagogical protocol that was inspired by Kieran Egan who wrote, “to bring knowledge to life in students’ minds, we must introduce it to students in the context of the human hopes, fears and passions in which it finds its fullest meaning. The best tool for this is the imagination” [1]. Cognitive learning theory and experiential learning theory also contributed to the SIP framework. Two SIP based classroom activities were given to the students to complete in the classroom. 70 students were surveyed to determine how they defined imaginative teaching and how much they valued it. They were also asked to evaluate the SIP activities. The results showed that 100% of those surveyed believed imaginative lessons helped them feel motivated. A majority of the respondents also stated that the two SIP based activities helped them to better visualize and recall the key pronunciation points that had been taught and practiced through the activities.
Cite as: Nealy, M. (2016) SIP (Simplicity, Imagination and Physicality): A Teaching Approach for Improving Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes in the Pronunciation Classroom. Proc. International Symposium on Applied Phonetics (ISAPh 2016), 89-94, doi: 10.21437/ISAPh.2016-18
@inproceedings{nealy16_isaph,
author={Marcellus Nealy},
title={{SIP (Simplicity, Imagination and Physicality): A Teaching Approach for Improving Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes in the Pronunciation Classroom}},
year=2016,
booktitle={Proc. International Symposium on Applied Phonetics (ISAPh 2016)},
pages={89--94},
doi={10.21437/ISAPh.2016-18}
}