Teaching Tips

Teaching challenging segmental sounds and contrasts with physicalizations

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Abstract

Physicalizations can help pronunciation instructors model challenging consonant and vowel (segmental) features and contrasts. Learners can greatly benefit from using these physicalizations in class and for practicing segmentals outside of class. This teaching tip summarizes a series of physicalizations that are available as open-access online videos to supplement a new pronunciation textbook. This teaching tip covers the following physicalizations: hand squeezing and rowing for the distinction between tense and lax vowels, the finger monitor for jaw dropping needed for low vowels, the thumb and finger test for the “th” sounds, and various hand positions for the /r/ and /l/ sounds. After describing these ten physicalizations, recommendations for incorporating physicalizations into pronunciation instruction are also discussed.

Keywords: pronunciation, segmentals, physicalizations, teaching tip

How to Cite:

Kaiser, D. (2026). Teaching challenging segmental sounds and contrasts with physicalizations. In P. Trofimovich, A. Bodea, T.-N. N. Le, R. Suzuki, & C. Teló (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference (pp. 1–7). Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, October 2025. https://doi.org/10.31274/psllt.21299