When Students Ask

That day was supposedly my class' oral examination. It was a sort of a general review of critical English sounds that are commonly mispronounced by Filipino students. However, the class will be “used” for a demo teaching by a teacher-applicant, so today’s class was cancelled.

As I was about to go, some students began asking me about the meaning and the pronunciation of some unfamiliar words I included in the exams. (I gave each of them a copy of the words yesterday so they could practice it at home.) As I was not about to give them a bargain for their assessment, I told them to look for those words in the dictionary. Some of them discreetly consulted their pocket dictionaries and I affirmed their actions by saying that the definition they offered (as based on the dictionary) is right.

One student, Gio, kept on pointing randomly at some words and asked me to say it. I can sense that he wanted a quick review on the sounds, as he knew very well that he had been struggling in my class. Gio has a lisp, and producing the voiceless TH sound proved to be very difficult for him.

I told him to do the technique I shared to the class, which is to put his tongue in the middle of his upper and lower teeth as he says the [s] sound. He said he had been trying that since Tuesday (the day I introduced them to the voiceless TH sound) but it “felt awkward.” I told him that it is but natural for him to feel so since he is (as most Filipinos are) not aware of the distinctive American sound. I even shared to him how my classmates and I, way back in college, dealt with the saliva coming out of our mouths just so we could arrive at the right sound.

Another student, Aira, had also asked me to say “beat” and “bit.” As per my assessment, Aira had been having difficulty producing some sounds since she was just too lazy to open her mouth. I, then, exaggeratingly demonstrated to her the proper contour of the lips to arrive at some sounds. I was surprised that she went to a mirror located at the back of the classroom and started “shaping” her lips. I followed her and also “shaped” my lips.

In my initial meeting with the head teacher, I expressed that it is not my intention to change the students’ speaking behaviors in a matter of two weeks. That would be too frustrating on my part. My main objective, then, was to instill in my students an awareness of the different English sounds and how these play a crucial role in effective communication so they can be vigilant as they speak.

This is why when students ask me questions (or consult me after the class), I feel that I have done my part and I have done it well. In as much as we want to teach everything to the students, we cannot do so given the so little time that we have. We can only ignite in them the desire to learn and discover more about themselves and the world around them. And when they do, even with just one simple question, we know that we have taught them for good.