Exemplification of consonants in word-initial, medial and final positions for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: First Term
Week: 10
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: English Language
Curriculum Theme: Listening and speaking
Focal competence: Properly pronouncing consonants
Key competencies/values: Communication; ICT and Digital Competencies; Digital Competencies; Collaboration
Skills:

• Appropriately articulating consonants in speech

Previous Lesson: Exemplification of cohesion and coherence in writing
Topic: Consonants: Exemplification Of Consonants In Word-Initial, Medial And Final Positions
Subject Matter: Exemplification of consonants in word-initial, medial and final positions

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Pronounce consonants correctly.
• Give appropriate examples of words in which consonants occur word-initially.
• Give appropriate examples of words in which consonants occur word-medially.
• Give appropriate examples of words in which consonants occur word-finally.

Affective Domain

• Participate actively in group work to articulate consonants.
• Appreciate the importance of clear consonant pronunciation for effective communication.

Psychomotor Domain

• Articulate various consonant sounds clearly in words.
• Distinguish between similar consonant sounds using minimal pairs.

Social Domain

• Collaborate effectively with peers during group activities to practice pronunciation.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable English Language textbook for SS 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Consonant chart
• Drawing of organs of speech
• Flash cards with words
• Language laboratory (if available)
• Audio-visual materials (e.g., recordings of consonant sounds)
• Course books
• Face mirrors
• Flannel board
• Pronouncing dictionary

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because accurate pronunciation of consonants is fundamental to clear and effective spoken English. By learning to identify and articulate consonants in different word positions, students will improve their listening comprehension and speaking fluency. This skill directly supports better communication and reduces misunderstandings in everyday interactions.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students are expected to have a basic understanding of what consonants are, distinguishing them from vowels, from their previous English Language lessons.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Consonants: Exemplification Of Consonants In Word-Initial, Medial And Final Positions

Consonants in Word-Initial Position

A consonant is in the word-initial position when it appears at the beginning of a word and is the first sound pronounced.

1. /p/ as in pen, play, park
2. /b/ as in boy, ball, book
3. /t/ as in table, tea, time
4. /d/ as in dog, day, door
5. /k/ as in cat, key, queen
6. /g/ as in girl, go, game
7. /f/ as in fan, fish, four
8. /v/ as in van, vote, very
9. /s/ as in sun, sit, sing
10. /z/ as in zoo, zero, zip
11. /m/ as in man, milk, mother
12. /n/ as in nest, name, nine
13. /l/ as in lamp, love, long
14. /r/ as in rat, run, red
15. /w/ as in water, win, why
16. /j/ as in yellow, yes, yacht
17. /h/ as in house, hat, he

Consonants in Word-Medial Position

A consonant is in the word-medial position when it appears in the middle of a word, between other sounds, and is pronounced.

1. /p/ as in happy, upon, captain
2. /b/ as in rubber, label, robot
3. /t/ as in butter, city, water
4. /d/ as in middle, lady, student
5. /k/ as in baker, likely, picket
6. /g/ as in tiger, figure, singer
7. /f/ as in sofa, coffee, lifting
8. /v/ as in never, river, having
9. /s/ as in sister, message, lesson
10. /z/ as in dizzy, music, easy
11. /m/ as in hammer, coming, family
12. /n/ as in dinner, money, finish
13. /l/ as in pillow, holiday, talent
14. /r/ as in very, carry, story
15. /w/ as in awake, always, beware
16. /j/ as in beyond, oyster, layer
17. /h/ as in ahead, behind, cohere

Consonants in Word-Final Position

A consonant is in the word-final position when it appears at the end of a word and is the last sound pronounced.

1. /p/ as in cup, stop, jump
2. /b/ as in rub, job, club
3. /t/ as in cat, hat, fast
4. /d/ as in bed, good, hand
5. /k/ as in back, duck, book
6. /g/ as in bag, big, dog
7. /f/ as in leaf, rough, laugh
8. /v/ as in give, love, drive
9. /s/ as in bus, glass, kiss
10. /z/ as in buzz, fizz, was
11. /m/ as in jam, team, home
12. /n/ as in run, sun, sign
13. /l/ as in ball, tell, cool
14. /r/ as in car, far, door (in non-rhotic accents)
15. /ŋ/ as in sing, long, ring
16. /tʃ/ as in church, watch, teach
17. /dʒ/ as in judge, badge, large

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Explanation, Pair Work, Group Work, Individual Practice.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Recalling/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and briefly reviews the concept of consonants, asking students to recall some consonant sounds they know. The teacher then introduces the topic: “Exemplification of Consonants in Word-Initial, Medial and Final Positions.”

Pupils’ Activity: Students respond to questions about consonants and listen attentively to the introduction of the new topic.

Learning Point: Consonant sound recall.

Step 2: Initial Consonants

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what it means for a consonant to be in the word-initial position. Using the consonant chart and flashcards, the teacher demonstrates the pronunciation of various consonants in this position, providing clear examples like ‘pen’, ‘boy’, ‘table’. Students are encouraged to use face mirrors to observe their mouth movements.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, observe the teacher’s mouth movements, and repeat the example words after the teacher, using their face mirrors.

Learning Point: Initial consonant examples.

Step 3: Medial Consonants

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what it means for a consonant to be in the word-medial position. Using flashcards and audio-visual materials, the teacher demonstrates the pronunciation of consonants in the middle of words, giving examples such as ‘happy’, ‘rubber’, ‘butter’.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, observe, and practice pronouncing the medial consonants in the given words.

Learning Point: Medial consonant examples.

Step 4: Final Consonants

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what it means for a consonant to be in the word-final position. The teacher provides examples like ‘cup’, ‘bed’, ‘back’, demonstrating their pronunciation clearly. The teacher also highlights how some final consonants can be tricky (e.g., silent letters).

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, observe, and practice pronouncing the final consonants in the example words.

Learning Point: Final consonant examples.

Step 5: Group Practice

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Collaboration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher divides students into groups and provides each group with flashcards containing words. The teacher guides students to articulate and distinguish the consonants in different positions, encouraging them to use minimal pairs (e.g., ‘pin’ vs ‘bin’, ‘cat’ vs ‘cut’) to sharpen their listening and pronunciation skills. The teacher monitors and provides support.

Pupils’ Activity: Students work in groups, practice pronouncing words, articulate consonants, and use minimal pairs to distinguish sounds. They assist each other in pronunciation.

Learning Point: Consonant articulation practice.

Step 6: Individual Practice and Feedback

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Individual Assessment/Correction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher calls on individual students to pronounce words with consonants in initial, medial, and final positions. The teacher provides immediate, constructive feedback and corrections to help refine their pronunciation.

Pupils’ Activity: Individual students pronounce words as requested and receive feedback from the teacher, making corrections as guided.

Learning Point: Improved consonant pronunciation.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. Give two words where the consonant /p/ is in the initial position.
2. Provide an example of a word where the consonant /s/ is in the medial position.
3. Mention a word where the consonant /k/ is in the final position.
4. Why is it important to pronounce consonants clearly?

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Consonant position identification.

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes, including the examples of consonants in word-initial, medial, and final positions, into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Board summary recording.

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarises the main points of the lesson, reiterating the importance of correct consonant pronunciation for effective communication. The teacher encourages students to continue practicing at home.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen to the summary and prepare for the next lesson.

Learning Point: Consonant position reinforcement.

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Find five new words for each category (word-initial, word-medial, and word-final consonant positions) and use each word in a simple sentence.

1. List five words with a consonant in the initial position.
2. List five words with a consonant in the medial position.
3. List five words with a consonant in the final position.
4. Write a sentence for each of the fifteen words you listed.

Lesson Keywords

• Consonant – A speech sound produced by obstructing the breath in the vocal tract.
• Initial – Occurring at the beginning of a word.
• Medial – Occurring in the middle of a word.
• Final – Occurring at the end of a word.
• Articulation – The clear and distinct pronunciation of speech sounds.
• Pronunciation – The way a word or a language is spoken.

Differentiation

For students who struggle, provide simpler words and more one-on-one guidance, using the consonant chart and face mirrors extensively. For advanced learners, challenge them to identify consonant clusters in different positions or to create their own minimal pairs for more complex sounds.

Suggested Lesson Videos

YouTube search for “consonant sounds English word positions SS1”