Vowel Sounds /i/ and /i:/ for JSS 2

Class: JSS 2
Term: First Term
Week: 4
Age: 13 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: Vowel Sounds
Previous Lesson: First Term English Language Studies Examination
Topic: Listening and Speaking
Subject Matter: Vowel sounds: – /i/ and /i:/ identify contrast in sounds identify words containing sounds in the beginning, middle and end of word e.g. /i/:- sit, sip giggle

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the short /i/ and long /i:/ vowel sounds.
• Differentiate between the short /i/ and long /i:/ vowel sounds.
• Identify words containing the short /i/ and long /i:/ sounds.

Psychomotor Domain

• Produce the short /i/ and long /i:/ sounds correctly.
• Pronounce words containing the short /i/ and long /i:/ sounds accurately.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of clear pronunciation in communication.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Flashcards with words containing /i/ and /i:/ sounds.
• Charts showing phonetic symbols and example words.
• Pictures illustrating words with the target sounds.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for developing students’ listening and speaking skills. Mastering the distinction between similar-sounding vowels like /i/ and /i:/ is fundamental for clear pronunciation and effective communication, preventing misunderstandings in spoken English.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students have been introduced to basic English vowel sounds and can identify some common words.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Vowel Sounds: /i/ and /i:/

Understanding the Vowel Sounds /i/ and /i:/

English has several vowel sounds that can be confusing. Today, we will focus on two specific sounds: the short /i/ and the long /i:/.

1. Short /i/ sound: This is a short, lax vowel sound, similar to the ‘i’ in “pig”. Your tongue is relatively relaxed and slightly lower in your mouth.
2. Long /i:/ sound: This is a long, tense vowel sound, similar to the ‘ee’ in “sheep”. Your tongue is higher and more forward in your mouth, and your lips are slightly spread.

Contrast Between /i/ and /i:/

It is important to differentiate these two sounds because mispronouncing them can change the meaning of a word. For example:

1. “Sit” (short /i/) vs. “Seat” (long /i:/)
2. “Ship” (short /i/) vs. “Sheep” (long /i:/)
3. “Bit” (short /i/) vs. “Beat” (long /i:/)

Words Containing the Short /i/ Sound (/i/)

The short /i/ sound can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of words:

1. Beginning:
   1. Ink
   2. If
   3. Into
2. Middle:
   1. Sit
   2. Sip
   3. Giggle
   4. Pin
   5. Fish
3. End: (The short /i/ sound rarely appears at the very end of English words as a distinct sound, but can be heard in unstressed syllables like in “pretty” or “happy”, which are often transcribed with /ɪ/ or /i/ depending on dialect.)
   1. Pretty (final sound often /i/ or /ɪ/)
   2. Happy (final sound often /i/ or /ɪ/)

Words Containing the Long /i:/ Sound (/i:/)

The long /i:/ sound can also appear at the beginning, middle, or end of words:

1. Beginning:
   1. Eat
   2. Each
   3. Easy
2. Middle:
   1. Sleep
   2. Green
   3. Machine
   4. Field
   5. Believe
3. End:
   1. See
   2. Agree
   3. Key
   4. Money
   5. Happy (some dialects)

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Explanation, Repetition, Pair Work

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating prior knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them to recall some vowel sounds they know. The teacher then introduces the topic: Vowel Sounds /i/ and /i:/, explaining that today’s lesson will focus on distinguishing between these two specific sounds.

Pupils’ Activity: Students respond to the greetings and mention some vowel sounds they remember. They listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Introduction to vowel sounds

Step 2: Introduction of Short /i/ Sound

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the short /i/ sound, demonstrating its production. The teacher uses flashcards and pronounces words like “sit,” “sip,” “pin,” “fish.” Students are guided to repeat the sound and words.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, observe the teacher’s mouth movements, and repeat the sound and words after the teacher.

Learning Point: Production of short /i/

Step 3: Introduction of Long /i:/ Sound

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the long /i:/ sound, demonstrating its production, highlighting the difference in mouth shape and tongue position from /i/. The teacher uses flashcards and pronounces words like “seat,” “sheep,” “green,” “see.” Students are guided to repeat the sound and words.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, observe, and repeat the long /i:/ sound and words.

Learning Point: Production of long /i:/

Step 4: Contrasting the Sounds

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents pairs of words that contrast the two sounds (e.g., “sit/seat,” “ship/sheep,” “bit/beat”). The teacher pronounces each pair clearly and asks students to identify the difference. Students are encouraged to pronounce the pairs themselves.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen to the word pairs, identify the differences, and practice pronouncing them, focusing on the contrast.

Learning Point: Differentiating /i/ and /i:/

Step 5: Identifying Sounds in Words (Beginning, Middle, End)

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Identification

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents various words and asks students to identify whether they contain the short /i/ or long /i:/ sound, and where the sound appears (beginning, middle, or end). Examples include “ink,” “easy,” “giggle,” “machine,” “key.”

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen to the words and identify the specific vowel sound and its position within the word.

Learning Point: Sound position in words

Step 6: Further Practice and Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Individual Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads a quick drill, calling out words and having students respond by indicating if it’s /i/ or /i:/ (e.g., by raising one hand for /i/ and two for /i:/). The teacher provides corrective feedback.

Pupils’ Activity: Students participate in the drill, identifying sounds and receiving feedback.

Learning Point: Reinforcing sound identification

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. Pronounce the sound /i/ and give two words that contain it.
2. Pronounce the sound /i:/ and give two words that contain it.
3. What is the difference between “ship” and “sheep”?
4. Give a word where /i/ is at the beginning and another where /i:/ is at the end.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Assessment of sound differentiation

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on vowel sounds /i/ and /i:/ into their notebooks.

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

Learning Point: Recording lesson content

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarizes the key differences between the short /i/ and long /i:/ sounds, encouraging students to continue practicing their pronunciation. The teacher reminds them that clear pronunciation helps in better communication.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen to the summary and acknowledge the importance of the lesson.

Learning Point: Summary of vowel sounds

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Identify and write down five words for each sound (/i/ and /i:/) that were not mentioned in class. For each word, indicate if the sound is at the beginning, middle, or end.

1. Five words with short /i/.
2. Five words with long /i:/.

Lesson Keywords

• Vowel sounds – Speech sounds produced with an open vocal tract.
• /i/ – The short vowel sound, as in ‘sit’.
• /i:/ – The long vowel sound, as in ‘seat’.
• Contrast – A noticeable difference between two things.
• Pronunciation – The way a word or language is spoken.

Differentiation

For struggling learners: Provide extra one-on-one pronunciation practice, focusing on mouth shape and tongue position. Use visual cues and exaggerated movements. Pair them with more proficient students for peer practice.

For advanced learners: Challenge them to identify minimal pairs (words that differ by only one sound, e.g., “fill/feel”) and use them in sentences. Ask them to identify other similar-sounding vowel pairs.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search YouTube for “short i vs long ee sound pronunciation” or “minimal pairs i and ee”.