Pronunciation & Grammar

Hello,

I read a post some time back regarding grammar and pronunciation. Unfortunately, I came across it after doing a Google search, so it wasn't on this site. Anyway, I would like to know others' opinions regarding the two. Do you think one is more important than the other? Or, should they be taught side by side? I teach 'university' girls who plan to major in Applied Linguistics. They had 1 full year of prep English. They were not introduced to any sort of phonetics, phonemes, etc. I am teaching them a textbook which assumes that they've had some prior experience to the subject matter. It's British and I'm American. This makes for interesting conversation in the classroom. So, any suggestions on how best to teach such a course would be appreciated.

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It is unfortunate that students will study Linguistics but they have no idea about phonetics.
You can use the book "Ship or Sheep" with the enclosed cassettes or CD. This is a basic learning of English sounds.
As a teacher I know Applied Lingistics is a very difficult subject. The students will not enjoy it unless you give them some introductory elements.
All the best.
For more info , write to me.

In practical terms, grammar and pronunciation are both essential and should be studied side by side. I see little point in learning a form if you can't say it. In the case of your students, they will need some sort of grounding in phonetics if they are going to study applied linguistics. Are you meant to be teaching them British English or could you switch to an American textbook, which would probably be more natural?