Using the Color Vowel Chart in the EFL

Classroom

James Smrikarov
TOPIC SELECTION
Topic: Using the Color Vowel Chart
Goal of Instruction: Training a group of Professional EFL teachers how to use the Color Vowel
Chart in their day-to-day classroom in order to help student pronunciation and fluency.
Rationale: I have worked in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom for seven years,
and one of the trickiest things for students to perfect is pronunciation. No matter what their
background is, learning the 15 different vowel sounds is a challenge, especially given that you
can't always predict the sound based on the word's spelling.
A handy tool to help teach EFL learners to pronounce words correctly is the Color Vowel Chart
(CVC), a large poster that associates each vowel sound with a color. When you say the color you
naturally pronounce the sound, making it faster and easier than the International Phonetic
Alphabet (IPA).
I have been using this chart for about 3 years, and it's an extremely useful reference to have in
the class. It doesn't take much time to teach, and can be referenced quickly when a student
later has a problem, providing a means of immediate corrective feedback.
My school was only trained once, and by now I am the only teacher left still using it, even
though the chart is hanging in every classroom. I would like to lead a refresher training session
on how to use the CVC for all the teachers in my school.

TASK ANALYSIS
Goal of Instruction: To train teachers to use and teach the Color Vowel Chart (CVC)
Tasks:
1. Pronounce the color vowel chart correctly
a. Read out of the 15 color word combinations (ex. Green Tea, Red Dress)
b. Note the position of the tongue in the mouth during pronunciation
c. Switch rapidly between multiple colors without error
2. Identify the 'color' of any word
a. Count the number of syllables in a word
b. Select the stressed (unreduced) syllable
c. Pronounce the vowel sound of that syllable
d. Match the vowel sound of that syllable with the correct color
3. Create an exercise or game for students
a. Modify currently existing vocabulary or speaking activities they use
b. Use a CVC handout containing space for new vocab in their classes
c. Brainstorm new activities or games with other teachers

Questions related to the tasks for the SME:

1. Are there any other vowel sounds not in the chart? How about regional dialects or accents?
2. What games can help students associate the vowel sounds with their colors?
3. Which sounds are commonly confused by speakers of certain languages (Spanish, Mandarin,
Portuguese, etc.?)

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES AND MEASUREMENTS

Objectives
1. Teachers will be able to discern and pronounce the differences between the vowel sounds.
2. Identify the color of given words in a simple step-by-step method.
3. Come up with strategies for implementation in the classroom.

Measurements/Evaluation
1. Follow-up summative survey of the teachers and their usage of the CVC. Do they use it?
2. Measurement of student speaking exam scores. Are they improving statistically?
3. Survey of higher level (7-10) teachers on the speaking abilities of students who have passed
through the lower levels (1-6). Are they noticing improvements?