Guided Practice Script

We’re going to learn how to make the /l/ sound.

Pay close attention to my mouth. I’m going to put the tip of my tongue behind my top teeth where the bumpy part is. You see that? I’m going to drop my tongue like it’s a hot potato, and I’m going to turn my voice on. “La-la-la.” It’s like I’m singing! [1]

Here, it’s your turn now. Look at the mirror, [4] open your mouth, and stick your tongue behind your teeth. [2] Copy me. Do you feel that bumpy part? Perfect! Drop it like a hot potato [3] and turn your voice on! Do you feel the air slide over the sides of your tongue? Now, we can sing together! “La-la-la.”

Let’s try out a word: log. Start with your “lllll” sound and add the “og” part. “Lllll-og”, “lllll-og”, “log!”

Targeted Techniques and Considerations

Teaching Strategies

1. Facilitating Context
2. Phonemic Placement
3. Metaphor
4. Tool for Phonemic Placement (Mirror)

Common Errors or Substitutions

• Gliding: /l/ produced as /w/ or ‘y’ occurs when the /l/ sound is replaced with a /w/ sound or a ‘y’ sound. For example, “wamp” or “yamp” for “lamp.”

Relevant Dialectical/Accent Differences

• L1 Transfer: For native Vietnamese speakers learning English, the /l/ phoneme does not appear in the final position of syllables, so omission or vowelization may occur. For example, “fall” is produced as “f-aw.”