Guided Practice Script

Let’s learn the /v/ sound together today. Can you look at this picture and tell me what it is? [4] (Show picture of a car.) Yes, a car! What sound does a fast car make? Vroom. Watch my mouth and listen. “Vvvvv.” Can you try it with me? [1] Great job!

Now, I’m going to tell you a secret on how to make this sound. Put your upper teeth on your bottom lip, but don’t bite hard! Very gently. [2] Do you see your teeth? (Look at the mirror.) [4] Now, turn your voice on. Let’s feel your neck—do you feel your neck buzzing? (Put hand on neck.) [3] Isn’t that like the engine of your car when it’s going fast? Just keep your top teeth on your bottom lip and turn the engine on. Let the air keep flowing out. “Vvvvv.”

Let’s try to crank it up! Say the word vase. Remember, teeth on lip, turn on your voice engine, “vvvvv”, and add the “-ase” part. “Vvvvv-ase”, “vvvvv-ase”, “vase”!

Targeted Techniques and Considerations

Teaching Strategies

1. Modeling/Imitation
2. Phonemic Placement
3. Touch Cue
4. Tool for Phonemic Placement (Picture & Mirror)

Common Errors or Substitutions

• Devoicing: /v/ to /f/ occurs when the voiced consonant (/v/) becomes voiceless (/f/). For example, “safe” for “save.”

Relevant Dialectical/Accent Differences

• L1 Transfer: For native Korean speakers learning English, the /v/ phoneme does not exist in the Korean language, so /v/ might be substituted with /b/ or /p/.
  • For example, “very” may be produced as “bery.”