37 Teaching the /g/ Sound with Phonetic Placement and Tactile Support
Stacey Zhang
Guided Practice Script
Let’s work on the /g/ sound. Do you like to play games? /g/ is the sound you hear in the beginning of game. Let’s say game together. Good job!”
Here’s a hint to help you say it, put your tongue all the way to the back of your mouth. Your tongue should tap the top of your mouth and blow air out while using your voice at the same time. You can check if you’re using your voice by touching your throat, if your throat is shaking, you are using your voice.”
I’m going to use a popsicle stick to help you make the /g/ sound. I promise I’m going to be very careful! (Clinician uses the popsicle stick to push the tongue tip down.) Can you try to make the /g/ sound again?
Target Techniques and Considerations
Elicitation Techniques in the Script
- Modeling
- Phonetic Placement
- Moto-kinesthetic method
Potential Sound Errors
- Production of /d/ instead of /g/ resulting from the position of the tongue tip, up instead of down. For example: date instead of gate.
Dialectal Differences
- Native Spanish speakers may display variation from a plosive when /g/ is in the initial position to a voiced velar fricative when /g/ is located between vowels.
