This article intends to provide a rationale for the use of Emo Pron method in the context of the teaching of pronunciation to young English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Emo Pron, a condensed form for “Emotional pronunciation,” refers to a teaching approach or methodology that incorporates emotional engagement and storytelling techniques to facilitate pronunciation instruction and learning. This approach aims to make the learning experience more enjoyable and memorable by disguising linguistic concepts in narratives. It emphasizes the role of emotions to enhance pronunciation skills and overall acquisition of sounds in the targeted language.

This method emerges from the needs EFL teachers face when trying to apply a method of reading and writing in the young EFL learner classroom. This means resorting to Phonics. Phonics is a method used to teach reading and writing to native speakers of English because it allows children to learn the way they can best learn, that is, through games, songs and stories. However, the primary obstacle that non-native English speakers have to face is the learning of sounds which are inexistent in their mother tongue. Herein lies the missing link: trying to connect the experience of Phonics for native English speakers, whose sounds are inherent and present no difficulty, with that of EFL speakers.

Therefore, an initial challenge EFL teachers must take is the teaching of new words, with a keen focus on sounds that may disrupt or thoroughly impede communication. For instance, when teaching the word ‘three’ to an EFL learner, they might inadvertently pronounce it as ‘free’ or ‘tree’ if the required consonant sound is absent from their native tongue. The acquisition of sounds like ‘TH’ might seem straightforward for a Peninsular (Spain) Spanish learner, where teachers can relate the articulation of ‘TH’ to the initial sound in the word ‘zanahoria.’ However, in Spanish-speaking Latin America, this articulation proves troublesome as the voiceless dental fricative ‘TH’ is absent from the phonetic alphabet. Additionally, distinguishing between the sounds of English ‘v’ and ‘b’ can also be challenging for Spanish speakers, as these

consonants are not contrastive in Spanish. EFL learners may say ‘ban’ for ‘van’, without noticing the difference in the articulation. These sound differences serve to show some of the non-native speakers’ difficulties when they learn English. Phonological awareness plays a crucial role in accurately connecting sounds to spelling, thereby influencing reading and writing proficiency. Pronunciation is of utmost importance, more even so in the case of young learners, and dealing with habitual misarticulations —stemming from mother-tongue interference— often proves to be extremely difficult (Swan & Bernard, 2001).

Another challenge for the EFL teacher arises from the lack of materials tailored to the needs of non-native English speakers (Jenkins, 2000) in the area of Phonics. Before developing their own material, EFL teachers must meticulously select the specific sounds and phonological features that EFL learners need to acquire, help learners develop phonological awareness, and relate those sounds to spelling in order to facilitate reading and writing. Additionally, experience demonstrates that even if children are taught to read and write in their mother tongue through Phonics, these strategies are not transferable to learning a foreign language, in this case English since Spanish is often described as a transparent language, whereas English is considered opaque.

Hence, it is crucial to cater to these needs. Emo Pron aims to bridge this gap by employing a methodology that starts with engaging fantasy characters and stories. This approach fosters a memorable and enjoyable acquisition of the key sounds , which serve as pivotal plot points within the story. As learners encounter conflicts in the narrative, they are compelled to notice and acquire new articulation techniques. By appealing to emotions, Emo Pron ensures that EFL learners readily recognize, produce and engage with these new sounds more effectively and memorably

Viewed through a Vygotskian lens, a solid starting point is to begin with what is familiar to the learner. It is crucial to identify a movement that learners are capable of making, and which can serve as the foundation for acquiring new articulatory habits. By introducing novel sounds through a manageable “trick” or technique that learners can master, teachers activate what Vygotsky termed the “zone of proximal development” (Read, 2011), and they therefore facilitate natural learning. For instance, even though the English “TH” sound is absent in River-Plate Spanish, learners can nevertheless

produce this sound simply by protruding the tip of the tongue and expelling air. This amalgamation of movement and sound acts as the catalyst for engaging the “zone of proximal development.” It should be noted that providing elaborate explanations of this process to young learners proves futile, as abstract meta-language does not effectively resonate with children. Instead, crafting a memorable narrative – centred around the discovery of a new sound- can offer the necessary scaffolding, making the concept more memorable through emotional engagement with stories.

Stories hold immense significance as they establish an emotional connection with children. Emo-pron stories are narrative pieces designed to facilitate the acquisition of new sounds in EFL to young learners. These stories incorporate emotional engagement and memorable conflicts focused on specific phonetic challenges to enhance learning effectiveness. A sound such as “TH” can be emotionally addressed through the conflict presented in the book called ‘ Thumkie in Latin America’ .A fantasy character called ‘Thumkie’ engages children in the adventure of exploring and discovering an unimaginable place and manner of articulation to save the main character This fosters the acquisition of a new sound and relates it to the spelling in English. There is an alignment with the Noticing Hypothesis (Schmidt, 1993). Teachers create a magical learning environment, complete with perfect scaffolds to introduce new sounds and alter articulatory habits (Palavecino, 2021).

Research confirms the impact of stories on the brain. Our brains are constitutionally wired for storytelling (Huges, 2023). Stories are powerful because they establish an emotional bond with the audience. Pleasurable activities trigger the release of oxytocin, the “pleasure” chemical, and dopamine, the chemical associated with sympathy and love. Learners are more likely to remember content associated with emotions, laughter, and surprise than when they passively listen to a description of sounds and are made to remember spelling by heart.

Why not encourage storytelling to develop articulatory behaviour by tapping into brain chemistry? By crafting memorable stories whose conflicts revolve around essential sounds for the non-native speaker, EFL educators can effectively guide learners in acquiring new articulatory habits. This approach bridges the gap between Phonics and EFL phonics, revealing the promise of “Emo Pron” stories (Palavecino, 2022) as a method for instructing non-native English speakers in the pronunciation of

sounds absent in their mother tongue. These stories not only cultivate phonological awareness but also seamlessly integrate this newfound understanding into reading and writing.

To conclude, Emo Pron stories embody an approach that constructs the appropriate scaffolding for EFL learners to acquire the problematic sounds through a fantasy world that invites them to produce the correct articulation for fun. Key features of an EFL Emo Pron story include:

 An approximation of the new sound rooted in the mother tongue.

 Playful movements serving as scaffolds to acquire the targeted sound.

 The incorporation of a conflict solvable through the new articulation.

 The use of figurative language to create memorable phonics characters.

Children are captured by the imaginative worlds created by Emo Pron stories. When new sounds are introduced through familiar narratives, memory structures facilitate the brain’s retention of information. These stories possess the potential to engage children in resolving conflicts centred around the understanding of how speech organs interact to ensure effective communication. This is where the fun lies.

The author of this approach has created a collection of Emo Pron stories, songs, and games, constituting what she calls the Emo Pron Method. Every teacher can create their own EFL world of phonics as well.

References

Celce-Murcia, M. et al. (2008). Teaching Pronunciation. A Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge University Press.

Hughes, M. (2023). ‘Storytelling Changes our Brain and our Behavior.’ Https://www.melissahughes.rocks/post/storytelling-changes-our-brain-and-our-behavior.

Jenkins J. (2000). The Phonology of English as an International Language. Oxford University Press.

Palavecino S. (2021). ‘Pronunciation Teaching Environments that can nourish your mind, heart and soul.’ IATEFL Pronsig Conference. October 2021.

Palavecino, S. (2022). ‘EFL Story Books & Resources.’ https://emopronstories.com.ar/.

Read, C. (2011). ‘Carol Read’s ABC of Teaching Children.’ Https://carolread. wordpress.com/2011/08/08/z-is-for-zone-of-proximal-development.

Reilly, J. & Reilly, V. (2005). Writing with Children. Oxford University Press.

Schmidt, R (1993). ‘Awareness and Second Language Acquisition.’ Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 13.206-26.

Swam, M. & Bernard, S. (2001). Learner English Second Edition. A Teacher guide to interference and other problems. Cambridge University Press.