小心! 當你聽到一個可怕(dreadful)的詞語
它看起來像鬍子(beard)，聽起來像鳥(bird)
以及死亡(dead)：它的發音像 bed 而不是 bead。
拜託，不要把它唸成 deed。
留意 meet、great 和 threat!
它們與suite、straight 和 debt 押韻。
– 佚名
英文的拼寫和詞語發音可能非常棘手，對於台灣或英文非母語的孩子來說尤其如此。不像英文為母語的孩子，這些孩子在還沒有完全掌握語言之前就開始閱讀，無法依賴上下文提示來解讀未知單詞並理解閱讀材料的大部分內容。在這樣的情況下，成為一個優秀的閱讀者並不容易。這需要時間、練習、耐心和理解，也需要指導。
以下是我們用來幫助學生克服障礙的五種技巧：
1. 根據發音拼讀單詞
這個技巧通常被稱為「自然發音」或「字母拼讀法」。有些字母或字母組合有特定的發音。當我們快速地一個接一個地發音時，就會得到它們所組成的單詞。
例如：fur => f —- ur => fur
2. 將單詞分解成音節
這個技巧將多音節單詞簡化為基本的單位。學生可以分別專注於每個單位，拼讀它們，或使用其他技巧來閱讀。
例如：picture => pic / ture => picture
3. 辨識詞組
這個技巧不僅可以幫助學生閱讀速度更快，還可以提高他們的拼寫能力。學生可以輕鬆理解，因為他們在中文中也使用這種技巧。通過觀察單詞，學生可以快速將詞組分解成音節，並從中識別出熟悉的音節。
例如：furniture => fur / ni / ture => ture 像在picture中一樣 => furniture
4. 透過類比已知單詞來閱讀
這個技巧讓學生在已知的單詞或單詞部分的基礎上理解如何閱讀未知的單詞。在下面的例子中，學生已經認識了「carrot」。因此，他們將「c」換成「p」，並準確地讀出了新的單詞。
例如：parrot => carrot => parrot
5. 提供正確的發音。
在某些情況下，例如視覺單詞（sight words, 一看就會唸的單詞, 例如：was、were、want）、搗蛋單詞（tricky words, 例如：tomb、bomb、comb）以及學生還未學到的單詞模式，最有效的方法是直接提供單詞的正確發音。
優秀的閱讀者在閱讀時確實能夠同時運用上述多種技巧。對於學生來說，通過大量且有系統地閱讀英文讀物，能夠達到熟能生巧的效果。這樣的訓練使得他們在面對英語發音的複雜性時能夠更加自信。作為從旁協助者，我們可以使用中文進行以上提到的技巧的引導，這對學生來說是有幫助的。同時，如果我們能提供正確的唸法發音，這也能夠起到補充的作用。無論是使用英文還是中文，這些技巧的引導都能夠支援學生順利克服閱讀所遇到的障礙。
“Beware of heard a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead: it’s said like bed not bead
For goodness’ sake don’t call it deed.
Watch out for meat and great and threat!
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.”
– Anonymous
English orthography and word pronunciation can be really tricky. And it’s even trickier for Taiwanese or non-native kids who, unlike their native counterparts, start reading without being fully capable of speaking the language and can’t rely on context cues to decode unknown words and make sense of lots of what they read. Becoming a good reader in such a context is not easy. It takes time. It takes practice. It takes patience and understanding. It takes guidance. Here are 5 techniques that we use to help our students move pass roadblocks:
1. Sounding out the word. This technique is what is widely and commonly understood as 自然發音. Some letters or groups of letters make certain sounds. And when we say these one after the other and fast, we get the word that they make up.
Example: fur => f —- ur => fur
2. Breaking the word into syllables. With this technique, multisyllabic words are simplified into their basic units. Students can attend to each unit individually, sound them out or use other techniques to read them.
Example: picture => pic / ture => picture
3. Recognizing chunks. This technique not only helps students read faster, it helps them become better spellers too. Students can easily relate to it because they use it in Chinese. By looking at the word, the student quickly breaks the word into syllables and isolates ture that he recognizes from picture.
Example: furniture => fur / ni / ture => ture like in picture => furniture
4. Reading by analogy to known words. With this technique, students figure out how to read an unknown word by building on a word or a part of a word that they already know. In the next example, the student already knew carrot. So, he or she swaps the c for a p and reads the new words accurately.
Example: parrot => carrot => parrot
5. Providing the right pronunciation. There will be situations like with sight words (e.g.: was, were, want), tricky words (e.g.: tomb, bomb, comb), words students haven’t learned the pattern of yet, where the most effective way would be to just provide the correct pronunciation of the word.
Good readers know how to use a variety of techniques simultaneously while reading. Students can develop proficiency in English pronunciation by engaging in extensive and systematic reading of English books. This practice helps them become more comfortable with the complexity of English pronunciation. As facilitators, we can provide guidance using Chinese for the mentioned techniques. It is beneficial for students. Additionally, providing the correct pronunciation can serve as a helpful supplement. Whether in English or Chinese, guiding students with these techniques supports them in overcoming reading obstacles successfully.
