The "Sound-Spelling" Gap
For years, students have struggled to pronounce words they read and write words they hear. This "sound-spelling gap" is a major barrier to confidence. If a student cannot trust that the letters on the page represent the sounds they know, they will be hesitant to speak.
The NCELP Approach
Recent pedagogy, championed by NCELP (National Centre for Excellence for Language Pedagogy), places phonics front and center.
Key Principles:
- Explicit Instruction: Don't hope they pick it up. Teach that 'eau' = 'o'.
- Minimal Pairs: Practice distinguishing between similar sounds (e.g., bouche vs rouge).
- Regular Practice: Short, frequent phonics activities at the start of lessons.
Impact on Exam Performance
Strong phonics knowledge directly impacts:
- Speaking: Better pronunciation and intonation.
- Listening: Improved ability to decode the stream of speech.
- Dictation: A key component of the new GCSE specification.
