Reviewed by: Pronunciation practice activities: A resource book for teaching English pronunciation Marion Chang Hewings, Martin . (2004). Pronunciation practice activities: A resource book for teaching English pronunciation. Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers series. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 246, £17.95, paper + CD. Pronunciation Practice Activities is a methodology text meant for both English as a second language (ESL) teachers who have little background in phonetics or phonology and those who are well trained but who feel a need for expansion in their lesson repertoire. It is also an excellent resource for teachers whose training followed past trends and may have neglected the prosodic features of pronunciation. Recent research evidence supports the importance of prosody (Derwing & Rossiter, 2003; Moyer, 1999), and there has been a more balanced approach to teaching with stress, rhythm, and intonation given due prominence (Celce-Murcia, Brinton, & Goodwin, 1996; Pennington, 1996). This is a text in tune with the times, giving equal weight to segments, stress, intonation, linking, and other features of connected speech. Hewings begins with an introduction explaining the basic features of English phonology along with possible problem areas for students of various first language backgrounds. It also includes pertinent discussion related to pedagogical questions such as which English variety to use as a model or how to integrate pronunciation into language programs. This section is equal in length to some of the chapters and provides a brief course in pronunciation teaching suitable for more inexperienced readers. The first chapter serves as an introduction for students and features activities designed to raise awareness of forms. These include aspects of pronunciation of which students may not be consciously aware, such as differences between slow and quick speech. Chapters 2-5 present tasks designed to practise perception and production beginning with sound segments and continuing on respectively to connected speech, word and sentence stress, and intonation. The last three chapters describe activities that pertain to pronunciation generally. Chapter 6 includes activities showing pronunciation's relation to spelling, grammar, and vocabulary; chapter 7 focuses on assessment; and chapter 8 examines resources. This last chapter offers tips on using dictionaries, phonetic notation systems, and the latest Web sites. It also includes some light-hearted examples of language play that teach pronunciation using authentic materials such as limericks, knock-knock jokes, and commercial advertising. Activities are presented in a standard format, listing the purpose, focus, level, time, preparation, and procedure. At times, 'extensions,' or other ways to adapt the activity, lead the way to tailoring a task to particular contexts or expanding the topic. Sound recordings on CD and handouts are included, although the handouts are not in photocopiable format. For those using North American (GA) as the target language variety, the book's use of British (RP) English must be taken into [End Page 437] account, particularly with vowels and intonation. However, this does not detract from the value of the book. The activities' design is still applicable and GA can be substituted for RP with new recordings by the teacher. Those few exercises that would be inappropriate for GA are usually noted as such, and extensions of the activity for the American variety are sometimes suggested. Most of the activities are necessarily focused on form, although a few are communicative or could be adapted to fit that category, for example, practising contractions while talking about families (p. 89). The best use of this book appears to be for setting the foundational concepts of English pronunciation, which can later be applied during meaning-based activities or reviewed as they appear in context. Any text on teaching methods naturally must be put into practice with caution. Good teachers know that success depends, not on the activity, but on the wisdom with which it is applied. Hewings includes cautionary notes with many of the tasks that could prove uncomfortable for some students; however, not all such difficulties are foreseen. For example, cultural sensitivity is required in using an activity such as Sounding English, where students are called upon to choose who among them has the best pronunciation. Although the activity has a laudable goal, namely raising awareness of how non-native speakers pronounce and what pronunciations are valued, there is...