In this week's episode I talk about student reactions to seeing the IPA chart for the first time, and how to break the vowel section into manageable chunks. 

The contradictions inherent in teaching IPA become clear when I class /ɪə/ and /ʊə/ as diphthongs, and then unscrupulously bury them. 

There are no easy answers, but hopefully the questions raised will make it all worthwhile.