E. Before Speaking - A Pronunciation Practice Manual (Digital Version)

What It Is: an 84-page pronunciation supplement to Before Speaking: Activities for Practice & Preparation in Oral Language Skills covering features most language learners never heard of. It's also a unique tool for independent accent reduction, acquisition, or improvement. The subtitle of the manual is "Instruction & Activities in Vowel & Consonant Sounds, Syllables, Stress, Rhythm, & Other Features of Clear American Accent" 

Why You Need It: Because academic language courses often start with only a brief intro to individual sounds as related to spelling, teachers or learners of English may think that clear accent "comes naturally"--without attention to the particular aspects that make it comprehensible. But that seldom happens! Listening focused on details and accurate imitation--with extensive mentoring--may help eventually. And so might purposeful consideration of the features that distinguish effective verbalization from indistinct pronunciation that frustrates both listeners and speakers. Cognitive adult learners can benefit greatly from the insights provided by Pronunciation Practice.       

What It Does:

helps listeners comprehend meaning by attending to characteristics that make clear speech easy to listen to--and by examining the same aspects of unclear accents

 organizes features of "best accents" into three Principle Parts divided into three segments each, teaching text users to recognize and use:

 •   "Simple" vs. "Complex" Vowel Sounds    •   (Numbers of) Stressed vs. Unstressed Syllables in Patterns     •   Focus Points in Phrases, Sentences, & Place Names     •  Sentence Rhythm & Intonation                   •  Voiced vs. Voiceless Consonant Sounds & Clusters in Initial & Final Position    •  Sound-Linking, Thought Groups, Pausing

presents & demonstrates the most useful principles of effective pronunciation simply but thoroughly--in boxed explanations with copious examples to hear (live, on CDs, or in MP3 downloads), emulate, and apply to one's own (fluent, expressive) speech  

provides plenty of opportunities for text-users to show off their abilities and improve by reading aloud, engaging in interactive activities, playing games, and much more--all with everyday Talk About Things, Places, & People.  

offers a 48-page Answer Key & AudioScript for additional checking, attention to detail, and practice               

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