Pronunciation and Accent Reduction Course


Screen Shot 2016-05-27 at 5.34.06 AMFor people want to really study pronunciation intensely, I’ve recently created an eight-class pronunciation course.  Although we can work on pronunciation in regular lessons, I made this course because I think it’s very helpful to work on pronunciation, at least at first, independent of all your other language concerns. Forget about grammar, vocabulary, and meaning for a while; spend time just listening to the sounds of English and training your vocal muscles to move in new ways.

This course provides diagnosis of your particular accent-training needs and intensive one-on-one practice. I will provide you with homework and exercises to do after each class on your own, to make our time in class as focused as possible.

 

Basic Schedule (Most likely, it will change based on your needs):

  • Class 1: Diagnostic Day.  We’ll spend the first class evaluating your accent and what you need to work on to speak English more like an American. I’ll give you a detailed report about what specific sounds and concepts you’ll need to focus on, and develop a plan for the next seven weeks.
  • Class 2: Individual Sounds. We’ll spend this day working on individual sounds that you find difficult, using plenty of exercises and one-on-one practice.
  • Class 3: Individual Sounds and Sound Clusters. We’ll keep working on individual sounds, as well as sounds that blend together.
  • Class 4: Reductions. American English is full of words that change their pronunciation when they occur quickly in informal speech. We’ll examine the many common ways words “reduce.”
  • Class 5: Word Linking. We’ll spend this day practicing how the words slide together, linking their sounds in a sentence, creating easy, flowing speech.
  • Class 6: Sentence Stress and Intonation. Today we’ll examine the pitch, rhythm, and music of English.
  • Class 7: Putting-It-All-Together Practice. We’ll practice all the concepts you’ve learned so far, in sentences, paragraphs, and spontaneous speech.
  • Class 8: More Practice and Summary. We’ll continue to practice, and go over how you can continue to practice and learn on your own.

After eight lessons, we will have covered all the major topics in American pronunciation and had a little time to practice, but you may continue classes if you wish for more intensive practice.

Classes are each 55 minutes long, and can be scheduled once or twice a week. If you have any questions about the Pronunciation and Accent Reduction Course, don’t hesitate to contact me, or sign up for a Free Trial Lesson.