" Pronunciation of American English " -- An Assessment   By Gema E. Klein M.A. TESL   University of Tennessee English Department
"Pronunciation of American English" by Kathy L. Hans is an innovative, practical and learner engaging interactive program. This program makes pedagogically correct American English pronunciation available to a great variety of ESL learners who might not otherwise have the time, or opportunity to develop the pronunciation skills they desire and need through traditional academic site pronunciation classes. Teaching screens give clear, concise information with examples taken from everyday conversations and situations learners encounter. Indeed, one of the many strengths of the program is the multiple opportunities for learners to incorporate their own focus vocabulary and sentences into the practice exercises. New skill areas are introduced by video segments with accompanying text for learners to read as they watch and listen. With a click on an arrow or a scroll up or down, they can repeat each lesson or application activity as needed. Thus, learners control the pace of their own learning. Moreover, lessons are sequenced to build on previously practiced skills, with application activities for each new skill. In every component of the program there are continual opportunities for the student to listen to native speaker modeling and to repeat, record and listen to his own production. This readily accessible means of monitoring of his/her own speech aids not only the learner's pronunciation skills but also improves listening skills needed in interaction with native speakers. Learners not only learn how to pronounce American English, they also learn how to listen and what to listen for. Pronunciation of American English is an effective tool the non-native English speaker can use to learn to sound more like a native speaker. Better communication in speech is a vital step to better understanding and cooperation, whether in the workplace, in school or in the community.
................................................................................................ "The software is quite advanced and is carefully planned. It helped a lot in figuring out the correct pronunciation and syllabication of words. It also teaches the correct intonation depending upon the mood suggested by the phrases or sentences." - -Student at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California ............................................................................................... . "While using this program, I realized lots of patterns that are used everyday, but I didn’t know why. The native language often unconsciously interferes with our communication in English, such as in word stress. Going through this program helped me to develop some strategies when speaking and listening to American English.” -Student at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California ................................................................................................ "The audio guide for intonation and stress is very helpful. I especially like the Intonation and Rhythm chapters in the Program. I would absolutely recommend this to my friends." - PhiDien Nguyen, Software Engineer ................................................................................................ © 1999 - 2007 AmEnglish.com - All rights reserved. | Top^     Close