 |
|
|
STAR is all about gaccent reductionh: reducing your foreign accent when you speak English, so that you can communicate more clearly. But itfs not as simple as you might think!
We will focus on five different, interrelated areas.
| Intonation - |
The pattern of your voice as it rises and falls in pitch. |
| Rhythm - |
The way we stress, stretch, or speed up on certain parts of a word or sentence. |
| Pronunciation - |
The specific tongue and mouth movements needed to make all the different vowel and consonant sounds used in English. |
| Muscle Training - |
Some English sounds are difficult or impossible to create until you teach your speech muscles to relax and move in a particular way. This might be very different from your first language! |
| Expression - |
Putting everything together to clearly and confidently express the feeling, as well as the meaning of your words. |
 The S.T.A.R. - Accent Reduction Program is a truly unique training program designed to improve ESL studentsf mastery of the English language. Students will gain a detailed understanding of English intonation and rhythm, in addition to the more traditional phonics-based pronunciation taught by most speech classes. The S.T.A.R. system also includes a from-the-ground-up muscle training approach, with one-on-one coaching from an experienced teacher.
Finally, S.T.A.R. emphasizes taking control of spoken English outside of the classroom. We use a dramatic approach to understanding complex, natural language, and learn to perform it with real expression. Using these skills, we work towards generating truly fluent speech in the context of unrehearsed conversation. S.T.A.R. students can see their results after one or two months, as video recordings are taken throughout the course, and provided on a DVD after the program is completed.
S.T.A.R. - Accent Reduction Program, Part I
In part one of the S.T.A.R. - Accent Reduction Program, students will learn to understand and use intonation consistently and effectively, and learn to pronounce and understand the difference between the many vowel and consonant sounds of English. They will also be introduced to the idea of natural rhythm and fluent-sounding speech.
S.T.A.R. - Accent Reduction Program, Part II
Continuing where part one ends, the second part of the STAR program will strengthen studentsf knowledge and training. More class time will be spent on focus drills designed to practise identifying and clearly producing the different English sounds. We will also regularly test real communication skills through dictation challenges. Also, we will continue with more challenging role-plays and performances, both rehearsed and unrehearsed, to develop confidence and strong speaking habits at all times. There will also be constant assessment, and a flexible schedule allows time to work on the specific problems experienced by each student. |
|
|
|
