American Vowels for Advanced Students with a Chinese Language Background
What you’ll learn
- Learn to speak clearly with more of an American accent and less of a Chinese accent.
Requirements
- a working knowledge of English
Who this course is for:
- Students and professionals in the US who are from Chinese speaking countries
Description
Meaning can be altered when listeners don’t understand your vowels. Changing one vowel slightly can completely change the meaning of a word. Not spending enough time on one vowel can also change the meaning! Learn how to correct the American English vowel pronunciation errors that native Chinese speakers frequently make.
The instructor uses a vowel chart to demonstrate the similarities and differences between all the vowels. Then she describes and shows exactly how to produce each vowel and puts the vowels in example sentences that use advanced vocabulary from professional settings, such as high tech and business. Quizzes are included to test your understanding of concepts taught.
The written lessons can also be downloaded, so you can follow along and takes notes while watching the videos. Repetition audio exercises are included so you can listen download them, listen on the go, and repeat the target words over and over until they become part of your muscle memory! Each time you listen to the sentence, you will notice something different about it and repeat what your hear.
Once you’ve listened and repeated 6-7 times, you’ll be quite good at producing the native sounds demanded by that sentence! But don’t stop there! Watch and listen again! The information is dense, and you will surely focus on something different on your second watch-thru.
Keep practicing! Students are encouraged to ask the instructor questions and even meet with the instructor to check progress. Students who have completed 50% of the course can attend a free monthly office hour on zoom to ask questions and receive live correction.
You can learn to speak English more clearly! This class can be taken before or after the course on vowels, or simultaneously. It is recommended to take vowels and consonants before studying the word stress or rhythm courses.