Catalog Description

Prerequisite: Placement by matriculation assessment process or completion of ESL 800 with grade of "Pass"
Advisory: Concurrent enrollment in ESL 810 or 510 level courses
Hours: 18 lecture
Description: Focuses on the learning of basic pronunciation skills for non-native speakers of English. It offers intensive practice of commonly occurring vowel and consonant sounds and combinations of sounds with an introduction to intonation and stress using novice-high and low-intermediate vocabulary level. (pass/no pass grading) (noncredit)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Articulate common consonant and vowel sounds.
  • CSLO #2: Apply self-correction in both individual consonant and vowel sounds as well as combination sounds.
  • CSLO #3: Formulate word stress in sentences.
  • CSLO #4: Formulate basic intonation variations.
  • CSLO #5: Formulate short dialogues and monologues using the correct articulation skills.

Effective Term

Fall 2022

Course Type

Noncredit

Contact Hours

18

Outside of Class Hours

36

Total Student Learning Hours

54

Course Objectives

1. Articulate clearly vowel sounds that occur frequently in English by learning the mechanics of new or difficult vowel sound production.
2. Articulate clearly consonant sounds that occur frequently in English by learning the mechanics of new or difficult consonant sounds.
3. Articulate clearly diphongs or sound combinations that commonly occur in English but are new or difficult to pronounce.
4. Apply self-correction when producing difficult vowel, consonant, and combination sounds by applying the mechanics of individual sound production.
5. Distinguish and formulate syllable stress in multisyllabic words.
6. Distinguish and formulate word stress in sentences.
7. Distinguish and formulate basic intonation variations.
8. Formulate short dialogues and monologues using the above skills.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
      • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
        • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)

          Articulation Information

          • Not Transferable

          Methods of Evaluation

          • Objective Examinations
            • Example: Based upon course objectives, give an example of how student performance will be evaluated. Students take listening exams to discriminate between minimal pairs, to determine word stress, syllable stress and intonation. The instructor will select either statement, command, question and doubt intonation for the sentence below. Students will listen and choose the matching intonation. "She's going to class" a. Statement b. Command c. Question d. Doubt
          • Projects
            • Example: Here is an example of a project: students practice listening and reciting different poems or other materials. Such poems emphasize specific difficult sounds and the student has to produce those sounds and read the poem in class. For example, they read a poem that focuses on a particular sound, say, the "TH" sounds and the instructor assesses if the student is able to articulate and produce the sounds correctly and marks it on a rubric.
          • Skill Demonstrations
            • Example: The instructor measures student progress based on a rubric. In the first two weeks, the instructor takes notes on every student pronunciation error. A pattern of errors occur, and are marked according to a pronunciation rubric. The instructor sets goals for every student. Students are given plentiful opportunities to practice and acquire the skills to articulate sounds correctly. At the end of the semester the instructor reviews student progress based on separate assessment following the rubric.

          Repeatable

          Yes

          Methods of Instruction

          • Lecture/Discussion
          • Distance Learning

          Lecture:

          1. Instructor explains pronunciation rules and discusses each rule with the students and students use tapping and/or clapping methods to sound out syllables. For example: syllables in English are determined by sound, not by number of letters as it is in other languages. So one sound, such as "car" is one syllable. Instructor taps on the table one time, as she says the one sound syllable in "car". Next "airport" two sounds, two taps on the table: air- one tap, and port- one tap.
          2. Instructor explains mouth and tongue position and articulation of sounds followed by student participation demonstrating mouth and tongue positions as they relate to articulation of sounds. For example: the difference in the mouth articulation between "eat" the /iy/sound and "it" the /I/sound. With the /iy/sound one must spread the lips. I call it the smile mouth. With the /I/ sound the lips are less separated and the lips are slightly open (there are photos in the textbook) and I call it the "botox" mouth. I also demonstrate the two mouth positions.

          Distance Learning

          1. Instructor provides a short dialogue script with two instructor videos (slow and fast speed) to focus on both vowel and consonant sound, syllable stress, and on rhythm, intonation and word stress on the sentence. Students practice with the videos. Videos also have closed captioning.
          2. Instructor sets up LMS (discussion board) where the students will make their videos reading the dialogue. Instructor models for students and also provides an instructional video on how to post videos.
          3. Last step: instructor gives video feedback to each student for corrections. Students must respond again, in video, making the corrections. During this process students have access to the instructor and pass peer through video conferencing.

          Typical Out of Class Assignments

          Reading Assignments

          1. Read instructor provided poems that are level appropriate and be prepared to discuss in class. 2. Read instructor provided dialogues and monologues that are level appropriate and be prepared to discriminate and articulate word sounds.

          Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

          1. Students will write dialogues, monologues and poems on their own as scripts for oral presentations. 2. Students will highlight the stressed syllable in a word and mark intonation on a given sentence.

          Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

          1. Oral presentations of dialogues, monologues, poems, and limited research so as to demonstrate articulation of skill learned.

          Required Materials

          • Focus on Pronunciation 1
            • Author: Linda Lane
            • Publisher: Pearson
            • Publication Date: 2011
            • Text Edition: 3rd
            • Classic Textbook?:
            • OER Link:
            • OER:
          • Well Said - Intro
            • Author: Linda Grant
            • Publisher: Heinle
            • Publication Date: 2016
            • Text Edition: 2nd
            • Classic Textbook?:
            • OER Link:
            • OER:

          Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.