English as a Second Language - ESL 79

Course Description

This is an elective course for English-language learners to improve speech intelligibility as well as understanding of American English. Students from a variety of language backgrounds will identify individual pronunciation needs, be instructed in the basics of English pronunciation, and be guided from controlled practice into natural communication. This class, taught in group and language lab settings, concentrates on building and improving pronunciation through the communicative approach.

Prerequisites

(A requirement that must be completed before taking this course.)

Course Competencies

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Identify personal pronunciation barriers to speech clarity.
• Develop an individualized plan for improvement of speech clarity.
• Understandably pronounce most American English consonants and vowels in various word positions, isolated words and in sentences.
• Recognize intonation patterns, such as yes/no questions, emphatic intonation and listing.
• Produce various intonation patterns in speech.
• Identify the number of syllables in words with common patterns.
• Accurately identify the effect of word endings on syllabification.
• Produce a variety of reductions in conversations, including the use of schwa in unstressed syllables.
• Evaluate English conversations for basic linking patterns.
• Demonstrate the ability to produce linking patterns.
• Analyze authentic English samples for thought groups, focus words and common sound changes.
• Implement self-monitoring strategies to improve clarity of speech.
• Differentiate voicing patterns in vowels and consonants within words and linked in phrases.
• Critique pronunciation of others' speech.
• Predict the sounds associated with basic spelling patterns including grammatical word endings.

Course Schedule

Currently no sections of this class are being offered.