Course Details
Sounds right: Accent Improvement for Native Speakers of Mandarin
5 Jul 2012
Professional Development
Presentation / Public Speaking
The University of Auckland
Room 330, Level 3, Building No 810, 1-11 Short Street, Auckland City
More Than 1 Week
9am-11am
9am-11am
$1,220.00
Includes morning tea
Includes morning tea
Sounds Right: Accent Improvement for Native Speakers of Mandarin
Are you tired of repeating yourself because your listeners didn't understand you? Do you find it difficult to understand others because they seem to "speak too fast"?
With the specific needs of native speakers of Mandarin as a guideline, we will tackle some pronunciation priorities in a relaxed and friendly class. Over seven weeks you will learn to hear and reproduce the sounds of English language that are essential for native speakers of Mandarin who want or need to communicate clearly in English. You will learn how to monitor your own speech more closely, hear your errors, and self-correct. With an improved accent, you will enjoy greater confidence and gain a communicative edge that will enhance your business relationships.
Please bring a recording device and a small mirror to class.
Course outline
This course is designed for native speakers of Mandarin and will cover the following topics:
1. A review of vowel articulation, with a focus on the correspondence between sound and spelling
2. The consonants at the ends of words that convey grammatical information (e.g. I’ll, I’d)
3. Word linking, especially as a way of helping students to articulate final consonants
4. Practising the production of consonant clusters, the omission of which can affect intelligibility
5. Word stress and distinguishing strong and weak syllables
6. Learning the rhythms that help a listener to follow what you are saying
7. Intonational highlighting of the most important word
8. The use of pauses and pitch to divide speech into separate meaningful chunks.
Learning outcomes
During this course you will learn to:
recognise and reproduce the sounds in the phonetic alphabet
use intonation, word and sentence stress when speaking
appreciate the rhythms that assist intelligibility
use pause and pitch to divide speech into meaningful chunks
self-monitor your speech, which includes an increased ability to hear error and self-correct.
Who should attend?
Expertly designed this course is for participants whose first language is Mandarin, with an upper to intermediate level in English, who wish to participate in, understand, and enjoy conversations in the Kiwi workplace.
Are you tired of repeating yourself because your listeners didn't understand you? Do you find it difficult to understand others because they seem to "speak too fast"?
With the specific needs of native speakers of Mandarin as a guideline, we will tackle some pronunciation priorities in a relaxed and friendly class. Over seven weeks you will learn to hear and reproduce the sounds of English language that are essential for native speakers of Mandarin who want or need to communicate clearly in English. You will learn how to monitor your own speech more closely, hear your errors, and self-correct. With an improved accent, you will enjoy greater confidence and gain a communicative edge that will enhance your business relationships.
Please bring a recording device and a small mirror to class.
Course outline
This course is designed for native speakers of Mandarin and will cover the following topics:
1. A review of vowel articulation, with a focus on the correspondence between sound and spelling
2. The consonants at the ends of words that convey grammatical information (e.g. I’ll, I’d)
3. Word linking, especially as a way of helping students to articulate final consonants
4. Practising the production of consonant clusters, the omission of which can affect intelligibility
5. Word stress and distinguishing strong and weak syllables
6. Learning the rhythms that help a listener to follow what you are saying
7. Intonational highlighting of the most important word
8. The use of pauses and pitch to divide speech into separate meaningful chunks.
Learning outcomes
During this course you will learn to:
recognise and reproduce the sounds in the phonetic alphabet
use intonation, word and sentence stress when speaking
appreciate the rhythms that assist intelligibility
use pause and pitch to divide speech into meaningful chunks
self-monitor your speech, which includes an increased ability to hear error and self-correct.
Who should attend?
Expertly designed this course is for participants whose first language is Mandarin, with an upper to intermediate level in English, who wish to participate in, understand, and enjoy conversations in the Kiwi workplace.
Rosemary Hepozden
Rosemary Hepozden has been teaching English as a Second Language since 1991. She taught adults in language schools, universities and businesses overseas -- in England, Italy, and Turkey -- before returning to Auckland where she was Director of Studies at a private language school for five years. For the last ten years, Rosemary has provided various writing and ESOL courses through the University of Auckland's Centre for Continuing Education. She loves good language and clear communication, and has a continuing passion for helping students of English understand, enjoy and excel in the Kiwi workplace.
Rosemary Hepozden has been teaching English as a Second Language since 1991. She taught adults in language schools, universities and businesses overseas -- in England, Italy, and Turkey -- before returning to Auckland where she was Director of Studies at a private language school for five years. For the last ten years, Rosemary has provided various writing and ESOL courses through the University of Auckland's Centre for Continuing Education. She loves good language and clear communication, and has a continuing passion for helping students of English understand, enjoy and excel in the Kiwi workplace.