Learn how to teach and prepare practical pronunciation classes covering sounds and intonation. Teach Pronunciation!  gives ESL teachers the toolbox to improve their learners’ speech through identifying pronunciation errors and their causes, and providing a structured approach to preparing group and individual pronunciation training. 

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Syllabus | Course Options | Comments | FAQ

The Teach Pronunciation syllabus covers theory and teaching practice in 4 areas:

i) Consonant Sounds
ii)  Vowel Sounds
iii) Stress
iv) Intonation

Sounds that block the flow of air.

ʘ  Consonant charts for place, type and voicing.
ʘ Mouth diagrams for placement.
ʘ  English consonant sound system.
ʘ  Relevant sound details (diacritics) in English.
ʘ Connected speech (elision, assimilation etc.).
ʘ Common errors by language.

We learn several drills for use with consonant sounds including rhythm drills, minimal pair drills and the standard IPA drill. We categorise different consonant sound lessons in terms of production, sound selection and connected speech and we prepare an example class.

Sounds that shape the flow of air.

ʘ  Vowel grids for mapping position.
ʘ Tongue, lip and jaw placement.
ʘ  Vowel length, reduced vowels and voicing.
ʘ  Vowel spelling to sound relationship.
ʘ Weak vowel sounds.
ʘ Common errors by language.

We try different approaches to presenting the English vowel system in class, comparing systems grouped by length to those organised by position. We learn how to correct a learner’s mouth position. We practise mouth warm up activities and drills. We use nonsense words as a teaching tool. We try different ways of presenting vowel sound selection with activities and games.

Emphasising syllables within words and sentences. 

ʘ  Physical aspects of stress: pitch, volume, length.
ʘ Chunking speech into tone units.
ʘ The structure of the English tone unit.
ʘ 5 levels of English stress.
ʘ Stress time vs syllable time.
ʘ Common errors by language.

We learn ways to drill stress through using clapping, raps and singing. We prepare classes on word and sentence stress, and look at how to put stress into any free practice language activity.

Melody and movement in pitch.

ʘ  3 intonation patterns: ↘ ↘↗ ↗
ʘ How patterns work in tone units.
ʘ Usage: meaning vs attitude.
ʘ Usage: different areas of speech.
ʘ Intonation in different English accents. 
ʘ Common problems by language.

We explore different approaches to presenting intonation in controlled and free practice activities. We learn ways to avoid the many pitfalls of discussing intonation by steering learners towards a practical and intuitive approach. We prepare lessons on intonation patterns in specific areas of speech (questions, exclamations, tag questions etc.).

Teach Pronunciation is available as a 4 day group course in London, and as an individual course in London or online via Skype. 

The Teach Pronunciation! group course is a 4 day intensive in central London. The timetable is as follows:

Day 1: Consonant Sounds
Day 2: Vowel Sounds
Day 3: Stress
Day 4: Intonation

In the morning session (10:00-13:00) we study the theory section of the syllabus. In the afternoon session (14:00-17:00) we complete the teaching practice syllabus. The course has a maximum of 6 participants per group.

2018 DATES: 7th to 10th August

Price: £499

Book online here. 

An individual Teach Pronunciation! course will be designed for you based on your current level of knowledge and your level of experience as a teacher. You can focus on specific areas, or the whole syllabus and the classes are available in London and online via Skype.

As a guide, it would normally take 2.5 to 5 hours to cover each of the 4 areas on an individual basis, so the entire course can be covered in 10 to 20 hours of training.

AVAILABILITY: 10:00-21:00 Monday to Friday, 10:00-17:00 Saturday, in London and via Skype.

Prices:

5 Hours – £499 | Book Here
10 Hours – £899 | Book Here
20 Hours – £1699 | Book Here

We’ve trained over 250 ESL teachers with Teach Pronunciation! since 2010. Here are some of their comments:

“I’ve never done a course, short or long, that has shown such spectacular results instantly.” Sally, 2014, ESL Teacher, UK

“I’ve developed my abilities in phonetics and learned key teaching skills, such as drilling, presenting, eliciting and reviewing when teaching pronunciation in the classroom. I`ve got understanding how to create challenging, student-focussed classes with correct grading and logical structure. I feel more confident to deal with using, recognising, transcribing and correcting sounds of English pronunciation. The quality of the teaching was high as for sure, I just admired how well-organized were teachers and logically structured was every lesson of the course.” Svetlana, 2013, ESL Teacher, Ukraine

“Almost everything that I’ve learnt was new to me and the whole course was an ongoing revelation. My general understanding of the concepts involved in theory and practice have greatly improved.  I found the course fascinating and very helpful. I can’t wait to learn more and put it all into practice.” Carrie, 2016, ESL Teacher UK

“This course was just what I needed to give me the confidence I need to approach pronunciation in more depth with my classes. – All the practical sessions were extremely useful and I think I will be implementing the lesson plans in the format you suggest with a much greater focus on drilling. I think both teachers were able to pitch the theory at our level without making it too “scary” yet kept it interesting and fun. Had I been bored or overwhelmed by the theory, I would be reluctant to put it all into practice with a class of students.” Penelope, 2014, ESL Teacher, Finland

“How to teach pronunciation – an amazing course, super nice teachers, so much info only after 2days. Very happy to be here.” Nadya, 2017, ESL Teacher, Malta

“As soon as I had the first few lessons with my students I used some of the knowledge I received on the course and they absolutely loved it. Also, I try to bolster my own pronunciation everyday by following the advice and techniques I got/learnt on the course. I really enjoyed studying here: the materials were very good and “user-friendly” as well as the teaching method, which, I believe, had to do with excellent professionalism of the teacher and very well elaborated system of teaching/studying English pronunciation.” Alisa, 2012, ESL Teacher, Russia

Do you receive a certificate upon completion?

Yes. When you complete the course you will receive the Teach Pronunciation! certificate. If you do parts of the course, your certificate will reflect this.

What materials are provided?

Whichever Teach Pronunciation! course you take, you will receive 4 books:
‘The Sound of English’  – Pronunciation Studio’s student course book.
‘Advanced Pronunciation’ – our theory book.
‘Stress & Intonation’ – our intonation theory and practice book.
‘Teach Pronunciation!’ – our teaching guide.
These are provided in the first class as hard copies if you take the course in London or as pdfs if you take the course via Skype.

Can I take the individual course intensively?

Yes. If you would like to cover the course individually over the space of a few days, you can do so with up to 5 hours of individual training per day. Please contact us to check we have availability for your dates.

Where do classes take place?

In central London at Pronunciation Studio – 37 Gray’s Inn Rd, WC1X 8PQ. See our contact page for more information. Skype classes take place online, you just need a good internet connection.

Do I need to have any experience teaching pronunciation?

No. The course is designed for teachers who have some experience of teaching, but specific experience in teaching pronunciation is not required. If you have taught pronunciation before – great, you’ll have plenty to contribute in the practice sessions.

Can you provide the course in a school?

Yes. We can train a whole team or an individual in how to deliver pronunciation courses both in the UK and abroad. If you would like us to visit your school to provide the training, please contact us with your requirements in terms of dates and number of participants so that we can provide you with a quote.

Do you offer accommodation for visitors?

We don’t provide accommodation. If you are visiting to take a course, we recommend London University Rooms – which rents out student accommodation at affordable prices.

What’s your cancellation policy?

You can cancel the group course booking any time up to 5 days before the course is due to begin for a full refund minus £15 processing fee. Cancellations within 5 days of course start date are not refundable. Individual training can be cancelled or changed with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice.