FY 103

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Define and count syllables; define and produce stressed syllables; use a standard system for indicating syllable-stress patterns.
• Define syllable structure; give examples of errors with syllable structure; produce word-initial, word-medial, and word-final consonant clusters correctly.
• Pronounce verb and noun endings correctly.
• Describe connected speech, its features and its importance; define linking in connected speech; practice linking sounds across words.
• Define thought groups and clues for finding thought group divisions; practice observing thought groups with appropriate pausing and intonation.
• Define content words and function words; describe standard sentence-level stress and intonation; practice reading aloud appropriately.
• Describe the sounds and meanings of extra (contrastive) stress and intonation; give examples of its implications, and practice producing it.
• Distinguish between suprasegmentals and segmentals and describe their roles in intelligibility.
• Practice using strategies to keep track of pronunciation errors, learn new stress patterns, read aloud, troubleshoot communication breakdowns, and set pronunciation goals.
• Identify, reflect on, and critique the dominant-culture intonation contours of North American English.
• Reflect on pronunciation patterns, identity, and communication challenges and successes.

Week 1
Introductions to each other and the course; common misconceptions about pronunciation; introduction to segmentals/suprasegmentals; introduction to syllables and word-level stress (English as a tonal language?); vocabulary acquisition strategies (dictionaries, notation, and “The Problem with Proper Nouns”); introduction to World Englishes and critical reflections on accents and power; introduction to pronunciation logs and the role of metacognition

Week 2
Review of syllables and word-level stress; introduction to syllable structure; language interference concerns; morphosyntax (verb and noun endings and pronunciation); strategies for maximizing pronunciation logs; introduction to noticing activities; discussion of language, power, and listeners

Week 3
Review of syllable structure and verb and noun endings; introduction to thought groups (oral punctuation and “The Sounds of Silence”); introduction to connected speech features and linking, reduction, deletion, and alteration; strategies for oral reading and preparing for presentations

Week 4
Review of thought groups and connected speech features; additional work on linking; strategies for navigating communication breakdowns in high-stress situations; strategies for finding and maximizing opportunities for pronunciation practice

Week 5
Introduction to phrase-level stress, standard sentence-level stress, and standard sentence-level intonation; critical reflections on uptalk, gender/generational speech differences, and dominant-culture intonation structures; stress-timed and syllable-timed languages; strategies for maintaining listener interest vocally; oral reading check-list/review

Week 6
Introduction to marked stress and intonation (contrastive stress): pronunciation features, pragmatic functions, and concerns as speakers or listeners; strategies for clarifying meaning and content

Week 7
Focus on segmentals and language interference; strategies for prioritizing among pronunciation problems; review of contrastive stress and strategies for using marked stress and intonation when presenting.
During this week, we typically meet in a large auditorium so students can experience presenting on a stage and interacting with a giant screen.

Week 8
Review of suprasegmentals and segmentals; setting short-term and longer-term pronunciation goals; reflections on the course and on accent, identity, communication, and successes

• “I feel it was eye opening for me. It was the first time I tried to focus on the suprasegmentals and it really made me be aware of how much I can change to improve my pronunciation.” (GRS student, Fall 2022)
• “Had a nice environment where I felt comfortable talking to the class!” (CAS first-year, Fall 2022)
• “Throughout all of the lectures, Ms. Michaud laid a lot of importance on stressing on the right words and correctly pronouncing words. Understanding that I too could speak English well and formulate my thoughts appropriately was really eye-opening.” (CAS undergraduate, Fall 2021)
• “I learned a lot about speaking. And more importantly, I feel that I am more confident in speaking. Thank you for your support. This is a truly wonderful experience.” (CAS undergraduate, Fall 2021)
• “It was a small class, so it was easy for me to speak up.” (MA student in Biology, Spring 2019)
• “Learning about stress and intonation was great, and now I know that I need to pay more attention to this.” (Undergraduate CAS student, undeclared, Fall 2019)
• “[This class] made students less nervous in English!” (Undergraduate CAS student, Economics, Spring 2019)
• “Self-awareness of my speech is one of the most important things [that I learned]. Now I know how my native language affects my English.” (MA student from MET, Fall 2018)