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Pronunciation Practice

The Sounds of
North American English

Pronunciation Practice is a photocopyable workbook with aural CDs for students of English as a second or foreign language (ELLs) whenever they need to practice their pronunciation. This may be when they are high-beginning students who need to get the right start in pronunciation in the early stages of learning English. Or it may be when they are intermediate or advanced students wanting to improve the accuracy of their pronunciation and perfect their North American accent.

Being a photocopyable book, Pronunciation Practice serves as a teacher resource. Specific lessons may be selected for use by individuals or a class.

The book can also be used by individual students working alone or with a partner.

For independent work or with a class, although the book can be used without the CDs, the accompanying CDs feature the sounds of North American English presented in authentic, natural pronunciation. The vocabulary is modeled in a clear, standard North American accent.

Contents in brief:
70 Basic Lessons with 3 audio CDs
Appendix I: Ten expansion activities
Appendix II: Twenty-four Contrasting Pairs pages
each with 4 interactive listening activities;
this appendix uses 2 audio CDs
Appendix III: Syllable Stress Flash Cards
(The activities in the Appendices are best done in pairs,
in small groups, or in class.£©

There are 70 basic lessons, each presenting and practicing one of the distinct sounds of North American English. The first, listen-and-repeat part of the lesson is a list of words demonstrating that sound in initial, medial, and final positions- for example for F: flowers, perfect, himself. The second part of each basic lesson is a conversation that uses the vocabulary from the first part.

These conversations include all the features of genuine connected speech. Therefore, the student has the opportunity to listen to and practice the individual sounds and the musical patterns of sentences (intonation and rhythm), the connections between words in a sentence (blending and linking), and the idiomatic shortcuts (reductions) of authentic North American speech.

Although North American English refers to a variety of dialects spoken in the United States and Canada, there is a significant common core of pronunciation that distinguishes it from other varieties of English spoken around the world. This common core is reflected in this book and accompanying CDs. For purposes of consistency, the voices on the CDs speak a single widespread dialect of North American English: West Coast, USA.

There is a glossary of pronunciation terms at the end of the book.

Teaching North American English Pronunciation

A to Z Picture Activities

Pronunciation Activities

Pronunciation Card Games

Stress Rulz

Superphonic Bingo