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Program Description Who Is This Program For
Why We Selected This Program Computer Requirements
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The Pronunciation Power language learning series helps you develop fluent SPEAKING skills in English. Pronunciation Power 1, reviewed here, is designed for the new language learner with some fundamental grammar and vocabulary knowledge. (Pronunciation Power 2 provides more advanced practice with full sentence intonation and more advanced vocabulary practice)
Start on the home page where you can choose one of 13 languages for translation of instructions and vocabulary. Here you can link to "Instructions" (see first right) or just begin in one of four areas: Lessons, Exercises, Dictionary or Games. If you begin in the Lessons area, you will work on basic articulation of English consonant and vowel sounds. Go to the Exercise area for guided practice of listening and pronunciation of the English sounds within the context of words, phrases, sentences.
In the Lesson module, the screen provides a front and side view of a jaw ready and waiting to make an English sound (see second right). In the drop down menu at the right hand corner, all 52 English sounds with their phonetic representation are listed. Choose any one of these sounds that are clearly separated into vowels, consonants and cluster sounds. Upon selection of a sound, the learner can hear it spoken and can see how the sound is formed through an animated side and front view of the jaw and mouth movement. It is this video representation of the sound that elevates the quality of the program. You can see what needs to be done with all elements of your mouth to create a sound.
A Speech Analysis function (see third right) allows you to listen to the sound, record your own voice and get immediate feedback through a waveform representation of your speech sound compared to "teacher's" intonation. You can practice the sound until you get it correct
In the Exercise section you can practice the sounds that you have learned. The exercises are separated into seven different sections (see fourth right) that each practice different elements related to effective pronunciation. All the exercises use natural and practical language without resorting to unusual vocabulary or stilted phrases. The instructions for each exercise are concise and easy to understand. The exercises encourage the correct production of speech and providing immediate feedback to the learner.
The first two exercises focus upon the recognition of English sounds within words. The exercises accomplish this through sample words and comparative words related to the English sound you have chosen to practice. In both exercises, the learner clicks on an icon beside each word or comparative words (minimal pair) and listens to how they are enunciated. You can listen to the words as many times as needed, to hear the intricacy of the sound. The program also has a record feature which allows you to pronounce the word and get immediate feedback on your own pronunciation.
The next two exercises (Listening Discrimination A + B) challenge you to recognize the sounds further. In the first exercise, you do not see the word in its written form, but must rely completely on you sound recognition capabilities. In the next listening discrimination exercise you can test your ability to recognize a word in speech. Listen to the instructor and choose which word he said by clicking on it. In both exercises you will receive immediate feedback.
The STAIR and Sentence Practice exercises bear special mention for their ability to capture the nuances of English speech. English is a complicated language that uses rhythm, stress, intonation, and timing to create meaning to an utterance or phrase. These exercises make the learner aware of the nuances and present opportunities within each English sound to practice these elements of speech within challenging and realistic phrases and sentences.
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Click Images To Enlarge
Home Page
Learning to articulate vowels and consonants
Record your own voice and test yourself
Seven different practice areas
Listening discrimination exercises
A "talking" dictionary
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Pronunciation Power is for anybody who is already taking an ESL course, as it will complement what you are learning in class and help you accelerate your learning of English. If you are not taking an ESL course, it works well as a stand-alone learning tool as it is easy to use and does not require a teacher to help you learn on your own. You get to experience and produce English sounds and receive evaluation without any social embarrassment that may occur when speaking with others. Learners of English want to “sound” like native speakers without the embarrassment of making the crucial mistakes that allow them to improve. This program provides that opportunity.
A teacher could use this program to complement their pronunciation instruction or as the principal instruction tool. If the classroom is equipped with computers, the program would work well for students that are advancing rapidly and want more practice. As students are progressing on their own, this will allow the teacher to work with each student individually.
The Pronunciation Power programs are specific to English learners with a minimum competency at the intermediate level. The purpose of the programs is to provide support to their current level and to allow them to progress at their own pace. These programs require a basic knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary. They would probably be a challenge to a learner who is looking for this program to begin their immersion in the language. The language of Pronunciation Power 1 will work for an English language learner at the beginner/intermediate level.
The program truly understands the subtleties of English and that makes it a rich, varied and very challenging language. The program is low on instruction and high on demonstration and opportunities to practice. Exhaustive research and effort has gone into the creation of this program. We can tell that programs' creators are practicing language instructors. The structure of the program follows the sequence a learner needs to develop comprehensible and fluent speech.
They understand that learners need to recognize the sounds first. This is a crucial element to producing comprehensible speech. If a learner cannot recognize it in speech, they will have difficulty producing it. The program allows for practice through a comprehensive survey of all the nuances of English. It explores all the English sounds in isolation, and in the context of the spoken words, phrases and sentences. As well, the program allows for feedback at every turn. The beauty of this program is that the learner can make mistakes, reflect upon the mistakes, learn how the mistake was made, and best of all, get it right with practice.
The material is first rate. Being a stress based language, the program understands that English is a function of delivery. The exercises explore the rhythm, the stress, and the intonation of speech in the context of words and phrases. The exercises are a comprehensive exploration of what we produce on a daily basis but don’t recognize as separate chunks of language. As an example, the program recognizes that even contractions are a distinct and difficult form of speech within the context of pronunciation. Here the learner has the opportunity to work on the pronunciation of contractions, without them being explicitly made aware of it.
Another aspect of the program is that the execution of the Lessons and the Exercises is independent of any predetermined path. The learner can start anywhere, leave anytime, pick up where they left off, or start anew. This flexibility is an advantage, as the learner's success in one area, is not contingent upon their skills in another area.
Reviewed by Jason Finley - ESL teacher for Learning Village
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Order Pronunciation Power 1
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Order Pronunciation Power 2
(or call toll free -1-800-250-9229 )
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Windows: 98 2000 NT ME & XP Intel Pentium processor, 100MHz or faster, 32MB of RAM; 800x600 resolution at 16-bit (thousands) of colors; 4x CD-ROM drive or faster; High quality microphone; Speakers; 5MB available disk space.
Macintosh: 9.1 & OS X (Classic mode), 100MHz or faster, 20MB of available RAM; 800x600 resolution at 16-bit (thousands) of colors; 4x CD-ROM drive or faster; High quality microphone; Speakers; 5MB available disk space
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