Next week we are starting a class for accent reduction. we had a larger turn out than expected and are actually going to have two classes. We will need to seperate the students into two classes, and without stepping on sensitive students toes, we plan on having a higher and a lower level class (we will not call them that, thought).
My questions: Do you have any suggestions for how to assess the students? Is there an objective way to test the skill of pronunciation?
Accent Redcution Assessments
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
Just a thought:
Instead of having a high level and a low level, why not separate them into language groups? Students coming from the same L1 usually have similar pronunciation challenges. . .
Advantage: You could spend more time on things the students need to work on (your Korean students may need a couple of weeks to practice the difference between "p" and "f", while your Spanish-speakers will get it on the first try).
Disadvantages: Your advanced students might get impatient if you had any really low students in the same classes with them. Also, the students of different language backgrounds could potentially be helpful to eachother and take turns acting as "teachers." (Your Spanish speakers could be good models for your Koreans and help them along. . .)
In my experience teaching pronunciation, I have always taught a comprehensive program that covered all of the sounds. That meant that we had to cover everything pretty quickly. Since everybody had different things that they needed to work on, it was a shame that we couldn't spend too much time on any one thing--first, because we didn't have time, and second, because everyone else would get bored. The best solution I found was when working on a skill that some students simply "got" (like my Spanish speakers with "p" and "f"), I usually let that group go early and worked only with the ones that needed it. So I think if I were you, I would try to split the class based on specific needs.
Maybe you could even group the class differently on different class days when studying different problem sounds. . .
Instead of having a high level and a low level, why not separate them into language groups? Students coming from the same L1 usually have similar pronunciation challenges. . .
Advantage: You could spend more time on things the students need to work on (your Korean students may need a couple of weeks to practice the difference between "p" and "f", while your Spanish-speakers will get it on the first try).
Disadvantages: Your advanced students might get impatient if you had any really low students in the same classes with them. Also, the students of different language backgrounds could potentially be helpful to eachother and take turns acting as "teachers." (Your Spanish speakers could be good models for your Koreans and help them along. . .)
In my experience teaching pronunciation, I have always taught a comprehensive program that covered all of the sounds. That meant that we had to cover everything pretty quickly. Since everybody had different things that they needed to work on, it was a shame that we couldn't spend too much time on any one thing--first, because we didn't have time, and second, because everyone else would get bored. The best solution I found was when working on a skill that some students simply "got" (like my Spanish speakers with "p" and "f"), I usually let that group go early and worked only with the ones that needed it. So I think if I were you, I would try to split the class based on specific needs.
Maybe you could even group the class differently on different class days when studying different problem sounds. . .