Category Archives: Frequently-Asked-Questions

Question 7

Submitted by Dr Yvonne Perczuk on Sat, 21/04/2012 - 16:43

What is a ‘Diagnostic Assessment’ and what does it achieve? Dr Perczuk has created a diagnostic assessment tool, which is used in the first session of a program. The assessment consists of a variety of speaking tasks used to identify students’ individual pronunciation problems. A program, tailored to each student’s specific needs, is then designed based on the individual problems Continue Reading...

Question 5

Submitted by Dr Yvonne Perczuk on Sat, 21/04/2012 - 16:24

What about when I’ve finished the program? How do I continue to practise after the course? You’ll be given a Follow-up Guide Package on completion of your course. This contains targeted pronunciation exercises, a CD and special guidelines for independent study. It will direct you to online audio and transcript resources, which will enable you to monitor and consolidate your Continue Reading...

Question 4

Submitted by Dr Yvonne Perczuk on Sat, 21/04/2012 - 16:13

It’s easy to do the exercises in the classroom, but what about when I go out into the real world? Practice is the key! I will ask you to focus on different elements of your pronunciation in your daily speech each week with strategies to help you integrate what you have learned in the classroom into your spontaneous speech in Continue Reading...

Pronunciation Tip of the Month

Happy 2023! I know you’ve probably made and broken a whole lot of new year resolutions! Here’s your chance to keep an important one: to make some real improvement in your pronunciation.

Here’s an exercise you might enjoy, that will make you more aware of English rhythm and intonation and will help you make your speech sound more animated, natural and native-like.

First go to your TV and turn on a news or current affairs program where the speaker is facing you on the screen. Turn down the volume and watch the speaker nodding their head and raising their eyebrows regularly throughout the program. Every time they lift their heads or raise their eyebrows, their voices are doing a little jump up in pitch. Now turn the volume on and watch how the voice and the body tend to move together.

It’s this up and down of the voice (intonation) that shows an English speaker’s involvement in what they are saying. If your voice stays flat and unvaried, English listeners will think you are less interested and less interesting than you really are.

To improve your intonation range:
– Record a few minutes of a TV program.
– Download audio and a transcript of the program (most ABC and BBC programs have audio and transcripts available online).
– Listen carefully to the short recording several times and draw little arrows where you think the voice is rising.
– Now try to make your own recording using the marked transcript as a guide.
– Finally compare your best effort and the original recording to see how close you can get.

Good luck till next month!