Intelligible Design: Teaching Pronunciation to Adult Language Learners

This course helps instructors teach North American English pronunciation to their adult learners, as a stand-alone course or a speaking / conversation course.

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Course curriculum

1. A Welcome from Your Instructor
2. A Quick Tour of Our Course on Thinkific
3. Course Information
4. Your Pronunciation Experience Survey
5. How To Get Started with Flip
6. Introduce Yourself on Flip!
1. Introduction to Chapter 2
2. Discussion: You as an Adult Learner
3. Principles of the Adult Language Learner Video Explanation
4. Review Quiz
5. Share Your Ideas of How to Meet the Needs of Adult Learners
6. Part I of Your Needs Analysis
1. Introduction to Chapter 3
2. Discussion: Thinking about Learner Language
3. Pronunciation Overview Video Explanation
4. Review Quiz
5. Practice: Diagnosing Learner Speech
6. Part II of Your Needs Analysis
1. Introduction to Chapter 4
2. Discussion: Speakers You Enjoy
3. Thought Groups and Focus Words Video Explanation
4. Review Quiz
5. Share Your Ideas of Resources for Thought Group and Focus Words
6. Brainstorm Activities for Thought Groups and Focus Words
1. Introduction to Chapter 5
2. Discussion: Tips for Listening to Natural Speech
3. Sentence Stress and Rhythm Video Explanation
4. Review Quiz
5. Practice Analyzing Learner Language
6. Plan Activities for a Specific Language Learner
1. Halfway Reflection Survey
1. Introduction to Chapter 6
2. Discussion: How Tone Impacts Words
3. Intonation Video Explanation
4. Review Quiz
5. Describe Intonation Contours in Small Talk with an Edpuzzle
6. Create Intonation Dialogues
1. Introduction to Chapter 7
2. Discussion: Why is Listening So Hard?
3. Connected Speech Video Explanation
4. Review Quiz
5. Share Authentic Listening Materials for Connected Speech
6. Create a Conversation for the Description and Analysis Phase
1. Introduction to Chapter 8
2. Discussion: Mispronouncing Words
3. Watch this Funny Video about Learning English
4. Word Stress Video Explanation
5. Review Quiz
6. Suffix Sorting
7. Diagnose Learner Word Stress
1. Introduction to Chapter 9
2. Discussion: Speaking in the Past Tense
3. Grammatical Endings Video Explanation
4. Review Quiz
5. Grammatical Endings Sorting
6. Practice Analyzing Learner Language for Grammatical Endings
1. Introduction to Chapter 10
2. Discussion: Learner Mispronunciations
3. Watch this Funny Video about English Sounds (Phonemes)
4. Part 1: Consonant Video Explanation
5. Part 2: Vowel Explanation Video
6. Review Quiz
7. Odd Vowel Out Activity
8. Practice Analyzing Learner Language for Phonemes
9. More Information about Consonant and Vowels
1. Thanks for Signing Up for the Course
2. Final Assignment Documents and Instructions
3. Optional Peer Review of Lesson Plan
4. Submit Your Final Lesson Plan
5. Post Course Survey
1. Question and Answer Forum
2. References

About this course

72 lessons
2 hours of video content

Learn how to engage adult language learners in your pronunciation lessons!

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Meet Your Instructor

Alisha Neblett Thompson is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. She holds a Master of Education in Teaching English as a Second Language from Boston University. After graduation, she taught international adults in Boston. Many of her early courses focused on pronunciation skills. She then moved to Madrid, Spain, to teach STEM subjects to elementary and secondary students for one year. After, she became an instructor at North Carolina State University teaching English to international students and designing curriculum for short-term programs, often programs specializing in pronunciation to professionals. Then, as Director of Curriculum and Assessment at a small language school, she focused on curricula, assessments, eLearning, and teacher training. Currently, Alisha is working to obtain her Master's in educational innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. More information about Alisha can be found on her website: alishanthompson.com.