Pronunciation & Speaking

Community English Program

Teachers College, Columbia University
Instructor:
Melissa Smith & Sabina Simon
E-mail: Melissa: mrs2264@tc.columbia.edu
Sabina: sfs2157@tc.columbia.edu
Day and Time: Mondays and Wednesdays 1:30-3PM
Class Location: Melissa: Horace Mann 142
Sabina: Horace Mann 144
Course Description
Welcome to Speaking and Pronunciation! This course is designed to give an overview of NorthAmerican English (NAE) pronunciation and speaking skills. We will explore linguistic and
cultural issues surrounding pronunciation and speaking, and practice appropriate pronunciation
and speaking devices.
Course Materials
We will use Well Said, 3rd edition by Linda Grant for our textbook (be sure to get the one with
the blue cover). Other required materials include a notebook, a folder for class handouts, and a
writing utensil. A dictionary (either paper or electronic) that includes pronunciation symbols is
recommended, but not required.
Course Objectives
Upon completing this course, students will be able to:
Identify the phonemic symbols of North American English
Recognize, distinguish, and produce the consonant sounds of NAE
Recognize, distinguish, and produce the vowel sounds of NAE
Recognize and produce specific features of connected speech in NAE
Recognize and elicit meaning changes in contrastive stress of words and sentences in
NAE
Recognize and produce intonation and rhythm in NAE
Practice typical speaking conversations on a variety of topics
Grading
Final grades will be given as follows:
97-100
A+
94-96
A
90-93
A87-89
B+
84-86
B
80-83
B77-79
C+
74-76
C
70-73
C69 and below
Fail/Repeat

The breakdown of the final grade is as follows:

Attendance and Participation: 30%
Homework: 30%
Tests: 10% each
Final Presentation: 20%

Pre- or Co-requisite
Intermediate 4
Homework
Homework is generally assigned every Wednesday and generally should be electronically
submitted by midnight the following Sunday evening unless otherwise indicated. Exact due
dates will be on the individual assignments given out in class. Late assignments are accepted,
but will be given a grade reduction.
Audio Homework Assignments
For certain homework assignments, you will be asked to submit a recorded speaking
sample. The easiest way to do this is to call a Google Voice number.
Sabina: (347) 635-5964
Melissa: (347) 526-3635
1. Call the Google Voice number for your professor
2. Wait for the tone
3. Say your name
4. Record your response
Please only leave one recording.
Alternatively, you may also create an audio file (like mp3 or wav) and email it to your
teacher. If you choose this option, please send one recording of one continuous stream of
speechdont use editing software or cut and paste parts from various parts to construct a
whole.
Absences
Regular attendance and active class participation is expected, and more than three absences
could result in a grade reduction. Sickness, family emergencies, and other life events, however,
sometimes prevent busy adults from attending class. In the event of an absence, you are still
responsible for getting notes and assignments from a classmate or the teacher and submitting
all homework on time. Please talk to your instructor if you have a special situation regarding
absences.
About the CEP
The Community English Program is a unique and integral part of the TESOL and Applied Linguistics
Programs at Teachers College, Columbia University. It provides English as a second language to adult
learners of diverse nationalities and backgrounds. In addition, the CEP serves as an on-site language
education lab in which TESOL and Applied Linguistics faculty and students enrolled in the programs
teach the courses and use the CEP as a setting for empirical inquiry. Here at Teachers College we
believe that observation and classroom research are the best way to learn about how we teach and gain
insights into how teaching might take place. Thus, we encourage observation and classroom research
and want people to use it as a tool for learning.

Course Schedule

Week

Focus

Assignments

1. Sept 22 & Sept

24

Introduction to Course
Chapter 1, Your Pronunciation Profile
Chapter 2, Using a Dictionary and International
Phonemic Alphabet (IPA)

Homework 1

2. Sept 29 & Oct 1

Chapter 3, Consonants

Homework 2

3. Oct 6 & Oct 8

Chapter 4, Syllables, Word Endings

Homework 3

4. Oct 13 & Oct 15

Chapter 5, Word Stress

Homework 4

5. Oct 20 & Oct 22

Chapter 5 & 6, Word Stress

Midterm (10/22)

6. Oct 27 & Oct 29

Chapter 7, Rhythm in Phrases and Sentences

Homework 5

7. Nov 3 & Nov 5

Chapter 8, Thought Groups

Homework 6

8. Nov 10 & Nov

12

Chapter 9, Intonation

Homework 7

9. Nov 17 & Nov

19

Chapter 10, Linking

Final Part 1 (11/19)

Nov 24 & Nov 26

THANKSGIVING
BREAK
NO CLASS

Practice & Review for Final Presentation

Homework 8

10. Dec 1 & Dec 3

Final Presentations, End of Course Party :)

Final Presentations
(12/1)