Pronunciation-Spring 2008 :: Blog :: INTONATION--Live English! (whole class)

Comments

1. That is absolutely awesome!! The best post in some time. I think the CP Faculty should also recite such a slogan. That made my day,. Thanks.

   Nick Delzotto on Tuesday, 03 June 2008, 17:21 HST # |

2. Thank you, Nick.  First of all, the students know and understand that I fully respect their language and culture.  However, they also know that they are here because they want to become more proficient at speaking English.  Thus, this idea came to me after seeing Dr. Cabral's efforts during the SHIP program and also from my recollection of my homestay and summer college experience in Mexico when I was their age and was learning Spanish.  I learned more from "living Spanish" during that short summer term in Mexico than I did after a year in a classroom in Syracuse, New York, where I spoke mostly in English with my American classmates!!  It was very difficult, but it was a lesson I never forgot because it worked! (I actually had a dream in Spanish.)  That is what I am trying to convey to my students.  However, it takes a VERY conscious effort on the student's part (as well as reinforcement from teachers) to do this in our special Japanese-dominated environment here at HTIC.  In my feedbck from the students, they seem to like this "mantra" because it reminds them to speak only in English in the classroom and to speak more often in English outside the classroom.  They said it also encourages them to go out and interact in our local community.

   Jeanie M. Bouthillier on Tuesday, 03 June 2008, 20:19 HST # |