A number of authors make good use of Limericks to teach pronunciation. I have been doing it for years in my teaching, most recently using Sonocent’s AudioNotetaker (see here), but below is an early demonstration using Flash. The aim is to practise making the contrast between the ‘sheep’ and ‘ship’ vowels accurately, and to practise at […]
Cool Speech is being updated Cool Speech is now retired. It was removed from the Apple Store on 3rd May 2017, and it does not work with the latest iOS on the iPad. Unfortunately, the level of sales does not warrant spending money on an upgrade. Email me if you have any queries – [email protected]
Another great thing about using AudioNotetaker is that it makes it easy to navigate around long sound files of spontaneous speech. Recordings of spontaneous speech are problematic: they typically contain multiple things of interest going on at the same time (speed, accent, reduction, dialect words, context dependent references) all of which compete for attention, and […]
It is now possible to integrate images, text and sound (audio chunks) together in one view, on one device, where the audio is as visible, navigable, and editable as the accompanying text. This is a very important development for the teaching and studying of speech: the sound substance has a visible presence, it has the […]
AudioNotetaker enables us to model ways in which we can give audio extracts equal status with academic commentary and transcript. This is important because, strange though it may seem – much of the study of the phonology and phonetics of language takes place in the graphic medium, with the audio evidence relegated to secondary status. […]
Below are listed teacher-training and research articles which provide the underpinnings for Speechinaction’s commerical publications. Many of the articles published since 1999 are available online – just click the link. All the articles are by Richard Cauldwell, unless otherwise mentioned. 2016 ELF one two and three. Speech in Action Working Paper, September 2016. DOI 10.13140/RG.2.2.27532.51849. […]
I am currently working on four projects. Jungle Listening: Survival Tips for Fast Speech Jungle Listening: Survival tips for fast speech are classroom materials (being piloted in 2016) which focus on the fastest messiest bits of speech. The pilot version of Jungle Listening consists of ten units which aim to make students (B2 upwards) familiar and comfortable with […]
Cool Speech Introduction A general introduction to the prize-winning iPad app. Watch video tutorial Cool Speech Hotspots Can you catch the words in the fastest stretches of speech? Watch video tutorial Cool Speech Speed Can you judge the speed of speech? Watch video tutorial Cool Speech Rhythm Can you feel the rhythm of speech? Watch video […]
Cool Speech is being updated Cool Speech is currently being updated. It will be removed from the Apple Store on 3rd May 2017. It will still work on your iPad, but you will not be able to re-download it from the Apple Store if you change your iPad. So if you delete it from your iPad, you will […]
Jungle Listening is a set of ten units which aim to make students (B2 upwards) familiar and comfortable with the unruliness and messiness of fast speech. They are currently being piloted in Poland, in the Czech Republic and in France. Each of the ten activities focuses on a key phrase which is spoken at a […]
Introduction This is an easy-to-read introduction which explains how to use Cool Speech. You can also see videos explaining how to use Cool Speech here. Guide: Explore This is a guide on what to notice when you go to the Hotspots/Explore screens, and tap once to hear the fast original, and tap twice to hear […]
Scripts of source recordings in lower case. These are scripts of the recordings from which the short extracts in Cool Speech are taken. Help Click on the image to the Help file from Cool Speech. It is also available on the app itself. Guide: Hotspots – Explore. This is a guide on what to notice […]
Jessica Cobley and Becky Steven, writing in English Australia Journal This added several dimensions to our lessons, particularly at an intermediate level … We particularly liked the app’s unique ability to incorporate a number of skills into one whole lesson … the Cool Speech app is a must for spicing up pronunciation courses. More here. […]
Sonocent – Speech in Action
I am a big fan, and avid user, of Sonocent’s AudioNotetaker. I first came across it in 2012, and wrote about it in the final chapter of my book, Phonology for Listening. You can read about how I have used it in teaching presentation skills here. You can read a longer description here, here and […]