Winter Quarter 2018: Join Our Continuing Ed Class

I'm pleased to announce that I will be teaching a 20-hour non-credit continuing education course at Central Washington University's Sammamish Campus this winter quarter.  I hope you can join me for this comprehensive American Accent for Professionals Course.

Dates/Times:  Tuesday evenings, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, January 23 - April 3 2018
(no class February 20)
Location:  CWU Sammamish Campus, 120 228th Ave NE, Sammamish, WA 98074 (map)
Cost:  $245, plus $49.95 online materials fee
Registration: Register on the CWU Sammamish website: https://www.campusce.net/cwu/Course/Course.aspx?c=147

About the Course:

Learn the essentials of the American accent.  Improve your personal and professional communication through understanding the elements of accent:  pronunciation, intonation and fluent connected speech.  Course designed for proficient English speakers who wish to understand and improve their American Accent.

Each session will include:
pronunciation lesson
intonation lesson
speech practice
review of resources

Specific topics will include:  American English vowels, Final consonant sounds, initial consonant sounds, how pronunciation affects grammar, linking and connected speech, reductions, consonant clusters, and how the American English dialect differs from other dialects of English.

Students will gain an understanding of the elements of their personal accent which affect being understood.  They will learn the common error patterns of pronunciation and intonation they are making, how to correct them, and how to practice to integrate new speech patterns into their personal and professional communication.  Students will learn to evaluate their own speech and that of others. They will learn additional cultural communication competencies and professional soft skills such as small talk, idioms vs. slang, and direct and indirect language.

Register Now