Foreign Accent Reduction

Does your language intelligibility suffer because you have a foreign accent? Are you having difficulty being understood by your colleagues or the manager at your office? Crannell Consulting offers a program for the individual who speaks English as a second language but is having difficulty being understood. Our program begins where ESL programs (English as a Foreign Language) leave off. Crannell Consulting is geared primarily to the correct production and pronunciation of the individual sounds of American English (vowels, diphthongs, and consonants). These are then pronounced in words, sentences, and, finally, conversational and presentational speech. Instruction may be given individually or in small groups with similar pronunciation problems. Attention is given also to other aspects of language including kinesics (body language), rhythm, melody, and inflection.

Duration of this workshop is tailored to the specific needs of the client.

For more information about this class, read the Course Outline.

Presentational Skills and Public Speaking

This is a workshop designed to help the participants achieve effective presentation through the development of their oral and kinesic skills. Instruction is given to groups of no more than 15 clients for 3 hours weekly for 6 weeks OR 2 and 1/2 consecutive days.

Targeted Areas:

• those aspects that are pleasant to the eye and the ear
• audience feedback
• control of nervousness
• autistic mannerisms
• use of visuals
• kinesics (body language)

Methodology: Participants are expected to deliver at least three oral presentations during the sessions. These presentations are videotaped and serve as the bases for constructive feedback. The content of the presentations is custom designed to be pertinent to the group taking the workshop.In addition, the clients have the benefit of one written evaluation of a taped presentation up to three months AFTER the workshop is completed to evaluate the use of the learned techniques.

For more information about this class, read the Course Outline.

Oral Reading

Crannell Consulting offers workshops in Oral Reading for clients who are preparing themselves for or are actively involved in theater, radio/television, or voice overs. In addition, clients will improve performance skills including speech/voice, interpretation, oral dynamism, dialect acquisition or reduction. The skills are applied to poetry, prose, and drama.Those who may benefit include clerics, politicians, lawyers, teachers, and writers. Crannell Consulting works with casts as well as individual actors in dialect/accent acquisition and voice.

Duration of this workshop is tailored to the specific needs of the client.

These workshops are designed especially for your audience. Individual or small group instruction is given.

For more information about this class, read the Course Outline.

Voice and Articulation

This program is designed for those individuals who are American born or those whose English is a second language. The major aim of the program is to make the speaker's voice and speech more intelligible, dynamic, and precise.

Small group meetings of 15 clients run for 3 hours weekly for 6 weeks or 2 and 1/2 consecutive days. Individual meetings may also be scheduled.

Methodology: The participants are instructed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as it impacts the American/English language. An individual accent appraisal with individual exercises is made for each participant by the second session. This is an oral course in which the participants are critiqued throughout the entire duration of the workshop.

Attention is given to the:

• proper pronunciation of American/English sounds (vowels, consonants, diphthongs).
• various sound substitutions, omissions, and distortions involved in each dialect.
• forms of speech emphasis, word choice, vocal variety
• rhythm and melody of the English language.
• projection of voice and its impact on being understood
• stress patterns of American/English.
• problems involved in connected or vital speech.
• possible cultural modifications

For more information about this class, read the Course Outline.

Pedagogical Needs (applicable to all programs):

• video and auditory tape recorders are supplied.
• Tapes are supplied by clients and returned to the client at the end of the training.
• Writing board with stylus required.
• Crannell Consulting will supply one copy of handout material to be copied for clients taking the workshop.