HICPR: More on AH-EPS Introductory Video demo on Vimeo

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

More on AH-EPS Introductory Video demo on Vimeo

Let me answer a couple of questions that came as email relating to the introductory Vimeo demo of AH-EPS.

(1) AH-EPS does not in any way replace doing Judy Gilbert in class, especially in any kind of EAP class where rules and explanation rule. As I comment on in the video, it picks up where regular instruction generally leaves off, aiming to facilitate integration into spontaneous production. This is in a very real sense, a clinical approach, closer to "clinical phonetics," what my blog refers to as "haptic-integrated clinical pronunciation." Will be starting a new organization for us HICPRs, pronounced "hiccupers" which your are welcome to join--as long as you don't begin analyzing things until you have experienced them. (Be sure to read the fine print about excommunication for lack of experiential, common sense evidence supporting comments on the organizational blog.)

(2) The real focus of the work is on something for the relatively inexperienced and untrained (in pronunciation) instructor or the student who wants or needs to work on their own . . . on their own. The technology is finally available to make that happen. DVD or USB hard media is still an option, and will be available, but streaming and web/cloud access for most is going to be the only option.

The possibilities for doing the same kind of haptic (and virtual reality) embodiment of the sound system with any language, are limitless. It is, as I have said for some time, integral to the future of the field. In principle, most initial "instruction" or training can go on outside of class with haptic video. In many instances that is the preferred approach, in fact. Practice will then either be with the instructor in integrated instruction in the classroom, using the techniques and patterns, or with the three student practice videos per module. In fact, our experience is that it is imperative that if the 6 video clips of a module are done in a classroom setting, that the instructor must not interfere or comment in any way until all 6 have played. Best case, the instructor just "becomes" one of students and doesn't mess things up with impromptu comments or corrections, unless absolutely necessary! Instructor meddling and hyper-metacommentary may be the biggest threat to things working right!

Some version of the 10, 30-minute instructional videos will probably be free to the public. Ultimately, it all will. (There'll be a small charge, at least for the time being, for the 40 or so the student practice and consonant videos, like iTunes, and the books will probably be available at minimal cost via Amazon. Teacher training, webcam consultations and haptic dinner with me will cost something as well, of course.

At this point, I'm not as interested in making money from AH-EPS (that'll come later, of course) as I am in starting something that is high quality, accessible to most everyone, especially nonnative speaking colleagues-- and is very inexpensive. (I'll make a draft version of the instructor's book available free to everybody on this list after TESOL.)

Keep in touch.

Bill

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What is haptic pronunciation teaching?

Basically, it is using gesture, touch and movement to teach pronunciation of English (or any language). What makes this method unique is that it is based on controlled and systematic use of gesture in doing that. (Often the problem with gesture use in language learning is that it can be "crazy" or random or intimidating or inconsistent, or not well-developed and tied to clear outcomes.)

The earlier "Essential Haptic-integrated English Pronunciation (EHIEP) approach," now KINETIK, does a better job of enhancing presentation, modelling, feedback and correction. The method is simple and easy to follow. Once a 30-minute module is finished, teacher and students have a set of techniques to use in class anytime a pronunciation problem or opportunity comes up!

Haptic Preliminaries

I often begin workshops or papers with the comment that in about 40 years in the field I have had just one idea: that the systematic use of body movement is essential to effective and efficient pronunciation instruction. That has never been more relevant than today, with the general deemphasis on pronunciation and introduction of technology into the field. From both perspectives, the "haptic" perspective approach developed here offers great promise. I can at least promise you a "moving" experience!

What is the KINETIK Method?

KINETIK is the name of the new v6.0 haptic pronunciation teaching system. About six years earlier we were using the acronym, "Haptic Integrated Pronunciation for Other/Extended Circle English Speakers" (HIPOECES)--still there in the url of this blog!

Haptic-integrated clinical pronunciation is:

A different way to learn pronunciation, based in part on Arthur Lessac’s notion of “Training the body first.” It is also based on research in the use of movement and touch in learning and training. It:

Looks somewhat like a combination of aerobics, sign language and Taichi

Provides a basic foundation for continued, self-directed pronunciation learning and classroom instruction

Designed for use by relatively untrained teachers but appropriate for all teachers (and learners) of all levels

Focuses on pronunciation used in conversation (not all words in English)

Is a highly “brain-and-body-friendly” system that promotes efficient learning of integrated tasks in general

Designed to promote integrated classroom pronunciation instruction and enable integration of conscious pronunciation work into spontaneous speaking.

Introduction

This blog was formerly named: HIPoeces (pronounced 'hI-pƏ-cIs), basically an approach to teaching English pronunciation to speakers of "outer and expanding" circle Englishes (including that population commonly termed: non-native speakers) but also compatible with the use of local models other than simply Standard" American" or RP. Using Kachru's "Inner, expanding and outer circles" model to characterize the breadth of Englishes and speakers of those, HIPoeces (now HICP) systems focus on developing haptically-centered pedagogical models and methods which can be adapted for teaching the pronunciation of various Englishes as they are spoken and taught by "owners" of those varieties.

In theory, the underlying principles can be applied to teaching the sound system of any language. Most language instructors intuitively use a great deal of movement and tactile anchoring in the classroom. The essential question is how to use that resource systematically, especially so that those learners who are less "haptic" in nature are also "moved" by the method.

Simply put, the HICP model/method is based on the idea of speaking along with arm and hand movement, not all that different from that used in sign languages. Most movement patterns are taken from either typical classroom pronunciation instruction practice or from related fields, such as psychotherapy or sports.

Most blog posts link to research that relates to the general HICP model, that is studies dealing with the role of gesture, touch, movement, learning modalities, learning in output, use of the visual field in learning, and experiential learning.

DEFINITIONS:

"Haptic" techniques- procedures that involve both movement and touch (Obvious examples include clapping hands, tapping feet, or holding an object and shaking it to the rhythm of a poem.)

"HICP techniques" - procedures that are haptic and also explicitly coordinated with phonological structures and/or discourse prosody (For example, clapping hands on primary stressed syllables in multi-syllable words, or doing a dance step on key words in conversational turns.)

"Haptic integration"- The haptic dimension probably functions as much to anchor visual and auditory material as it does to assist the learner in getting the "felt sense" of the sound or sound process. Lack of integration into spontaneous speech being such a serious potential shortcoming of instruction, haptic engagement seems a promising bridge to more accurate fluency.

"Visual field" - in HICP extensive use is made of the visual field in front of the learner. (For example, a modified version of the IPA vowel chart is anchored haptically in the imagination of the learner, directly in front of the upper body, and used for several purposes throughout the program.)

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

More on AH-EPS Introductory Video demo on Vimeo

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