"Content-Based Haptic Oral Reading: Enhanced Memory for Text and Pronunciation,":

Workshop to be presented at the TESOL Convention, Wednesday, 23 March, 14:00-15:45 US EST in Room 333 at The David L. Lawrence Convention Center. 

Here is the summary and the proposal: 

This workshop presents an innovative technique, the haptic, embodied oral reading, based on use of adjusted or enhanced targeted language present within typical, written course content or a structured “recast” of spontaneous classroom conversation. The procedure, relying on special gestures and touch, is applicable to learners of all proficiency levels.

Abstract:

Oral reading in its various incarnations may be the oldest and still most frequently employed language teaching and literacy development technique, for both learning and testing. For some learners and classroom contexts, reading out loud can be effective; for others, its applicability is limited. Its place in literacy and early reading instruction with children is well established, unequivocal. Although research on the efficacy of oral reading in language instruction with adult skill development is mixed, it is still seen as essential in oral proficiency testing. The “problem” with oral reading, in part, is that, unless done with attention to more than simply reading the text out loud, there is little empirical evidence that much is gained by the exercise.

This workshop focuses on “embodied” oral reading, that is the practice of performing an oral reading of a “regular” course text excerpt or stretch of spontaneous conversation, such that (a) the rhythm and stress grouping/structure is identified prior to the actual oral reading of the text. Next, (b) some feature of the text, such as intonation or a problematic consonant is briefly “adjusted” or modified. And (c) finally that stretch of speech (typically between 10 and 50 words) is read out loud, synchronized with some type of fluency-oriented gesture, such touching hands on the stressed words in the rhythm groups, creating a more memorable, fluent and semantically anchored experience for the learner, encouraging integration of the adjusted content material.

From conversational analysis (in class!) to L2 pragmatic competence at TESOL 2022!

The full  title of our TESOL 2022 presentation: Spontaneous classroom conversational analysis supporting development L2 pragmatic competence. 

Here is the abstract! (Presentation is on Thursday at 3:30 in room 334.)

This paper reports on research into ways in which an instructor in an EAP Speaking skills course helped facilitate development of pragmatic awareness and competence. The study focused on spontaneous, conversational analysis of student personal anecdotes done in small groups. Results revealed a range of potentially productive strategies and techniques. 

Angelina VanDyke and Bill Acton

50 ways to say "Haptic Pronunciation Teaching is BEST!"

About 30 years ago, at the KOTESOL annual conference, I did a plenary talk, something of a demonstration of the power of using gesture, prosody and expressiveness, entitled: 50 ways to say, good morning! (A take off either on a scene from Cyrano de Bergerac or song by Simon and Garfinkel.) Have continued to use that technique/trick ever since. It came off quite successfully, in fact, with an audience of over 100, where each person had to not only come up with a unique way to say "Good Morning!" but include a gesture to accompany it. One we had done "the 100," I then went back and pointed out something of the range of emotional, prosodic and gestural overlays that were evident. (Try it sometime!) 

CAVEAT EMPTOR: The following is very much fun and decidedly PRO-KINETIK!!! (But, also, pretty much accurate!) 

Now, instead of using the same words with varied overlays, here are 50 REASONs why Haptic Pronunciation Teaching in the new KINETIK method, including the "Embodied Oral Reading/Recast System" (EORRS) is, in my humble opinion, simply the best. 

KINETIK 

1. is "full-body" based and fun
2. is based in embodiment theory
3. develops "mindful" body awareness
4. is based, in part on American Sign Language
5. is based, in part, on Observed Experiential Observation 
6. uses gesture synchronized speech
7. uses gesture-managed, spontaneous speaking
8. is based in the neuroscience of touch
9. is rhythm-based, done first before anything else!
10. includes just the essentials of pronunciation
11. is almost as good online as in person (if not better)
12. is easy to learn to teach with (one technique at a time)
13. is inexpensive to learn to teach with ($500 minimum for complete system)
14. is inexpensive for students (It requires little, if any special materials, just access to online training videos)
15. uses "regular" course content for teaching pronunciation
16. can be applied in any skill area class
17. is great for in class correction and feedback
18. is excellent, with straightforward homework system
19. is great for modeling sentences, phrases, idioms
20. strongly enhances memory for vocabulary 
21. strongly enhances expressiveness
22. requires very little or no background in linguistics or phonetics to use it effectively
23. requires very little or no background in language teaching to use it effectively
24. uses (near revolutionary) "Embodied Oral Reading and Recast System"
25. consistently enhances student confidence in speaking
26. can be applied to a learner's L1 sound system
27. engages better breathing and posture
28. helps develop better abs!
29. facilitates feasible peer correction and feedback
30. is a complete scaffolded, method
31. has highly personalized weekly face to face session (or on Zoom)
32. facilitates development of rapport in the classroom
33. is based on quality dialogic instruction (instructor-student, and student-student)
34. has an amazing technique for [th]
35. has an amazing technique for [r/l]
36. has an amazing technique for linking
37. has an amazing technique for word-final voiced obstruents
38. has an amazing techniques for discourse orientation (prosody between speakers)
39. facilitates enhanced visual presence on screen/zoom
40. creates a relaxed classroom milieu
41. is applicable for learners of all ages
42. is applicable for learners of all proficiency levels
43. is applicable for classes of all sizes
44. is applicable for use in literacy training
45. is based on over 50 years of pronunciation teaching experience
46. is based on about 35 years of kinaesthetic pronunciation teaching
47. is based on over 15 years of effective haptic pronunciation teaching
48. is adaptable for special needs instruction
49. is applicable for accent reduction
50. makes some kinds of drill "great" again

For more information, goto: www.actonhaptic.com/kinetik/ or email me directly: wracton@gmail.com

"Parsing your words!" A key skill for teaching English rhythm!

A few (4) decades ago, in my first TESL course as an undergrad, we had a sentence something like the following, where the "point" was to show students that, in principle, any word in a sentence could be the location of the primary sentence stress, depending on the context and what had preceded in the conversation or story: 

                    My friend and I drove to the party in a rented, blue Ford station wagon. 

In our practicum, one of the assignments was, in fact, to have students repeat the sentence any number of times, even up to 15 in that case, where any word could be the focal or contrastive stress location. (You may have done something similar.) What that accomplished, in addition to massive confusion, is still not clear! In the unmaked condition, where that sentence somehow begins the conversation, on basic parsing would probably be: 

My friend and I / drove to the party / in a rented, / blue Ford station wagon.  

Ciker.com

To the native speaker, or near-native, that unmarked parsing is probably the concensus, and relatively easy to land on. Not so, generally, for the nonnative, however, in part because the decision as to where to parse the text relied on grammatical and discourse competence, not simply on how it "felt" to say it.  (In fact, I have found many native-speaking teacher trainees to be even less successful at producing the unmarked version of the text. They have been generally highly auditory and weak on grammar!) 

Once the "story" and previous preconceptions or events kick in, the stress could shift in any number of ways. There are some rules for guessing at the unmarked, of course, but they are not very helpful, such as:

• Stress tends to fall:
• on content words
• to the right
• on nouns or verbs, but not on prepositions, articles, adjectives or adverbs
• important concepts introduced earlier in the narrative that are contrastive to what is expected on marked constituents (context or previous events based)

So, how does one whose L1 is not English, learn how to parse texts for students, as is the basis of the "Rhythm First" protocol of the KINETIK method, where you parse the text and identify the primary-stressed word in each parse (or rhythm) group. Good question. One way is to take the KINETIK Method Instructor Certificate Course (KMICC) where each week you work on various short texts learning how to effectively parse to the intrinsic rhythm of the written (or spoken) text. At the conclusion of the 10-week course, participants are very good at parsing texts into what we call "embodied oral readings (EORs)," the key building block of the haptic, KINETIK instructional system. 

That sound like / a very good tool / to have on hand? 

Or

That sound / like a very good tool / to have on hand? 

or

That sound like a very good tool/ to have on hand? 

If so, join us: actonhaptic.com/kinetik or email me directly at: wracton@gmail.com

Haptic at TESOL 2022!

Haptic Pronunciation Teaching "Touching Base" at TESOL 2022 Convention in Pittsburgh, March 22~25th! If you will be at the convention, let's get in touch! I am doing one presentation with Angelina VanDyke on the 25th at 3:30, but, other than that, I'll be there just to promote the new, amazing KINETIK Method (www.actonhaptic.com/kinetik/) Alway open for a breakfast, lunch, dinner or later, of course with hapticians and other lovers of "haptic," but as in earlier years, I plan to be in the networking area next to the publishers' booths, both mid-morning and mid-afternoon for an hour or so. Also, if you are a runner, we'll probably be out each morning for 6-8km run around 6! In addition to details # on KINETIK courses, will have some new KINETIK swag as well. See you there! (Email me at: wracton@gmail.com!)