HICPR: September 2025

Thursday, September 25, 2025

Links to the EAPIC Introductory lesson!

Here we go!

The training video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19hEbA_pt0ofZFDupV3kM90JRiScJDLwf/view?usp=sharing

The blogpost with the materials:

https://hipoeces.blogspot.com/p/kinetik-english-accent-and.html

Keep in touch!

Bill

Friday, September 19, 2025

14 reasons, according to Perplexity.ai, to do an English Accent and Pronunication Improvement Course - other than pronunciation!

Our terrific haptic English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course begins next week. (Go here for details on the course!)

In preparing the introductory video, focusing on the "embodied, full-body nature" of the haptic pronuciation course, I gave Perplexity.ai the following prompt. Although most of the conclusions do have backing, more or less, in the current research literature in the field, as will be obvious, some of the sources cited by Perplexity (listed below) are not the ones most frequently cited! Nonetheless, in it's defense, the references cited within the sources listed are generally credible.

What follows is copied directly from the Bot's answer, with only some slight formatting changes. Notice that I did not refer directly to the EAPIC course, just the generic, well designed and taught!

"In addition to improving one's accent in a second language, what are some of the important other physiological, psychological and socio-cultural benefits to the individual that accompany systematic study of the pronunciation of the language?"

Physiological Benefits

Enhances speech motor control, strengthening articulatory muscles and coordination for clearer, more accurate speech production.
Improves auditory discrimination, enabling learners to perceive subtle phonetic distinctions, which benefits overall listening skills.
Supports cognitive development through increased neural flexibility and adaptation, fostering improved phonological processing abilities.

Psychological Benefits

Builds self-confidence as clearer pronunciation reduces communicative anxiety and fear of misunderstanding.
Reduces stress, with research showing that better pronunciation correlates with decreased anxiety and better emotional well-being.
Boosts motivation for language learning and social interaction, as learners feel empowered to speak up and connect with others.
Enhances self-awareness, helping individuals monitor and improve their own speech patterns, leading to greater language mastery.

Socio-Cultural Benefits

Improves comprehensibility and intelligibility, facilitating smoother integration into new communities and broader social circles.
Fosters cross-cultural sensitivity and respect by enabling learners to better grasp speech nuances, intonation, and cultural aspects of communication.
Opens professional and academic opportunities, as strong pronunciation skills are valued in presentations, interviews, and global workplaces.
Reduces bias and stereotyping, enabling learners to express ideas without undue focus on accent, thus promoting equity and inclusion.
Supports positive identity formation, allowing learners to navigate sociolinguistic factors and decide how much of their native accent to retain or adapt for context.

Additional Benefits

Cultivates more meaningful relationships, with clearer pronunciation leading to fewer barriers in personal and professional communications.
Promotes lifelong learning and adaptation, as pronunciation study encourages ongoing personal growth and language refinement.
These multifaceted benefits develop resilient, confident communicators who are better equipped for successful second-language use across diverse contexts.

Sources consulted by Perplexity:

EFL Magazine. (2025, January 21). Pronunciation in ESL - Why It Should Be Top Priority. Retrieved from https://eflmagazine.com/pronunciation-esl-why-it-should-be-top-priority/

Frontiers in Psychology. (2023, August 15). The impact of automatic speech recognition technology on second language pronunciation learning. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1210187/full

Frontiers in Education. (2023, May 17). The efficacy of the type of instruction on second language pronunciation learning. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1182285/full

McCollege. (2024, June 6). The Importance of Pronunciation in English Language Learning. Retrieved from http://mccollege.edu/english-as-a-second-language/about-english-as-a-second-language/the-importance-of-pronunciation-in-english-language-learning/

Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. (2025, March 26). A scientometric study of computer-assisted pronunciation training in English as a Foreign Language. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-025-04474-y

OJS SIN-CHN. (2024, December 18). Dynamic relationship between oral English pronunciation standard and psychological well-being. Retrieved from https://ojs.sin-chn.com/index.php/mcb/article/view/833

QQEnglish. (2023, August 14). Learn English Pronunciation Online: Top 7 Reasons to Improve it. Retrieved from https://qqeng.net/reasons-to-improve-your-english-pronunciation/

SciEduPress. (2024, June 2). Exploring Pronunciation Development Strategies for Learners of English as a Second Language. Retrieved from https://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/wjel/article/download/25480/16099

Tandfonline. (2025, August 4). Effects of Anxiety Levels on English Pronunciation Learning in Different Classroom Environments. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10447318.2025.2539457?src=

5 Minute English. (2025, June 25). The Impact of Cultural Experiences on English Pronunciation. Retrieved from https://5minuteenglish.com/the-impact-of-cultural-experiences-on-english-pronunciation/

IDC.edu. (2025, January 20). The Importance of Pronunciation and Accent Reduction. Retrieved from https://idc.edu/blog/importance-accent-reduction-pronunciation/

You'll get all that and more, promise!

Sunday, September 14, 2025

Beginning next week! (Haptic) English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course

If you have students, or colleagues (or yourself!) who

have an IELTS speaking score of 5 or above, and
still have some accent or pronunciation issues that can still interfere with communicating well,
and are to busy to take a regular course with a school,

do this EAPIC course. The description and landing page are here. As you will see, the basic course is free. If you want more personal feedback, that is available, too, for $200 USD. No limit on number of students but it is important to get in from the begining if you can, for about 30-minutes a day, 6 days a week.

See you there!

Bill

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Fall 2025 (KINETIK) English Accent and Pronunciation Course!

KINETIK – using the whole body to learn (especially gesture and touch)

Beginning September 25, 2025

Much better accent or pronunciation
Much better expressiveness in speaking
More confidence in speaking
Good method for continuing to improve
Works for anybody with a CLB or IELTS 5 and up

• 10 weeks, online
• (Free) 20-minute training video uploaded every Thursday
• 15-30 minutes of homework every day!
• (Optional) live homework follow up meeting on Wednesday at 8-9 p.m. EST ($200 USD)

Weekly syllabus:

1. Basic rhythm 1(pronunciation grammar)

2. Fluency 1(body rhythm)

3. Consonants 1 (common problems)

4. Vowels 1 (short)

5. Vowels 2 (long)

6. Consonants 2 (students’ “favorites”)

7. Melody 1 (little pieces)

8. Melody 2 (longer pieces)

9. Fluency 2 (Conversation)

10. Rhythm 2 (Public speaking)

A sample from Lesson 1

Warm up!

1. Neck stretcher (left side, right side, back, front)

2. Upper chest and shoulders stretcher (elbows touch)

3. Nasal resonance BUZZ (Ying! Yang! Young!)

4. Back (‘Oh’ cone) and chest expander (Ooo-Wah!)

Syllable Butterfly Training

Strong tap on the stressed syllable: X

Light tap on unstressed syllables: o

Cool. X

That’s cool. oX

Really cool. ooX

That’s really cool. oooX

Awesome Xo

That’s awesome. oXo

Really awesome. ooXo

That’s really awesome. oooXo

Super cool. Xoo

That’s super cool. oXoo

Really super cool. ooXoo

That’s really super cool. oooXoo

Super awesome. Xooo

That’s super awesome. oXooo

Really super awesome. ooXooo

That’s really super awesome. oooXooo

Lesson I – Embodied Oral Reading (EOR)

1A: I THINK | we've GOT it | figured OUT.

•X •X• • •X

B: Oh. Can you TELL me | what it IS?

X X • • •X

2A: Your MUFfler | I THINK | has a small HOLE in it.

• X• •X • • • X • •

B: Oh NO! Does it NEED | to be rePLACED right now?

• X • • X • • • X • •

3A: Yes, it DOES. It ISN’T going to | last much LONger

X • X • X• • • • • X•.

B: Huh. How MUCH | will it COST?

X • X • • X

4A: A-BOUT | a hundred | and fifty DOLlars.

•X • X• • • • X•

B: Really. That's too BAD. Is there a less exPENsive way?

X• •• X • • • • •X • •

5A: You could MAYbe | rePAIR it, yourSELF.

• • X• •X • • X

B: How LONG | exACTly | will that LAST?

• X •X• • • X

6A: If it works at ALL . . . MAYbe | for a couple of MONTHS?

• • • • X X• • • • • • X

B: I'll DO that. SEE you | in a MONTH or two!

• X • X • • • X • •

Homework:

1. Practice the warm up, training and Embodied Oral Reading every day in the morning for 15-30 minutes, standing, with good posture and gesture!

2. Practice using pleasing (beautiful) voice, good breathing and confident volume.

3. Keep a "learning conversation" journal with your favorite AI Bot!

Email me: wracton@gmail.com for more information or to enrol.

For a more in depth discussion of the basis of the EAPIC course, go to: https://www.actonhaptic.com/eapic

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.)