Moving and touching, EAPIIC course begins next week, 6/18!

 Here is the Link to the course announcement!

English Accent, Pronunciation and Identity Improvement Course (EAPIIC) is  . . . unique!  Guaranteed, this will be the most "embodied" pronunciation course you have taken. The two new features are use of AI for homework and integration of accent and identity.

As the description says, the course is free. the 30-minute lesson is uploaded on Youtube every Thursday, with daily assigned homework. If you want feedback on your pronunciation or your teaching, you can sign up for that, too, at a minimal fee. 

See me next week! (If you sign on, I'll see you, too!)

Bill, Haptician-in-Chief

wracton@gmail.com

(423) 660-7400

Summer 2026 Haptic English Accent, Pronunciation and Identity Improvement Course!

 June 18th ~August 26th!

In about three months make ecellent progress in improving English accent or pronunciation and be trained in how to keep on improving after the 10-week course.

• The recorded, 30-minute weekly training lessons are free, available on Thursdays on Youtube
• There is a 30-minute daily homework practice assignment with each lesson.
• The next week on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST there is a live Zoom feedback session on that lesson for students who are enrolled in the course (for $250 USD)
• During the feedback sessions students are guided in using AI to manage their homework practice and progress.
• The feedback sessions are recorded, so you can always access them later if necessary.
• To really benefit from the course, you should (1) have a minimum IELTS of 4.5, (2) do the homework, and (3) enroll for the Wednesday feedback sessions.

The instructor, Bill Acton, has been teaching pronunciation for about 50 years. His method is "haptic," that is it uses a great deal of gesture and touch to make learning easier and more enjoyable. This course also makes extensive use of AI and identity protection training.

(This is also a good course for an instructor who wants an introduction to haptic pronunciation teaching. You can sit in for the same course fee, plus we have a weekly instructor meeting!) 

Please pass on to anybody who could use this course!!!

For more information or to sign up: wracton@gmail.com

EAPIC Lesson 1: Rhythm and FALL/RISE Sign-offs

 English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course (EAPIC)

Haptic - using gesture and touch

KINETIK – using the whole body to learn

Link to the Introduction video!

***

Link to Lesson 1 Training video

Lesson 1 – Rhythm and FALL/RISE Sign-offs

• MT5 (movement, tone, touch and tempo) Technique
• MT5 video uploaded every Week on Youtube.
• (Optional) Zoom class meeting on Wednesday at 8 EST.

Homework: 

Do at least the 20-minute practice every morning for 5 days. 

Warm up (3x each)

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

2. Upper chest and shoulders (elbows touch) 

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

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

Syllable Butterfly Training

Strong tap on the stressed syllable on right shoulder: X

Light tap on unstressed syllables on left forearm: 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

FALL/RISE Sign-offs: 

FALLing tone (  \ ) Usually at the end of a statement or certainty. Nice to meet you. \

RISEing tone ( / ) Usually at the end of a question or uncertainty. Are you coming? /

 

Lesson I – Embodied Oral Reading (EOR)

(Syllable Butterfly + FALL/Rise Sign-offs)

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. Take notes!!!

2. Practice every day, in the morning, standing, with good gesture, using pleasing (beautiful) voice and volume. (Warm up, training and EOR)

    Friday: Do the training! Take notes!

    Saturday: Do warm up training and EOR) Take notes!

    Sunday: Take the day off! Take notes!

    Monday: Do warm up, traing and EOR. In your notes write down words or phrases you may have difficulty pronouncing well enough!

    Tuesday: Do warm up, EOR and find a dialogue or story about as long as an EOR and practice using the Butterfly MT5 with it. Take notes, lots of them!!!

    Wednesday: Do warm up, EOR, your text, take notes and come to the Feedback session (this one is frree!) 

    Thursday: Do new training video. 

3.  Check out: https://elsaspeak.com/en/ (vowels and consonants)

4.  Check out:https://speechling.com/ (general speech fluency)

5. Check out: www.williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (for the optional identity protection app that I'll introduce during Week 3.)

Email me: wracton@gmail.com with questions or to enroll for EAPIC course feedback sessions: ($250 USD)

EAPIC Lesson 1 Feedback Meet at 8 p.m. EST tonight!

The live EAPIC Google Meets session is from 8 to 9 EST tonight. It is a follow up to last week's Lesson One video. (View that here!) The lesson Two training video will be uploaded tomorrow. 

Each week on Wednesday there is a live feedback session for students who are enrolled in the course. Tonight's session is free, See you tonight. 

English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course (EAPIC) Introduction

Here is the link to the video (Youtube)

(Note: The video quality of the text on the screen is a little fuzzy, but it is the same as what is below! Also, my voice with the cold is a little fuzzy, too! ) 

Better accent or pronunciation

Better expressiveness in speaking

More confidence in speaking

Good method for continuing to improve - Study at home, by yourself!

Works for anybody with a CLB or IELTS 5 and up

• 10 weeks, online (plus Introduction)

• (Free) 20~30-minute training video uploaded to YouTube every Thursday

• 15~30 minutes of homework every day!

• (Optional) live homework follow up meeting on Zoom Wednesday at 8-9 p.m. EST. 15-minute Zoom interview required to enroll ($250 USD additional fee)

Weekly syllabus:
1. Basic rhythm 1 (pronunciation grammar) 
2. Fluency 1 (body rhythm)
3. Consonants 1 (common problems, such as 'th' and 'r/l')
4. Vowels 1 (short)
5. Vowels 2 (long)
6. Consonants 2 (students’ “favorite” problems)
7. Melody 1 (little pieces, phrases)
8. Melody 2 (longer pieces, sentences)
9. Fluency 2 (Public speaking and classroom stye)
10. Rhythm 2 (Conversation style)

Typical weekly schedule: 

   Thursday: Do the video along with me (20+ minutes) and keep notes!

   Friday: Do the warm up, training, embodied oral reading (EOR) and keep notes!

   Saturday: Do the warm up, training, EOR and keep notes!
              Notes: Other words or phrases you have difficulty pronouncing well

   Sunday: Take the day off with me!

   Monday: Do the warm up, EOR, practice your target words (with MT5s) and keep notes!

   Tuesday: Do the warm up, EOR,  a new one-page story you have found with MT5s, 

                   practice your target words and keep notes!

   Wednesday: Come to the live feedback 60-minute class on Zoom (or practice by yourself!) 

       Here is what goes on in the feedback session: 
                       a. Go over the EOR
                       b. Check students' individual MT5s for accuracy
                       c. Questions from and help with target words of students
                       d. Preview of the next week's lesson

So . . . How does this course work? 

Gesture and touch make pronunciation easier to learn and remember

Using your whole body (embodied) makes is easier to pay full attention

Rhythm and gesture together help keep learning both relaxed and energetic

Embodied oral reading is great for bringing what you study into conversation

Practicing the EOR every day trains your mind and body to move and speak more like English speakers do. 

Use what you know . . . 

Email me: wracton@gmail.com for more information or to enroll (via Paypal or Venmo). To enroll requires brief Zoom chat (just to make sure the course is for you!) 

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

The Summer 2026 EAPIC course is being revised to include identity protection. Students will also be using IDentityshield system. For a preview of IDentityshield go to: IDentityshield introduction, or  www.williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com 

Homework for next week 

A. Tell me a little about yourself and why you think this course would be helpful for you.

B. Give me some idea of your weekly schedule, how much time you have to practice!

C. Tell me about your experience with music, playing an instrument, etc., or just enjoying it!

D. Tell me if you'd like to join the Wednesday Zoom feedback class. (If so, I'll set up a Zoom interview just with you as soon as possible. If I do, what would be a good time for you?)

Keep in touch!

Bill

Bill Acton's Haptic EAPIC course, featuring Perplexity AI, beginning on February 5th!

 The Spring 2026 “Haptic” English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course (EAPIC) starts next week on February 5th. This term, participants will use Perplexity AI to tailor their homework and practice activities—creating a truly individualized learning experience. 

The course training videos and materials are free on Vimeo.com and here on the blog, as usual; enrolment required to participate in the weekly feedback sessions.and receive supplementary materials. 

For full course details, go here!

Bill

Feel free also, to contact me directly! wracton@gmail.com

l

Spring 2026 English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course (EAPIC)

Beginning two weeks from today! 

Spring 2026 English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course (EAPIC)

(EAPIC: pronounced "EPIC!") 

Beginning February 5, 2026 

• Better accent or pronunciation
• 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 (plus Introduction video on 2/5/2026)
• (Free) 20~30-minute training video uploaded to YouTube every Thursday
• 15~30 minutes of homework every day!
• (Optional) live homework follow up meeting on Zoom Wednesday at 8-9 p.m. EST. 

•      15-minute Zoom interview required to enroll
•     $250 USD additional fee. 

Weekly syllabus:

1. Basic rhythm 1 (pronunciation grammar) 
2. Fluency 1 (body rhythm)
3. Consonants 1 (common problems, such as 'th' and 'r/l')
4. Vowels 1 (short)
5. Vowels 2 (long)
6. Consonants 2 (students’ “favorite” problems)
7. Melody 1 (little pieces, phrases)
8. Melody 2 (longer pieces, sentences)
9. Fluency 2 (Public speaking and classroom stye)

10. Rhythm 2 (Conversation style)

Typical weekly schedule: 

   Thursday: Do the video along with me (20+ minutes) and keep notes!
   Friday: Do the warm up, training, embodied oral reading (EOR) and keep notes!
   Saturday: Do the warm up, training, EOR and keep notes!
              Notes: Other words or phrases you have difficulty pronouncing well
    Sunday: Take the day off with me!
   Monday: Do the warm up, EOR, practice your target words (with MT5s) and keep notes!
   Tuesday: Do the warm up, EOR,  a new one-page story you have found with MT5s, practice your target words and keep notes!
   Wednesday: Come to the live feedback 60-minute class on Zoom (or practice by yourself!) 

       Here is what goes on in the feedback session: 

                       a. Go over the EOR
                       b. Check students' individual MT5s for accuracy
                       c. Questions from and help with target words of students
                       d. Preview of the next week's lesson

So . . . How does this course work? 

• Gesture and touch make pronunciation easier to learn and remember
• Using your whole body (embodied) makes is easier to pay full attention
• Rhythm and gesture together help keep learning both relaxed and energetic
• Embodied oral reading is great for bringing what you study into conversation
• Practicing the EOR every day trains your mind and body to move and speak more like English speakers do. 
• Use what you know . . . 

Email me: wracton@gmail.com for more information or to enroll (via Paypal or Venmo). To enroll requires brief Zoom chat (just to make sure the course is for you!) 

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

The Summer 2026 EAPIC course is being revised to include identity protection. Students will also be using IDentityshield system. For a preview of IDentityshield go to: IDentityshield introduction, or  www.williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com 

Homework for next week 

A. Tell me a little about yourself and why you think this course would be helpful for you.

B. Give me some idea of your weekly schedule, how much time you have to practice!

C. Tell me about your experience with music, playing an instrument, etc., or just enjoying it!

D. Tell me if you'd like to join the Wednesday Zoom feedback class. (If so, I'll set up a Zoom interview just with you as soon as possible. If I do, what would be a good time for you?)

Spring 2026 English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course (EAPIC)!

The EAPIC is a10-week online course for non-native adult English speakers who want to improve their accent and pronunciation, especially those who are disciplined and prefer independent study. It is a very active "haptic" course, using lots of movement, gesture and touch! It has been offered three times a year since 2015. 

View short introductory video!

Beginning February 9, 2026

• Much better accent or pronunciation
• Much better expressiveness in speaking
• More confidence in speaking
• Training for continuing to improve
• Works for anybody with a CLB or IELTS o5 and up

• 10 weeks, online
• (Free) 20-minute training video uploaded every Thursday
• 15-30 minutes of homework recommended every day!
• (Optional) live individualized homework follow up meeting Wednesdays 8-9 p.m. EST ($225 USD). Zoom interview required to sign up. 

Weekly syllabus:

1. Basic rhythm 1(pronunciation grammar) 
2. Fluency 1 (basic rhythm)
3. Consonants 1 (common problems)
4. Vowels 1 (short)
5. Vowels 2 (long)
6. Consonants 2 (students’ “favorites”)
7. Melody 1 (little pieces of speaking)
8. Melody 2 (longer pieces of speaking)
9. Fluency 2 (conversation rhythm)
10. Rhythm 2 (public speaking)

For more information or to enroll: wracton@gmail.com

Bill Acton's CV

Bill Acton's website

Bill Acton's business website

(Haptic) English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course!

For a good time, start at the bottom of page! The blog page has the materials used in the video!

Enjoy!

Bill

 Link to Lesson 10 training video (Tour of the key techniques of the course!) 

Link to Lesson 10 blog page

  Link to Lesson 9 ttaining video

Link to Lesson 9 blog page

Link to EAPIC 8 Training Video 

Link to EAPIC 8 blog page

Link to Lesson 7 Training Video

Link to Lesson 7 Blog page

 Link to Lesson 6 Training video

Link to Lesson 6 Blog page

Link to Lesson 5 Training Video 

Link to Lesson 5 Blog Page

 Link to L4 Trainng video 

Link to L4 blog page

Link to L3 training video 

Link to L3 Blog page.

Link to L2 training video 

Link to L2 blog page with the materials

Link to Lesson 1 

Link to L1 Blog page

Link to the Introduction video 

Links to EAPIC Lesson 8 - Fighting (and boxing) your way to confident pronunciation

Start with the training video and be sure to download the blog page that has the material in the video. 

Link to EAPIC 8 Training Video 

Link to EAPIC 8 blog page

Link to Lesson Wednesday 8 p.m. EST Feedback Session

(Password required; send me an email and, for a small fee,  I'll send you the password for this week.) 

Link to Lesson 7 Training Video

Link to Lesson 7 Blog page

 Link to Lesson 6 Training video

Link to Lesson 6 Blog page

Link to Lesson 5 Training Video (YouTube)

Link to Lesson 5 Blog Page

 Link to L4 Trainng video (Youtube)

Link to L4 blog page

Link to L3 training video (Youtube)

Link to L3 Blog page.

Link to L2 training video (Youtube)

Link to L2 blog page with the materials

Link to Lesson 1 (Youtube) 

Link to L1 Blog page

Link to the Introduction video (Youtube)

Reminder: English Accent and Pronunication Improvement course (EAPIC) Wednesday Nite L4 Feedback session.

 The session starts at 8 EST on Google Meets. Lesson 4 focuses on single vowels in English and basics of (remembering) word stress. Even if you have not been attending the course, feel free to drop by and see what it is about. Tonight is the last free feedback session.

Link to the feedback session.

See you in an hour!

Bill

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

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!

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

Fall 2025 (KINETIK) English Accent and Pronunciation Course!

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

The EAPIC course is an innovative 10-week online program designed for non-native adult English speakers who want to improve their accent and pronunciation, even without everyday conversational practice. Using embodied oral reading and haptic-based methods, students build fluency and confidence through structured private practice. The course suits learners with IELTS 4.0+ reading ability and lower intermediate English listening skills, especially those who are disciplined and prefer independent study. Skills gained in EAPIC empower ongoing improvement beyond the course, supporting personal, academic, and professional English communication needs.

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

EAPIC AI, AI, AI, AI! (Summer 2025, English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course)

The summer course begins with a short recorded introduction available on Youtube, June 26th! (See fuller course description here.)  It includes a new AI-generated personalized homework feature (AI, AI, AI, AI!) The link and outline will be available here on the blog. 

In about two months make good progress in improving your English accent or pronunciation and be trained in how to keep on after the course--in about 30 minutes a day.  This is a 10-week course: 

• The recorded, 20-minute weekly training lessons are free, available Thursdays on Youtube and Vimeo.
• Personalized homework is created by students using Gen-AI (your choice of program; I use Perplexity.) Here is an example of what the AI-generated homework looks like. 
• The next week on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST there is a live, optional 60-minute Zoom feedback session on that lesson for those students enrolled in the course (for $200 USD) or teachers who'd like to learn more about the system. The feedback sessions are also recorded.

To really benefit from the course, you should do the assigned daily homework and attend the optional feedback sections. The course officially begins Thursday June 26th, but you can join it anytime and still get caught up!  For more info or to enrol, contact me directly: wracton@gmail.com

Keep in touch!

Bill

AI, AI, AI, AI! (AI takes over creating personalized, haptic pronunciation teaching homework!)

 A core component of the English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course is the weekly embodied oral reading. Each week students are trained in a "Movement, tone, tempo and. touch technique" (MT4) that is then practiced in the oral reading in various ways. Part of the process is the student applying the MT4 to a ~300 word text. The personalized text will be generated by AI (I use Perplexity currently, but any Chat-GPT arrived at a similar "solution.") Here is a simple example. (The basic prompt, fill-in-the-blank format is provided for students each week. In this case, the career discipline or context area, accounting, and the proficiency level and L1 of students are filled in.) 

• Generate a word list that includes 20 technical terms used in accounting that can be difficult to pronounce for advanced adult learners of English whose native language is Korean. Include the phonetic transcription of each along with the word, itself. 
• Create an engaging, 300 word story with as much dialogue as possible, using those 20 words, where the basic theme is where an accountant is probably stealing from one of the firm's clients.

WHAT FOLLOWS IS WHAT PERPLEXITY PRODUCED: 

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The Case of the Missing Revenue

At the prestigious firm of Ledger & Logic, the morning began as usual: the aroma of coffee mingled with the faint scent of freshly printed balance sheets. But today, something was off. Ms. Park, the head accountant, was hunched over her desk, eyes darting between the income statement and the cash flow report, her fingers nervously tapping the edge of the fiscal calendar.

“Strange variance in the revenue again,” she muttered, highlighting numbers with the intensity of a forensic auditor. The asset manager, Mr. Kim, peeked over her shoulder. “Did you check the subsidiary accounts? Last month’s reconciliation didn’t quite add up.”

Ms. Park nodded, flipping through a stack of inventory reports. “I did. But there’s an expense entry for ‘Mystery Amortization’—and I can’t find any supporting documents.” She frowned, recalling the audit last quarter, when a similar anomaly appeared under ‘depreciation’ for office plants.

As the team gathered for their weekly consolidation meeting, the boss announced, “We need to address the liability on our client’s books. The equity position looks weaker every month.” The room fell silent. Even the intern, who had just learned the difference between accrual and actual cash, sensed trouble.’

Suddenly, Mr. Kim spoke up. “I noticed the same thing in the reconciliation for our biggest client. The audit trail leads to a fiscal black hole—right into Mr. Cho’s office.” All eyes turned to Mr. Cho, who was busy pretending to do a subsidiary inventory count.

With a dramatic flourish, Ms. Park produced the incriminating balance sheet. “It’s clear: someone is siphoning off assets and hiding them under bogus expense and depreciation entries. The only question is—how long has this been going on?”

The office buzzed with whispers. In accounting, numbers never lie—but sometimes, accountants do.

The word list: 

Here is a list of 20 technical accounting terms that can be challenging for advanced adult English learners whose native language is Korean. Each term includes its standard IPA phonetic transcription, highlighting sounds that are often difficult for Korean speakers (such as /r/, /l/, /v/, /f/, /θ/, /ð/, /z/, and certain vowels).

Term IPA Pronunciation

• accounting /əˈkaʊn.tɪŋ/
• asset /ˈæ.sɛt/
• liability /ˌlaɪ.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/
• equity /ˈɛk.wɪ.ti/
• revenue /ˈrɛv.əˌnuː/
• expense /ɪkˈspɛns/
• depreciation /dɪˌpriː.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/
• amortization /əˌmɔːr.taɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
• accrual /əˈkruː.əl/
• reconciliation /rɪˌkɒn.sɪl.iˈeɪ.ʃən/
• inventory /ˈɪn.vənˌtɔːr.i/
• audit /ˈɔː.dɪt/
• balance sheet /ˈbæ.ləns ʃiːt/
• income statement /ˈɪn.kʌm ˈsteɪt.mənt/
• cash flow /kæʃ floʊ/
• fiscal /ˈfɪs.kəl/
• variance /ˈveə.ri.əns/
• subsidiary /səbˈsɪd.iˌɛr.i/
• consolidation /kənˌsɒl.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/
• reconciliation /rɪˌkɒn.sɪl.iˈeɪ.ʃən/

Notes on Pronunciation Challenges:

• /r/ and /l/ distinctions (liability, reconciliation, accrual, balance)
• /v/ and /b/ (revenue, variance)
• /f/ and /p/ (fiscal, profit)
• /θ/ and /ð/ (method, although not in this list, is common in accounting)
• Vowel differences, especially /æ/, /ɪ/, /ʌ/, /ə/
• Stress patterns in multisyllabic words (depreciation, amortization, consolidation)
• These terms are essential in accounting and are frequently sources of pronunciation errors for Korean speakers due to the differences in sound inventories and syllable structure between English and Korean.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not bad, eh! For this lesson, the MT4 is breaking up the sentences into rhythm groups, identifying the word with the most emphasis and then gesturing (jesturing!) on that word with the left hand tapping on the right deltoid muscle, termed the Syllable Butterfly. (You can see the training for that in this lesson from the Spring 2025 course.) 

60 days to better pronunciation (and making a habit of it!)

 I'm reminded of the old saw: Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes . . . In the midst of this meta analysis-lite of what it takes to establish a habit in Australia (summarized by Neuroscience news), there was a little gem or two from the research that supports what I have been saying to students for decades: practice pronunciation in the morning! There is no real explanation as to why that should be the case, just the numbers, but it makes perfect sense for several reasons. 

The more interesting conclusion of the study is that the current "consensus" as to how long it takes to establish a habit, that is about 30 days, does not apply to a wide range of behaviors Australians need/want to change. Some, it turns out can take up a full year to lock in. The research suggests that the minimum time is closer to 60 days, depending on any number of parameters. In the sports/fitness business opinions range from 1 to 3 months. (The popular "book" on changing habits is probably Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by Clear, a great source on how to do it.)

What the researchers and Clear agree on, however, is that the process is not mysterious but generally grounded in regular, disciplined, systematic practice. In pronunciation work at least the engagement must also be fundamentally embodied, as well. . . . In other words, to be successful you need to not only stay with it for a couple of months, at least, but also need a scaffolded goal-focused plan to get there with. 

Next week, beginning on the 6th, is the English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement (EAPIC) course, pronounced: EPIC. It lasts 9 weeks, 63 days, just over mark for establishing a habit, according to the researchers. What it does is train the student's body (and pre-frontal cortex) in how to keep on improving, centered on what we call "Embodied oral reading:" (EOR), that is daily oral reading, in private, accompanied by a set of approximately 24 gestures from the course. The 8 training videos will be free on Youtube. They are enough for you if you are really disciplined and commit to practicing everyday, for about 20 minutes, on your own. If you need weekly feedback on your work, you can sign up for the course ($200 USD), too. The feedback sessions are always the following Wednesday on Zoom at 8 EST. 

If interested, connect w/me at: wracton@gmail.com

Original source:

Ben Singh, Andrew Murphy, Carol Maher, Ashleigh E. Smith. Time to Form a Habit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Health Behaviour Habit Formation and Its Determinants. Healthcare, 2024; 12 (23): 2488 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12232488