Haptic Pronunciation Teaching (v2.0) Rides Again!

This is big. AH-EPS v2.0 and the new ActonHaptic website are ready. On the website are links to everything you need to do "haptic." Reviews on the new system have been great. AH-EPS has been about 10 years in the making. It can be adapted for any group of students, either by letting me do the initial teaching on video for you (See previous "FLIP" post!) or you take a little time to train yourself and do it yourself.
For starters, I'd recommend one of the two sets below. The introductory offer on "AH-EPS v2.0 Package" provides the complete set of tools, including Instructor and Student DVD sets, hardcopies of both books, 4 months of streaming on Vimeo.com and a webcam consultation with me to help you set it up, if necessary--or just share the fun.
The other option, AH-EPS v2.0 Intro Lite, has the same basic stuff but does not include the DVDs and hard copies. This is a good choice if you'd prefer to just get up to speed quickly with the latest developments or even to work through parts of it yourself to tune up your "pedagogical English body and voice" or your accent.
And, if you post one of those GETONIC popshops on your website or blog or social media site, every time somebody purchases what is on that tag you get a 5% commission! Keep in touch!

(Haptic) Marking for better pronunciation: Going through the motions

If you are a dancer, you'll get this one! Dance instruction and the dance "mind set" have long been two of my favourite analogues to pronunciation work. According to Warburton, Wilson, Lynch and Cuykendall of University of California, Santa Cruz, reported by Science Daily, the "conflict between the cognitive and physical aspects of dance practice" is central to highly artistic performance. A new study suggests an intriguing remedy: dance marking (where the routine was done in slow or slower motion) " . . . essentially . . . a run-through of the dance routine, but with a focus on the routine itself, rather than making the perfect movements." (emphasis, mine.) 

Clip art: Clker

Furthermore, according to the researchers, "Smaller scale movement systems with low energetic costs such as speech, sign language, and gestures may likewise accrue cognitive benefits, as might be the case in learning new multisyllabic vocabulary or working on one's accent in a foreign language."

Previous posts have reported similar "marking" systems by "power learning" practitioners,  athletes, actors and weightlifters. In haptic pronunciation work, "marking" is done by using movement and touch to in some sense rehearse and anchor any aspect of the pronunciation. To get an idea of how this works, get a copy of the Guide to AH-EPS, which is part of the Instructor's Package. (See the GETONIC tag at the top of the right hand column.) Another way to get one is to join IAHICPR for a year and I'll send you a PDF copy, free!

Haptic Pronunciation Teaching @ TESOL 2014 in Portland!

Time to start preparing our proposals for TESOL 2014 in Portland! TESOL 2013 in Dallas will be hard to beat but Portland is also a great venue--and it is a much shorter drive from Vancouver, of course!
At Dallas we had four haptic events: (a) a PCI, (b) a workshop EHIEP intonation for NNS instructors, (c) a workshop a haptic approach for working with the Academic Word List, and (d) a "Breakfast with the Stars," where I got free burritos for talking with a dozen or so around the table about EHIEP!

If you are thinking about going to Portland next March, here are a few of the topics that we have been considering. If you'd like to join as a co-presenter--or do one or something else yourself--let us know:

A. Another PCI on basic of haptic-integrated pronunciation teaching.
B. A paper re-interpreting previous research on gesture in SLA to show how haptic engagement has been there but, in many respects, just "not noticed." (my current project, but would love to share that w/somebody!)
C. Workshop on haptic anchoring of vocabulary (more general than the one last year on AWL)
D. Reports on ongoing research on the effectiveness of EHIEP techniques
E. A workshop on pronunciation homework, with haptic focus
F. Another NNS instructor-oriented workshop on "expressiveness" (i.e., more advanced intonation)
G. fMRI-based study on basic haptic anchoring
H. Haptic approach to teaching contrastive vowel systems in pronunciation teaching
I. Haptic phonetics (I may do that one or get a colleague here to do it!!!)
J. Haptic pronunciation discussion group (usually @ 7:00 a.m.)
K. A booth in the exhibition area (We will have an AH-EPS booth there to sell AH-EPS, of course, but will also try to figure out how to promote and sell other haptic "devices" and instructional programs.
L. Aerobic haptic demonstration (That went so well at BCTEAL in Vancouver that we have to do it at Portland, too!)
M. Poster sessions (There are any number of pieces of the basic EHIEP approach that could be done very effectively in a poster format.
N. Electronic village presentation of AH-EPS (absolutely essential this year.)
O. EHIEP and L2 identity embodiment (a former grad student has great data on that one)
P. Haptic pronunciation modelling in elementary ESL/EFL work (I'm doing a plenary in Korea in January on that topic
Q. Application of HICP principles to the teaching of sound systems of other languages.
R. Workshop on annotating written dialogue (especially with haptic parameters) for use in pronunciation teaching
S. Action research report on EHIEP protocol implementation in college EFL class (the data is available for that now)
T. Research summary report on the basis of HICP (similar to the one Karen Rauser and myself just did in Vancouver)
U. Demonstrations of AH-EPS (a freebee because we'll be paying for a booth at the convention)
V. Demonstrations at the AH-EPS booth throughout the conference (You can't up that on your CV, but it will be fun!)
W. Workshop on basic haptic pronunciation teaching techniques
X. Workshop on using haptic pronunciation techniques with graduate students
Y. Workshop on making your own haptic videos
Z. Get together of "hapticians" who are members of IAHICPR (Was supposed to have an organizational meeting at Dallas but we were having too much fun!)

I could go on . . . but I've run out of letters . . .KIT

HICP, EHIEP, HICPR, HPT, IAHICPR, AH-EPS . . . and HIPOECES!

Clip art: 

Over the course of the last five years or so the acronyms we have been using, along with the theory, models and methods have evolved.
Here is a brief tour:

• HICP (Haptic-integrated Clinical Pronunciation)  – The term we use now for the general approach, especially the "clinical" side that focuses on integration into spontaneous speech and systematic,  invasive management of homework practice
• HICPR (Haptic-integrated Clinical Pronunciation Research)  – The mother blog; can also be "Haptic-integrated Clinical Pronunciation Researcher"
• HPT (Haptic pronunciation teaching) – The other blog
• EHIEP – The application of HICP to English. Each of us really has our own take on that. EHIEP doesn't require haptic video, per se. AH-EPS does. We have been training people at workshops in the non-video-based use of some of the protocols for five years or so.  
• AH-EPS (Acton Haptic - English Pronunciation System) – The haptic video system that is coming on the market now. 
• HIPOECES (Haptic-integrated Pronunciation for other- and extended circle- English Speakers) Name of the blog when it started in 2010. It made sense at the time . . .
• IAHICPR (International Association of Haptic-integrated Clinical Pronunciation Researchers). Have list of people who will become charter members of that later this fall when I kick it off officially. 
• HIC (Haptician-in-Chief) A term referring to me on occasion



Clker

• KIT (Keep in touch!) Our favorite sign off. 

KIT

Clinical "Pronouncephobia": Had-beens and HIPs

Clip art: Clker

Clker: Clip art

 If you ever need a quick personality test on most anything, go to the BBC Science site. Sometime ago, half tongue in cheek, I combined the succinct definitions of Idealist and Strategist there to come up with "Theorist/Researcher," especially those who used to or had been teaching pronunciation in the classroom earlier (Had-beens)--and Realist and Performer, to come up with "Pronunciation Teacher," especially "haptically-integrating" practitioners (HIPs). As I look back on it now, it actually helps explain why many leading theorists in pronunciation-related areas are still not genuinely interested in the clinical side of our work yet. They are still principally concerned with how pronunciation is acquired and what is taught--not how, at least not on a moment-to-moment basis. (Never forget Yogi Bera's dictum: In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice--in practice, there is!") They are, both types, important to the field, of course, just in different ways!

Had-beens:

• Make sense of the world using inner values AND quiet, easy-going and intellectually curious
• Focus on personal growth and the growth of others AND use logical, objective thinking to find original solutions to problems
• Think of themselves as bright, forgiving and curious AND think of themselves as logical and individualistic
• May sometimes appear stubborn AND may forget practical issues, such as paying bills or doing the shopping

HIPs:

• Loyal and steady workers who meet deadlines AND performers
• Believe in established rules and respect facts AND prefer hands-on learning to reading a book
• Think of themselves as mature, stable and conscientious AND think of themselves as enthusiastic, sociable or sensitive
• May appear too logical or tough-minded and forget their impact on other people AND may forget about commitments--because they're having so much fun! (Rather like in this blogpost!) 

I know many "Had-beens" who are becoming hip, in fact. If you are now, or are moving in that direction, join us at the organizational meeting of the International Association of Haptic-integrated Clinical Pronunciation Researchers (IAHICPR - "I, a hiccuper!") at the TESOL international convention in Dallas next March. (The earlier announced meeting date has been moved from February 2013 to March; a first order of business will be to change the name of the organization!)