PART I: Preliminary Exercises (1-3 lessons)
In the initial lessons, we will focus on establishing the natural posture required for the British RP accent. Emphasis will be placed on understanding aspiration, relaxing the vocal tract, and practicing breathing exercises. The introduction to tongue positioning, basics of stop consonants, pulmonic consonants, and the interrelation between the lungs and articulators will be covered. These fundamental exercises can be challenging as they differ significantly from articulation in other languages. Drill exercises will be provided to help you acclimate to these new mechanisms.
PART II: Mastering Each Individual Sound (10-15 lessons)
Once the foundational elements are in place, we will delve into each individual vowel sound methodically. Starting with neutral vowel sounds, we will progress through front vowels, back vowels, and finally, diphthong vowel sounds.
Each vowel sound will be studied within the context of single-syllable words, connected speech, example phrases, and sentences. If you encounter difficulties with specific sounds, we will refer back to the Daily Training materials for targeted articulation exercises.
It’s essential to note that while the focus of each chapter is on the target vowel sound, we will also examine it within the broader context of connected speech, aspiration, facial posture, and stop consonants. Recognizing patterns across various sounds in the English language will make the learning process smoother.
There are a total of 20 vowel sounds, and progress should allow for completing two chapters on specific vowel sounds within a single lesson.
Structured Approach
Taking the example of the first lesson on the short vowel sound /ɪ/, the structure would be as follows:
- Identify the target sound using the vowel sound chart. Understand the facial posture and its combination with various consonant sounds.
- Practice example words containing the target vowel sound /ɪ/.
- Practice connected speech in its simplest form containing the target vowel sound /ɪ/.
- Practice two-word example phrases containing the target vowel sound /ɪ/.
- Practice example sentences containing the target vowel sound /ɪ/.
During this chapter, word lists and sentence structures have been tailored to the short vowel sound /ɪ/. For instance:
“Tim thinks this fish is big.”
This sentence exclusively features the target vowel sound, /ɪ/, minimizing cognitive overload. Exceptions may occur, but they will be kept to a minimum, and any challenges will be addressed by your teacher.
While PART II follows the order of the twenty individual vowel sounds, various other aspects of pronunciation will be incorporated into the lessons for a comprehensive learning experience.