All oral communication skills workshops are on Tuesdays from 12 to 12:50 p.m. with the location TBA
Sept 2: Secrets to Understanding – Reduced Forms, Sentence Stress, & Compensation Strategies
If only native speakers all had subtitles as they spoke! This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who struggle to understand what native speakers are saying. Learn common reductions and how paying attention to sentence stress can help you catch what is being said.
Sept 9: Pronunciation of R, L, and RL
Come to this interactive workshop if you would like to work on the American English pronunciation of these three sounds. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to improve their pronunciation.
Sept 16: Pronunciation of TH, F, V, P, B
Come to this interactive workshop if you would like to work on the American English pronunciation of these five sounds. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to improve their pronunciation.
Sept 23: Pronunciation of V/W, Ch/Sh, and Z/Zh
Come to this interactive workshop if you would like to work on the American English pronunciation of, and distinction among, these six sounds. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to improve their pronunciation.
Sept 30: Pronunciation of Final Consonants
We’ll look at challenges for speakers of particular languages that tend to drop final consonants and also how the final –ed and –es of words vary in sound depending on what sound comes before. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to improve their pronunciation.
Oct 7: Pronunciation of Long Vowels & Combos
We’ll compare combinations of long vowels with short ones (e.g. long and short i), with a focus on practicing long vowel sounds. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to improve their pronunciation.
Oct 14: Pronunciation of Short Vowels
We’ll compare combinations of long vowels with short ones (e.g. long and short i), with a focus on practicing short vowel sounds. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to improve their pronunciation.
Oct 21: no workshop
Oct 28: Getting Word Stress & Sentence Stress Right
Some consider this more important that “perfect” pronunciation. If your word stress or sentence stress is off, people may have trouble understanding you even if your pronunciation is fine. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to improve how well they are understood by others.
Nov 4: American Patterns of Intonation
Although English is not a tonal language, intonation patterns demonstrate signify types of utterance (e.g. question vs. declaration) as well as provide important clues to the speaker’s state of mind. Intonation can indicate excitement, boredom, honesty, importance, and more. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to improve how well they understand and are understood by others.
Nov 11: Holiday
Nov 18: Everyday (non-Academic) Vocabulary You Should Know
It’s common for international scholars to arrive here with excellent academic vocabulary knowledge within their fields but limited vocabulary related to day-to-day life in Merced. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to increase that everyday vocabulary.
Nov 25: Fluency Practice – Linking, Blending & Speed
Sound more like a native English speaker by connecting words as a native speaker would. Come practice linking words and making some letters “disappear” for a smooth-sounding effect. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to sound a bit more like native speakers of American English.
Dec 2: Fluency Practice – Thinking on Your Feet, Fillers, & Conversation Skills
What can you say when you’re not sure what to say? Which conversation topics are okay and which are taboo in the US? Come learn techniques for making small talk and gently maintaining some control over conversations with native speakers. This workshop is especially for non-native English speakers who would like to improve their conversation skills.
