TESOLSpeech and Pronunciation Interest Section

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TESOLSpeech and Pronunciation Interest Section
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~j ... _materials_ans.html
Ask the Experts

“What are good Test of Spoken English (TSE) materials?”
         Answer by Colleen Meyers:

My first suggestion would be to buy Dean Pappajohn's wonderful book: Towards Speaking Excellence, which is published by the University of Michigan Press. This has some excellent overall strategies as well as some specific strategies for pronunciation.

In addition, this is what I tell the new ITAs in our intensive summer program who need to take SPEAK (which is our institutionalized version of the TSE). Here are my "10 strategies for getting a good score on the TSE:"

Practice beforehand. One of my ITAs purposefully did NOT take the TSE until he had been in the USA for a few weeks, just so he could feel more comfortable speaking English. Other students have told me they try to speak English before the test as much as they can that day.
Incorporate pauses. When native speakers of English speak informally they sometimes speak very fast; however, when they speak in a more formal situation, such as on a test, they slow down and incorporate pauses into their speech. These pauses are similar to those which they would use when reading. For example, Today/ I want to talk about this graph./ It's very important/ because it will be on the test./ This technique is particularly important for speakers of other dialects of English, such as Indians, Nigerians, Kenyans, etc.
Close your eyes. Some people who take the TSE do not do well because they are distracted by those around them. By closing your eyes, you can “tune out" the noise in the room and the sound of others taking the test.
Smile while talking. Smiling naturally helps native speakers to use a more enthusiastic rise and fall to their voice, giving them a more pleasant sounding voice and therefore better intonation pattern. Try pretending you are answering the phone: "ABC Company. Colleen speaking." Do this WITH and withOUT a smile. What difference do you notice?
Open your jaw. Many nonnative speakers of English speak English with their jaw too closed. This affects their volume and clarity of their speech. By opening your jaw, the sound will come out louder and clearer.
Enunciate key words. Again, when native speakers speak normally, they do not enunciate so much; however, teachers, politicians, and trained speakers are trained to make the key words "count." That's why George Bush (senior) lost the 1996 election to Clinton. He said, "Read my lips. No new taxes!" When taxes went up, he lost out. As you speak, clearly enunciate (move your jaw, lips, and tongue actively) for the key words (IN CAPITAL LETTERS): "TODAY, I want to talk about this GRAPH."
Emphasize important words. If you are comparing and contrasting two ideas, use extra emphasis to make the contrast. For example, "In the UNITED STATES, BREAD is popular, but in CHINA, RICE is the most popular." Do the same for important adverbs and verbs that show strong feeling (REALLY, VERY, HATE, LOVE, ALWAYS, NEVER) and transitional words (FIRST, THEN, NEXT, FINALLY). For instance, "I LOVE trains." "The FIRST thing I would do is to ...."
Slow down. The previous hints should help in this area. Also, however, you need to slow down your speech so that: 1) YOU have more control over your speech; and 2) your LISTENERS have more time to process what you 're saying. Think about the "quality" of your speech as being more important than the "quantity."
Get enough rest the night before. Sometimes students arrive tired to the test. Even native speakers of English don't speak as well when they are tired. Being rested can help a great deal because you won't have to work so hard just to think of what to say! You can focus more on "how" you are saying it.
Relax. Think of this test as an "opportunity"--not an "obstacle." Take a deep breath and tell yourself this will be a good experience for you. Arrive on time so that you don't need to go rushing into the room at the last minute, out of breath!

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