¡Cometa! Thanks for being the first to comment on my latest project. ¡Lo agradezco mucho! I'll be happy to share things that I've learned by "playing around" with PbWiki in making this site. I'm also very grateful—for our friendship. ¡Besos para ti también⁄!
Your wiki is fabulous! I am most interested in devising ways to raise students' awareness as to what they should expect when talking/ listening to natives.
In my experience as a student of French, I realized that my pronunciation (poor, Im afraid!) interfered with my listening skills. It was there, in Nice, many many years ago that I had this insight - either I raised my stds' awareness about relaxed speech or they would end up like me, able to talk their way around but rather deaf.
Your wiki is food for thought. Thanks!
Thanks very much for adding the very meaningful thoughts above; I'm glad we share an interest in helping our students manage what they will actually encounter in listening outside the classroom. To do that, it seems to me that one has to spend some time working with relaxed speech—since outside of the classroom, precious few native speakers use the slow, carefully articulated "teacher talk" that our students become accustomed to hearing us use (and also that they hear on the great majority of recorded listening material, unless it is authentic and not created for ESL/EFL students).
I had a similar experience with French, but in my case, my French was so bad that in France, those with whom I tried to speak always responded by shrugging their shoulders and sahying (as they looked down their noses), "Please, monsieur. Ah spik zi inglish!"—so in French, I'm not only deaf but also (functionally, at least) mute.
I'm glad this wiki provides food for thought. Along that line, I'm hungry, too—that is, I'm interested in more of YOUR insights!
It took me a moment (a senior one possibly) to figure out how to write here. It seems that these materials not only fill a niche but are riding the crest of a wave of new publishing, open, fluid, and collaborative rather than closed, fixed, and constrained by a gate-keeper publishing concern. Navigation seemed easy (except that from there lessons for students there was no handy link back to the table of contents). This would be really interesting if recordings of actual speakers were used, but I'm sure that's part of the plan. Nice start!
Yes, it's difficult to know what to do to be able to write comments. I'll have to add something to make that clearer.
I don't understand your comment that "Navigation seemed easy (except that from there lessons for students there was no handy link back to the table of contents)." Actually, every page except 1 (Module 1A) links back to the ToC. The lack of a link on Module 1A is intentional: I prefer that after users read what's on this page and listen to the short audio that's linked there, they go on tio Module 1B —which has exactly the same audio file as in Module 1A but with richer context: a phonetic transcription of what the man and the woman say. The idea behind all this? – Reinforcement.
I agree about recordings of actual speakers and recordings are, in fact, included. They may not have been showing on the page when you looked at it, however, because at first I couldn't remember the html for an embedded audio console. After I found/remembered the code, the mini-console showed up. Take a look at Module 1A and Module 1B now. If you don't see the mini-consoles and hear the speaker (me), please let me know.
Thanks for your kind words about "Relaxed Speech." Re "This is a great resource," I can only say that I think this wiki has the potential to be useful, but whether or not it actually becomes that remains very much to be seen. If I (and collaborators!) add to the content (both informational and instructional) regularly, however, I think it shows promise.
I'll be visiting your wiki in a few minutes. I look forward to seeing what you've done!
Good luck in the ambitious projects you're involved in during your sabbatical!
"Relaxed Speech" is intended as a collaborative effort, so your input regarding its content is welcome. All PBWiki users may be contributors. If you have difficulties adding questions, comments, or other material, please contact the "Relaxed Speech" administrator.
The "Relaxed Speech" administrator will not edit questions or comments, but any off-topic content additions will, with notice to their provider, be removed. The administrator also reserves the right to edit formatting of this wiki
Comments (11)
mmvcentro said
at 10:19 am on Nov 15, 2008
Great wiki Dennis! Thanks for inviting me, your layout is wonderful! I'll learn to make lively wikis loking at this wiki.
I'm very grateful. Besos
Dennis Oliver said
at 12:41 pm on Nov 15, 2008
¡Cometa! Thanks for being the first to comment on my latest project. ¡Lo agradezco mucho! I'll be happy to share things that I've learned by "playing around" with PbWiki in making this site. I'm also very grateful—for our friendship. ¡Besos para ti también⁄!
Robert said
at 7:48 am on Nov 17, 2008
This looks great Dennis. I'm looking forward to investigating more. Thank you.
Dennis Oliver said
at 8:57 am on Nov 17, 2008
Robert!
What a pleasure it is to see your comment as the first one from my EVO2002 post! Many thanks!
You're cordially invited to add further comments and/or questions—or to add other materials as well, if you have the time and/or interest.
Best wishes—
Dennis
Maria Claudia Pires Gonçalves said
at 9:17 am on Nov 17, 2008
Dear Dennis,
Your wiki is fabulous! I am most interested in devising ways to raise students' awareness as to what they should expect when talking/ listening to natives.
In my experience as a student of French, I realized that my pronunciation (poor, Im afraid!) interfered with my listening skills. It was there, in Nice, many many years ago that I had this insight - either I raised my stds' awareness about relaxed speech or they would end up like me, able to talk their way around but rather deaf.
Your wiki is food for thought. Thanks!
Dennis Oliver said
at 9:45 am on Nov 17, 2008
María Cláudia!
Thanks very much for adding the very meaningful thoughts above; I'm glad we share an interest in helping our students manage what they will actually encounter in listening outside the classroom. To do that, it seems to me that one has to spend some time working with relaxed speech—since outside of the classroom, precious few native speakers use the slow, carefully articulated "teacher talk" that our students become accustomed to hearing us use (and also that they hear on the great majority of recorded listening material, unless it is authentic and not created for ESL/EFL students).
I had a similar experience with French, but in my case, my French was so bad that in France, those with whom I tried to speak always responded by shrugging their shoulders and sahying (as they looked down their noses), "Please, monsieur. Ah spik zi inglish!"—so in French, I'm not only deaf but also (functionally, at least) mute.
I'm glad this wiki provides food for thought. Along that line, I'm hungry, too—that is, I'm interested in more of YOUR insights!
Abraços!
Dennis
Vance Stevens said
at 8:52 pm on Nov 17, 2008
It took me a moment (a senior one possibly) to figure out how to write here. It seems that these materials not only fill a niche but are riding the crest of a wave of new publishing, open, fluid, and collaborative rather than closed, fixed, and constrained by a gate-keeper publishing concern. Navigation seemed easy (except that from there lessons for students there was no handy link back to the table of contents). This would be really interesting if recordings of actual speakers were used, but I'm sure that's part of the plan. Nice start!
Dennis Oliver said
at 1:45 pm on Nov 18, 2008
Hi, Vance.
Thanks for your comments: much appreciated.
Yes, it's difficult to know what to do to be able to write comments. I'll have to add something to make that clearer.
I don't understand your comment that "Navigation seemed easy (except that from there lessons for students there was no handy link back to the table of contents)." Actually, every page except 1 (Module 1A) links back to the ToC. The lack of a link on Module 1A is intentional: I prefer that after users read what's on this page and listen to the short audio that's linked there, they go on tio Module 1B —which has exactly the same audio file as in Module 1A but with richer context: a phonetic transcription of what the man and the woman say. The idea behind all this? – Reinforcement.
I agree about recordings of actual speakers and recordings are, in fact, included. They may not have been showing on the page when you looked at it, however, because at first I couldn't remember the html for an embedded audio console. After I found/remembered the code, the mini-console showed up. Take a look at Module 1A and Module 1B now. If you don't see the mini-consoles and hear the speaker (me), please let me know.
Best as always—
Dennis
Mary Jane Onnen said
at 9:51 pm on Nov 18, 2008
Dennis,
This is a great resource. Thanks for sharing it.
Mary Jane
Dennis Oliver said
at 5:20 am on Nov 19, 2008
Mary Jane!
What a pleasure it is to see your comments!
Thanks for your kind words about "Relaxed Speech." Re "This is a great resource," I can only say that I think this wiki has the potential to be useful, but whether or not it actually becomes that remains very much to be seen. If I (and collaborators!) add to the content (both informational and instructional) regularly, however, I think it shows promise.
I'll be visiting your wiki in a few minutes. I look forward to seeing what you've done!
Good luck in the ambitious projects you're involved in during your sabbatical!
Very best regards—
Dennis
mmvcentro said
at 10:57 pm on Dec 4, 2008
Hi Dennis!
I'm sorry I missed our chat. I need a favor, whenever you have time please visit the following site and check pronunciation. http://web.splashcast.net/web_watch/?code=ZHVT9744BC&show_code=&scene_id=
See you around! Besos. Maru
You don't have permission to comment on this page.