Clear Speech is a text/CD that works on word and sentence-level stress, which is what will cause the most trouble for a Thai speaker. She probably also needs some work on final consonants. Maybe that can be done with contrasting pairs: 

http://www.manythings.org/pp/

or, a nice book is Pronunciation Pairs, or Ship or Sheep. But for an advanced student with stress issues, Clear Speech is on-target. More confusion will come from the word/sentence stress issues than individual phonemes. 

Also be aware that educated, urban Thai has borrowed a tremendous number of English words outright- not cognates, like the Latin words found in Spanish, but English words spoken with Thai stress patterns and consonant rules (N is substituted for final L, no final S, etc.) Frequently, part of what the student is up against is the notion that she already "knows" the word- which may be true in terms of meaning, but is not at all true for pronunciation (see what happens with "Pepsi" or "computer"). So she needs to learn to slow down, pay attention and doubt herself whenever using those English loanwords (which are de facto Thai now).

Choke dee, (good luck)
Lee Sledd 
ESL Instructor
Madison Family Literacy
a partnership of Tacoma Community College and Tacoma Public Schools
253-571-1887



From: Andrea Wilder
Sent: Thu 10/23/2008 9:45 AM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3020] Re: distance learning .... as the future?


Hi Steve, 


I need your assessment of my Thai tenant--her English is improving a lot, the words she speaks are clearer, BUT stresses don't come in the right places, and I have to ask her to spell out some of her English words.  What would you suggest for  increasing COMPREHENSION and PRONUNCIATION?  She has a very  quick mind, and is very accepting of correction.  


Andrea


On Oct 23, 2008, at 12:33 PM, Steve Kaufmann wrote:


I study three languages online and it works just fine. 

Input and vocabulary:

I can select my own lessons or my tutor can assign lessons to me. I read and listen to these lessons and save the words and phrases I want to learn to a database for review. An online dictionary is available. Flash Cards are automatically created for these words and phrases. These word lists are emailed to me on a spaced repetition basis from the time I first save them. Listening and reading is my main activity, done during the day when I have time.

Questions:

I can go to a tutor's forum with grammar or other questions.

Writing:

I get specific scheduled writing assignments, or can write on any subject I want, when I want. I receive a report with my errors highlighted on the text on the left hand side and the corrected phrases highlighted in the corrected version on the right hand side. There are notes for each correction, as well as an overall report, with comments and encouragement, from the tutor. There are statistics on the nature of the mistakes I make.

Speaking:

I speak to my tutor via Skype and receive a report which includes a list of words and phrases that I had trouble with, which I import into my system as content to study, just as I do with the writing report.

There is as much interaction with a teacher as I want, and it is both synchronous and asynchronous. This method teaches skills and involves and requires motivated and imaginative teachers. 

E-learning does not threaten teachers, it empowers them and expands their scope.

--
Regards, 

Steve Kaufmann
http://www.lingq.com/
1-604-922-8514
 




The future of language 



On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 7:40 AM, Steinbacher Mikal <Mikal.Steinbacher at lwtc.edu> wrote:

I've been teaching an online grammar/writing class for high intermediate ESL students for ~ 5 years now as a supplement to face-to-face classes taught on campus.  It is a stand alone class, but is "sold" as a support course to students' face-to-face class.  We have found, as I am sure all ESL programs have, that writing is the last skill mastered by ESL students, and have discovered that the additional grammar and writing support the online class provides does make a difference.  To my knowledge, we don't have any statistics, but it might be interesting to develop some ... if a way to do it efficiently could be found.  Any ideas???

Mikal Steinbacher
Instructor, ABE/ESL/English
Lake Washington Technical College

________________________________

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Paul Rogers
Sent: Wed 10/22/2008 12:42 PM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3014] distance learning .... as the future?


    Distance learning - in my opinion - will become an integral part of ESL in the future. Those programs already involved in a distance learning approach have found that they are able to provide ESL instruction to many more students, while at the same time increasing interest and "retention."
    Distance learning can be defined as a program that provides lessons via computers and internet, dvds and videos, audio cds and ipods,  text-books or workbooks with homework assignments, "homework" via email, and, in some cases, airing lessons on community television ("public access tv").

    There are also programs which provide free or low cost refurbished or used computers for ESL students, a Computers For Families approach.

    And there are grants available for distance learning under the title of "Bridging The Digital Divide."

    Distance learning is more "student centered" and, I think, more popular and can be more effective.

    In addition, publicity to increase community interest for this kind of program can be done through community newspapers, or newspapers in the language of the potential students, radio stations (PSAs) and flyers distributed at swap meets, churches, local stores, etc.

    Other venues can include places like laudromats - I just started "teaching" at the Laundromat I use! I  use some of my cds, texts, and some home made dvds. I shall eventually bring in my laptop and demonstrate how my website works.

Very interesting, no?!

Paul Rogers
805-258-3310
pumarosa21 at yahoo.com
PUMAROSA.COM


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