Improve Your American English Accent : Overcoming Major Obstacles to Understanding [Audio CD]

Charlsie Childs (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071428097 | ISBN-13: 978-0071428095 | Publication Date: December 10, 2003 | Edition: 1

Sound like a native English speaker in six easy lessons

Even though you know the vocabulary and the endless grammar rules, you still find it difficult to pronounce English words correctly. This struggle with your new language can make communicating with native English speakers a frustrating experience for both you and them. Now you can gain confidence in your English skills and speak like an American with this focused, nonintimidating program.

Improve Your American English Accent is an easy and enjoyable way to learn and master the most challenging American English speech characteristics, such as:

• The most troublesome of sixteen American English vowel sounds
• The duration of vowel sounds
• Differences in stressed and unstressed syllables and words
• How a sound is changed by the sounds that come before and after it
• Stress in words and phrases and how it influences timing

The CDs present six 35-minute lessons, each one covering key obstacles faced by nonnative English speakers. Author Charlsie Childs is your own personal tutor, talking you through her proven methods for overcoming the tricks of English pronunciation. Accompanying the CDs is a booklet containing written pronunciation guidelines and transcriptions of the sounds, words, and sentences you encounter on the recording.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charlsie Childs is a specialist in foreign accent reduction with many years of teaching experience.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (December 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071428097
• ISBN-13: 978-0071428095
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best yet pronunciation guide, August 25, 2005

By 

Elizabeth Dwaihy Barr (Novi, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Improve Your American English Accent : Overcoming Major Obstacles to Understanding (Audio CD)

As an ESL teacher, I have found this to be the most affordable and effective program I have ever used with my university students and with private students as well. I do find that there are not enough practices as the booklet accompanying the CDs is just a narrow volume but the practice sections, though limited in quantity, are of excellent quality. I have found that I can supplement the practice sections with other texts. The narrator has a friendly quality to her voice and I have been repeatedly listening to the CDs with numerous students yet I am still not tired of hearing her voice. In one or two places on the CDs the narrator demonstrates "close" vowel sounds, and I cannot hear the difference because of poor production quality in a couple of spots. But, as I am following along in the text, I stop the CD and go over those few sounds with my students. In spite of this failing in one or two places on the CD, I would highly recommend this well organized and otherwise well presented program above all the others that I have used. My students have demonstrated noticeable improvement in a very short period of time and they all have mentioned that they enjoy the program and find it "very useful," easy to understand, and reasonably priced.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DEFINITELY worth it, March 1, 2006

By 

Filoche (Amsterdam) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Improve Your American English Accent : Overcoming Major Obstacles to Understanding (Audio CD)

Hi!
The first good surprise was Charlsie's voice, it almost sounds like music to your ears. Then the way each lesson is structured, 30 min not too long not too short, in which most essential north American English sounds, intonations, pitches etc... are being thoroughly examined. I've also liked the fact that you don't really need to read the booklet, you can just sit back and listen first. On the down side, but for 2 or 3 words only (!), the sound is poor indeed. Also few slight volume variations occasionally take place but this is not an issue whatsoever.
So, 3 CD's, 6 lessons, I studied 1 lesson a week, took me one and a half month then, and I do feel I have improved several aspects already. The real difficulty consists in applying Chelsea's tips to each new situation you face in life, and I know I'll need to review the CD's again and again, as repetition allows you ...not to forget what you've learnt!
I do recommend this course.
Ph

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No frills , but quite a thrill!, September 22, 2006

By 

Sergio Augusto Mauad (São Paulo, SP Brazil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Improve Your American English Accent : Overcoming Major Obstacles to Understanding (Audio CD)

The whole package, manual and three CD's, comes in a sleek plastic case. If you're a visual learner,however, you might find the manual pretty stark: there is no glossy paper , no lip and mouth pictures, no stylish layout. Despite this initial turn-off, the listening material is simply captivating! The author's soothing and reassuring voice leads you all the way into the subtleties of English sounds. Those pronunciations that can give a headache to non-native speakers are explained simply and with very little linguistic terminology. Highlights? Check the ingenious explanation of ed - endings in session three: regular verbs are repeated many times in full sentences with extensive practice of blendings and vowel reduction (the manual presents symbols for glottal stops, d or t flaps and schwa in case you cannot reproduce the sounds on the CD). Vowels are numbered and contrasted in groups, so that the student can become aware of their distinctive features. It's the perfect course to take in the peace of your car, during rush hour. And it's umbelievably cheap compared to the other accent reduction courses on the market. Definitely a great bargain.