Description of the Self-tutorial Blog Project

In this project, you will engage in concentrated "deliberate practice" of your own pronunciation over the full 14 weeks of the course.

• As a starting point, you will choose a one-minute audio or video recording of someone speaking in a language or dialect that is not your native one, and in which you would like to improve your pronunciation. This one-minute target sample will be referred to as your archetype.
• Each week, you will focus on very specific areas to work on, and will engage in deliberate practice in these areas at least 30 minutes per day, at least four days per week.
• • You may want to focus on the following areas of pronunciation in the order provided:
  • • voice quality setting
    • consonants
    • vowels
    • connected speech
    • stress
    • rhythm
    • prominence
    • intonation
• You will record yourself at least once each week trying to imitate the archetype to the best of your ability.
• You will document your activities and progress each week in the form of a blog (preferably through blogger.com).

Here is more specific information about what you should include in your blog postings each week:

Week 1:

• a link to your archetype and a brief description of why you chose it
• a link to an initial recording of yourself attempting to imitate the archetype
• a description of the most noticeable or important differences between the archetype and your own pronunciation
• a brief description of the things you need to work on overall
• a brief description of the specific things you will focus on during the coming week (e.g., aspects of your voice quality setting)

Weeks 2-13:

• a description of what you actually worked on and when, what materials and resources you used, what techniques you used, what seemed to work best, and any other insights you have gained
• links to any relevant materials or resources you want to make available to the reader
• a link to your recording for this week
• a brief description of this week's recording in relation to what you worked on and whether you seem to have improved
• a brief description of the specific things you will focus on during the coming week

Week 14:

• a description of what you actually worked on and when, what materials and resources you used, what techniques you used, what seemed to work best, and any other insights you have gained
• links to any relevant materials or resources you want to make available to the reader
• a link to your final recording for the semester
• a comparison of your final recording with previous recordings and a description of the areas where you have and haven't progressed
• final thoughts, including a description of what you still need to learn or refine, and thoughts about what you did right and what you think you should have done differently