Awareness Journal

By Sheri Summers and Mark Bev

www.AccentWorkshop.com
 www.accentworkshop.com

Introduction Notes:
Congratulations! Youve taken the action necessary to
improving not only your pronunciation, but more
importantly your accent. Be proud of your first action
step! Now, lets take the next step together.

This Awareness Journal accompanies the American

Accent Course Workbook. In the Workbook, each lesson
has a presentation of how native speakers produce the
language and a practice for you to put your newly
attained knowledge into valuable, practical everyday
use.

This Awareness Journal is another tool for you to use to

get the most out the course. Just as the title suggests,
we want you to become more aware of how you have
been speaking, and how you are trying to speak now
with your new knowledge from this course. We strongly
urge you to keep in touch with how you think and feel
about what the changes you are making to your accent.

Whether you keep an electronic journal or print out this

journal and put it in a binder, answering these questions
will help you to make the changes last.

Finally, if youre not already a member of the American

Accent Workshop, we believeyou will find enormous
benefit by joining. You can sign up at
www.accentworkshop.com. As a member of this online
community, you can come to Help Sessions and live
classes and get real time feedback from expert There are some people who live
in a dream world, and there are
instructors. Okay, lets begin!
some who face reality, and then
there are those who turn one
into the other.
Douglas Everett

The American Accent Course Introduction

2009 Accent on Speaking
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Something that I learned from this first lesson Lesson One

Attitude
was: ______________________________________
Spelling and Pronunciation

__________________________________________ Four Parts of Accent

Diagram Intonation

___________________________________________________________________________

When watching the online videos for voicing and facial movements, I noticed that:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

When observing people speaking English around me or in movies, I:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

I think the biggest difference between the way I speak English and the way native speakers

speak English is: ________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 1

2009 Accent on Speaking
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The thing that surprised me most about this Lesson Two

Stress
lesson was:
Basic Sentence Rhythm and Intonation

__________________________________________ Emphatic and Contrastive Stress

Word Connections
__________________________________________ Questions
Inflection
__________________________________________

I am starting to recognize some of the intonation patterns of native English speakers such

as:_________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

When I compare my intonation pattern with American English intonation patterns, I notice:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 2

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My initial feeling about the schwa is: Lesson Three

Examples of the Schwa
__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

I think this sound is going to be easy/ difficult for me because:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

I am starting to recognize the schwa in native English speakers speech such as:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Some of the words I use everyday that contain this schwa are:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 3

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Before I learned all about the American T, I was: Lesson Four

The strong T
__________________________________________
The soft T

__________________________________________ The held T and glottal T

The silent T
__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Now that Ive learned all about the American T, I will:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Some words containing the T that surprise me are:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 4

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Something that is starting to make sense about Lesson Five

Learning about Intonation Patterns
word intonation is:
Primary Stress

__________________________________________ Secondary Stress

Weak Stress
__________________________________________ Words with 1 Syllable
Words with 2 Syllables
__________________________________________

Im beginning to notice the length of words ending in a primary stress such as:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Some two syllable words that dont occur under any of the patterns/ categories in this lesson

are:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 5

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Something Im starting to notice about intonation Lesson Six

Learning about Intonation Patterns
patterns in English is:
Words with 3 Syllables

__________________________________________ Words with 4 Syllables

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Some words that dont fall under any of the categories we have learned so far are:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

My awareness of the intonation patterns of native English speakers is:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 6

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Of the consonants and vowels Ive worked on so Lesson Seven

Learning about Intonation Patterns
far, Im still having problems or doubts about:
Words that shift stress

__________________________________________ Words with -ate

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Since Ive started learning more about the American accent, Im beginning to realize that

North Americans:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Some other words Ive noticed that shift stress are:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 7

2009 Accent on Speaking
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It is easy/ difficult for me to drop a syllable in Lesson Eight

Learning about Intonation Patterns
certain words because:
Words that Lose a Syllable

__________________________________________ Words that are very different from their

spelling
__________________________________________

__________________________________________

I have noticed native English speakers dropping syllables in the following words:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Some other words Im working on that end in ed are:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 8

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Before this lesson, I didnt realize: Lesson Nine

Content Words
__________________________________________
Descriptive Phrases

__________________________________________ Descriptive Phrases vs. Compound

Nouns
__________________________________________ Compound Nouns

__________________________________________

I think I may have been stressing the following words in the wrong section:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

I am starting to notice the difference between descriptive phrases and compound nouns in

words and phrases such as:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 9

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So far, my biggest accomplishment regarding my Lesson Ten

Prepositions
American accent is:
Phrasal Verbs

__________________________________________ Acronyms
Numbers
__________________________________________

__________________________________________

So far, my biggest challenge regarding my American accent is:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Some phrasal verbs Im working on are:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 10

2009 Accent on Speaking
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I think I link/dont link words well together in Lesson Eleven

Link consonants with vowels
English. For example:
Link vowels with vowels

__________________________________________ Link consonants with consonants

Link certain letters with Y
__________________________________________ Linking Sentences

__________________________________________

The hardest thing about linking words together is:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

I have noticed how native speakers link words when they say things like:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 11

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Something that I didnt know before I listened to Lesson Twelve

Content and Structure Words
this lesson was:

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Im starting to get a feeling for American intonation because:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

I notice things about the intonation of native English speakers such as:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 12

2009 Accent on Speaking
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In my native language we use/dont use reduced Lesson Thirteen

Commonly reduced words (Structure
sounds like in English. It makes me aware that:
Words)

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

When I listen to native speakers something that I notice about their structure words is:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

When trying to reduce sounds in English, I feel:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 13

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Before I learned about American rhythm and Lesson Fourteen

Tonal Groups
timing, I thinking my speaking was:

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

I notice that the timing that native English speakers use is:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Timing is going to be easy/ difficult for me because:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 14

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I feel that the rhythm and timing of my English Lesson Fifteen

Reducing Modal Verbs
is:________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Im having the most trouble with:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

When I listen to their rhythm and timing, I notice that native English speakers:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 15

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The way that I group words together in my native Lesson Sixteen

Phrasing
language is:

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

I notice how a native English speaker paused when he/ she said:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

I realize that in English I tend to pause:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 16

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Getting the sentence stress right in English is Lesson Seventeen

Stressing in Sentences
making me feel:

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

I noticed a native English speaker saying the following sentences and I have underlined his

stressed syllables.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Something Id still like to know about the American accent is:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 17

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I think my American accent is: Lesson Eighteen

Emphatic Stress
__________________________________________
Contrastive Stress

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

I heard emphasized words in the following sentences:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The reason people emphasized those words is because:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 18

2009 Accent on Speaking
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When asking questions in my native language, the Lesson Nineteen

intonation pattern is: _______________________ Yes/No Questions
__________________________________________ Wh Questions
Mixed Questions
__________________________________________ Choices
Expressing Doubt or Disbelief
__________________________________________

I think that asking questions in English is easy/ difficult for me because:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Some questions Ive heard in English lately that I have examined are:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 19

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Before this lesson, my knowledge about tag Week Twenty

questions was: ___________________________ Tag Questions
__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Connecting words together feels comfortable/uncomfortable to me because:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

I feel that my accent American English is:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 20

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Something I didnt realize before I heard this Week Twenty-one

lesson was: ________________________________ Sequencing and Conversational Tone
__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

I noticed someone using conversational tone in the following sentence(s):

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

I noticed someone using a rise in intonation while giving the sequence:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 21

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Some things about American English intonation Week Twenty-two

that are becoming normal for me are: ________ Intonation in Complex Sentences

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Im still having difficulty with:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

My observations about American English newscasters are:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 22

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The most important aspect of the four parts of Week Twenty-three

accent for me when I express emotion is: Showing Emotion with Tone
________________________________________ Tonal Length, Intensity, and Direction
Gender and Tone
__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

I realize that the emotion expressed in my native language differs/is similar to American

tones in particular ways (think of length, intensity, and direction):

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 23

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So far I feel that my accent has improved in: Week Twenty-four

__________________________________________ Putting it Altogether

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

I would still like to improve:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

My attitude towards the American accent since I started this course has:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Other observations and notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

The American Accent Course Lesson 24

2009 Accent on Speaking
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