It’s Not What You Said, It’s How You Said It

Rebeca M

It’s Not What You Said, It’s How You Said It

Pronunciation - B1-B2 | Intermediate Level

8 $

May. 14 Thu , 09:00 USA

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Description

A performance-based class for intermediate learners. Students will move from "functional" English to "expressive" English. The session includes "The Stress Test" and role-plays designed to practice sounding persuasive, skeptical, or surprised.

Session Activities

1: Take the sentence: "I didn't say he stole the money." Have students stress a different word each time and explain the new meaning. First stress "I", then "say" and finally "money"

2: Say "That's a great idea" in two ways—one genuine and one sarcastic. Students must identify which is which and explain the "shape" of the voice.

3: One student says a neutral phrase (e.g., "The bus is here"). The student chooses a mood (Angry, Happy, Bored) and tells the second student, who must guess the mood and repeat the phrase in that mood.

1: How much do you judge someone’s personality based on the "music" of their voice?

2: In your culture, is it common to use a lot of pitch variation, or is a flatter tone more respectful?

3: When a doctor or a pilot speaks, they usually use a very specific intonation. How would you describe it? Does it make you feel safe or nervous? Can you mimic it?

4: How do you show someone you don't believe them using only your voice? (e.g., saying "Oh, really?" with a rising-falling wave).

5: Do you think men and women use intonation differently in your country? Does one group use more "rising" tones than the other?

Sarcasm

The use of irony to mock or convey contempt, often signaled by elongated vowels and heavy falling tones.

Ambiguous

Open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning

Incredulous

Unwilling or unable to believe something. (Perfect for practicing the "Are you serious?" tone).

Subtle

So delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe.

To Modulate

To change the strength, loudness, or pitch of your voice to fit the situation.

Get ready for an engaging 10 minutes where you'll receive valuable feedback from your tutor regarding vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar mistakes

Rules

Be kind and respectful to everyone.

No flirting! If someone doesn’t want to share their social media or phone number, respect their choice.

Let everyone have a chance to speak.

Please avoid smoking or drinking while talking.

Keep your camera on at all times.

Note: If you break any of these rules, you may be banned