Wednesday, February 27, 2013

More on AH-EPS Introductory Video demo on Vimeo

Let me answer a couple of questions that came as email relating to the introductory Vimeo demo of AH-EPS

(1) AH-EPS does not in any way replace doing Judy Gilbert in class, especially in any kind of EAP class where rules and explanation rule. As I comment on in the video, it picks up where regular instruction generally leaves off, aiming to facilitate integration into spontaneous production. This is in a very real sense, a clinical approach, closer to "clinical phonetics," what my blog refers to as "haptic-integrated clinical pronunciation." Will be starting a new organization for us HICPRs, pronounced "hiccupers" which your are welcome to join--as long as you don't begin analyzing things until you have experienced them. (Be sure to read the fine print about excommunication for lack of experiential, common sense evidence supporting comments on the organizational blog.)  

(2) The real focus of the work is on something for the relatively inexperienced  and untrained (in pronunciation) instructor or the student who wants or needs to work on their own . . . on their own. The technology is finally available to make that happen. DVD or USB hard media is still an option, and will be available, but streaming and web/cloud access for most is going to be the only option. 

The possibilities for doing the same kind of haptic (and virtual reality) embodiment of the sound system with any language, are limitless. It is, as I have said for some time, integral to the future of the field. In principle, most initial "instruction" or training can go on outside of class with haptic video. In many instances that is the preferred approach, in fact. Practice will then either be with the instructor in integrated instruction in the classroom, using the techniques and patterns,  or with the three student practice videos per module. In fact, our experience is that it is imperative that if the 6 video clips of a module are done in a classroom setting, that the instructor must not interfere or comment in any way until all 6 have played. Best case, the instructor just "becomes" one of students and doesn't mess things up with impromptu comments or corrections, unless absolutely necessary! Instructor meddling and hyper-metacommentary may be the biggest threat to things working right!

Some version of the 10, 30-minute instructional videos will probably be free to the public. Ultimately, it all will.  (There'll be a small charge, at least for the time being,  for the 40 or so the student practice and consonant videos, like iTunes,  and the books will probably be available at minimal cost via Amazon. Teacher training, webcam consultations and haptic dinner with me will cost something as well, of course. 

At this point, I'm not as interested in making money from AH-EPS (that'll come later, of course) as I am in starting something that is high quality, accessible to most everyone, especially nonnative speaking colleagues-- and is very inexpensive. (I'll make a draft version of the instructor's book available free to everybody on this list after TESOL.)

Keep in touch.

Bill

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