Introduction to /eɪ/ - /ɛ/ Color-Coded Pronunciation Newcastle Language Systems
Linguist and Pronunciation Specialist Jack Newcastle introduces the /eɪ/ - /ɛ/ front vowels of General American English. Before watching this video, learners should watch the introductory videos for the Color-Coded system and the Five Front vowels, as those videos will explain our method Zone-Color method. The learner also first needs to watch the Green - Tin introductory video and the work through the exercise video.
Also in this video, Jack discusses the linguistic, psychological, and biological problems that language learners face when they try to produce the sounds of a new language. For example, while many methods and instructors tell to students to try to hear the sounds of the language and then imitate them, the fact is that the adult brain actually maps the sounds of the new language to the sounds of the native language. Due to this process, learners usually cannot actually hear the differences between sounds. However, the Motor Theory of linguistics states that there is a neurological connection between the language centers of the brain and the articulators – meaning the lips, the tongue, the vocal cords, all the other muscles used for speech. We can think of it as a type of neural loop that links hearing to speech production, and our method exploits this connection by focusing on FORMING the sounds rather than trying to hear them. In this way, as the sound is increasingly produced correctly over time, the muscles send signals back to the brain, informing it of a new sound being added to the language center. In turn, this improves hearing comprehension of those sounds and the language in general.
After watching the lesson, students can practice with the Grape -Yellow exercise video. Of course, if you still need some help after watching both videos, you can always schedule pronunciation lessons with us at newcastlels.com. Our method has helped many students add the sounds of English to their set of linguistic skills, and we're sure we can do the same for you. Classes may be one-on-one if you like, but we can also accommodate up to 3 students for the price of 1. Additionally, we have classes in Conversational English, Business English, Writing, and we can help you with that TOEFL, TOEIC, or IELTS you may need to pass!